Regional Overview
A big storm worked its way across the Ohio Valley and Southeast last night but the birds did not seem to care. Migration was strong everywhere except right where the storm was happening, which is a key component in a good fallout. I think the best places to expereience some fallout birding this morning would be along the coastal plain from Georgia up into the Carolinas, and then up in New Jersey and upstate New York.
I don’t always have time to comment on the radar in each state. To interpret it yourself, read the quick tutorial at the bottom of the page.
New York
Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
I think the storm came too early for much of central NY to have experience any good influx and fallout conditions, but areas further east like Albany are definitely worth a check where the storm passed through during the early morning hours when birds were aloft.
Pennsylvania & New Jersey
Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
Pennsylvania was largely shut out of the migration last night as it was surrounded by precipitation but the eastern edge into NJ could be hopping with migrants that lifted off before the rain arrived.
Ohio
Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
Maryland and Delaware
Click on the thumbnail to view the full-sized animation.
Quick guide to interpreting the radar
On the top row (reflectivity radar), the images show the magnitude of migration. When birds are migrating, it looks like a donut shape around the center of the radar station.
The bottom row is the velocity radar. This shows the direction that the objects detected by the radar station are moving. Blues are moving towards the radar station, yellows and reds are moving away from the station. So for southbound migration, blue should be on the top half of the donut, yellow on the bottom half.
Watch for precipitation moving through during the night hours, this can cause birds to stop migrating in a concentrated area, creating the fabled ‘fallout’, particularly on nights with strong migration.
For more in depth info, watch this video.
For migration updates or other regions check-
Upper Midwest – Woodcreeper by David La Puma
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – The Northwoods BIRDAR by Max Henschell
New England – Tom Auer’s blog
Florida/SE – Badbirdz Reloaded by Angel and Mariel Abreu
NW Ohio – Birding the Crane Creek by Kenn Kaufman
Pac NW – Birds Over Portland by Greg Haworth
Continental US – eBird BirdCast Forecast & Report by Team eBird
I need your help! These reports will only be as good as the feedback I get on these updates. Please leave comments on interesting patterns of migration you are seeing in the field so I can incorporate some ground truthing to my forecasts and predictions. Thanks!