Audubon in conjunction with some other organizations has released a new tool, the Bird Migration Explorer. This blog post reviews the new tool and has annotated screenshots. In summary I like the Bird Migration Explorer, but one must understand its strengths and limitations. I personally find the tool much easier to utilize on a regular full sized PC (or Mac). Expand any of my annotated screenshots for a better view!
Default Screen
Search and Use by Species Mode – Example is the Snowy Owl
Search and Use by Location Mode – Example is my home of Duluth
Obviously this is only a partial review of the Bird Migration Explorer, but it does cover the basics.
Birding had been slow over the past week. Weather conditions just had not encouraged birds north of Minnesota to start south, but did that ever change around noon yesterday when the winds rose to 30 mph out of the NW. Just like when bicycling, you realize how much easier it is to ride with a strong tailwind. Birds understand wind and how to make migration much easier … tailwind good | headwind bad. Man alive, were there birds in the Bog this morning when I arrived just after sunrise. However, I was expecting to see lots of birds due to BirdCast! This real-time tool from Cornell and other organizations monitors migration data for one’s specific location in the continental United States. Here is the map for today, Tuesday, August 30th. NE Minnesota was a migration hotspot last night.
When I entered St. Louis County in BirdCast, in which Duluth and Sax-Zim Bog (my home) are located, it yielded this data … two screenshots of what happened last night! Over 10 million birds flew through my county last night! Uff dah!
Want to learn more about BirdCast? See my post from last year on this superb birding service. I explain how to use BirdCast with detailed examples. Regardless, I saw lots and lots of birds this morning, but that fast did NOT surprise me. The biggest migrating bird species I saw were Yellow-Shafted Flickers. On the raptor front, I saw an amazing number of Northern Harriers … in fact five in just one field south of Meadowlands (Andrews Road).
Do you live near a large / long body of water (lake or river) that goes generally stretches in a northern / southern direction (NE? NW? SE? SW?) If so you are next to a migration highway, and should pay particular attention during the twice annual migration periods. While most people have heard of the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, birds spread out and use other migration highways. The Platte River stretching NW through Nebraska is famous for its Sandhill Crane stopovers in the Spring. Lots of other birds also use the Platte River. I have annotated a Google Maps screenshot which shows just a few “highways”.
Saturday morning I found a HUGE flock of well over 500 birds of Caspian Terns using the Lake Michigan Migration Highway. They were enjoying their fish breakfast at Port Washington, Wisconsin. The small stream, harbor, and power plant makes for good fishing at certain times of the year, and the birds are very aware of this fact. I saw my birds in Coal Dock Park. Mergansers and Pelicans also make stopovers at this location in large numbers.
Here are two birds I also saw while heading over to Port Washington, a Sandhill Crane and Great Horned Owl. While the owl pic is horrible, if you live north of MIlwaukee and would like to see this owl, contact me privately. I do not wish to share its location on a public forum, but given it was hunting well after sunrise, it must have a nest in the vicinity.
The star of the show this weekend with his parents and pastor! The baptism gown my grandson was wearing is well over 100 years old, and has now been used by four generations of babies! The first time this gown was worn was back in the late 1800’s. Baptism Weekend! The blue waters of Lake Michigan may be seen in the background.
