Sea Watch Count - 12/22/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Snow Goose - 103

Brant - 23

Canada Goose - 672

Tundra Swan - 16

American Black Duck - 38

Mallard - 13

Green-winged Teal - 89

Greater Scaup - 40

Lesser Scaup - 14

Bufflehead - 21

Red-breasted Merganser - 7

Total - 1,036

Notes: This was the last day of the season for the Avalon Sea Watch. The low temps and high wind seemed to be a swift kick to the undertail coverts for many waterfowl, resulting in a nice showing of ducks, geese, and swans with most flocks relatively low (by high flock 'o geese standards).

Thank you to everyone who made this season possible: everyone at the Cape May Bird Observatory and all the sea hardy visitors!

Sea Watch Count - 12/21/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Snow Goose - 17

Canada Goose - 132

Tundra Swan - 12

Razorbill - 8

Total - 169

Sea Watch Count - 12/20/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Snow Goose - 40

Brant - 225

Canada Goose - 139

American Black Duck - 4

Bufflehead - 2

Red-breasted Merganser - 9

American Oystercatcher - 39

Total - 458

Sea Watch Count - 12/19/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Canada Goose - 6

Surf Scoter - 11

Black Scoter - 58

Red-breasted Merganser - 5

Red-throated Loon - 7

Total - 87

Notes: Low Visibility and rain made viewing conditions poor. Two Sanderlings feeding in the parking lot all afternoon was a plus.

Sea Watch Count - 12/18/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 21

Greater Scaup - 1

Lesser Scaup - 1

Surf Scoter - 1203

White-winged Scoter - 10

Black Scoter - 3554

Long-tailed Duck - 15

Common Goldeneye - 1

Red-throated Loon - 65

Double-crested Cormorant - 5

Total - 4876

Sea Watch Count - 12/17/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 75
Gadwall - 3
American Black Duck - 6
Surf Scoter - 588
White-winged Scoter - 2

Black Scoter - 592
dark-winged scoter - 70

Long-tailed Duck - 17

Red-breasted Merganser - 3

Red-throated Loon - 64

Common Loon - 1
Northern Gannet - 1,026
Bonaparte's Gull - 39
Ring-billed Gull - 2

Dovekie - 1

Total: 2,489

Notes: Today was my final day conducting the seawatch as I'm heading back to the midwest for a prior obligation. I want to thank everyone who came up and kept me company, kept me well supplied with warm drinks and snacks, and helped me out on the major flight days. Many helped, but I want to especially thank Jon Kauffman, who did a terrific job not only being the interpretive naturalist and interacting with visitors, but also in spotting and counting birds when it got busy. Special thanks also go out to Gail Dwyer and Shaun Bamford for their constant company even on the "slow days", and also to Tony Leukering, Cameron Cox, Glenn Davis, Michael O'Brien, Sam Galick, and Clay Sutton for their assistance on the mega days and for their willingness to drop what they were doing to come help me out. It's been an incredible season and I'm extremely honored to have been a part of a truly spectacular migration phenomenon.
-Sean Fitzgerald

Sea Watch Count - 12/16/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Surf Scoter - 374
White-winged Scoter - 7

Black Scoter - 499

Long-tailed Duck - 5

Red-breasted Merganser - 20

Red-throated Loon - 248

Common Loon - 4
Northern Gannet - 64
Bonaparte's Gull - 32
Ring-billed Gull - 11

Total: 1,264

Sea Watch Count - 12/15/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Black Duck - 9
Lesser Scaup - 1
Common Eider - 1
Surf Scoter - 411
White-winged Scoter - 12

Black Scoter - 545

Long-tailed Duck - 9

Red-breasted Merganser - 25

Red-throated Loon - 180

Common Loon - 1
Horned Grebe - 1
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 124
Great Cormorant - 1
Bonaparte's Gull - 37
Razorbill - 2

Total: 1,360

Sea Watch Count - 12/14/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Canada Goose - 6
American Black Duck - 48
Green-winged Teal - 16
Greater Scaup - 14
Lesser Scaup - 2
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 1
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 1,786
White-winged Scoter - 113

