Timing
When the waves move through — spring and fall windows.
The migration windows
Birds move on a schedule older than us. Spring runs March to May, fall runs August to November, and the peak is different for every species.
The windows
spring mid-March to late May fall mid-August to late Nov nocturnal most songbirds fly at night diurnal hawks, swallows, shorebirds
Follow the weather
A cold front in fall grounds thousands of birds in one morning. The day after a front is the best birding of the year.