31 July 2018 – PNW Migration Update

So, i’m walking into work this morning (4:00 AM) and i hear a call note.  I stop and listen for a while and sure enough, there are Swainson Thrush moving through. I’ll have to check my records, but this seems a bit early to me.

So, i checked out the radar, and yes, migration is on.  Not heavy, but there is movement afoot.  I’ve seen reports of shorebird movement, but i really don’t follow the listservs this time of year, just graze them, mainly for authors.

Base Reflectivity – RTX

Admin Note: WordPress has changed it’s interface and it may take me some time to figure it out.  I prefer the gallery view for the looped radar .gifs but i haven’t figured that out yet.  Oh well, at least it is displayed – i think.

 

21 May 2018 – PNW Migration Update

Well, we’re approaching the end of migration.  There’s still a lot of birds on the move but most of the players have made their way into the area.

I was in the field this weekend and the only bird i did not detect was the Willow Flycatcher, but there has been an uptick in their sightings.  I also did not come across any Lazuli Buntings, but that may be just the habitat i chose, because they are definitely around.

This early pre-dawn morning the sky was dripping the nocturnal flight calls of the Swainson’s Thrush and a few more that i did not recognize.  So it was curious when i looked at the radar and found a rather paltry radar signature.  Seattle (ATX) was a bit better.  Both loops are in today’s gallery along with the eBird plots for some tail-end species.

Admin. Note:  I am headed off-grid for the rest of the week and will return next Monday or Tuesday and that might be close to the end of this season.

Base Reflectivity – RTX

Base Reflectivity – ATX

20180521 – Common Nighthawk

20180521 – Willow Flycatcher

20180521 – Swainson’s Thrush

 

09 May 2018 – PNW Migration Update

The winds are favorable but there was a bit of disturbance last night so the movement was noticeable but muted.  Up to 20dBZ but not widespread.  I saw no reports of new migrants. Some Olive-sided Flycatchers filling in the gaps. But that bird is widespread but uncommon.  Along with Nashville Warbler and Cassin’s Vireo also increasing, but these too are low density migrants in our area.

By my recollection (and i should get more systematic about this) in the metro area, we’re still waiting for Swainson’s Thrush, Western Wood Pewee and Willow Flycatcher.  Swainson’s and the Pewee have been reported but ….. well, maybe a vanguard or two.

Update: I haven’t mentioned Yellow-headed Blackbirds.  I don’t think of these as migrants because they are relatively new to the area.  I think they are expanding their range.  We have breeding colonies at Vanport, the Hunt Unit on Sauvie Island, Deer Island and transients through parts of Clackamas County.  They’ve been in for a couple of weeks.

Nationally – of course, Texas is just screaming, but it was the Mississippi Flyway that got most of the birds.

Base Reflectivity – RTX

National Composite Radar

Admin Note:

OK so this is the first real post for BOP-3.  I still have a LOT of work to do; like get links up mainly.  So, if you’re looking for additional information and references please go to BOP-2 and look around on the sidebar.

 

Test

Testing the new platform.