Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 5 2741 2741
Bald Eagle 0 176 176
Northern Harrier 0 471 471
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 5220 5220
Cooper's Hawk 0 884 884
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 453 453
Red-tailed Hawk 0 139 139
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 1 2799 2799
Merlin 7 821 821
Peregrine Falcon 34 277 277
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 47 14231 14231
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Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Very strong Southeast winds and overcast all day. Low visibility as well.
Raptor Observations:
Quite a slow day, but decent numbers of Peregrines considering the strong
South wind.
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
The forecast is calling for rain in the morning with NNW/North winds
throughout the day so there should be some birds moving especially later in
the day.
Hawk Watch Thursday September 30, 2010
Well, today was pretty much the opposite of what we hope for during fall migration: very strong Southeast winds. Considering that, today wasn't a complete bust because we ended the day with 34 Peregrines. It just goes to show that these falcons are hardcore, and they don't think twice about the weather. All they know is that it's time to migrate South!
Sea Watch Thursday September 30, 2010
A rather slow day at the seawatch, but at least it was dry. There were several flocks of Common Terns moving, and Royal Terns made a mini push in the morning. That was about all she wrote in terms of numbers, although 4 Parasitic Jaegers (only 2 moving south) and a juvenile Little Blue Heron fighting into the strong SE wind were definitely interesting.
Non-waterbirds of interest were a flyover American Golden-Plover, and a lingering adult White-rumped Sandpiper still retaining a fair amount of breeding plumage for the date.
eBird list with migrating waterbirds in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/30/10
Notes: Overcast, strong ESE/SE winds
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose 20
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 28
Common Loon 1 Northbound
Northern Gannet 18
Brown Pelican 1 Northbound
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Egret 50
Snowy Egret 20
Little Blue Heron 2 Juvenile migrating, adult in Townsend's Inlet Heron
Roost.
Tricolored Heron 1
Osprey 4
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 6
Black-bellied Plover 6
American Golden-Plover 1 Flyover directly over the parking lot
Semipalmated Plover 8
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Sanderling 40
Least Sandpiper 2
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 10
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 36
Caspian Tern 25 Non-migrants
Common Tern 93
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 110
Black Skimmer 1 Northbound
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 150
American Robin 3
European Starling X
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X
House Sparrow X
Non-waterbirds of interest were a flyover American Golden-Plover, and a lingering adult White-rumped Sandpiper still retaining a fair amount of breeding plumage for the date.
eBird list with migrating waterbirds in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/30/10
Notes: Overcast, strong ESE/SE winds
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose 20
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 28
Common Loon 1 Northbound
Northern Gannet 18
Brown Pelican 1 Northbound
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Egret 50
Snowy Egret 20
Little Blue Heron 2 Juvenile migrating, adult in Townsend's Inlet Heron
Roost.
Tricolored Heron 1
Osprey 4
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 6
Black-bellied Plover 6
American Golden-Plover 1 Flyover directly over the parking lot
Semipalmated Plover 8
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Sanderling 40
Least Sandpiper 2
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 10
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 36
Caspian Tern 25 Non-migrants
Common Tern 93
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 110
Black Skimmer 1 Northbound
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 150
American Robin 3
European Starling X
Common Grackle X
Boat-tailed Grackle X
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Wednesday September 29, 2010
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 91 2736 2736
Bald Eagle 2 176 176
Northern Harrier 35 471 471
Sharp-shinned Hawk 383 5220 5220
Cooper's Hawk 44 884 884
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 4 453 453
Red-tailed Hawk 2 139 139
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 60 2798 2798
Merlin 38 814 814
Peregrine Falcon 66 243 243
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 725 14184 14184
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Light North/Northeast throughout the day with occasional showers. Overcast
all day.
Raptor Observations:
Good spurts of migrants dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's
Hawks. Impressive numbers of Peregrines as well.
