(http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-88.61
,25.31,2195) shows winds from northern South America westward across the
western Caribbean to the north coast of Honduras and the east coast of the
Yucatan Peninsula and from there northwestward to the Gulf Coast of Mexico
and the US. Wind speeds in the upper atmosphere (where the migrants fly)
average 25 kts. Disturbed weather remains a feature of today's situation
for forcing tired migrants to land at the first opportunity as it did
through the weekend. Some of the birds that arrived over that period remain
on the ground Monday. Heavy thunderstorms in the night should bring a new
batch of migrants to add to the ranks of those already present (though a
percentage did leave yesterday evening after the rains stopped.)
At noon migrant bird targets were visible off the Brownsville coastline
having bypassed the thunderstorms which have pushed offshore and to the
south and east. At the same time flocks of diurnal migrants (shorebirds,
raptors? )were moving north overland south of Harlingen and northward.
Likewise trans-Gulf migrants were offshore from Corpus and Houston, headed
toward shore. Strong-flying birds were pushing inland on the Lake Charles
NEXRAD at impressive velocities (~50 kts). Many of these were likely
shorebirds and flocks of shorebirds. I expect the rest of the week to be
quite good birding.
John C. Arvin
Research Associate
Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
103 West Hwy 332
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
jarvin@xxxxxxxx
www.gcbo.org
Austin, Texas
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