Morning Flight - 30 September 2012

If yesterday's flight was epic, today's was excellent.  What the flight may have lacked in sheer numbers, it more than made up for in diversity.  Warblers made up a smaller proportion of the total flight today (74%) - compared to yesterday's 97% - but included a great selection of warblers: 2400 individuals of 24 species!  This may be the final time this year that 20 different species of warblers is eclipsed in a single day, but time will tell.

Highlights were many today and had it not been for the appearance of a Say's Phoebe at the state park, I think Red-bellied Woodpecker would claim "bird of the day" honors.  According to eBird and The Birds of Cape May (Sibley 1997), the 35 Red-bellied Woodpeckers this morning at Higbee Beach would have set an apparent all-time Cape May high count...but Tom Reed posted a jaw-dropping 94 from the hawk watch!!  From his own perch in the Villas, Jim Dowdell recorded an impressive 25 Red-bellied Woodpeckers in northbound morning flight.  Obviously, these birds are seriously on the move.  This year's 71 from Morning Flight is second only to 91 in 2004, but it seems only a matter of time before that mark will be surpassed.    

The season's one-and-only Yellow-throated Vireo flew past Higbee this morning, at a date that is already quite late for this uncommon species.  During the Morning Flight's nine-year tenure, this species has only been reported twice in 2011.  However, even its rarity was bested by Morning Flight's first-ever Mourning Warbler (!), a late date for another early migrant.  During a hectic first hour, this individual landed in the vegetation between Tom Johnson and me, so close that all we could do was stare at it naked-eye.  Like Kentucky Warbler - another 2012 first for Morning Flight - Mourning Warblers are not known to engage in regular morning flight at Cape May.    

Other highlights include the first Golden-crowned Kinglets and Pine Siskins in morning flight this fall.  In fact, today's 11 Pine Siskins are more than were tallied during four entire seasons (2003, 2006, 2009, and 2011). Black-throated Blue Warblers (88), Connecticut Warblers (7), and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (12) all made their best showings for the year.  This makes 10 Connecticut Warblers for the weekend and bumps the season total up to an above-average 22 (the season high count of 31 was set in 2011).  Oh yeh, and a Clay-colored Sparrow landed nearby for the final punctuation to an impressive morning.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 35
Yellow-belled Sapsucker - 9
Northern Flicker - 369
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5
Eastern Phoebe - 10
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 36
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 76
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 17
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
American Robin - 2
Swainson's Thrush - 2
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 132
Tennessee Warbler - 6
Nashville Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 228
Yellow Warbler - 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 3
Magnolia Warbler - 7
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 88
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 55
Black-throated Green Warbler - 8
Blackburnian Warbler - 2
Pine Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 284
Bay-breasted Warbler - 2
Blackpoll Warbler - 78
Black-and-white Warbler - 24
American Redstart - 48
Ovenbird - 4
Northern Waterthrush - 5
Mourning Warbler - 1
Connecticut Warbler - 7
Wilson's Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 8
warbler sp. - 1540
Scarlet Tanager - 8
Savannah Sparrow - 2
Clay-colored Sparrow - 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 12
Indigo Bunting - 17
Bobolink - 1
Purple Finch - 4
Pine Siskin - 11

Total = 3224

Norhtern Flicker
Northern Flicker (Photo by Sam Galick)
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo (Photo by Sam Galick)
Connecticut Warbler (Photo by Tom Johnson)
Clay-colored Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow (Photo by Sam Galick)

Say's Phoebe
Say's Phoebe - not at Morning Flight, but an obliging rarity that spent
the day at Cape May Point State Park (Photo by Cameron Rutt)

Cape May Hawk Watch - 30 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                8             11             11
Turkey Vulture              33             57             57
Osprey                     238           1570           1570
Bald Eagle                  11            145            145
Northern Harrier            36            282            282
Sharp-shinned Hawk         490           2634           2634
Cooper's Hawk               82            515            515
Northern Goshawk             1              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk           40            216            216
Red-tailed Hawk              3             27             27
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           315           2680           2680
Merlin                      54            595            595
Peregrine Falcon            63            313            313
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                    1374           9050           9050
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 10.67 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Sunny and mild. Winds from the NW at dawn, shifting to W by mid-morning,
and WSW/SW by early-afternoon; generally 5-10mph throughout. Cloud cover
<10% for most of day.

Raptor Observations:
A predictably high flight from start to finish, headlined by a predictable
cast: SSHA, AMKE and OSPR. A brief Goshawk barreled into the far treeline
at 3:40pm (thanks PD). 