Non-raptor Observations:
Dickcissel, 6 Brown Pelicans, Cattle Egret, Common Nighthawk, Dark-eyed
Junco, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruddy Duck
Sea Watch Wednesday September 29, 2010
Well, I'll start with what will probably be the bird of the season from the Avalon Seawatch: Brown Booby! This juvenile bird flew by the seawatch going west-to-east along the bar fairly close before heading around the jetty and continuing south. I'm not aware of it being re-found, despite searches from points to the south by others (Video and poor photos were obtained).
And since the seawatch is all about migration in numbers, it would be remiss not to mention the rest of the flight, which (apart from the puzzling absence of waterfowl) was great for late September. 5,789 Double-crested Cormorants were tallied, in addition to 94 Brown Pelicans. Parasitic Jaegers (7) also put on a nice showing, including a fresh juvenile (the first juv. PAJA I've seen this year). Most of the Jaegers were pretty close, giving ample opportunities for satisfying views.
A poor photo of the star of the show (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)*A quick caveat on the identification of the Booby: It seems to be a fairly straightforward Brown to me, but not being familiar with juveniles of either Brown or Red-footed Booby, I suppose I'm not 100% able to eliminate Red-footed without at least some cursory research, which I have yet to conduct.
Also, if you're interested in fun natural spectacles other than birds, many Bottlenose Dolphins, such as these above) have been putting on a great show at Avalon. (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Complete eBird list below (with migrants in bold):
6,975 Migrant waterbirds were counted.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/29/10
Notes: Mostly overcast. NW winds shifting to NE.
Number of species: 43
Wood Duck 1
American Black Duck 1
teal sp. 7 Probably Blue-winged
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 7
Black Scoter 11 Northbound
duck sp. 3 High overhead
Common Loon 2
Brown Booby 1 Video taken (also poor photos).
Northern Gannet 56
Brown Pelican 94
Double-crested Cormorant 5789
Great Blue Heron 7
Great Egret 60 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Snowy Egret 20 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Tricolored Heron 2 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 18
Bald Eagle 1 Chasing an Osprey with a fish over Sea Isle City.
Peregrine Falcon 7
Black-bellied Plover 50
Semipalmated Plover 8
American Oystercatcher 6
Ruddy Turnstone 6
Sanderling 200
Least Sandpiper 4
Laughing Gull 452
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 37
Great Black-backed Gull 243
Caspian Tern 6
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 117
Royal Tern 136
Parasitic Jaeger 7
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 400
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Heard only
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 1 Heard only
Red-winged Blackbird X
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Sparrow 8
And since the seawatch is all about migration in numbers, it would be remiss not to mention the rest of the flight, which (apart from the puzzling absence of waterfowl) was great for late September. 5,789 Double-crested Cormorants were tallied, in addition to 94 Brown Pelicans. Parasitic Jaegers (7) also put on a nice showing, including a fresh juvenile (the first juv. PAJA I've seen this year). Most of the Jaegers were pretty close, giving ample opportunities for satisfying views.
A poor photo of the star of the show (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Also, if you're interested in fun natural spectacles other than birds, many Bottlenose Dolphins, such as these above) have been putting on a great show at Avalon. (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)Complete eBird list below (with migrants in bold):
6,975 Migrant waterbirds were counted.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/29/10
Notes: Mostly overcast. NW winds shifting to NE.
Number of species: 43
Wood Duck 1
American Black Duck 1
teal sp. 7 Probably Blue-winged
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 7
Black Scoter 11 Northbound
duck sp. 3 High overhead
Common Loon 2
Brown Booby 1 Video taken (also poor photos).
Northern Gannet 56
Brown Pelican 94
Double-crested Cormorant 5789
Great Blue Heron 7
Great Egret 60 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Snowy Egret 20 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Tricolored Heron 2 Townsend's Inlet Heron Roost
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 18
Bald Eagle 1 Chasing an Osprey with a fish over Sea Isle City.
