Update: 4/26, migrant wave

Tuesday morning, April 26: Although the weather still was not looking good for migration as recently as midnight last night, a front came in from the south and there is a good arrival this morning along the Lake Erie shoreline.  Mark Shieldcastle reports that the main BSBO research site (Navarre unit of Ottawa NWR, just east of Magee Marsh) is experiencing big numbers of Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers, along with a good scattering of other birds such as Yellow-throated Vireo, Pine Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- and, as the day warms up, lots of Broad-winged Hawks.  In Oak Harbor, 8 miles south of the lake shore, numbers of White-throated Sparrows and Gray Catbirds have appeared in areas where they weren't present yesterday.  According to Mark Shieldcastle's analysis of the weather, "The front has stalled just south of the lake but major movement normally balloons in front of the big warm fronts  ... birds are falling out along the front and north of it. These birds normally "filter" migrate during the day on atmospheric situations like today. So that means get out whenever you can today as new arrivals will be making their appearance all day."

The current south winds are supposed to continue today, tonight, and tomorrow, and there could be even more migrants around tomorrow (Wednesday 4/27).  But tomorrow could also produce a lot of heavy rain, and it's also possible that many birds will move out overnight and fewer will move in to take their places.  The variables in weather make the migration forecast tricky at best!  So if it's possible for you to get out today, go for it; don't put it off until tomorrow.