Sep 13, 2021 | Featured Web Article

Watch the Moon for Southbound Migrants

If the night sky is cloudless, aim your binoculars toward the moon, and watch. Most migratory land birds make their twice-yearly journey at night.
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In 2021, full moons will occur September 20, October 20, November 19, and December 18. If the night sky is cloudless, aim your binoculars toward the moon, and watch. Most migratory land birds make their twice-yearly journey at night, including thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, sparrows, orioles, vireos, and cuckoos. Many start traveling just past dusk, and numbers tend to peak around midnight. You probably won’t be able to identify the birds that fly between your binoculars and the moon, but seeing their silhouettes, and possibly even hearing their nighttime flight chips, is a cool experience. This will work a few days before and after the full moon, too.

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