Black Scoter - 4,958
dark-winged scoter - 163

Long-tailed Duck - 81
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 5

Red-breasted Merganser - 41

Red-throated Loon - 342

Common Loon - 14
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 522
Bonaparte's Gull - 18
Ring-billed Gull - 31
Herring Gull - 18
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Razorbill - 7
large alcid sp. - 4

Total: 8,197

Sea Watch Count - 12/13/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 236
Canada Goose - 1,334
Tundra Swan - 3
American Black Duck - 9
Mallard - 4
Northern Pintail - 3
dabbler sp. - 8
Greater Scaup - 4
Lesser Scaup - 10
Surf Scoter - 172
White-winged Scoter - 24

Black Scoter - 2,807
dark-winged scoter - 799

Long-tailed Duck - 147
Bufflehead - 4
Common Goldeneye - 4

Red-breasted Merganser - 62

Red-throated Loon - 747

Common Loon - 7
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 102

Double-crested Cormorant - 70
Great Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 2
Bonaparte's Gull - 8
Ring-billed Gull - 32
Herring Gull - 83
Great Black-backed Gull - 7

Total: 6,694

Sea Watch Count - 12/11/08

Observer: Dan Berard

Black Scoter - 32

Long-tailed Duck - 9

Red-breasted Merganser - 43

Red-throated Loon - 19

Total - 103

Sea Watch Count - 12/12/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 101
Brant - 20
Canada Goose - 325
American Black Duck - 17
Greater Scaup - 6
Lesser Scaup - 4
Surf Scoter - 76
White-winged Scoter - 5

Black Scoter - 330

Long-tailed Duck - 55
Bufflehead - 3
Common Goldeneye - 1

Red-breasted Merganser - 6

Red-throated Loon - 438

Common Loon - 11
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 542

Double-crested Cormorant - 157
Bonaparte's Gull - 55
Herring Gull - 37
Great Black-backed Gull - 5

Total: 2,195

Other birds of note: Continuing 1st year Iceland Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Eider (16) and King Eider (both northbound), Marbled Godwit (2 - Townsend's Inlet), and Snow Bunting (1).

Sea Watch Count - 12/10/08

Observer: Dan Berard

American Black Duck - 1

Green-winged Teal - 5

Greater Scaup - 4

Lesser Scaup - 3

Common Goldeneye - 8

Red-breasted Merganser - 39

Red-throated Loon - 57

Total - 117

Note: Heavy fog 75% of the day left visibility almost 0

Sea Watch Count - 12/9/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Canada Goose - 55
American Black Duck - 6
Mallard - 3
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 64
Greater Scaup - 31
Lesser Scaup - 19
Surf Scoter - 1,562
White-winged Scoter - 46

Black Scoter - 4,231
dark-winged scoter - 182

Long-tailed Duck - 64
Bufflehead - 17
Common Goldeneye - 3
Hooded Merganser - 23

Red-breasted Merganser - 261
Ruddy Duck - 1

Red-throated Loon - 596

Common Loon - 2
Horned Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 329

Laughing Gull - 1
Bonaparte's Gull - 94

Ring-billed Gull - 60

Iceland Gull - 1
Glaucous Gull - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1

Total: 7,656

Sea Watch Count - 12/8/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 10,174
Brant - 159
Canada Goose - 5,377
American Wigeon - 5
American Black Duck - 25
Mallard - 27
Greater Scaup - 79
Lesser Scaup - 24
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 23
White-winged Scoter - 8

Black Scoter - 1,740
dark-winged scoter - 1,161

Long-tailed Duck - 138
Bufflehead - 6
Common Goldeneye - 10
Hooded Merganser - 6

Red-breasted Merganser - 29

Red-throated Loon - 892

Common Loon - 10
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 942
Double-crested Cormorant - 125
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 3

Laughing Gull - 1
Bonaparte's Gull - 57

Ring-billed Gull - 520

Herring Gull - 344
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1

Total: 21,890

Sea Watch Count - 12/7/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 3
Canada Goose - 3
Gadwall - 1
American Wigeon - 9
Greater Scaup - 141
Lesser Scaup - 75
Surf Scoter - 211
White-winged Scoter - 21

