1st Oct, 2009

Heavy migration into the Mid-Atlantic last night

With cooperative winds and clear(ish) skies, the conditions were ripe for a night flight over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US. 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.

Base Reflectivity image from Fort Dix Base Velocity image from Fort Dix Base Reflectivity image from Dover AFB Base Velocity image from Dover AFB Base Reflectivity image from Upton NY Base Velocity image from Upton NY Composite Base Reflectivity image from the Northeastern USA

With surface winds blowing light and out of the north, and upper level winds a bit stronger and out of the northwest, birds took to the skies. The regional composite indicated heavy migration at most locations last night, with a notable exception being Caribou, ME, where winds were out of the south due to a separate low pressure system affecting that area. The NYC radar showed birds launching off of Long Island, headed for the NJ coast and points south, while the NJ radars showed a general NNW->SSE trajectory. This morning should be a big one for Cape May, but if you can’t make it there, any fall migrant trap should be decent today.

As always, your observations are requested in an effort to better understand how radar relates to birding conditions!

Good Birding

David

Posted by: David La Puma

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Responses

Liberty State Park: dawn – 7.45
Only a smattering of migrants (it was cool and early), with some birds still arriving as I had to leave.
Lincoln’s Sparrow x 2
WT Sparrows
Swamps, Chipping
BH Vireo
Magnolia, Redstart, Phoebes
Just a few Palms and Yellow-rumps

By: Simon Lane on October 1st, 2009
at 9:13 am

Went to Sandy Hook this morning and unfortunately there were very few birds around. Best we heard of was a Connecticut Warbler in the garden which we were unable to relocate. In all we had 9 sp. of warbler with Yellow-rumped being a multiple all the rest single bird tallies. No sparrows to speak of either. When you only have 1 RC Kinglet you know things are going to be really slow.

By: Wendy and Stuart Malmid on October 1st, 2009
at 3:19 pm

Excellent morning today in Cumberland County. I didn’t start birding until 8:45AM either. Nothing still flying, most stuff settled in for the morning. Some highlights – and I did miss stuff since I didn’t get there early. For example, Brian J. had 6 PARULAS. I had none. Anyway, some numbers from myself in the 4 hours I had birding down here:
1 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
10 or so FLICKERS
2 EASTERN WOOD PEWEES
40 or so EASTERN PHOEBES
1 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
1 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH
ROBINS and CATBIRDS – many migrants.
1 WHITE-EYED VIREO
1 PHILADELPHIA VIREO
1 RED-EYED VIREO
1 TENNESSEE WARBLER
2 MAGNOLIA WARBLERS
1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE
8 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
1 BLACK-THROATED GREEN
1 PRAIRIE WARBLER
1 BAY-BREASTED WARBLER
3 BLACKPOLLS
10 BLACK and WHITE WARBLERS
2 REDSTARTS
20 or so COMMON YELLOWTHROATS
3 YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS
30 or so SAVANNAH SPARROWS
the usual other sparrows like CHIPPING, FIELD, and SWAMP but in low numbers
2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS
1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE

By: Sandra Keller on October 1st, 2009
at 5:28 pm

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