In March 2012 much of the eastern US experience anomalously warm temperatures in March that correlated with record early arrivals of migrants. This weekend, across some of the central US and much of the western US, anomalously warm temperatures are forecast. The image below from The Weather Channel highlights the likelihoods of above average temperatures. The image below […]  Read more...

Team BirdCast spent some effort last year to discuss vagrancy in Purple Gallinules in late fall and winter (see this post). As a very short addendum to that story, we have been looking at the track record for vagrant gallinules so far this winter: several interesting records have already come to light including 1 from Morocco, […]  Read more...

Team BirdCast wrote in November 2014 about Varied Thrush movements in the western US. Since November, the actual movements (or at least visible movements like morning flights) of these thrushes may have dwindled, but the birds – in terms of where they ended up after fall movements and are at present – are still highly visible. The […]  Read more...

Last year’s Great Lakes’ ice cover generated many waterbird headlines among birders (and beyond). Some of the feature players in those movements were scoters and grebes, in particular White-winged Scoter and Red-necked Grebe. Team BirdCast spent some time discussing the movements of these species in relation to extensive ice cover. The images below show some indication of […]  Read more...

Snowy Owls staged a major invasion last year, one that was covered far and wide by birders and the news media alike. Check out this great album from Ryan Schain of Snowy Owl candids! This irruption was most likely related to an abundance of rodents in and around northern Quebec that helped Snowy Owl pairs produce large numbers of […]  Read more...

As Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season arrives, more birders will be on the move than usual. Among the many possibilities for excitement are a few stories that we have been and are watching at BirdCast. Snowy Owl staged a major invasion last year, and this species is again on the move this fall. See this […]  Read more...

This fall has seen some quite large movements of Varied Thrushes in California and across the West – birders around the region have been reporting larger (and larger than normal) flights of birds for a number of weeks. Some of these movements have been large, including this recent report of the species in morning flight at Point […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A few moderate movements in the East highlighted an otherwise quiet part for migration across the nation, as large scale and diverse movements for this season are long gone. Species on the move this week included Snow Goose, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Blue Jay, Cedar Waxwing, American Robin, Common Grackle, Rusty Blackbird, American […]  Read more...

Storm! There has been much discussion of the remains of Super Typhoon Nuri as it rips up the Pacific. The remnants of the storm gathered some serious strength and bombed to an anomalously low central pressure in the low 920s. This is epic proportion for any extratropical storm, especially in the Pacific Ocean. And presently, […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Late season movements in the West will be sparse, but more widespread light to moderate movements occur in the East during an extended period of favorable conditions. Species on the move this week will include Tundra Swan, Snow Goose, Brant, Cackling Goose, Canvasback, Gadwall, Common Goldeneye, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, American Pipit, and American Tree Sparrow. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Primarily light movements in the West highlighted the late date of the migration season, as two pulses of widespread moderate movements bookended the period in the East. Species on the move this week included numerous waterfowl, Herring Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, and American Tree Sparrow. West Local light to moderate movements early in the […]  Read more...

Continental Summary While the West will continue with scattered light to moderate movements, passing strong low pressure systems bring late season moderate and heavy pulses of migration to the East. Species on the move this week will include Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Snow Bunting, American Tree Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Scattered light to moderate movements in the West stood in stark contrast to some massive movements in the East, particularly along the Atlantic Coast. Species on the move this week included Gadwall, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, American Coot, Wilson’s Snipe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Moderate to heavy movements occur in several pulses this week, though primarily at more local than regional scales, as storm systems exit the Northeast over the weekend and pass through the Great Plains and Upper Midwest over the course of the week. Species on the move this week will include Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A week of primarily light to moderate movements in the West and South were most certainly outdone by some very large and heavy movements in the Northeast. Species on the move this week included Brant, Black Scoter, Bonaparte’s Gull, Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. West Scattered […]  Read more...

Continental Summary A week of scattered light movement in the West will stand in stark contrast to moderate to heavy flights for much of the week in the East. Species on the move this week will include Tundra Swan, Gadwall, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Hooded Merganser, Sandhill Crane, Hermit Thrush, Snow Bunting, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. Arrows […]  Read more...

Continental Summary The Desert Southwest saw most of the light to moderate action this week in the West, while the East experienced two frontal passage-induced moderate to heavy flights. Species on the move this week included Cackling Goose, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Western Grebe, Red-naped Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. West Light […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Light to moderate movements occur early in the forecast period across the West before unfavorable conditions arrive for the remainder of the week, while two pulses of moderate to heavy movements follow passing frontal boundaries in the East. Species on the move this week will include Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Bonaparte’s Gull, Short-eared Owl, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Widespread light to moderate movements diminished gradually over the forecast period in the West, while several pulses of moderate to heavy movements graced the East. Species on the move this week included American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sprague’s Pipit, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Le Conte’s […]  Read more...

Continental Summary Favorable conditions for light to moderate movements are pervasive in the West, while major movements in the East occur primarily over the weekend. Species on the move this week will include Brant, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Le Conte’s Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Harris’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned […]  Read more...