Last night’s radar shows another really big flight out of Central and Western NY State, much of which entered PA and northern NJ early this morning. 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.
Check out the regional composite first to see what I have referenced above. You can see migration begin across most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic after sunset with some of the strongest radar returns coming from the Buffalo, Binghamton, and Fort Drum NY radars. Watch as the intensity spreads south and east into PA and NJ, respectively. While this loop lacks velocity, the movement of birds is all but confirmed by the pattern of reflectivity across the region. Now look at the Fort Dix radar loop. You can see some birds lift off after sunset, but about half way through the loop you’ll see an apparent influx from the northwest. This pattern holds on both the NYC and Dover radars as well, and is confirmed as birds on the respective velocity loops.
So as far as birding is concerned it would appear that the best birding conditions would be at migrant traps from Central PA to Central New Jersey, tapering off at the east coast where winds are currently switching around to NNE. Interior ridges will have the added bonus of a good raptor flight along with songbird numbers, so Chimney Rock and Raccoon Ridge should be a fun choice for those of us fortunate enough to avoid Mondays in the office. Sparrow numbers should be picking up so interior locations such as the Negri-Nepote Grasslands, and the Hutcheson Memorial Forest (Somerset Co.), while usually hit-or-miss during migration, may be worth checking this morning. Cape May, with the east wind component, will probably not be the best place to see songbird numbers today, although with the huge Monarch numbers still around I’ll be out hoping for a repeat of yesterday’s spectacle that rocked the peninsula. I assume the raptor show will continue as scheduled at Cape May point as well.
Good Birding
David
3 responses to “Excellent flight out of NY State!”
Update- Good morning flight action at the Higbee dike, plus early signs of a good raptor flight (lots of sharpies, merlins, and a few kestrels at the dike). Probably too strong a wind for a big monarch flight, but plenty of them around to make viewing them still jaw-dropping. HUDSONIAN GODWIT still showing off at Bunker Pond, but has moved around to several viewable locations throughout the morning. Off to work…
-D
Hi David,
See below for Drew Weber’s morning at Scotia Barrens, State College PA. I spent my morning in the Pine Island area of Warwick NY – influx of Palm Warblers was evident; had at least 10-15.
good birding,
Rob Stone
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:35:53 -0400
From: drewweber@GMAIL.COM
Subject: Scotia Warblers and White-throated Sparrows
To: SCBIRDCL@LISTS.PSU.EDU
There was a nice thrush flight this morning, over 300 calls mostly from the 6:05-6:15 time frame. Mostly Swainson’s with several Veeries, Gray-cheeked, and Wood Thrushes mixed in.
The clearing at the end of the gated road by the research shed was pretty active, even before the sun was hitting the trees. This was where I found most of the warblers. There were also small flocks near the research shed and further down the road.
The warbler species composition is definitely changing. Good numbers of Blackpolls, Tennessee’s and Black-throated Green Warblers made up the bulk of the flocks.
Also, I had 3 White-throated Sparrows, all at different locations, my first sighting for the fall.
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
American Woodcock 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Eastern Screech-Owl 1
Whip-poor-will 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Philadelphia Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 24
Black-capped Chickadee 16
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 1
Veery 3
Gray-cheeked Thrush 6
Swainson’s Thrush 298
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin 55
Gray Catbird 20
Brown Thrasher 3
Cedar Waxwing 32
Tennessee Warbler 13
Nashville Warbler 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 5
Magnolia Warbler 7
Cape May Warbler 12
Black-throated Blue Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 13
Pine Warbler 1
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 10
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Warbler species 13
Eastern Towhee 7
Field Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 3
Scarlet Tanager 3
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 2
American Goldfinch 3
———————–
sent via birdcountr
Drew Weber
414 FRB
Penn State University
University Park
State College, PA 16802
Liberty State Park
Most active migrant am of the fall thus far.
16+ sp Warblers including a cooperative Connecticut. Multiples of most, Magnolias predominating.
Many Swainson’s Thrushes, Grosbeaks, and RB Nuts.
WT Sparrows (a couple)
Many hundreds of Monarchs lifted off as the first rays of the sun hit from above the Manhattan skyline.
Then work called……