Non-raptor Observations:
Say's Phoebe (seen at a distance on multiple occasions), Red-bellied Woodpecker (94!! a remarkable AM movement headed west across
Cape May Point), Belted Kingfisher (7 migrants), Pine Siskin (5+),
Boat-tailed Grackle (8), Magnolia Warbler (1), Brown Pelican (1)

Predictions:
Perhaps a carbon copy of today-- sunny with a light NW wind, shifting to SW
in the PM.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 29 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                3              3              3
Turkey Vulture              13             24             24
Osprey                     210           1332           1332
Bald Eagle                  18            134            134
Northern Harrier            34            246            246
Sharp-shinned Hawk         385           2144           2144
Cooper's Hawk               81            433            433
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk           23            176            176
Red-tailed Hawk              1             24             24
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           452           2365           2365
Merlin                     114            541            541
Peregrine Falcon            19            250            250
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                    1353           7676           7676
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 17:00:00 
Total observation time: 11.17 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Cool with variable cloudiness throughout-- usually >50%. Winds from the
NW/WNW throughout, 5-15mph. 

Raptor Observations:
A solid all-around flight, with a steady procession of SSHA, AMKE, MERL and
OSPR through much of the day. OSPR and AMKE were still moving well into the
evening.

Non-raptor Observations:
Belted Kingfisher (25+! -- obvious migrants throughout the day, with
several seen crossing over the bay), Blackpoll Warbler (500++), Dickcissel
(1), Indigo Bunting (20+), Double-crested Cormorant (300+), Common
Nighthawk (1), Cliff Swallow (1)

Predictions:
Light NW winds.

Morning Flight - 29 September 2012

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
Northern Flicker - 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 9
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 43
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
American Robin - 7
Cedar Waxwing - 20
Tennessee Warbler - 9
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
Pine Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 118
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
warbler sp. - 2937
Scarlet Tanager - 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 10
Indigo Bunting - 27
Baltimore Oriole - 1

Total = 4610

Rose-breasted Grosbeak
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).

Avalon Seawatch, September 22 - 28, 2012

Week One results:

Brant  2
Canada Goose  2
Wood Duck  8
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Pintail  119
Green-winged Teal  71
Common Eider  11
Black Scoter  18
Common Loon  8
Horned Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  490
Brown Pelican  13
Double-crested Cormorant  1976
Great Blue Heron  68
Great Egret  2
Laughing Gull   281
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  84
Great Black-backed Gull  65
Caspian Tern  31
Common Tern  22
Forster's Tern  322
Royal Tern  121
Black Skimmer  3
Parasitic Jaeger  4

Total  3728

Morning Flight - 28 September 2012

There seems to be something about Fridays...  Although there has been a good September flight on Friday, by and large, this has been the story:

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
American Robin - 2
Northern Parula - 1
Palm Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 2
Northern Waterthrush - 1
warbler sp. - 1
Indigo Bunting - 1

Total = 13

Cape May Hawk Watch - 28 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      61           1122           1122
Bald Eagle                   3            116            116
Northern Harrier             2            212            212
Sharp-shinned Hawk         100           1759           1759
Cooper's Hawk               17            352            352
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk            1            153            153
Red-tailed Hawk              0             23             23
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             8           1913           1913
Merlin                       7            427            427
Peregrine Falcon            87            231            231
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     286           6323           6323
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.17 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Mild with a 50/50 sky for most of the day. Winds out of the S, shifting to
SSW @ 5-15mph throughout.

Raptor Observations:
A good Peregrine day, with a continued trickle of other species.

Non-raptor Observations:
Great Cormorant (1), Common Gallinule (1), Northern Gannet (4),
Double-crested Cormorant (440), Blue Jay (125+)

Predictions:
Variable clouds with a light NW wind.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 27 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      39           1061           1061
Bald Eagle                   0            113            113
Northern Harrier            10            210            210
Sharp-shinned Hawk         113           1659           1659
Cooper's Hawk                9            335            335
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk            6            152            152
Red-tailed Hawk              0             23             23
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            24           1905           1905
Merlin                       5            420            420
Peregrine Falcon            20            144            144
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     226           6037           6037
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.17 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Warm and humid; light, variable winds throughout. Varying amounts of cloud
cover, usually >50%.

Raptor Observations:
A small trickle of various species throughout the day.

Non-raptor Observations:
Purple Martin (1), Blue Jay (483), Double-crested Cormorant (600+),
Parasitic Jaeger (2), Common Gallinule (1), Cape May Warbler (1), Common
Nighthawk (1)

Predictions:
Warm with a light south wind.

Morning Flight - 27 September 2012

The conditions this morning did not seem conducive to an interesting morning: warm, humid, overcast, and on the heels of a terrible flight yesterday (even the dawn mosquitoes had returned).  But light winds began from the West/Southwest and then swiveled around to the Northeast/East before becoming calm.  Somewhere along the way, the birds saw something they liked and the second hour after sunrise (253; 95 warblers) proved more productive than the first (95; 76 warblers), a rare anomaly at Morning Flight; this was also true on 9/23, when Blackpoll Warblers flew almost unilaterally.  Like 9/23, today's warbler flight was dominated by Blackpoll Warblers (135), with flocks of Blackpolls going over, some very high.

