This was a big one, folks! Unfortunately my computer is revolting against me this morning… grrrrr… Here’s the composite loop from sunset last night through 5:30am today.
Frames are every 1/2 hour. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
Migration was hot and heavy across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic last night, as winds turned North/Northeast over the region. Heaviest densities were again over Central and Western New York State, and in most cases those birds were headed due south into NJ as well as Central and Eastern PA. Movement over New Jersey was also heavy, with most birds heading due south.
Birding conditions should be excellent throughout migrant traps in New Jersey today, especially along inland ridges and along the Delaware River. I’ll reiterate what I said yesterday and suggest inland locations such as Negri-Nepote Grasslands and the Hutcheson Memorial Forest (Somerset Co.) which after two nights of heavy migration should be producing birds today. Chimney Rock, the National Park Dredge Spoils, and locations along the northern Delaware Bay shore should also be really good today. Cape May will suffer a tad from the presence of east winds, but with all the birds coming down the eastern seaboard last night, I imagine it too will still be excellent… we’ll see!
When I get a moment later I’ll sort out the radar and post the individual loops. Until then…
Good Birding
David
4 responses to “Heavy flight into the Mid-Atlantic”
Another very active morning at Liberty SP this am, although it seemed both overall numbers and diversity was less than yesterday.
Magnolias and Parulas were the dominating species amongst 15+ sp. warblers.
A Mourning Warbler, and several Lincolns sparrows were the highlights.
PS
Yesterday reported at Chimney Rock, both good songbirds with 14 sp. Warblers, and the best hawk flight of the season with 4000+ as the last big wave of BW’s passed the rock. Most would now appear to be south of us in NJ.
Tues. morning – a little over 2 hours of actual birding at the National Park dredge spoils – Gloucester County. It started slow, but picked up very nicely! I was almost ready to leave. I am thinking the birds were still not too active with the 50 degree temps. It was cold! Light NE winds last night and this morning. Very sunny thankfully.
4 NORTHERN FLICKERS
1 EASTERN PHOEBE
20 TREE SWALLOWS – I haven’t seen here in awhile.
2 HOUSE WRENS
ROBINS and CATBIRDS – again – not super numbers of these.
2 BROWN THRASHERS
1 TENNESSEE WARBLER
4 PARULAS
2 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS
7 MAGNOLIA WARBLERS
2 BLACK-THROATED BLUES
2 BLACK-THROATED GREENS
1 BLACKBURNIAN
7 PALM WARBLERS
1 BLACKPOLL WARBLER
4 BLACK and WHITE WARBLERS
5 AMERICAN REDSTARTS
10 or so COMMON YELLOWTHROATS
1 WILSON’S WARBLER
6 INDIGO BUNTINGS
8 FIELD SPARROWS
1 JUNCO – this is early for me.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES – not many though.
Cool! Yeah- word from the Zeiss Morning Flight was a good push of “Octoberish” birds- GC Kinglets, N Flickers, Phoebes, etc. Tony Leukering had 1000+ N Flickers from his place along the Delaware Bay shore, in Villas. I had a few dozen N Flickers, a couple of RB Nuthatches, and heard numerous BG Gnatcatchers while walking the dog this morning. I opted to skip the birds and head to the point for Monarchs (brought Inga and Corinna) which were lifting off nicely as the morning warmed around 8:30am. At least one sharpie was visible the whole time we were there.
I did get out to the Jacques Lane section of Six Mile Run before work – resident birds were very active, but only saw a couple of migrant warblers.