The influence of the atmospheric boundary layer on nocturnal layers of noctuids and other moths migrating over southern Britain

Insects migrating at high altitude over southern Britain have been continuously monitored by automatically operating, vertical-looking radars over a period of several years. During some occasions in the summer months, the migrants were observed to form well-defined layer concentrations, typically at heights of 200-400 m, in the stable night-time atmosphere. Under these conditions, insects are likely to have control over their vertical movements and are selecting flight heights that are favourable for long-range migration. We therefore investigated the factors influencing the formation of these insect layers by comparing radar measurements of the vertical distribution of insect density with meteorological profiles generated by the UK Meteorological Office's (UKMO) Unified Model (UM). Radar-derived measurements of mass and displacement speed, along with data from Rothamsted Insect Survey light traps, provided information on the identity of the migrants. We present here three case studies where noctuid and pyralid moths contributed substantially to the observed layers. The major meteorological factors influencing the layer concentrations appeared to be: (a) the altitude of the warmest air, (b) heights corresponding to temperature preferences or thresholds for sustained migration and (c) on nights when air temperatures are relatively high, wind-speed maxima associated with the nocturnal jet. Back-trajectories indicated that layer duration may have been determined by the distance to the coast. Overall, the unique combination of meteorological data from the UM and insect data from entomological radar described here show considerable promise for systematic studies of high-altitude insect layering.     

Nocturnal migration of dragonflies over the Bohai Sea in northern China

Abstract.  1. A sudden increase and subsequent sharp decrease of catches of dragonflies in a searchlight trap, with Pantala flavescens Fabricius (Odonata: Libellulidae) predominating, observed at Beihuang Island in the centre of the Bohai Gulf, in 2003 and 2004, indicated a seasonal migration of these insects over the sea during the night in China. The movements were associated with the onset of fog.
2. Simultaneous radar observations indicated that the nocturnally migrating dragonflies generally flew at altitudes of up to 1000 m above sea level, with high density concentrations at about 200–300 or 500 m; these concentrations were coincident with the temperature inversion.
3. During early summer, the dragonflies oriented in a downwind direction, so that the displacement direction varied between different altitudes. In contrast, during late summer, the dragonflies were able to compensate for wind drift, even headwind drift, so as to orient south-westward no matter how the wind changed, and thus the displacement direction was towards the south-west.
4. The duration of flight, estimated from the variation of area density derived from radar data and hourly catches in the searchlight trap through the night, was about 9–10 h. The displacement speed detected using radar was ≈5–11 m s⁻¹. Therefore, the dragonflies might migrate 150–400 km in a single flight.
5. The dragonflies were thought to originate in Jiangsu province and they migrated into north-east China to exploit the temporary environment of paddy fields in early summer. Their offspring probably migrated back south during late summer and autumn.     

Layers of nocturnal insect migrants at high-altitude: the influence of atmospheric conditions on their formation

• 1 Radar studies of nocturnal insect migration have often found that the migrants tend to form well‐defined horizontal layers at a particular altitude.
• 2 In previous short‐term studies, nocturnal layers were usually observed to occur at the same altitude as certain meteorological features, most notably at the altitudes of temperature inversion tops or nocturnal wind jets.
• 3 Statistical analyses are presented of 4 years of data that compared the presence, sharpness and duration of nocturnal layer profiles, observed using continuously‐operating entomological radar, with meteorological variables at typical layer altitudes over the U.K.
• 4 Analysis of these large datasets demonstrated that temperature was the foremost meteorological factor that was persistently associated with the presence and formation of longer‐lasting and sharper layers of migrating insects over southern U.K.