Red-breasted Nuthatches (164) staged yet another impressive passage, with one pod after another taking flight during the second hour (109).  Although most of the birds were low, some passing flocks were already specks high overhead, including one such group of eleven sky-high birds.  With five more weeks remaining, the season total has now burgeoned to 1390 Red-breasted Nuthatches (!), the highest season total during the Morning Flight's ten-year duration (the second-highest mark was 1296 in 2010).  This is the fourth time that Red-breasted Nuthatches have flown in triple-digits this year: 374 (8/29), 236 (9/24), 164 (9/27), and 157 (9/11).

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 4
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 164
American Robin - 26
Cedar Waxwing - 13
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 6
Yellow Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 6
Blackpoll Warbler - 135
"Baypoll" Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 2
American Redstart - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 4
warbler sp. - 32
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 2
Indigo Bunting - 2
Bobolink - 16
Baltimore Oriole - 4

Total = 432

Blue Jays have at last arrived in Cape May too.  Although I was outstripped by Tom Reed at the hawk watch, today's 75 northbound birds at Morning Flight is far-and-away the season high count.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 26 September 2012

[Twenty-one Peregrines were tallied at Cape May Point today, including the 
one pictured above. This species frequently migrates along the leading edge of 
weather systems, and that held true again on this day. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      59           1022           1022
Bald Eagle                   0            113            113
Northern Harrier             1            200            200
Sharp-shinned Hawk          53           1546           1546
Cooper's Hawk                7            326            326
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk            1            146            146
Red-tailed Hawk              0             23             23
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             3           1881           1881
Merlin                       2            415            415
Peregrine Falcon            21            124            124
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     147           5811           5811
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.17 hours

Official Counter: Tom Reed

Observers:

Weather: Mostly sunny, warm and breezy. Winds from the S-SW throughout, highest early and late. 

Raptor Observations: A few Osprey and Peregrines moving along the leading edge of the approaching front.

CORRECTION: The Northern Goshawk included in yesterday's report was a typo, and has been removed from the season total.

Non-raptor Observations: Parasitic Jaeger (2), Blue Grosbeak (1), Northern Pintail (9), Red-breasted Nuthatch (1), Northern Gannet (2)

Predictions: Forecast confidence seems low, but latest update calls for winds out of the W at 5-10mph.
[Peregrine and the Cape May Lighthouse. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Morning Flight - 26 September 2012

The run of interesting mornings of passerines and near-passerines has temporarily come to a close, but this seems to be the nature of Morning Flight.  Songbird flights definitely appear to come in spurts, often interspersed by days of very slow redetermined migration (and I use the term "migration" lightly with respect to today's flight). 

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 3
American Robin - 8
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 1
warbler sp. - 3
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1

Total = 22

With so few songbirds to look at, Morning Flight morphed into a seawatch today (or, I suppose, more accurately, a baywatch...but I digress).  Most birds were southbound - into the wind - and included the highest tally of Northern Gannets (16) thus far, a male Black Scoter, 2 adult light-morph Parasitic Jaegers, and a jaeger sp.  The day also featured 13 southbound Chimney Swifts, the highest number I've seen for some time here.    

Cape May Hawk Watch - 25 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      42            963            963
Bald Eagle                   6            113            113
Northern Harrier             2            199            199
Sharp-shinned Hawk          60           1493           1493
Cooper's Hawk               21            319            319
Northern Goshawk             1              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk            2            145            145
Red-tailed Hawk              1             23             23
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            32           1878           1878
Merlin                      12            413            413
Peregrine Falcon             9            103            103
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
Swainson's Hawk              1              1              1

Total:                     189           5665           5665
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10 hours

Official Counter:        Pete Dunne

Morning Flight - 25 September 2012

Southwest winds this morning were stronger than I had anticipated and shut down any sort of "echo flight" from yesterday's gangbuster's exodus.  I did manage 149 warblers of 9 species.  The highlights for the day were the fall's first two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at Morning Flight and the second consecutive day with a Blue-headed Vireo. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2
Northern Flicker - 78
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2
Eastern Phoebe -  1
Red-eyed Vireo - 22
Blue-headed Vireo - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
American Robin - 2
Cedar Waxwing - 1
Northern Parula - 37
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 17
Blackpoll Warbler - 5
"Baypoll" Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 14
American Redstart - 17
Northern Waterthrush - 3
warbler sp. - 52
Scarlet Tanager - 1
Savannah Sparrow - 2
Indigo Bunting - 2
Baltimore Oriole - 5

Total = 281

Lastly, a single Brown Pelican and a handful of offshore Northern Gannets (now including adults) were pleasant distractions for the onlookers that had gathered this morning.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 24 September 2012

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 24, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      20            921            921
Bald Eagle                  11            107            107
Northern Harrier             8            197            197
Sharp-shinned Hawk         351           1433           1433
Cooper's Hawk               78            298            298
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk           51            143            143
Red-tailed Hawk              2             22             22
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            26           1846           1846
Merlin                      20            401            401
Peregrine Falcon             2             94             94
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:                     569           5476           5476
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Vince Elia

Observers:        

Weather:
Sunny and seasonable, with little cloud cover. Light N/NW winds throughout.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
Warmer, with SW winds.

