Cape May Hawk Watch - 16 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2012
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              1              1
Osprey                      71            559            559
Bald Eagle                   3             74             74
Northern Harrier            16            137            137
Sharp-shinned Hawk         142            552            552
Cooper's Hawk               21            141            141
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk           18             73             73
Red-tailed Hawk              3             17             17
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           129           1293           1293
Merlin                      22            197            197
Peregrine Falcon             8             34             34
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0

Total:                     433           3080           3080
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Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 10.75 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Visitors:
600+


Weather:
Variable cloudiness and seasonable throughout. Calm conditions from dawn
through mid-morning, then a light W breeze until the early afternoon. Light
SW breeze through majority of afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
The day started with a small pulse of high Kestrels at dawn, many of which
crossed the bay toward DE. The calm conditions produced a lull for most of
the early AM, before a light breeze set up out of the W. A steady and
fairly high movement ensued, and lasted through the midday hours. The
flight essentially shut down in the PM once winds shifted to SW and cloud
cover increased.

Non-raptor Observations:
Clay-colored Sparrow (1--thanks to SG for the assist), Buff-breasted
Sandpiper (1), Whimbrel (1), Connecticut Warbler (1), Blackburnian Warbler
(1), Magnolia Warbler (1), Cape May Warbler (4), scoter sp. (~15), Northern
Gannet (2), Cliff Swallow (7)

Predictions:
Warm; S winds.