American Pipit. Elizabeth Curley/Macaulay Library. eBird S31607399
Continental Summary
Moderate and even locally heavy flights featuring Sandhill Crane, Dunlin, Merlin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Pipit, White-crowned Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Sparrow punctuated this period in the West, while moderate to heavy flights of Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Magnolia Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Purple Finch occurred in the East following the passage of a significant cold front.
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Scattered moderate and locally heavy flights that began the weekend quickly grew to more widespread moderate to heavy flights in the wake of a cold front. With this frontal passage, high pressure followed by Monday and just as quickly quieted migration activity to locally light to moderate flights. However, another change of air mass brought favorable migration conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to the region, and spawned moderate to heavy flights first in the Upper Midwest and then farther east across the remainder of the region respectively. By Thursday night locally moderate and heavy flights are primarily distributed east of the Appalachians.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Palm Warbler
129%
7.4
Swainson's Thrush
73%
10.9
White-throated Sparrow
180%
4.1
Lincoln's Sparrow
361%
2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
333%
1.7
Gray-cheeked Thrush
137%
2
Northern Parula
44%
8.1
Yellow-rumped Warbler
55%
5
Blackpoll Warbler
46%
6.6
Northern Flicker
25%
31.9
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
36%
9.1
Eastern Phoebe
26%
21
Broad-winged Hawk
71%
4.5
American Pipit
175%
1
Blue-headed Vireo
74%
2.7
Nashville Warbler
45%
7.1
Sharp-shinned Hawk
42%
5
House Wren
24%
13.7
Philadelphia Vireo
47%
3.4
Brown Thrasher
30%
6
Blue Jay
11%
62.6
Common Yellowthroat
17%
23
Winter Wren
187%
0.6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
56%
2.4
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Barn Swallow
-54%
5.2
Common Nighthawk
-57%
1.9
Black Tern
-71%
0.5
Baird's Sandpiper
-59%
0.6
Baltimore Oriole
-46%
2.2
Purple Martin
-72%
0.3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
-34%
4.6
Bank Swallow
-63%
0.4
Sanderling
-37%
3.6
Tree Swallow
-30%
7.4
Semipalmated Plover
-31%
5.7
Spotted Sandpiper
-35%
3.7
Least Tern
-82%
0.1
Eastern Kingbird
-48%
1.6
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
-63%
0.3
Semipalmated Sandpiper
-30%
5
Least Sandpiper
-24%
7.9
Great Crested Flycatcher
-30%
3.7
Cliff Swallow
-62%
0.3
Short-billed Dowitcher
-44%
1.3
Ruddy Turnstone
-36%
1.2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
-19%
21
Common Tern
-34%
2.6
Canada Warbler
-39%
1.1
Great Black-backed Gull
-23%
6.1
Philadelphia Vireo. PW/Macaulay Library. eBird S31610394
Gulf Coast and Southeast
A frontal passage brought moderate to heavy flights across much of the region for Saturday and Sunday nights. The days that followed did not achieve the intensity and extent of these weekend movements; however, light to moderate flights were evident in many areas across the region. Some of these were locally heavy, particularly Monday night in the Carolinas and Tuesday night in the Florida Panhandle.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Cape May Warbler
315%
3.7
Tennessee Warbler
168%
4.2
Swainson's Thrush
179%
3.1
Magnolia Warbler
69%
6
Palm Warbler
497%
1.2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
413%
1.3
Black-throated Blue Warbler
72%
3.1
Merlin
154%
1.3
Gray-cheeked Thrush
1457%
0.4
Pied-billed Grebe
38%
5.9
Bay-breasted Warbler
275%
0.6
Baltimore Oriole
38%
7.2
Brown Thrasher
21%
15
Philadelphia Vireo
244%
0.5
Nashville Warbler
84%
1.2
American Redstart
29%
14.2
Eastern Phoebe
22%
12
Warbling Vireo
69%
1
Bobolink
66%
1.7
Common Yellowthroat
22%
9.2
Alder Flycatcher
98%
0.7
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Bank Swallow
-56%
1
Barn Swallow
-33%
11
Least Tern
-52%
1
Semipalmated Plover
-28%
4.3
Solitary Sandpiper
-38%
1.7
Black-necked Stilt
-31%
2.6
Semipalmated Sandpiper
-29%
2.8
Mississippi Kite
-45%
1.3
Magnificent Frigatebird
-40%
1
Black Tern
-38%
1.7
Red-necked Phalarope
-97%
0
Kentucky Warbler
-46%
1.1
Spotted Sandpiper
-22%
5.2
Black-bellied Plover
-28%
3.6
Great Crested Flycatcher
-18%
7.4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
-28%
2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
-43%
0.6
King Rail
-72%
0.1
Say's Phoebe
-86%
0.1
Purple Martin
-34%
1.9
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
-21%
3.8
Cerulean Warbler
-50%
0.4
Upland Sandpiper
-62%
0.3
Franklin’s Gull. Douglas Faulder/Macaulay Library. eBird S31601501
Great Plains
Moderate to heavy flights occurred in staggered waves for the weekend, first in the northern and central Plains, then in the eastern and southern Plains, and then again in the northern Plains, as favorable migration conditions built in and through the region. This pattern continued for the beginning of the work week, but without the extent of the weekend flights. As a strong disturbance, with intense rain and thunderstorms, pass through the region to end the period, locally moderate to heavy flights followed in the clearer and cooler air building in from the west.
Moderate to locally heavy flights kicked off the weekend on Friday night and ended the period on Thursday night, with larger flights evident particularly in the Rockies. In the interim light to moderate flights were widespread across the region, although tamped by scattered precipitation. Note that some areas that are often active with migrating birds on radar, such as the Central Valley, continued to show modest movements during this period.