Well, if we were lacking any significant influx from northeastern states two nights ago, we made up for it in spades last night. 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.
Wow! That was a big one! And given the westerly component to the winds, I’d say this morning will be a very big flight over Cape May. The regional composite shows heavy migration over the entire east coast, including good movements over MA, CT, and NY which will definitely influence the bird density into northern NJ this morning. Furthermore, heavy migration can be seen on the local radars which suggests large numbers of birds were also entering from western NY and PA, making probable a strong morning flight at the dike at Higbee’s beach in Cape May. Clear skies mean an unimpeded journey for the birds, so pick your birding locations wisely based on their history as a fall migrant trap. Today will also be a good one for raptors, so hitting the local hawkwatch may get you a double-dose of birding pleasure.
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.
7 responses to “Heavy migration on northwest winds”
went to Sandy Hook this morning. there were double digit numbers of blue jays,robins,cedar waxwings and catbirds and a good showing of northern flickers and white throated sparrows but not much else. Uncommon for SH was a white-breasted nuthatch.
received a report from a birder that yesterday was a decent flight day with 15sp of warbler, lark and lincoln’s sparrow, 3 Phila Vireos, 30 plus baltimore orioles etc.
Thanks for the post Wendy. I got a report from Sam Galick that the flight at Higbee’s was pretty good. Over 2500 birds, with 200 Palm and 200 Yellow-rumped warblers, 800 American Robins, 600 Northern Flickers, and 24 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
In Somerset I had a couple of Palms, some White-throated, Savannah, Field, and Song sparrows, and lots of Northern Flickers, Robins, Blue Jays and E. Bluebirds.
Looks like October is here!
Good Birding
David
I went out in the afternoon hoping for a stray Merlin somewhere in Gloucester County. I had two. As for a morning flight, can’t tell what came in yesterday or what this morning – Tues. But had in order of abundance:
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS – maybe 10
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS – single digits
PALM WARBLERS – single digits
PARULAS – 2
BLUE-HEADED VIREO
TENNESEE WARBLER
BLACK and WHITE WARBLER
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
MAGNOLIA WARBLER
BLACKPOLL WARBLER
LINCOLN’S SPARROW
The rest of those were one each.
Next up – Thurday morning??
Strong nocturnal flight from what I could hear on the Cook campus between midnight and 1 last night- both warblers and sparrows in the mix. Notable were good numbers of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (sometimes 5+/minute) and interestingly, Green Herons (at least 7 or 8 in the 45 minutes I was out). A friend at Cornell also reported a strong flight there, and oddly enough also made note of good numbers of RBGR’s and GRHE’s.
FOS Dark-eyed Junco on campus this morning.
peace
tr
There were big numbers of Palm Warblers today in Bronx, NY’s Pelham Bay Park. I’m pretty sure I saw both eastern and western forms in the mix. It seems to me that the first Palm Warblers I saw this season were all western while easterns started coming through a week or two later. Wondering what other people are noticing.
I birded the Rutgers Display Gardens on Cook for about an hour before work. Unfortunately, due to not yet being back on Standard Time, the sun was only starting to bring species out beginning around 8 am. Black-throated green warblers were present – I counted 5 and I’m sure there were more; also saw singleton B-H vireos, parula, palm. The local breeders were very active as well, lots of chippies.
But it was just starting to get good at 8:15 and I had toleave shortly thereafter.
Saw my first Blue-headed Vireo of the fall at the Celery Farm. Also a latish Redstart, Ind. Bunting, Nashville. Noticeable increase in Yellow-rumps.
Re Palms: I noticed the same thing with seeing Westerns first, now I’m mostly seeing Easterns/Yellow Palms.