Favorable surface winds and clear skies opened the door to birds entering from the south, while less-than-optimal conditions over the northeast precluded much from leaving. The result should be a net gain of bird diversity and density across the region.

Here’s the radar from sunset last night through 5:30am this morning.

Frames are every 1/2 hour for reflectivity and velocity, and every hour for the regional composite. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.

Birds were on the move across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic last night, while conditions over the Northeast were less than favorable. Both local radars show birds entering the radar after sunset and moving on a SSW–>NNE trajectory well into the morning hours.

As Susan Treesh pointed out early this morning (only the die-hards email me before 6:00am), the velocity images look “unblananced”. This is due to the upper level winds being northerly, and birds flying low to avoid them. There’s some N–>S movement across the radar, which represents the non-birds targets blowing with the wind, while most of the movement is S–>N, and represents bird migration.

With no precipitation present this morning, birds will be distributed across the landscape, making spring migrant traps the best bet for optimal birding conditions. I know I sound like a broken record, but Belleplain State Forest, Garret Mountain, and Sandy Hook should all be good today.

Good Birding

David

P.S. Come check out my migration forecast for the Mid-Atlantic on Birdcapemay.org

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