Morning Flight - 24 September 2012

Today's flight was, simply, outstanding!  In what turned out to be the best morning flight so far this fall, Northern Flickers stole the spotlight.  Cape May was quite literally inundated with flickers overnight; after only 62 cumulative flickers this month, 744 (!) were seen in northbound flight today.  They weren't the only woodpecker flying today either.  Red-bellied Woodpeckers (12) staged an impressive movement, especially if you consider that the season average at Morning Flight is only 42.  It was also a great flight for Red-eyed Vireos (62), Red-breasted Nuthatches (236), and Scarlet Tanagers (25).   

The flight had a noticeable infusion of later-fall migrants, and included the first Blue-headed Vireo (1), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), American Pipits (3), and Dark-eyed Junco (1).  White-breasted Nuthatches are quite uncommon on Cape Island (south of the Cape May Canal), and average only 9/year for Morning Flight.  In fact, in 3/9 years (33%), no White-breasted Nuthatches were registered.  This species also stages mini-irruptions, just on a much smaller scale than their diminutive cousins; fifty-two were recorded in 2010.          

For those who wonder about the feasibility (or believability) of in-flight warbler identification, you can be comforted by today's count: 77% of the warbler flight was left unidentified.  With early-morning winds from the Northeast, the majority of warblers flew in "spuh"-ville (warbler sp.) - that unfortunate region between us and the sun.  And many of these were only distant, little silhouette specks, at that.  Nevertheless, 2280 individuals of 21 species were tallied.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 12
Northern Flicker - 744
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3
Eastern Phoebe -  6
Eastern Kingbird - 2
Red-eyed Vireo - 62
Blue-headed Vireo - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 236
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2
American Robin - 24
American Pipit - 3
Cedar Waxwing - 1152
Tennessee Warbler - 6
Nashville Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 152
Yellow Warbler - 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 9
Magnolia Warbler - 10
Cape May Warbler - 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 37
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 11
Black-throated Green Warbler - 9
Blackburnian Warbler - 2
Pine Warbler - 3
Palm Warbler - 110
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 40
"Baypoll" Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 56
American Redstart - 51
Ovenbird - 3
Northern Waterthrush - 15
Connecticut Warbler - 3
Wilson's Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 1753
Scarlet Tanager - 25
Savannah Sparrow - 6
Dark-eyed Junco - 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 4
Indigo Bunting - 17
Baltimore Oriole - 3
Purple Finch - 5

Total = 4591


Northern Flicker - the star of today's flight (Photo by Tom Reed)

Magnolia Warbler (Photo by Tom Reed)

Ovenbird (Photo by Tom Reed)

For comparison (and, really, what else would you do on a Cape May day), I spent the remainder of the later-morning, afternoon, and evening trekking around Cape May Point and the state park.  The warbler-ing was fantastic.   In all, I totaled another 225 individuals of 20 species (trading Cape May, Connecticut, and Wilson's Warbler for Prairie Warbler and Common Yellowthroat).  The most notable difference was the abundance of yellowthroats (59) on-the-ground.  This species is recorded in negligible numbers at Morning Flight, where they almost never engage in overhead, sustained flight.

Today was my best day so far this fall for both Magnolia (25) and Black-throated Green Warbler (21), which was represented by both counts.  There was an obvious increase in Pine Warblers around the point (9), which was not as apparent this morning at Higbee (3).  I was, however, surprised by the relative few Palm Warblers (16) post-Morning Flight.  Yellow Warblers (4) were scarce all-around today, but it was a good late-season flight for Black-and-white Warbler (78) and American Redstart (70), as evidenced by both counts in-the-air and on-the-ground.  

Tennessee Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 30
Yellow Warbler - 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 15
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 12
Black-throated Green Warbler - 12
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 9
Prairie Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 16
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 9
Black-and-white Warbler - 22
American Redstart - 19
Ovenbird - 3
Northern Waterthrush - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 59

Total = 225


Black-throated Green Warbler (Photo by Cameron Rutt)

Common Yellowthroat - Like this bird, numerous yellowthroats could be
 "pished" out of Cape May Point gardens (Photo by Cameron Rutt)
Other birds around the point today included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1), Philadelphia Vireo (1), Gray-cheeked Thrush (2), Wood Thrush (1), and White-throated Sparrow (1).  

