Avalon Seawatch October 15, 2010

A fairly slow day at the seawatch given the date, but not surprising given the high winds. Even though there weren't big numbers of birds, there was still much to get excited about.

Northern Gannets and Double-crested Cormorants dominated the count today, with a sprinkling of ducks mixed in. The Northern Gannet show this morning and evening was quite nice (585 migrants in total), with lots of birds working fish and providing entertainment. Cormorants were steady all day (4,880 in total), and it was amusing to watch as their lines would be first detected over Sea Isle City and then would drift all the way across to pass to our south instead of the usual route over the city and inlet because of the high winds.

Highlights today included 6 Brant that flew in and fed at the base of the jetty, 95 Great Egrets (including 84 in the last hour before sunset), and a Parasitic Jaeger that flew south without any noticeable tail feathers.

It's that time of year: no matter what conditions are, there will be something to see at the seawatch! Come on up to say hello!

A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:

6,090 migrants today.

Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/15/10
Number of species: 50

Brant 21
Canada Goose 1
American Black Duck 44
Mallard 3
Northern Pintail 20
Green-winged Teal 18
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter 252
Black Scoter 106
Surf/Black Scoter 20
Red-throated Loon 10
Common Loon 5
Northern Gannet 585
Brown Pelican 2 going north
Double-crested Cormorant 4880
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 15
Great Egret 95
Snowy Egret 3
Turkey Vulture 9
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 2
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 40
Semipalmated Plover 20
American Oystercatcher 30
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Sanderling 60
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 1
Laughing Gull 6
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern 2
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Tree Swallow 100
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 2
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Sparrow 20

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