Here’s the radar from sunset last night through 5:30am this morning.
Frames are every 1/2 hour for reflectivity and velocity, and every hour for the regional composite. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
Upper level winds last night were out of the NW, while surface winds remained light and variable, which could explain why migration was light to moderate and appeared concentrated at lower altitudes. Birds appeared on the radar just after sunset, with density peaking around midnight, and tapering off soon thereafter (most birds had landed well before sunrise). Movement was in a SW–>NE direction, and no precipitation was present to cause fallout conditions. The best bets today will be spring migrant traps such as Garret Mountain, Sandy Hook, the Delaware Bay shore, and possibly Cape May (given the more westerly wind component in South Jersey), but given the “light to moderate” levels of migration, don’t expect huge numbers at any location… right now we’re striving for quality over quantity!
Good Birding
David
P.S. Come check out my migration forecast for the Mid-Atlantic on Birdcapemay.org
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3 responses to “Light migration last night, as upper-level winds blow NW”
Had an Alder Flycatcher singing (yes, that noise is a song) on the edge of the Old Woods here at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest. Willow Flycatchers breed here- but this was my first confirmed Alder for the property. Very cool!
Scotland Run – Gloucester County. Mid-morning.
Very good. Here’s a list of migrants.
4 SWAINSON’S THRUSHES
1 unknown thrush – possibly Gray-cheeked, but a poor look.
1 WARBLING VIREO – I don’t think they breed here.
1 MOURNING WARBLER
2 BLACKBURNIANS
4 MAGNOLIAS
1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE
8 REDSTARTS
2 BLACKPOLLS
All this in a fairly small area! It was fantastic this morning here.
While out and about today saw/heard:
the latest migrant worm-eating warbler I have had in central NJ. Also had not 1 but 3 Northern waterthrushes (seems late for this area).
MANY magnolias, blackpolls, redstarts.
smaller numbers than in recent days for parula, blackburnian and yellow-rumped.
In the grassland-more grasshoppers moved in to their old haunts.
definately a small push of migration in this area of NJ