rainy May birding didnt stop the migrants

May was a much awaited magical month here in central Illinois. Too bad it rained so much!!! Yes, rain and north winds just as the mainstay of passerine migration started to kick into full gear, the north winds came and put the good old fashioned damper upon ecstatic May birding. Just before the north winds arrived, Ed and I had a couple of birdy days at Ewing Park here in Bloomington/Normal. Yes, Bloomington/Normal. Despite being officially separate municipalities with two mayors, police forces etc., its really just one city with a town-like atmosphere and a pretty good park for migrants; Ewing Park. On good days, as you the birder makes your way to the park, you can see Warblers, Grosbeaks, Vireos and whatever else hastily making their way for that attractive non-landscaped (for the most part) patch of woods. Ed and I had a couple of exciting mornings there with 16 or so Warbler species making the air ring with their songs and then whammo! North winds and rain and cold and when will it end? Not until May 18th or so. We thought (several of us local birders) we would then get this major push of birds that had been held up by the nastiness. Although we did see several Flycatchers, Mourning Warblers and 1 super nice Black-billed Cuckoo, there was no big giant push of birds. They flew through despite the wind and rain. In fact, on some of those rainy, annoyingly cold days, there were quite a few birds around. A Kentucky in an anonymous garden hedge, Thrushes on lawns, random flyover Bobolinks, and Tenns. everywhere.