Black Scoter - 2,242
dark-winged scoter - 349

Long-tailed Duck - 24
Bufflehead - 1

Red-breasted Merganser - 8

Red-throated Loon - 382

Common Loon - 10
Northern Gannet - 756
Double-crested Cormorant - 55

Laughing Gull - 6
Bonaparte's Gull - 27

Ring-billed Gull - 30

Herring Gull - 127
Forster's Tern - 2

Total: 4,483

Sea Watch Count - 12/6/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 35
Canada Goose - 26
Wood Duck - 5
Gadwall - 2
American Wigeon - 15
American Black Duck - 13
Mallard - 3
Green-winged Teal - 89
dabbler sp. - 41
Greater Scaup - 27
Lesser Scaup - 40
Common Eider - 7
Surf Scoter - 2,338
White-winged Scoter - 115

Black Scoter - 6,895
dark-winged scoter - 2,731

Long-tailed Duck - 66
Bufflehead - 22
Common Goldeneye - 2
Hooded Merganser - 6

Red-breasted Merganser - 46

Red-throated Loon - 1,622

Common Loon - 13
Horned Grebe - 3
Northern Gannet - 746
Double-crested Cormorant - 247
Great Cormorant - 1

Laughing Gull - 11
Bonaparte's Gull - 31

Ring-billed Gull - 48

Total: 15,246

Sea Watch Count - 12/5/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Wood Duck - 3
American Wigeon - 2
American Black Duck - 4
Mallard - 1
Northern Pintail - 1
Green-winged Teal - 6
dabbler sp. - 35
Redhead - 4
Greater Scaup - 71
Lesser Scaup - 57
Aythya sp. - 14
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 140
White-winged Scoter - 12

Black Scoter - 5,345
dark-winged scoter - 953

Long-tailed Duck - 54
Bufflehead - 19
Common Goldeneye - 6

Red-breasted Merganser - 8

Red-throated Loon - 1,318

Common Loon - 12
Horned Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 922
Double-crested Cormorant - 858
Great Cormorant - 4

Laughing Gull - 4
Bonaparte's Gull - 5

Ring-billed Gull - 107
Herring Gull - 340
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Razorbill - 1

American Oystercatcher - 131

Total: 10,441

Sea Watch Count - 12/4/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Red-breasted Merganser - 7

Red-throated Loon - 31

Double-crested Cormorant - 5

Total - 43

Sea Watch Count - 12/3/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 1

Green-winged Teal - 8

Red-breasted Merganser - 40

Red-throated Loon - 261

Double-crested Cormorant - 159
Great Cormorant - 1

Total - 470

Sea Watch Count - 12/2/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Black Duck - 7
Mallard - 1
dabbler sp. - 10
Greater Scaup - 4
Surf Scoter - 111
White-winged Scoter - 8

Black Scoter - 51
dark-winged scoter - 18

Long-tailed Duck - 21

Red-breasted Merganser - 13

Red-throated Loon - 1,083

Common Loon - 31
Horned Grebe - 5
Northern Gannet - 1,184
Double-crested Cormorant - 31
Great Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 2

Laughing Gull - 18
Bonaparte's Gull - 10

Ring-billed Gull - 57

Total - 2,667

Sea Watch Count - 12/1/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 2
Canada Goose - 55
American Black Duck - 5
Northern Pintail - 1
Greater Scaup - 3
Lesser Scaup - 6
Common Eider - 2
Surf Scoter - 212
White-winged Scoter - 18

Black Scoter - 50

Long-tailed Duck - 10
Bufflehead - 4

Red-breasted Merganser - 133

Red-throated Loon - 629

Common Loon - 18
Northern Gannet - 1,054
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Cormorant - 1

Laughing Gull - 11
Bonaparte's Gull - 74

Ring-billed Gull - 11

American Oystercatcher - 2

Total - 2,304

Other noteworthy sightings: Black Skimmer and Marbled Godwit continue at Townsend's Inlet. A King Eider (young male) was also observed flying north with Common Eider (7) early in the morning.