Birding Forecast Cape May Bird Observatory
Map by Point Source using radar data from the National Weather Service , Radar 4 GIS

At-a-Glance Key

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mid-Atlantic Migration Forecast: 9/23 - 9/27 (UPDATED)
posted by David La Puma | 8:58 PM


At-a-Glance Forecast






















Tue.PMWed.AMWed.PMThu.AMThu.PMFri.AMFri.PMSat.AM


UPDATED at 8:40PM on 9/23... unfortunately, the foul weather has moved into the region quicker than anticipated, and little to no migration is taking place into the region... the fallout prediction has therefore been removed from the forecast...

Migration Weather Forecast

High pressure early in the week will yield to a strong low approaching from the Carolina coast. This will bring strong east and northeast winds to the region before turning southeast and bringing heavy rain to the mid-Atlantic.

Tuesday Night

High pressure over the mid-Atlantic has resulted in clear skies and light easterly winds for Tuesday night. Expect heavy migration over the entire region tonight.

Wednesday Night

By Wednesday night high pressure will be interacting with the approaching low, setting up moderate easterly winds over the mid-Atlantic. Couple this with nice clear skies, and you can expect heavy migration across the entire region.

Thursday Night

As the low pressure over the Carolina coast strengthens and moves north, strong east winds will build over the mid-Atlantic and heavy rain will move north into the region. Since winds are strong and easterly over the northeast, migration into the region will be light, at best.

Friday Night

By Friday night the winds will have turned southeasterly over the mid-Atlantic, shutting down migration for the weekend.

Birding Forecast

Wednesday and Thursday Morning

It's the "Migration Superhighway" for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which means birds will be well distributed across the landscape. Inland sites will be favored based on the wind direction, and the south ends of ridges will be good for both migrant songbirds and diurnal raptors. The north shore of the Delaware Bay will also be a good area to find concentrations of migrants.

Friday Morning

Unfortunately it's not looking great for Friday morning, and coupled with the heavy rain, will probably be a nice time to catch up on that book you've been meaning to read.


Saturday Morning

One word: Wet. Okay, three words: No new migrants. But that shouldn't keep you from birding, in fact, you might want to hit the coast, since the strong southeasterly winds could bring something interesting close to shore. When the weather does clear, the birds that arrived last night will still be around, so get out there and bird hard!

As always, to find more information on what's being seen TODAY in Cape May, check out the View From the Cape, on BirdCapeMay.org

Good Birding,

David La Puma