Peregrine Falcon 7
Black-bellied Plover 50
Semipalmated Plover 8
American Oystercatcher 6
Ruddy Turnstone 6
Sanderling 200
Least Sandpiper 4
Laughing Gull 452
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 37
Great Black-backed Gull 243
Caspian Tern 6
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 117
Royal Tern 136
Parasitic Jaeger 7
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 400
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Heard only
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 1 Heard only
Red-winged Blackbird X
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Sparrow 8
Hawk Watch Wednesday September 29, 2010
It was a little touch and go today in regards to both the weather and raptors. We had scattered showers throughout the day that broke up the flow of migrating birds as well. The count was dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks again, but Cooper's Hawks and Peregrines also had respectable numbers. In fact, we had an impressive hour of 23 Peregrines with some birds flying far out over the ocean and some soaring right over the platform for all to see. It was pretty awesome, and that is just the beginning. Peregrine numbers should be peaking sometime within the next week or so.
Other highlights included the continuing Dickcissel, 6 Brown Pelicans, a Cattle Egret flying over twice, 1 Common Nighthawk, 1 Dark-eyed Junco foraging below the platform, a Spotted Sandpiper, and a Ruddy Duck on the pond.
Unfortunately, the Hawkcount website is not working at this time so I can't post the normal table of data. I did, however, post a quick summary of the birds seen today. I'll post the usual table as soon as possible.
Osprey 91
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 35
Sharp-shinned Hawk 383
Cooper's Hawk 44
Broad-winged Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 60
Merlin 8
Peregrine 66
Total: 725
Other highlights included the continuing Dickcissel, 6 Brown Pelicans, a Cattle Egret flying over twice, 1 Common Nighthawk, 1 Dark-eyed Junco foraging below the platform, a Spotted Sandpiper, and a Ruddy Duck on the pond.
Unfortunately, the Hawkcount website is not working at this time so I can't post the normal table of data. I did, however, post a quick summary of the birds seen today. I'll post the usual table as soon as possible.
Osprey 91
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 35
Sharp-shinned Hawk 383
Cooper's Hawk 44
Broad-winged Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 60
Merlin 8
Peregrine 66
Total: 725
Avalon Seawatch September 28, 2010
Another pretty slow day today at the seawatch. Fairly strong south winds all day were not conducive to migration for most birds. The only birds that were moving today in any numbers were gulls and terns. Quite a few Laughing Gulls, Common Terns, and a lot of Royal Terns were migrating.
Other highlights today included two Osprey coming in off the water with huge fish, and a Peregrine Falcon bombing around the area multiple times. A White-throated Sparrow spent the day hanging out in the pines next to the seawatch, the first I have seen this fall.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/28/10
Number of species: 26
Canada Goose 8
Surf Scoter 2
Black Scoter 11
Northern Gannet 8
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant X
Osprey X
Peregrine Falcon X
Semipalmated Plover 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 50
Least Sandpiper 2
Laughing Gull 76
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 53
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 52
Royal Tern 176
Mourning Dove 6
Tree Swallow 65
Northern Mockingbird 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
House Sparrow X
Other highlights today included two Osprey coming in off the water with huge fish, and a Peregrine Falcon bombing around the area multiple times. A White-throated Sparrow spent the day hanging out in the pines next to the seawatch, the first I have seen this fall.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/28/10
Number of species: 26
Canada Goose 8
Surf Scoter 2
Black Scoter 11
Northern Gannet 8
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant X
Osprey X
Peregrine Falcon X
Semipalmated Plover 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 50
Least Sandpiper 2
Laughing Gull 76
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 53
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 52
Royal Tern 176
Mourning Dove 6
Tree Swallow 65
Northern Mockingbird 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Tuesday September 28, 2010
There was a bit of heavy rain early and south winds, but apparently Peregrines don't care. 32 of them flew into a south wind and kept on going. Other raptors were relatively scarce. The really entertaining show in the morning were the adult Parasitic Jaegers patrolling the waters off the State Park. As Tom posted below, we had one especially exciting PAJA encounter where one came in quite close and chased a Royal Tern literally over the beach right in front of the south shelter, eventually ridding the Tern of its fish. Also on the beach were an incredible amount of Great Black-backed Gulls, which would occasionally lift off in an impressive swarm. Among these were no less than 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, including 2 juveniles. Additionally the Dickcissel at the HW platform continued this afternoon.
