Birds were on the move last night, but not without obstacle. Here’s the radar from 7:00pm last night through 5:00am this morning.

Frames are every 1/2 hour. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.

Migration over the mid-Atlantic was heaviest in the southern half of the region, where winds remained westerly for most of the night. Unfortunately the Fort Dix radar has been down for two nights now, making impossible the detection of migration over the better part of NJ. I have viewed the radar from Albany, NY, as well as Upton, NY to get an idea of the influx of new birds into the region. Based on the Albany radar there appeared to be little to no influx into northern NJ, whereas the Upton, NY radar did suggest some new birds coming in from the northeast. Birds would have faced a headwind late last night which appears to have caused some birds to stop migrating just after midnight.

This type of event poses some interesting possibilities for birding conditions across the state. Given the west winds in the southern part of the region, expect coastal locations such as Cape May, NJ, to be quite birdy this morning. I have a gut feeling that birding conditions will be good across the state this morning. As I said, it’s a gut feeling, but I’m basing it on the lack of strong tailwind last night, coupled with the apparent migration across the mid-Atlantic. These conditions should result in shorter migration distances and therefore less exodus out of the state. Given the apparent influx of some birds via eastern NY, this could result in a net gain of birds to NJ. Okay, now it would really be good to hear your observations from the field, since the radar paints a much less clear picture of last night’s migration.

Good Birding

David

P.S. Come check out my migration forecast for the Mid-Atlantic on Birdcapemay.org

Please don’t forget to become a member of the Woodcreeper/Badbirdz flock today. For more information, please check out the Become a Member post.