Hawk Watch Thursday November 26, 2009

Thanks to Scott Whittle for letting me use his camera to capture this photo of the slightly cooperative (but not so much) Virginia Rail. Now that's what I call teamwork!

The weather was a continuation of the dreary conditions that have been predominant for the past week plus, but other than the almost non-existent raptor flight there were some interesting birds around. 19 Tundra Swans and 6 Snow Geese flew over (in separate flocks of course), and on the water there was a steady trickle of Red-throated Loons all day, a flyby Wood Duck, and a flock of 11 Common Eider flew by in addition the 17 sitting in the water just off the State Park beach. The Virginia Rail pictured above skulked around in front of the platform for a while but rewarded a few of us with satisfying close views after some patience. An American Bittern was also in the marsh in the same general vicinity. Bob Fogg spotted a flock of about 20 Snow Buntings flying down the beach towards the Meadows and called the platform just in time for us to see them before the dropped below the dunes.

Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 11/26/09
Notes: Light East Winds, Overcast, Intermittent light drizzle.
Number of species: 62

Snow Goose 6
Brant 21
Canada Goose 400
Mute Swan 15
Tundra Swan 19
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Green-winged Teal 75
Ring-necked Duck 6
Common Eider 28
Surf Scoter 25
Black Scoter 20
Red-throated Loon 145
Common Loon 2
Northern Gannet 10
Double-crested Cormorant 12
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 12
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Virginia Rail 1 Seen in the marsh right in front of the platform.
American Coot 20
Laughing Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 7
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 20
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow 12
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 500
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 1000
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 28
Yellow-rumped Warbler 40
Song Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Snow Bunting 20
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Baltimore Oriole 1 Perched in tree-line with Robins.
House Finch X
American Goldfinch 150
House Sparrow X