Cape May Hawk Watch - 23 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 23, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               4             11             11
Osprey                      71            901            901
Bald Eagle                   6             96             96
Northern Harrier            12            189            189
Sharp-shinned Hawk         259           1082           1082
Cooper's Hawk               23            220            220
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              3              3
Broad-winged Hawk            8             92             92
Red-tailed Hawk              1             20             20
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           359           1820           1820
Merlin                      74            381            381
Peregrine Falcon             9             92             92
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:                     827           4907           4907
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 17:15:00 
Total observation time: 11.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Sunny; cooler and crisp. Winds out of the NW and N during the morning; NW
and W during the afternoon. 5-15mph throughout.

Raptor Observations:
The AM hours were remarkably quiet, but the flight strengthened through the
afternoon, with a good push of AMKE well into the evening.

Non-raptor Observations:
Red-headed Woodpecker (1), Parasitic Jaeger (3), Cape May Warbler (1),
Northern Gannet (2), Brown Pelican (3), Wood Duck (3)

Predictions:
Hopefully another good flight on NW/W winds.

Morning Flight - 23 September 2012

Today's flight was very one-dimensional.  Despite strong NW winds for the morning, there was a modest warbler flight at Higbee, almost solely comprised of Blackpoll Warblers.  Of the 235 identified warblers for the morning, 204 (87%) were Blackpolls; only 116 Blackpoll Warblers had been tallied previously for the fall.  In all, 316 warblers of 8 species were detected this morning.  It seemed that the combination of the midnight cold front passage and strong headwinds weeded out the weaker fliers.  Today's six Purple Finches were also the season's high count.

Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 152
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 8
Cape May Warbler - 9
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Blackburnian Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 9
Blackpoll Warbler - 204
"Baypoll" Warbler - 12
American Redstart - 1
warbler sp. - 69
Scarlet Tanager - 1
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Indigo Bunting - 4
Bobolink - 17
Purple Finch - 6

Total = 516

Cape May Warbler
Cape May Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)
Blackpoll Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)

Morning Flight - 22 September 2012


It was hard to believe, but things slowed down to a virtual standstill today.  The only reason that things stayed lively at Morning Flight was thanks to a riotous group of birders that apparently failed to notice the lack of birds.  

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 2
American Robin - 3
Northern Parula - 1
Palm Warbler - 2
"Baypoll" Warbler - 2
American Redstart - 2
Northern Waterthrush - 1
warbler sp. - 2
Savannah Sparrow - 1

Total = 17

The highlight of the day was a trio of jaegers that passed in quick southbound succession along the Delaware Bay.  The lead bird appeared to be an adult Parasitic Jaeger; although the other two (another light adult and one intermediate/dark bird) were probably Parasitic Jaegers, insufficient views were had to satisfactorily identify them to species.

Morning Flight - 21 September 2012


Today's flight was a noticeable decrease from yesterday, but did feature an even dozen Red-breasted Nuthatches, which took the prize as the day's most common bird.

Red-eyed Vireo - 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 12
Northern Parula - 4
Yellow Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 3
Blackpoll Warbler - 2
Black-and-white Warbler - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 2
warbler sp. - 15
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 2
Baltimore Oriole - 4

Total = 51

Cape May Hawk Watch - 22 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              7              7
Osprey                      17            830            830
Bald Eagle                   0             90             90
Northern Harrier             0            177            177
Sharp-shinned Hawk           5            823            823
Cooper's Hawk                0            197            197
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            0             84             84
Red-tailed Hawk              0             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             1           1461           1461
Merlin                       6            307            307
Peregrine Falcon             8             83             83
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:                      37           4080           4080
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Warm and sunny. Winds from the S throughout; 15-20mph.

Raptor Observations:
As advertised, only a few birds moving into today's strong southerly winds.
A few Peregrines this afternoon, ahead of the cold front.

Non-raptor Observations:
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1), Parasitic Jaeger (2), Magnolia Warbler (1),
American Pipit (1)

Predictions:
A cold front will pass through during the overnight hours, with NW winds in
the offing for tomorrow. Should make for a good day.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 21 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              7              7
Osprey                      29            813            813
Bald Eagle                   2             90             90
Northern Harrier             4            177            177
Sharp-shinned Hawk          26            818            818
Cooper's Hawk                5            197            197
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            0             84             84
Red-tailed Hawk              0             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             7           1460           1460
Merlin                      20            301            301
Peregrine Falcon             6             75             75
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:                      99           4043           4043
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Another seasonable day with variable clouds throughout. A light breeze out
of the N to start, shifting to NE and increasing by mid-morning before
finally swinging around to E/SE for the majority of the afternoon.  

