First,
for any of you interested in searching the major ornithological journals but without access to expensive university subscriptions, I’ve got the place for you! I have to thank my advisor, Julie Lockwood, for sending me this great link to the Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA). This is a totally searchable database of ornithological journals such as The Auk, The Condor, Journal of Field Ornithology, Wilson Bulletin and more. In my search for ‘radar ornithology’ SORA turned up 451 results, the first few pages of which were loaded with some of the best references around. Not only will SORA spit out references, but in many cases SORA has the entire journal article downloadable in pdf format- FOR FREE! For those of you spending time checking out the radar on woodcreeper.com, I strongly recommend repeating my search above and reading some of the articles, especially those by the godfather of American Radar Ornithology, Sidney Gauthreaux.
Okay, that was the tool, now for the drool:
In case you’re wondering if warblers will ever get up to New Jersey, let me introduce you to the Miami Bird Board, presented by the Tropical Audubon Society in South Miami, Florida (the folks who nurtured young woodcreeper’s love for birds during his formative years). This is a place for you to visit when all you hear outside is “Old Sam Peabody”, or when you’re wide awake at 1am, winds are out of the south, and rain is forecast for 4:00. I often find myself here more often than I care to admit, and Inga knows it too- since she sits right next to me and hears me whimpering under my breath. Seriously though, this site is a good indicator of migration activity, as well as a great place to do research if you’re planning to visit South Florida including the Dry Tortugas. If you can’t get enough NEXRAD on woodcreeper.com, then be sure to check out Noel Wamer’s Key West radar study at www.badbirdz.com. This is another great way to see how things are progressing to our south, and a really cool visual, seeing birds moving from Cuba to the Florida Keys and mainland.
That should keep you busy for awhile. Enjoy! 🙂