UPDATE New York City/Philadelphia Metropolitan Migration Forecast – 19 September 2012

Winds shifted to the Northwest earlier today (Wednesday 19 September), bringing clearing skies, cooler temperatures, and anticipation of an excellent opportunity for seeing migrants in the greater New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas! Broad-winged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and even the occasional Bald Eagle are already passing through our area, and hawk movements will continue during this afternoon and tomorrow. For those listening and looking tonight, migration will be heavy. Those in quieter areas should hear a myriad of vocal, migrating songbirds passing, including Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Black-and-white, Canada, Chestnut-sided, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and perhaps the occasional Green Heron, Scarlet Tanager, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, and Dickcissel. Many of the birds currently frequenting city parks will probably take flight this evening, bringing a new crop of migrants tomorrow morning. For those in the immediate vicinity, a visit to the Empire State Building at night, probably best between 9PM – 1AM, would be a wonderful way to see nocturnal migration as it happens! Visits to local spots of greenery and parks, including the Riverside, Central and Bryant in Manhattan, Forest in Queens, Prospect in Brooklyn, Van Cortland in the Bronx, and Mt. Loretto in Staten Island should produce a nice diversity of migrants on Thursday morning, including the aforementioned species and a suite of other warblers. Additionally green spaces along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers and near Tinicum should be productive. Those awake at sunrise, particularly at the immediate coast at locations like Robert Moses State Park in Suffolk County, NY and Sandy Hook, NJ should watch for many nocturnal migrant continuing their movements into the morning. In particular, watch for Northern Flickers, warblers, and the occasional Red-breasted Nuthatch.