You know it’s really Autumn when…

Here’s the radar from 6:00pm last night through 6:00am this morning.

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

When I first looked at the wind forecast for last night, I was convinced that no birds would be migrating. This was based on the 10-15kt southwesterly winds present at all but the lowest altitudes. But with clear skies, a full moon, and winds on the surface only being light and variable, birds apparently took advantage of the situation. I would be willing to bet my lunch that this would not have happened in early September… but it’s October now, and the cold temps are building in to our north, and birds are getting that seasonal itch to head for their wintering grounds.

All radars indicated a NW->SE trajectory, so places like Cape May should be great this morning. Otherwise stick with the regular fall migrant hotspots (Central Park in NYC, the interior ridges of New Jersey, as well as Sandy Hook and Island Beach State Park along the Jersey Shore).

Good Birding

David