5/20 IL Migration Report

A big stormy scar down the center of our state

So let's take yesterday's report (http://bit.ly/19Y0yZv) and push it forward to tonight, shall we? Instead of last night, the storms really seem to be moving in our state with some conviction tonight, and already cover much of the state. See the radar in the sidebar to the right for more. This means that I don't have too much to predict as far as migration goes for tonight, as the storms will be keeping the birds down. In areas outside of the storms, we are experiencing southerly winds, so birds may be moving if possible. Some fallout is possible, but tonight will definitely not see as much movement as last night. Birds will mostly be staying put.

But that's okay, because there were a ton of good birds around. One group to really highlight from today that has finally seemed to arrive in better numbers is Flycatchers. LEAST FLYCATCHERS

Wind tonight confused by the storms

appeared in greater numbers, ALDER and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS became more prevalent, and even YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS influxed a bit. EASTERN KINGBIRDS and EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES brightened up many's day as well. This is a tough phase for many birders, as flycatchers are one of the most challenging groups of birds present in Illinois. If you're feeling challenged, I advise you to get out there with a more experienced birder and learn about empids in the field. Books and the internet just don't do the trick with these guys. Anyway, warblers continue to be moving through, with CONNECTICUT WARBLERS and MOURNING WARBLERS appearing in greater numbers. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS also continue their movement northward. Less birders reported seeing shorebirds around today, but I'm sure some good numbers of SANDERLING and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were present in the prairie state.

Overall, the birding could be good after the storms tonight...we just gotta' wait it out! That's certainly what the birds are doing.

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Here's some salient links for useful info:

Wind forecasts to predict when bird will be moving: Northern IL: http://bit.ly/ZxyRq6, Southern IL: http://bit.ly/124R3WX

To figure out which species to look for in your area, here are the eBird resources I've made a habit of sharing.
General IL charts: http://bit.ly/129Tru1
Make your own: http://bit.ly/129Tfed

That's all for tonight, folks. Good luck, and stay safe tonight in Spring's craziest weather.