Oh, no! Lucy, I am so sorry about your wharf! There are so many idiots out there that shouldn't be allowed to own boats. What is your address? We were looking at Gulf Breeze on Google maps wondering where exactly your wharf was. I'm glad you all didn't get pummeled yourselves.
Katherine
On Fri, Oct 9, 2026, 5:15 PM Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan= <bellsouth.net...> wrote:
> We are being pummeled by the hurricane now. A huge sailboat (not ours) has > hit our wharf and has demolished it. The boat is currently getting battered > against our bulkhead. Nobody was on the boat, and nobody with brains would > have anchored where it and 8 other huge boats did. > Lucy > > On Friday, October 9, 2026 at 03:30:42 PM CDT, Katherine Clemo via > groups.io <kclemo54...> wrote: > > > That is VERY interesting, Bob. Hope you and Lucy and family are doing > well. We missed our annual fall trip to DI and AOS meeting due to a > planned trip that got cancelled. Hope to see you all in the Spring. Stay > safe through Isaias! > > Katherine > > -- > Lucy and Bob Duncan > Gulf Breeze, Florida > > > On Thu, Oct 8, 2026, 10:34 PM Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io > <RobertADuncan...> wrote: > > Hi all, > > This morning Jeff Madsen, an experienced birder who lives about 10 miles > east of the tip of our 20 mile long peninsula of Gulf Breze watched about > 100 - 200 warblers fly EAST against a moderate ENE wind. Normally, birds in > Fall migration are seen moving west in a circum-Gulf movement or a later > trans-Gulf migration. The exception would be those headed for the West > Indies. I rather doubt that a movement that large would be West > Indian-bound birds this late in the season. Is it possible these birds > "sensed" future worsening conditions to the west of their intended > movement and it caused them to avoid further movement west? The hurricane > at that point in time was still in the S. Gulf. That's mind boggling! > > This phenomenon occurred years ago when a hurricane was headed for > landfall to our west but was still well to the south of the coast. Lucy and > I witnessed a steady progression of Black Terns from our home as they flew > east most of the day against a stiff east wind. That's what's great about > birding. Questions, questions, questions. > > Bob Duncan > Gulf Breeze, Fl > > > > > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > Virus-free.www.avg.com > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > <#m_8888597877678261110_m_-6287489669628355109_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > -- > Lucy and Bob Duncan > Gulf Breeze, Florida > > > >
Date: 10/10/26 11:24 am From: Geoffrey Hill via groups.io <hillgee...> Subject: [ALbirds] Inland storm birds
Hello Alabama birders,
I was in Lowndes County this morning east of Selma just after what should have been the eye of the hurricane passed, and there were few hurricane birds. No interesting birds at Henry Dam. At Rhyne Turf farm there was nothing storm related when I went by at 630am. At 830, there was a single juvenile Black Tern and the best bird of the day, Cave Swallow. No other birds that appeared to be related to the storm. At Thurlow Dam in Tallassee, there was a single Laughing Gull. From other reports that I have seen, that is what other birders found—very few scattered gulls and terns.
Based on weather reports that I heard, it seems that wind shear broke up the storm (and released most of the trapped birds), just as the storm made landfall. So, seems like there are few storm birds to chase inland.
Geoff Hill, Auburn
**********************************
Dr. Geoffrey Hill
Professor
Dept. Biological Sciences
101 Life Sciences Building
120 W. Samford Ave.
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849-5414
NEW BOOK: Mitonuclear Ecology
Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution
****************************************
From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of Ken Hare via groups.io <kmhare46...>
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 10:22 AM
To: Albirds <ALbirds...>
Subject: [ALbirds] Storm birds
I know we all rely on eBird for rare bird alerts these days, but to avoid the necessary delays in those showing up it might be fun to revert to the old days when we routinely share those quickly on Albirds.
Also, any advice on where to go today or tomorrow for the best birding?
Ken H.
PS: I have an ulterior motive. If this proves helpful, it could make a nice way to plug AOS.
Date: 10/10/26 8:57 am From: Doris Gertler via groups.io <dee.gertler...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Storm birds
Thank you for restarting this feed-always like to hear about new sightings.
Lots of birds dropped in at our water feature in Hoover yesterday afternoon:
rose-breasted grosbeak, wood thrush, gray-cheeked and Swainson's thrushes,
magnolia , black-and white, golden-winged warblers and redstarts.
D
On Sat, Oct 10, 2026 at 10:22 AM Ken Hare via groups.io <kmhare46=
<knology.net...> wrote:
> I know we all rely on eBird for rare bird alerts these days, but to avoid
> the necessary delays in those showing up it might be fun to revert to the
> old days when we routinely share those quickly on Albirds.
>
> Also, any advice on where to go today or tomorrow for the best birding?
>
> Ken H.
>
> PS: I have an ulterior motive. If this proves helpful, it could make a
> nice way to plug AOS.
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 10/10/26 8:53 am From: Shirley Farrell via groups.io <shirfarr...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Storm birds
I think that is an excellent idea! Frank wants to go birding tomorrow and I
need a good direction or location for car birding for him and walking for
me.
Shirley J Farrell
Tyler, AL
On Sat, Oct 10, 2026 at 10:22 AM Ken Hare via groups.io <kmhare46=
<knology.net...> wrote:
> I know we all rely on eBird for rare bird alerts these days, but to avoid
> the necessary delays in those showing up it might be fun to revert to the
> old days when we routinely share those quickly on Albirds.