Raptor Observations:
A sparse, high flight, particularly during the afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:
Hairy Woodpecker (1), Common Gallinule (1), Tennessee Warbler (1),
Red-breasted Nuthatch (~10), Northern Gannet (1), Double-crested Cormorant
(300+), Stilt Sandpiper (1), Pectoral Sandpiper (12+), Lesser Yellowlegs
(30+)

Predictions:
Warm with plenty of sunshine and a moderate southerly breeze. Cold front on
tap for tomorrow night.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 20 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              7              7
Osprey                      81            784            784
Bald Eagle                   2             88             88
Northern Harrier             5            173            173
Sharp-shinned Hawk          93            792            792
Cooper's Hawk               14            192            192
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            4             84             84
Red-tailed Hawk              0             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            36           1453           1453
Merlin                      34            281            281
Peregrine Falcon            25             69             69
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:                     294           3944           3944
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Seasonable with variable cloudiness throughout. Light N wind to start,
shifting to NE and E by the late AM; SE to S during the PM. Varying ceiling
heights throughout the day, with generally more coverage while winds were
stronger from the E/NE.


Raptor Observations:
Multiple flight lines/heights throughout the day. PM movement punctuated by
high, steady trickle of Osprey and Peregrines.

Non-raptor Observations:
A respectable morning flight included Red-bellied Woodpecker (4+), Cape May
Warbler (2), Magnolia Warbler (1), Purple Finch (4), Red-breasted Nuthatch
(~20), Bobolink (125+), and small numbers of other expected species.

Also- Common Nighthawk (4), Double-crested Cormorant (400+), Glossy Ibis
(~12), Bank Swallow (2), Purple Martin (6)

Predictions:
Warmer; SE winds

Morning Flight - 20 September 2012

Today's flight was very reminiscent of warbler flights from earlier this week (9/16 and 9/17), with 398 individuals of 17 species.  And once again, Northern Parulas (103) hovered around the century-mark.  There was a noticeable uptick in Palm Warbler (75) numbers while Northern Waterthrushes (4) were down-right scarce today.  Red-breasted Nuthatches (85) staged another good flight and sparrows/buntings were also more evident, with the best flight of Indigo Buntings (26) thus far.  Not a single Eastern Kingbird was seen today - perhaps the first miss this year for that species on a flight day.  Likewise, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (3) and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (3) numbers are rapidly diminishing.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
Red-headed Woodpecker - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 5
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Philadelphia Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 24
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 85
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3
American Robin - 8
Cedar Waxwing - 23
Tennessee Warbler - 4
Northern Parula - 103
Yellow Warbler - 5
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 3
Cape May Warbler - 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 2
Black-throated Green Warbler - 3
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 75
Blackpoll Warbler - 6
"Baypoll" Warbler - 4
Black-and-white Warbler - 16
American Redstart - 47
Northern Waterthrush - 4
Connecticut Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 96
Scarlet Tanager - 2
Savannah Sparrow - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 4
Blue Grosbeak - 3
Indigo Bunting - 26
Bobolink - 2
Purple Finch - 1

Total = 598

Northern Parula
Northern Parula (Photo by Sam Galick)
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)

Cape May Hawk Watch - 19 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 19, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               6              7              7
Osprey                     107            703            703
Bald Eagle                  10             86             86
Northern Harrier            22            168            168
Sharp-shinned Hawk         108            699            699
Cooper's Hawk               30            178            178
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            5             80             80
Red-tailed Hawk              0             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           102           1417           1417
Merlin                      46            247            247
Peregrine Falcon             5             44             44
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:                     441           3650           3650
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 17:00:00 
Total observation time: 11.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Seasonable, with decreasing clouds throughout the day. Winds from the N/NW
throughout @ 5-15mph. 

Raptor Observations:
Very little movement until heavier cloud cover broke around midday. PM
flight was rather short-lived.

Non-raptor Observations:
Parasitic Jaeger (2), Common Nighthawk (24), Great Blue Heron (84),
Gull-billed Tern (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), Red-breasted Nuthatch (2),
Solitary Sandpiper (4), Pectoral Sandpiper (13), Eurasian Collared-Dove (1)


Predictions:
Mostly sunny, NE winds 10-15mph.

Morning Flight - 19 September 2012

There's not too much to say about today.  In what seems to be a recurring trend for September 2012, a front passed last night, but again did not clear the region in time for songbird movement to proceed.  So despite winds blowing from the North this morning, nothing was moving.   

Northern Flicker - 1
American Robin - 1
Yellow Warbler - 2
Northern Waterthrush - 3
warbler sp. - 1
Bobolink - 5

Total = 13

Cape May Hawk Watch - 18 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 18, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              1              1
Osprey                      22            596            596
Bald Eagle                   0             76             76
Northern Harrier             0            146            146
Sharp-shinned Hawk           6            591            591
Cooper's Hawk                1            148            148
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            0             75             75
Red-tailed Hawk              0             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             1           1315           1315
Merlin                       1            201            201
Peregrine Falcon             4             39             39
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:                      35           3209           3209
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 15:00:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Pete Dunne

Observers:        

Weather:
Warm, humid; mostly cloudy->overcast; some showers during PM. Strong S
winds @ 15-25mph, with gusts 40+mph.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
Perhaps some clouds and showers early on, then clearing for the PM. Winds
out of the N at 15-20mph. 

