HEADS UP: Over 200,000,000 birds were in flight for the start of the annual Fall migration overnight! The colder than average weather has jumpstarted the migration. The eastern half of the United States was flooded with millions of nocturnal migrating birds detected on weather Doppler Radar overnight traveling south 15-20 mph at an altitude of 1,400-2,100 feet. Multiple varieties of Warblers along with American Redstart, Viero and Eastern Wood-Peewees among other species are on the move. YOU CAN HELP — turn off your outdoor lights! Consider dimming or turning off unnecessary outdoor lights which can negatively impact natural nocturnal bird populations and migrations over the next few weeks. Light pollution can disorient, confuse and ultimately interfere or injure nocturnal birds.
Pretty neat website. I have a picture from this spring of over 300 Sandhill Cranes migrating in a double V. Seemed like they were more than 1000 feet up. You could hear them, but could barely see them. Had 3 groups fly over during the day and several more during a few nights. Very impressive.
I've had a lot of small birds, probably mostly some sort of sparrows and finches coming thru at my place the last week or so. Yesterday they were swarming the bird baths that I have been filling for several weeks because of the drought.
They fly year round here. All times of the night as well. Sometimes a pair, sometimes a few. We used to have hundreds that stuck around year round in the old cow grazing fields up the street, but something happened several years ago and they started mostly disappearing during the Summer. Then they are back in the Fall.
Yesterday morning I had the windows open for a while and I heard a few geese out there practicing for migration. First time I've heard them this fall. they have several more weeks to get their flocks and formations together before heading south.
Same thing here. Even "our" eagles fly while molting.........every day! One of their favorite trees is in our yard. Shed feathers can be found easily in the yard. Every year. Young geese are covered with downy feathers at the time of hatching and do have to replace those with flight feathers. Another pic of the replacment process
