“I have to wake up early to see the birds.” Yes and no. It often comes as a
major surprise that the tiny song birds that travel from South and Central America are actually flying at night. This fact
has only become clear to scientists in the past few decades in large part to
use of Doppler RADAR. Large areas or “angels” were being seen on weather radar,
moving a velocity not consistent with the wind direction. It turns out that
travel at night means less turbulent air and smoother flight and the presence
of diurnal predators like CooperHawks and small falcons. Birds leave shortly after sunset and fly for
several hours landing pre-dawn to rest, and eat, eat, eat.