Cape May Hawk Watch - 17 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 17, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              1              1
Osprey                      15            574            574
Bald Eagle                   2             76             76
Northern Harrier             9            146            146
Sharp-shinned Hawk          33            585            585
Cooper's Hawk                6            147            147
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            2             75             75
Red-tailed Hawk              2             19             19
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            21           1314           1314
Merlin                       3            200            200
Peregrine Falcon             1             35             35
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:                      94           3174           3174
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Magarian

Observers:        

Weather:
The morning was cool and calm.  Then light breeze out of the SE started mid
morning and shifted to the SW late in the day and picked up.  The sky
conditions were partly sunny to mostly cloudy all day and the visibility
was excellent.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
Rain and wind

Morning Flight - 18 September 2012

Moderately strong south winds stifled songbird activity this morning.  In fact, for those birds that "moved" north, it appeared to be less of a purposeful decision on their part; they were essentially wind-blown north.  Northern Waterthrush - one of the strongest-flying warblers - was today's winner.  Perhaps they should be re-named "Southern" Waterthrush, due to their propensity to fly in off-winds (like today's strong, south winds).  Just a thought... 

Northern Flicker - 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Northern Parula - 1
Yellow Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 6
warbler sp. - 4

The highlight of the day was a large, adult Peregrine Falcon that appeared to be carting an adult Laughing Gull!

Morning Flight - 17 September 2012

Today's flight was remarkably similar to yesterday's in terms of warbler diversity (21 species) and breakdown (nearly identical numbers of parulas, Black-and-white Warblers, and redstarts), but consisted almost wholly of warblers (415/498; 83.5%), with little else flying.  Amazingly, there were no northbound Cedar Waxwings nor Bobolinks.  The highlight of the flight, aside from a single Red-headed Woodpecker, were even more Tennessee Warblers (23) than yesterday (12).  The four Red-headed Woodpeckers already this year ties the average for this species at Morning Flight.   

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Red-headed Woodpecker - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Northern Flicker - 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 3
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 22
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 19
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
Swainson's Thrush - 1
American Robin - 5
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 23
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 98
Yellow Warbler - 9
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 5
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 4
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 26
Bay-breasted Warbler - 2
Blackpoll Warbler - 12
"Baypoll" Warbler - 4
Black-and-white Warbler - 26
American Redstart - 63
Ovenbird - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 28
Connecticut Warbler - 1
Canada Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 105
Scarlet Tanager - 5
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 12
Purple Finch - 1

Total = 498

Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush (Photo by Sam Galick)
Northern Waterthrush & Blackpoll Warbler
Northern Waterthrush (left) and Blackpoll Warbler (right; photo by Sam Galick)
Connecticut Warbler
Connecticut Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)

Morning Flight - 16 September 2012

After four days of negligible movement, today's flight was welcome relief.  The flight showcased a good diversity of warblers (18 species of 479 individuals) and American Redstarts (61) were outdone by Northern Parulas (107), the first time that redstarts haven't been the most numerous warbler in a sizable flight.  Two Connecticut Warblers, including another close flyby, highlighted the warbler flight, but today also featured a season-high for Tennessee Warblers (12).  It is hard to fathom prior fall maxima for Tennessee Warbler at Higbee Beach: 250 (11 September 1988) and 120 (29 August 1982; The Birds of Cape May (Sibley 1997)); seasonal high counts for this species in the past decade have only crested 100 twice.

The day also featured the first Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Chipping Sparrow for the fall as well as a nice flight of Indigo Buntings (17).  However, the species highlight for the day was not one, but three, Summer Tanagers (season total = 4).  In fact, Summer Tanagers outnumbered Scarlet Tanagers - a true oddity.       

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 32
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 4
Red-eyed Vireo - 30
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 41
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4
American Robin - 23
Northern Mockingbird - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 526
Tennessee Warbler - 12
Nashville Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 107
Yellow Warbler - 17
Magnolia Warbler - 5
Cape May Warbler - 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 19
Black-throated Green Warbler - 2
Blackburnian Warbler - 2
Pine Warbler -3
Palm Warbler - 42
Bay-breasted Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 10
"Baypoll" Warbler - 2
Black-and-white Warbler - 24
American Redstart - 61
Worm-eating Warbler - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 20
Connecticut Warbler - 2
warbler sp. - 142
Scarlet Tanager - 2
Summer Tanager  - 3
Chipping Sparrow - 1
Indigo Bunting - 17
Dickcissel - 1
Bobolink - 135
Baltimore Oriole - 1

Total =1306

Adult male (with black auriculars) Black-and-white Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)

