This morning featured a truly massive movement of Blackpoll Warblers (1068), far and away the predominant warbler flying today (69.5% of the identified warblers)! In fact, today's count of Blackpoll Warblers are more than were totaled during the entire seasons of 2004 (973), 2007 (586), and 2009 (936). The previous eBird high count for the state of New Jersey was 800 on 10 October 2008 (throughout Cape Island, compliments of Michael O'Brien); The Birds of Cape May (Sibley 1997) states high counts from 11 September 1988 (400) and 4 October 1988 (300), both at Higbee Beach.
Due to the intense volume of birds in the first hour and dark, cloudy conditions throughout most of the morning (which reduces the use of color/patterns for warbler identification), most of the warblers were left unidentified (2937). If we assume that even a third of these were Blackpoll Warblers, the day's number would be over 2000. I believe the true number of Blackpoll Warblers flying over Higbee Beach today was something in the neighborhood of 2500 - 3000 birds.
Warblers comprised nearly all of today's flight (97%) and included 4473 individuals (34% identified) of 19 species. Otherwise, the flight was intriguing due to the low number of Red-eyed Vireos (9), the relative scarcity of Red-breasted Nuthatches (43) compared to abundances in Cape May Point, and the best tally of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (10) this year.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Due to the intense volume of birds in the first hour and dark, cloudy conditions throughout most of the morning (which reduces the use of color/patterns for warbler identification), most of the warblers were left unidentified (2937). If we assume that even a third of these were Blackpoll Warblers, the day's number would be over 2000. I believe the true number of Blackpoll Warblers flying over Higbee Beach today was something in the neighborhood of 2500 - 3000 birds.
Warblers comprised nearly all of today's flight (97%) and included 4473 individuals (34% identified) of 19 species. Otherwise, the flight was intriguing due to the low number of Red-eyed Vireos (9), the relative scarcity of Red-breasted Nuthatches (43) compared to abundances in Cape May Point, and the best tally of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (10) this year.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 9
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 43
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
American Robin - 7
Cedar Waxwing - 20
Tennessee Warbler - 9
Nashville Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 203
Yellow Warbler - 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 3
Magnolia Warbler - 10
Cape May Warbler - 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 38
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 4
Black-throated Green Warbler - 5
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 3
Magnolia Warbler - 10
Cape May Warbler - 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 38
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 4
Black-throated Green Warbler - 5
Pine Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 118
Bay-breasted Warbler - 3
Bay-breasted Warbler - 3
Blackpoll Warbler - 1068
"Baypoll" Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 13
American Redstart - 36
Northern Waterthrush - 7
Connecticut Warbler - 3
Wilson's Warbler - 1
Connecticut Warbler - 3
Wilson's Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 2937
Scarlet Tanager - 6
Scarlet Tanager - 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 10
Indigo Bunting - 27
Baltimore Oriole - 1
Total = 4610
Total = 4610
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| Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Photo by Sam Galick) |
Other highlights included my first Brant (7) of the fall and a good flight of northbound Blue Jays (378).
