51 degrees this a.m. As Canadian cold front rolls in, it’s triggering one of Iowa’s biggest natural spectacles: nearly 17.5 million birds, from tiny warblers to big flocks of shorebirds, are streaming overhead this weekend, heading south to their winter homes.

If you’re a birdwatcher—or just love seeing nature in action—this is one weekend you’ll want to be outside, especially around sunrise and sunset. Look for fresh faces in your backyard feeders, colorful warblers and orioles passing through local parks, and unusual flocks on the horizon. It’s not every day the Cedar Rapids sky is this busy.

https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-IA?night=2025-08-24