Pine Warbler (Photo by Sam Galick)

Summer Tanager (1 of 3 today; photo by Sam Galick)


Ramsay Koury and I scoured Cape May Point looking for songbirds during the remainder of the day and were not disappointed.  We added four additional species post-Morning Flight (Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat) and managed 15 species (~170 individuals) between Cape May Point State Park and the vicinity of Lily Lake.  No Yellow-rumped Warblers or Ovenbirds could be found and Chestnut-sided Warbler (total = 1) and Black-throated Green Warbler (total = 2) were particularly scarce.  Surprisingly, we only found a single Blackpoll Warbler.  On-the-ground, the warblers were dominated (in decreasing abundance) by American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Palm Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 16 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Cape May Hawk Watch - 15 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 15, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              1              1
Osprey                      14            488            488
Bald Eagle                   1             71             71
Northern Harrier             8            121            121
Sharp-shinned Hawk         108            410            410
Cooper's Hawk               13            120            120
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            3             55             55
Red-tailed Hawk              0             14             14
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           347           1164           1164
Merlin                      47            175            175
Peregrine Falcon             0             26             26
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:                     541           2647           2647
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 17:00:00 
Total observation time: 11.17 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        Vince Elia

Visitors:
600+


Weather:
Mostly sunny and seasonable. Winds out of the N in the AM, becoming NW/WNW
in the PM; 10-20mph throughout. 

Raptor Observations:
A light AM flight picked up in the PM, with a decent push of Kestrels into
the early evening.

Non-raptor Observations:
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (1), American Golden-Plover (1), American Bittern
(1), Common Nighthawk (2), Cape May Warbler (3), Magnolia Warbler (1),
Gull-billed Tern (1)

Predictions:
Conflicting forecasts now suggest variable winds for the AM, becoming W or
SW later in the day.

Morning Flight - 15 September 2012

The mild cold front that passed overnight didn't quite clear the region in time for a good nocturnal songbird flight.  And as such, the morning flight of birds today was minimal.  But we did eclipse yesterday's numbers, which was my personal goal for the day.  Continued promising winds tonight should bring a more substantial passage of birds tomorrow. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Northern Flicker - 4
Eastern Kingbird - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 9
American Robin - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 3
Northern Parula - 5
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 3
Blackpoll Warbler - 9
"Baypoll" Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 6
warbler sp. - 13

Total = 59

Morning Flight - 14 September 2012

Vince Elia spared me from a morning that made the past two days appear action-packed.  Almost nothing embarked on a northbound flight today.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - 4
Northern Waterthrush - 1

Total = 5

Cape May Hawk Watch - 14 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               1              1              1
Osprey                       5            474            474
Bald Eagle                   2             70             70
Northern Harrier             3            113            113
Sharp-shinned Hawk          17            302            302
Cooper's Hawk                5            107            107
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            0             52             52
Red-tailed Hawk              0             14             14
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             6            817            817
Merlin                       3            128            128
Peregrine Falcon             2             26             26
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:                      44           2106           2106
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.33 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Warm and mostly sunny throughout, with more clouds during the mid AM hours
and then again in the late PM ahead of the approaching front. A light W
breeze shifted to the S and then SE by mid PM.

Raptor Observations:
Another quiet day, with just a bit of (extremely high) movement during the
late AM.

Non-raptor Observations:
Fewer Monarchs today; 30+ Cloudless Sulphurs.

Connecticut Warbler (1), Magnolia Warbler (2), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1),
Cape May Warbler (1), Whimbrel (1), Stilt Sandpiper (3), Pectoral Sandpiper
(5), Gull-billed Tern (1), Brown Pelican (10).

Predictions:
A weak cold front is expected to move through overnight. Tomorrow's
forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and winds out of the N at 15-20mph.
Should make for a decent day.
========================================================================

Cape May Hawk Watch - 13 September 2012


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       2            459            459
Bald Eagle                   1             68             68
Northern Harrier             3            109            109
Sharp-shinned Hawk           4            289            289
Cooper's Hawk                4             99             99
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            0             51             51
Red-tailed Hawk              0             14             14
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             5            804            804
Merlin                       4            123            123
Peregrine Falcon             0             26             26
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:                      23           2042           2042
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Warm, sunny. Calm conditions during the morning, with a steady SE breeze
developing by noon. 

Raptor Observations:
Almost all movement restricted to the middle of the day. A kettle of 6 Bald
Eagles around 10:45am included at least 4 non-residents, though only one
bird apparently crossed to DE.

Non-raptor Observations:
Another decent movement of Monarchs (1400+) this morning.

A light songbird flight was highlighted by Tennessee Warbler (1), Cape May
Warbler (1), and Red-breasted Nuthatch (8+).

Predictions:
Sunny and warm, with a light wind of the south. A weak cold front is
expected to move through tomorrow night.