     

Effects of weather on avian migration at proposed ridgeline wind energy sites

With the popularity of wind energy increasing globally, concerns surfaced in the 1980s as to the potential adverse effects of wind turbines on migrating birds. Understanding how weather conditions influence passage rates can help determine the potential for increased avian–turbine collisions. Using vertical and horizontal mounted marine radars, raptor stand watch observations, and portable handheld weather stations, we studied how temperature, cloud cover, barometric pressure, wind direction, and wind speed affected avian passage rates and height of migrants over 3 ridges (Wartenbe, North Dokie, and South Dokie) being developed for wind energy in northern British Columbia. Using an Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), we determined that a reduced model combining wind speed, barometric pressure, and cloud cover was best at explaining and predicting higher passage rates (expressed as no. birds/hr) in the fall migration for both diurnal and nocturnal migrants. Wind speed proved the most important predictor of passage rates for spring nocturnal migrants and a combination of cloud cover, temperature, and wind direction for diurnal spring migrants. Wind speed also predicted decreases in flight altitude among nocturnal migrants but increased altitude in diurnal migrants. This information coupled with migration timing and topographical areas of higher migrant activity can be useful to wind energy proponents who wish to mitigate collision risk with migrating birds. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE PATHWAYS OF MIGRATING INSECTS

Abstract  Based on boundary layer meteorology and behavioural ecology of insect migration, a numerical TRA model was established. The spatial and temporal resolutions of the standard meteorological data are far insufficient for insect migration studies; so, a one dimension TKE closure scheme (E-ε scheme) was adopted to simulate the wind and temperature profiles en route based on the conventional surface and 850 hPa wind and temperature data of Chinese National Meteorological Bureau. Then the migrating behaviour of insects was parameterized as some proper mathematical expressions to determine their timing and their flight height, speed and direction from the wind and temperature profiles simulated by the PBL sub-model, and so their flight pathways could be estimated by a simple algorithm. Finally, the hourly episodes of the airborne migrants were output which consists of the latitude, longitude and flying altitude. The TRA model was verified by mark-release-recapture studies of Mythimna separata, Loxostege sticticalis , and Agrotis ipsilon . The results suggest that the parameterizing scheme of migratory behaviour, the numerical simulation scheme of wind and temperature in PBL and the TRA procedure developed in this paper should be reasonable and feasible. This model provides a useful tool for inter-regional forecast of migratory insect pests.     

迁飞过程中昆虫的行为:对风温场的适应与选择

本文综述了昆虫在迁飞过程中对大气物理环境的各种行为反应,有边界层气象的理论重新审视迁飞种群的时空分布,提出了“边界层顶现象”的概念。即边界层顶的低空逆温和低空急流为迁飞种群提供了最适宜的风温场,迁飞种群在边界层顶集聚成层,并通过定向理一步修饰其位移方位,表现出对风温场的主动选择能力和对大气结构和运动的高度复杂的适应性反应。进一步深化对“边界层顶现象”的认识,对迁飞性害虫的异地预测具有重要的理论意义     

Radar observations of the spring migration into northeastern China of the oriental armyworm moth, Mythimna separata, and other insects

Abstract. 1. The spring migration of the oriental armyworm moth, Mythimna separata (Walker), and other insects into northeastern China was observed by radar at a site in central Jilin province. Samples of the migrants were obtained in a net flown from a kite, and M.separata populations in the surrounding region were monitored with a trap network. 2. The radar regularly detected echoes which were of the type characteristic of large insects, and three out of four large insects in the aerial samples were noctuid moths, including one M.separata. Catches of armyworm moths in the regional trap network peaked during the period of radar observations. 3. Migration occurred at night. It commenced with a take-off flight at dusk and generally continued until dawn, with numbers often being highest around midnight. Most migration took place at altitudes below 500 m, with strong layer concentrations forming at 200–400 m during the middle part of some nights. 4. Migration was approximately downwind. The net movement was overwhelmingly to the northeast because southwesterly winds occurred most frequently and were relatively strong, and because migration was more intense and prolonged on these winds. Orientation tended to be to the left of the downwind direction, and was most often to the north or northeast. 5. Migration into northeastern China was accomplished in a series of night-time movements of 100–300 km rather than by a single non-stop flight. 6. The net movement of insects towards the northeast was sufficient to produce the observed regional infestation of M.separata moths. Oviposition by immigrant armyworm moths in vulnerable crops would have been at a level where economically significant damage would be expected from the resulting larval population. 7. Analogous springtime migrations of noctuids leading to temporary colonizations of habitats at higher latitudes occur in other continents. Such colonizations may be unproductive if, as appears possibly the case for northeastern China, prevailing winds later in the season are generally unfavourable for a return migration towards overwintering areas at lower latitudes.     

Nocturnal windborne migration of ground beetles,particularly Pseudoophonus griseus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), in China

1 A network of light‐traps, an aerial net carried by kytoon (balloon) and two entomological radars were used to investigate whether ground beetles migrate nocturnally through China. The network‐wide, simultaneous sudden increase in light trap catches, and after subsequent decrease, indicated a seasonal long‐distance night migration of ground beetles, with Pseudoophonus griseus (Panzer) predominant, in August. 2 Aerial net trapping indicated that carabids were able to ascend to altitudes of at least 200 m and become windborne. Radar observations indicated that the migratory beetles formed high‐density layer concentrations at approximately 200–300 m. 3 These concentrations were coincident with the top of the temperature inversion and a wind speed maximum, which suggested that the carabids tended to select warm, fast moving air for their long‐distance migration. 4 The ground beetles orientated and displaced towards the downwind direction in southerly winds. Their air speed decreased as the tailwind increased and, thus, migrating beetles appeared to be conserving energy. 5 The mean ± SD displacement speed (ground speed) and air speed were 6.85 ± 1.73 m/s (n= 172) and 4.45 ± 1.54 m/s (n= 172), respectively. The duration of flight, estimated from the variation in area density derived from radar data, was approximately 9–10 h, indicating that the beetles might migrate hundreds of kilometres in a single flight.     

Variation in the nocturnal flight behaviour of migratory birds along the northwest coast of the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the largest obstacles that has to be crossed by Palearctic birds migrating from Europe to Africa; it thus offers a good opportunity to study variations in migratory behaviour of birds facing a major ecological barrier. Using a passive infrared device, the flight directions of nocturnal migrants were determined and flight altitudes estimated at ten sites along the French and Spanish coast of the Mediterranean Sea in September and October 1995. The variation of migratory intensity, flight direction and altitude in the course of the night was examined. The highest density of migration was recorded within the first hour after sunset, followed by relatively high densities over the next several hours, and a progressive decrease in the last third of the night. In spite of broad variation in the course of the coastline relative to the basic directions of migration and specific reactions of the migrants to the local conditions, a decrease in seaward migration corresponding to an increase in landward migration from the first to the second half of the night was a general feature at nearly all sites. The results suggest a shift in the motivation of the birds depending on the time of arrival in a coastal area, leading to an adjustment in the flight behaviour of nocturnal migrants.     

昆虫雷达让我们看到了什么?

昆虫雷达的应用深化了人们对昆虫迁飞行为机制的认识。昆虫雷达让我们看到了弱小的昆虫主动起飞 ,以一定的速度爬升到巡航高度乘风远行 ,并对大气风温场表现出令人难以置信的适应和选择能力 ,通过成层 (边界层顶现象 )、定向和集聚等主动行为 ,最大限度地利用空气动力到达新的栖息地。这些全新的画面展示出远迁的昆虫并非完全被动的随风飘流者 ,而是一个个驾舟中流击水的舵手。     

Bird movements at rotor heights measured continuously with vertical radar at a Dutch offshore wind farm

Assessing the impacts of avian collisions with wind turbines requires reliable estimates of avian flight intensities and altitudes, to enable accurate estimation of collision rates, avoidance rates and related effects on populations. At sea, obtaining such estimates visually is limited not only by weather conditions but, more importantly, because a high proportion of birds fly at night and at heights above the range of visual observation. We used vertical radar with automated bird‐tracking software to overcome these limitations and obtain data on the magnitude, timing and altitude of local bird movements and seasonal migration measured continuously at a Dutch offshore wind farm. An estimated 1.6 million radar echoes representing individual birds or flocks were recorded crossing the wind farm annually at altitudes between 25 and 115 m (the rotor‐swept zone). The majority of these fluxes consisted of gull species during the day and migrating passerines at night. We demonstrate daily, monthly and seasonal patterns in fluxes at rotor heights and the influence of wind direction on flight intensity. These data are among the first to show the magnitude and variation of low‐altitude flight activity across the North Sea, and are valuable for assessing the consequences of developments such as offshore wind farms for birds.     

云南南涧凤凰山秋季迁移鸟迁移时序与数量变化

2002年9月16日—11月28日和2003年9月9日—11月26日,在云南南涧凤凰山共网捕秋季迁移鸟176种6677只,分属13目29科。凤凰山鸟类夜间迁移时间开始于8月上旬,至11月中旬结束,可分为开始期、高峰期和结束期。高峰期出现于9月中旬—10月上旬,迁移波峰出现在10月初;高峰期间受圆月影响,中间出现2个网捕低谷。候鸟夜间迁移在日落后约1小时开始,在20:30—24:00出现第1个迁移高峰;随后鸟类迁移数量逐渐减少;到次日4:00左右又开始增多,出现当夜的第2个高峰;在凌晨5:30左右再度减少直到日出前为止。白天迁移主要出现在迁移后期,开始于10月中旬左右,10月下旬、11月中旬达到白天迁移高峰,随后逐渐减少,一直持续到11月下旬,1甚至到12月上旬。白昼迁移鸟在日出前约1小时开始迁过,8:30左右达到白昼迁移高峰,11:00后停止。凤凰山秋季迁移鸟的迁徙期持续约100天。夜间迁徙鸟在西南风无月有雾之夜在22:00过境高峰后,还会在午夜、凌晨和黎明前出现另外3个过境高峰,而其他天气仅在22:00出现1次过境高峰。     

Nocturnal migrants do not incur higher collision risk at wind turbines than diurnally active species

Nocturnally migrating birds, particularly passerines, are known to be vulnerable to collision with man‐made structures such as buildings, towers or offshore platforms, yet information with respect to wind farms is ambiguous. We recorded bird flight intensities using radar during autumn migration at four wind farms situated within a major migration flyway in northern Germany and simultaneously conducted systematic searches for collision fatalities at the same sites. We found that migration traffic rates at rotor height estimated by radar observations were significantly higher during the night, yet strictly nocturnal migrants constituted only 8.6% of all fatalities at the wind farms. In contrast to the situation at other vertical structures, nocturnal migrants do not have a higher risk of collision with wind energy facilities than do diurnally active species, but rather appear to circumvent collision more effectively.     

Nocturnal passerine migration without tailwind assistance

Nocturnal passerine migrants could substantially reduce the amount of energy spent per distance covered if they fly with tailwind assistance and thus achieve ground speeds that exceed their airspeeds (the birds’ speed in relation to the surrounding air). We analysed tracking radar data from two study sites in southern and northern Scandinavia and show that nocturnally migrating passerines, during both spring and autumn migration, regularly travelled without tailwind assistance. Average ground and airspeeds of the birds were strikingly similar for all seasonal and site‐specific samples, demonstrating that winds had little overall influence on the birds’ resulting travel speeds. Distributions of wind effects, measured as (1) the difference between ground and airspeed and (2) the tail/headwind component along the birds’ direction of travel, showed peaks close to a zero wind effect, indicating that the migratory flights often occurred irrespective of wind direction. An assessment of prevailing wind speeds at the birds’ mean altitude indicated a preference for lower wind speeds, with flights often taking place in moderate winds of 3–10 m/s. The limited frequency of wind‐assisted flights among the nocturnal passerine migrants studied is surprising and in clear contrast to the strong selectivity of tailwinds exhibited by some other bird groups. Relatively high costs of waiting for favourable winds, rather low probabilities of occurrence of tailwind conditions and a need to use a large proportion of nights for flying are probably among the factors that explain the lack of a distinct preference for wind‐assisted flights among nocturnal passerine migrants.     

Orientation Cues for High-Flying Nocturnal Insect Migrants: Do Turbulence-Induced Temperature and Velocity Fluctuations Indicate the Mean Wind Flow?

Migratory insects flying at high altitude at night often show a degree of common alignment, sometimes with quite small angular dispersions around the mean. The observed orientation directions are often close to the downwind direction and this would seemingly be adaptive in that large insects could add their self-propelled speed to the wind speed, thus maximising their displacement in a given time. There are increasing indications that high-altitude orientation may be maintained by some intrinsic property of the wind rather than by visual perception of relative ground movement. Therefore, we first examined whether migrating insects could deduce the mean wind direction from the turbulent fluctuations in temperature. Within the atmospheric boundary-layer, temperature records show characteristic ramp-cliff structures, and insects flying downwind would move through these ramps whilst those flying crosswind would not. However, analysis of vertical-looking radar data on the common orientations of nocturnally migrating insects in the UK produced no evidence that the migrants actually use temperature ramps as orientation cues. This suggests that insects rely on turbulent velocity and acceleration cues, and refocuses attention on how these can be detected, especially as small-scale turbulence is usually held to be directionally invariant (isotropic). In the second part of the paper we present a theoretical analysis and simulations showing that velocity fluctuations and accelerations felt by an insect are predicted to be anisotropic even when the small-scale turbulence (measured at a fixed point or along the trajectory of a fluid-particle) is isotropic. Our results thus provide further evidence that insects do indeed use turbulent velocity and acceleration cues as indicators of the mean wind direction.     

High Altitude Bird Migration at Temperate Latitudes: A Synoptic Perspective on Wind Assistance

At temperate latitudes the synoptic patterns of bird migration are strongly structured by the presence of cyclones and anticyclones, both in the horizontal and altitudinal dimensions. In certain synoptic conditions, birds may efficiently cross regions with opposing surface wind by choosing a higher flight altitude with more favourable wind. We observed migratory passerines at mid-latitudes that selected high altitude wind optima on particular nights, leading to the formation of structured migration layers at varying altitude up to 3 km. Using long-term vertical profiling of bird migration by C-band Doppler radar in the Netherlands, we find that such migration layers occur nearly exclusively during spring migration in the presence of a high-pressure system. A conceptual analytic framework providing insight into the synoptic patterns of wind assistance for migrants that includes the altitudinal dimension has so far been lacking. We present a simple model for a baroclinic atmosphere that relates vertical profiles of wind assistance to the pressure and temperature patterns occurring at temperate latitudes. We show how the magnitude and direction of the large scale horizontal temperature gradient affects the relative gain in wind assistance that migrants obtain through ascending. Temperature gradients typical for northerly high-pressure systems in spring are shown to cause high altitude wind optima in the easterly sectors of anticyclones, thereby explaining the frequent observations of high altitude migration in these synoptic conditions. Given the recurring synoptic arrangements of pressure systems across temperate continents, the opportunities for exploiting high altitude wind will differ between flyways, for example between easterly and westerly oceanic coasts.     

Strategies of passerine migration across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert: a radar study

Radar observations of the diurnal timing of bird migration in the Sahara Desert are presented for autumn migration. Study sites were on a transect along the north-south migratory direction. Three groups of birds migrating either during day, evening or night in the northern part of the Western desert in Egypt were identified. The maximum of day and night groups occurred later the further south the study sites were. Based on the distance between sites and the timing of peak migration, birds were flying at an estimated ground speed of about 20 m/s. The maximum of the evening group was at about 21:00 h at all sites. The three groups were classified according to three different strategies of migration across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert: (1) the day group of birds performed a non-stop flight across the sea and at least the northern part of the desert; [2] the night group performed an intermittent migratory strategy with stopover at the coast of Egypt to continue migration the next evening; (3) the evening group birds were also intermittent migratory fliers, but they stopped somewhere in the desert after a continuous flight across the sea and part of the desert. About 20% of all migrants are involved in non-stop migration and 80% in intermittent migration with stopover at the coast (70%) or with stopover in the desert (10%). It is argued that any species of small passerine has the option to use any of the three strategies.     

Effects of low-level jet aircraft noise on the behaviour of nesting osprey

1. Nesting osprey Pandion haliaetus L. were exposed to controlled low-level CF-18 jet aircraft overflights along the Naskaupi River, Labrador, Canada, during 1995. Jet aircraft flew near five nests at distances ranging from 2·5 nautical miles (nm) to directly overhead at speeds of 400–440 knots.
2. Maximum noise levels (L1) and other noise metrics were influenced by many factors including topography, distance, altitude, wind speed and direction.
3. Based on 240 h of observations from blinds, we recorded osprey nest attendance and egg exposure during 139 individual overflights. Similar observations were completed at two control nests. Overflights as low as 30 m above ground occurred during incubation, nestling and prefledging only when observers were present.
4. Osprey behaviour did not differ significantly (P = 0·126) between pre- and post-overflight periods. Despite L1 values occasionally exceeding 100 decibels, adult osprey did not appear agitated or startled when overflown.
5. Osprey were attentive to and occasionally flushed from nests when float planes, other osprey or raptors entered territories, and when observers were entering or exiting blinds.     

东北地区粘虫的季节性迁飞行为(英文)

粘虫Mythimna separata是我国农业生产上的重要害虫, 为了明确其季节性迁飞行为参数, 本研究采用垂直监测昆虫雷达（vertical-looking radar, VLR）及相关辅助设备的长期自动观测, 结合基于GIS的大区环流和轨迹模拟, 调查分析了2005年东北地区粘虫季节性迁飞行为。结果表明： 粘虫在不同季节和夜间不同时间空中飞行高度具有明显差异, 空中飞行行为受气象条件尤其是空中风场影响较大; 春季和秋季主要借助气流运载进行大规模长距离迁飞, 夜间持续飞行时间可达9 h, 多数个体能完成整夜飞行, 春季迁飞高度主要在300~600 m, 秋季飞行高度相对较低主要在300 m以下和400~500 m。夏季雷达回波有明显的成层现象, 最高可达1 000 m, 主要集中在500 m和700 m两个高度层。轨迹分析显示： 5月29日由山东潍坊、 临沂等虫源地起飞的黏虫, 顺西南气流越海迁飞, 6月1日在气旋天气影响下, 在吉林省白城等地降落; 7月中旬主要为当地黏虫受对流天气影响进行短距离迁飞扩散; 9月11日虫源来自内蒙古呼伦贝尔, 顺西北气流向吉林省东南方向迁飞。研究结果为东北地区粘虫的有效防控提供了技术支撑。     

草地螟2007年越冬代成虫迁飞行为研究与虫源分析

草地螟 Loxostege sticticalis L.是危害我国北方农牧业的一种重要迁飞性害虫,明确草地螟的虫源地及迁飞路线对其早期预警具有重要意义。本文利用垂直监测昆虫雷达的长期观测,迁飞高峰期雌虫卵巢解剖、大区环流分析、各地虫情信息收集和利用Hysplit_4模型进行轨迹分析,研究了2007年越冬代草地螟的空中迁飞行为和东北地区严重暴发的草地螟虫源。结果表明：6月7–9日,雷达观测点诱虫灯内草地螟具有典型迁飞昆虫生理特征;草地螟主要在夜间迁飞,飞行高度集中在300～500 m,400 m是主要飞行高度,迁飞高峰期夜间迁移可持续9 h。东北地区严重发生的草地螟虫源,一部分来自内蒙古乌盟地区,一部分来自蒙古共和国中东部及中俄边境地区。据此推测我国与国外草地螟存在虫源交流。