Here we are enjoying summer warmth, but other species know that ideal weather is ending soon.
How do I know this?
Birds have started to head south now in large numbers.
One way I monitor bird migration is through weather radar, which picks up the movement of birds, with migration generally more evident at night.
For example, the radar this evening "lit up" with echoes after sunset....and this isn't rain.... It's birds (see below).
And by using the Doppler capabilities of the radars, we can determine the direction of flight.....to the south. Here is a recent Doppler velocity image from the Camano Island radar:
Then there is the BirdCast website, which heavily uses weather radar as a potent tool (below). Lots of southward movement over the West.
Finally, the birds will have very nice flying weather for the next few days. A significant ridge of high pressure has developed offshore (see map for 5 PM Sunday) that will bring warm, but not too warm, conditions over western Washington (mid-80s).
This is fascinating even while a bit disappointing. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIs it normal for migrations to start this early and can this indicate if birds know it's going to be a colder fall/winter?
ReplyDeleteThe Swainson's thrush have gone nearly silent, as have the grosbeaks. A few Canada Jays have stopped by to compete for suet with the resident Stellars, but they seem rather quiet. The silence comes every year, but it's still strange.
ReplyDeletePlus the jays are back where I live and they always disappear for the summer in May or June before returning in the fall. When they come back I always know summer is ending.
ReplyDeleteI love this application of weather technology Cliff! Thanks for showing us this.
ReplyDeleteHello Professor Mass. Thank you for this blog. I have followed it for years and always appreciate the information you provide. I recently spent five months in the south of France. Nice to be exact. I wished that I had a French version of your blog to make sense of the very confusing weather there. It is extremely humid in the summer which I did not expect and although the radar says it will rain, it doesn't. The temperature and weather seem to be impossible to predict . One day, if you feel like sharing what you know about that area, it would be greatly appreciated. Merci beaucoup.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cliff.
ReplyDeleteThe College of the Sciences at CWU entertains grade school kids and their parents with an annual event called “Nature of Night”. Last November, I volunteered to cut bird silhouettes with Audubon members on Thursday and help with the event on Saturday. The birds were taped to the ceiling of large room (dark inside) and we led groups in with flashlights to view “the overhead migrations” underway in the night sky. Kids were given flashlights, and they were asked to find the birds and count them. Meanwhile the leaders could talk about the shapes of wings, tails, and the thousands of birds migrating south.
Its amazing that so many birds are already hitting the skies and leaving our region for the winter. Is this a sign that fall is going to be colder this year? This summer, at least at the coast, has been noticeably cooler than in years past.
ReplyDelete