More birds up through the Midwest


National Overview

Sorry for the late post; I’m a bit under the weather this morning. If you’ve been following along the past two mornings you know the frontal boundary moving east out of the Plains has been the main trigger for widespread migration up through the middle of the country. High pressure over the eastern seaboard has broken things up a bit, with only the die-hard birds continuing to push north near the coast.

National Composite NEXRAD from around midnight on 5/19/12
National Composite NEXRAD from around midnight on 5/19/12

Below are the radar loops from sunset last night through 5:00am (central time) this morning

Since I will be publishing “as I go” each morning you may see some incomplete posts throughout the early morning hours. Don’t worry- it’s coming!

Mid Atlantic

Delaware & New Jersey

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

Sub-optimal conditions, you say? Yes! But birds are chomping at the bit to go right now- and migration was still apparent over the Mid Atlantic with birds appearing to head WNW on easterly winds last night. Along the Delaware River should be best today, but don’t expect any major concentrations as migration was light.

Upper Midwest

Iowa & Illinois

Frames are every 1/2 hour. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.

Base Reflectivity image from Davenport, IA Base Velocity image from Davenport, IA Base Reflectivity image from Chicago, IL Base Velocity image from Chicago, IL

Migration was big and widespread across IA and IL with most birds heading more NNE today than yesterday. This will bring more birds into southern WI this morning, and along the Lake Michigan eastern shore as well.

Wisconsin

Frames are every 1/2 hour. Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.

Base Reflectivity image from Milwaukee Base Velocity image from Milwaukee Base Reflectivity image from La Crosse, WI Base Velocity image from La Crosse, WI Base Reflectivity image from Green Bay, WI Base Velocity image from Green Bay, WI

A nice late-spring flight across the region with birds heading NNE. Lots of birds moving with most of them dispersed across the landscape by morning, so hit the spring migrant traps throughout the state today. A more NE trajectory means opportunity for those along the lakeshore according to the Milwaukee and Green Bay radars. Get out and bird on this summery Saturday! I should also note that there was a big push into the Superior WI/ Duluth MN region last night, and precipitation appears to have pinned some birds against the lakeshore. Birders in the Duluth/Superior area should be thinking about a Big Day today… (maybe ? 😉 )

As always, woodcreeper.com depends on YOU to report your sightings and be our ‘eyes on the ground’, so please come back and give us an idea of how we’re doing predicting birding conditions in your neck of the woods.

For migration updates in other regions check-

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – The Northwoods BIRDAR by Max Henschell <- NEW!
New England – Tom Auer’s blog
Florida/SE – Badbirdz Reloaded by Angel and Mariel Abreu
PA/Ohio Valley – Nemesis Bird by Drew Weber
NW Ohio – Birding the Crane Creek by Kenn Kaufman
Arizona – Words About Birds by Tim Schreckengost <- NEW!
New Mexico – Albuquerque Birding by Matt O’Donnell <- NEW!
Pac NW – Birds Over Portland by Greg Haworth
Continental US – eBird BirdCast Forecast & Report by Team eBird

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers:

%d bloggers like this: