Now that we have finally reached the beginnings of spring migration, I thought many of you may be interested in the following website:
http://birdcast.infoBirdCast was launched last year by the good folk at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It uses some leading edge technology and the best available data to offer predictions about when and where birds will be migrating throughout the season. Each week they post a prediction for the week ahead, and an analysis of the previous week's actual activity. For birders in Ontario, you will want to look at predictions for the area of "The Upper Midwest & Northeast". This year the website has expanded to include more detailed dates for species who are just starting to arrive, arriving, peaking, and departing.
If you really want to stoke your obsession to another level, you can watch the national doppler radar maps after dark to watch as thousands of birds take to the air for their night flights north. For an explanation of what you should look for and why, read this:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/radar/ To see the radar for yourself, try this after dark:
http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/ If you don't really want to read the lengthy explanation about radar, just look for the donut shaped blobs on the map - those are birds!
-Kris
