Regional Overview
Last night a large cold front moved through bringing rain and (finally) northwest winds to the region. Migration was much better than we’ve seen it for a while in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. I think we will be seeing a good influx of new birds across the region. Places to check out are the areas where the rain passed through overnight. If the rain passed through in the evening, just check your favorite local migrant trap and there should be new birds there.
I would post more but I want to get out and go birding before I hit the farmers market and other fun Saturday stuff with Justine.
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
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The migration was strong after the storm passed but an interesting place for birding this morning would be where the rain passed through overnight. The Albany radar showed bird migration happening before precipitation passed through around midnight which are often the ingredients for an excellent fallout.
Pennsylvania & New Jersey
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Ohio
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Ohio prediction coming soon…
Maryland and Delaware
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Prediction coming soon…
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-
Pac NW – Birds Over Portland by Greg Haworth
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!