The floodgates are indeed open. Here’s the radar from sunset last night through 5:00am this morning.
Frames are every 1/2 hour. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
While densities across most of the region were apparently lower than on Thursday night/ Friday morning, migration was clearly in effect across the eastern seaboard last night. The exception to this was, of course, Maine and New England which had not experienced particularly high levels of migration in previous nights (and hence were still in a “holding pattern” until last night). Overall, though, migration was hot and heavy- with some 20 dBZ readings apparent at most locations (this is about as dense a reading as birds will give on radar).
With winds very light and northwesterly at 3000 feet, and variable at the surface, birds were pretty much on a N->S trajectory across the region. Expect new arrivals at most fall hotspots today with little concentrating except for at the most extreme locations (the morning flight at Higbee’s, again, should be good for this). With the heavy movement out of Long Island, and buoy readings off of Sandy Hook still showing west winds, expect The Hook to be good this morning as well. Otherwise we’re on tap for a raptor flight today, should some be working their way down the pipeline.
I’m off for a couple hours at the dike, where Vince Elia is filling in for Tom Johnson. Should be fun!
Good Birding
David
3 responses to “Heavy migration part deux”
A couple of migrant feeding flocks at the Great Swamp NWR early this morning, included a Philly vireo, and a Worm-eating warbler – both are birds that I rarely see here.
Ten or eleven species of Warblers, Gnatcatchers, lots of empids and flycatchers generally.
Numbers of Hummigbirds at my feeders dropped down from the regular 7-8 to 2 or 3 today.
A late start this morning. Sat. work is my heavy day. 9:30 AM to 11:00AM. Some new stuff. Some may be from Friday. I wish I could have gotten there earlier!
2 WARBLING VIREOS
1 RED-EYED VIREO
1 PHILA. VIREO
2 PARULAS
1 CAPE MAY WARBLER
1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
1 BLACKBURNIAN
6 AMERICAN REDSTARTS
70+ BOBOLINKS – again all heading north.
Lots of birds on 8/28 in Eastern PA. There was a lot of movement of birds after sunrise for some reason. I found 52 species in my yard.
A few of the birds:
Olive-sided Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 8
Warbling Vireo 1
Philadelphia Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 20
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
Eastern Bluebird 8
Veery 30 (mostly flight calls)
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 10
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Blackburnian Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Ovenbird 2
Common Yellowthroat 2
Scarlet Tanager 10
Purple Finch 1