There is a very cool website run by the folks at the Cornell Ornithology Lab and Colorado State University. It's called BirdCast, and it uses Doppler radar weather data to monitor migratory bird activity and make migration forecasts. The Birdcast website features a "heatmap" of the US that indicate where birds will be on the move on for the current night.
But a really great feature allows you to list any county in the US and get an estimate of how many birds flew over on the previous night.
Aside from being very cool information, this is a great tool that can help you know what to expect when you go out birding. If there was a large number of birds migrating through your area the night before you go birding, there is a pretty good chance that you'll encounter some of those migrants as they stop in the morning to rest and feed. But it gets even better. Based on historical data of bird sightings, the website also displays a list of birds you will be most likely to see!
With this website you can check to see what the predicted migration looks like in your area for any given date. Then you can double check the morning you go out to find out if there was a big flight the night before. Depending on what you learn, you can grab your binoculars and head out the door, or maybe you just go back to bed and wait for a bigger flight night. Happy birding!
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