>
> Also, any advice on where to go today or tomorrow for the best birding?
>
> Ken H.
>
> PS: I have an ulterior motive. If this proves helpful, it could make a
> nice way to plug AOS.
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 10/10/26 8:22 am From: Ken Hare via groups.io <kmhare46...> Subject: [ALbirds] Storm birds
I know we all rely on eBird for rare bird alerts these days, but to avoid the necessary delays in those showing up it might be fun to revert to the old days when we routinely share those quickly on Albirds.
Also, any advice on where to go today or tomorrow for the best birding?
Ken H.
PS: I have an ulterior motive. If this proves helpful, it could make a nice way to plug AOS.
Date: 10/9/26 2:15 pm From: Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Interesting warbler migration
We are being pummeled by the hurricane now. A huge sailboat (not ours) has hit our wharf and has demolished it. The boat is currently getting battered against our bulkhead. Nobody was on the boat, and nobody with brains would have anchored where it and 8 other huge boats did. Lucy
On Friday, October 9, 2026 at 03:30:42 PM CDT, Katherine Clemo via groups.io <kclemo54...> wrote:
That is VERY interesting, Bob. Hope you and Lucy and family are doing well. We missed our annual fall trip to DI and AOS meeting due to a planned trip that got cancelled. Hope to see you all in the Spring. Stay safe through Isaias!
Katherine
On Thu, Oct 8, 2026, 10:34 PM Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan...> wrote:
Hi all,
This morning Jeff Madsen, an experienced birder who lives about 10 miles east of the tip of our 20 mile long peninsula of Gulf Breze watched about 100 - 200 warblers fly EAST against a moderate ENE wind. Normally, birds in Fall migration are seen moving west in a circum-Gulf movement or a later trans-Gulf migration. The exception would be those headed for the West Indies. I rather doubt that a movement that large would be West Indian-bound birds this late in the season. Is it possible these birds "sensed" future worsening conditions to the west of their intended movement and it caused them to avoid further movement west? The hurricane at that point in time was still in the S. Gulf. That's mind boggling!
This phenomenon occurred years ago when a hurricane was headed for landfall to our west but was still well to the south of the coast. Lucy and I witnessed a steady progression of Black Terns from our home as they flew east most of the day against a stiff east wind. That's what's great about birding. Questions, questions, questions.
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, Fl
That is VERY interesting, Bob. Hope you and Lucy and family are doing well. We missed our annual fall trip to DI and AOS meeting due to a planned trip that got cancelled. Hope to see you all in the Spring. Stay safe through Isaias!
Katherine
On Thu, Oct 8, 2026, 10:34 PM Lucy & Bob Email via groups.io <RobertADuncan= <bellsouth.net...> wrote:
> Hi all, > > This morning Jeff Madsen, an experienced birder who lives about 10 miles > east of the tip of our 20 mile long peninsula of Gulf Breze watched about > 100 - 200 warblers fly EAST against a moderate ENE wind. Normally, birds in > Fall migration are seen moving west in a circum-Gulf movement or a later > trans-Gulf migration. The exception would be those headed for the West > Indies. I rather doubt that a movement that large would be West > Indian-bound birds this late in the season. Is it possible these birds > "sensed" future worsening conditions to the west of their intended > movement and it caused them to avoid further movement west? The hurricane > at that point in time was still in the S. Gulf. That's mind boggling! > > This phenomenon occurred years ago when a hurricane was headed for > landfall to our west but was still well to the south of the coast. Lucy and > I witnessed a steady progression of Black Terns from our home as they flew > east most of the day against a stiff east wind. That's what's great about > birding. Questions, questions, questions. > > Bob Duncan > Gulf Breeze, Fl > > > > > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > Virus-free.www.avg.com > <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> > <#m_-6287489669628355109_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> > > -- > Lucy and Bob Duncan > Gulf Breeze, Florida > >
Date: 10/6/26 5:07 pm From: Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: [ALbirds] morning flight concentration in Mobile this morning
Hello ALBirders:
One of the major mechanisms that appears to direct the movements of migrating birds engaged in morning flight (continuation of nocturnal migration into the early morning, often near tree top level) is an urge in some individuals to fly directly into the wind, apparently as a strategy to correct for wind drift that occurred overnight. This appears to be the explanation for the flights at South Pt in New Orleans.
Based on this concept, and the NE winds that were forecast to occur with the front that just passed, I searched maps for good spot to sky watch from on the west side of Mobile Bay this morning, and settled on Arlington Park, a few minutes off I-10 (and an eBird hotspot).
Without any scouting, I arrived there just before 8AM this morning, and drove as far east as I could (parking ultimately near the start of the boardwalk), with 15 min available to squeeze out of my commute to work.
It was a great 15 min. The sky was filled with northbound migrants the whole time. Counts facing east and west totaled 55 birds passing in a timed minute each direction. The flight was dominated by Indigo Buntings (c. 80%), followed by Palm Warblers, Blue Grosbeaks, and Chimney Swifts.
If this site follows the patterns I know from South Pt in New Orleans, there could be another (albeit usually smaller) echo flight tomorrow morning. If any Mobile birders feel inspired and want to check it out, please let me/us know what you find.
I will only be able to visit this spot on Tue and Thu mornings this fall, and am not sure how many times these days will conveniently align with cold front passages and the pulses of migration that accompany them. I would love to hear if other birders have seen flights of this sort there before, or any new intel they may gather going forward!