Hawk Totals and complete eBird list below.
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/28/10
Number of species: 66
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 10
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 20
American Wigeon X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal X
Ruddy Duck 1
Northern Gannet 2
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 6
Snowy Egret 5
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20
Cooper's Hawk 3
Merlin 6
Peregrine Falcon 32
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Sanderling 75
Least Sandpiper 2
peep sp. 1 flyby, either WESA or SESA
Short-billed Dowitcher 4
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 9 Including 2 juveniles and 3 full adults.
Great Black-backed Gull 1000
Forster's Tern 30
Royal Tern 50
Parasitic Jaeger 3 adults
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 10
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 10
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 100
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Yellow Warbler 4
Palm Warbler (Western) X
Common Yellowthroat X
Savannah Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting 2
Dickcissel 1 Continues w/ House Sparrows @ Hawkwatch
Bobolink 8
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow 60
Hawk Totals and complete eBird list below.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 7 2645 2645
Bald Eagle 1 174 174
Northern Harrier 4 436 436
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20 4837 4837
Cooper's Hawk 3 840 840
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 449 449
Red-tailed Hawk 0 137 137
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 2738 2738
Merlin 6 776 776
Peregrine Falcon 32 177 177
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 73 13459 13459
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
South winds, intermittent rain.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
5 Wilson's Snipe, 3+ adult Parasitic Jaegers, Dickcissel, 9 Lesser
Black-backed Gulls, Ruddy Duck.
Predictions:
Possibly some birds on west and northwest winds, as long as precipitation
holds off in Cape May and at points to the north.
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/28/10
Number of species: 66
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 10
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 20
American Wigeon X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal X
Ruddy Duck 1
Northern Gannet 2
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 4
Great Egret 6
Snowy Egret 5
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20
Cooper's Hawk 3
Merlin 6
Peregrine Falcon 32
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Sanderling 75
Least Sandpiper 2
peep sp. 1 flyby, either WESA or SESA
Short-billed Dowitcher 4
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 9 Including 2 juveniles and 3 full adults.
Great Black-backed Gull 1000
Forster's Tern 30
Royal Tern 50
Parasitic Jaeger 3 adults
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 10
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 10
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 100
Carolina Wren 1
House Wren 1
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Yellow Warbler 4
Palm Warbler (Western) X
Common Yellowthroat X
Savannah Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting 2
Dickcissel 1 Continues w/ House Sparrows @ Hawkwatch
Bobolink 8
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow 60
Morning Flight September 28, 2010
No migrating songbirds were counted during today's watch, likely due to the continued strong winds out of the south which shut down regional migration again last night. A few warblers were hanging out along the edge of the dike, and some flickers made short flights around the margin of the woods, but for the most part, things were very quiet for the second day in a row. Three adult light morph Parasitic Jaegers heading south over Delaware Bay were the standout highlights from the day. These were the first southbound jaegers seen from Higbee this autumn, giving a nice temporal grounding right in the axis of the changing seasons (if the Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Swamp Sparrows weren't enough of an indication). Alas, the days of Orchard Orioles and Prothonotary Warblers at Higbee have passed by for the year as we look forward to some juicy late season flights.
Here be Jaegers!
Several adult light morph Parasitic Jaegers were busting up the Laughing Gulls and Royal Terns along the south beach in Cape May today. Three were seen migrating down Delaware Bay from the Higbee Dike during an otherwise fruitless morning flight count as well.
Monarch Monitoring Project: Nearing the End of September
Monarchs: 3 Jenny: 0
Compared to last weekend’s great flight, this weekend was a little slow. And, I swear, the Monarchs that were here were very anxious little fellers. I snuck within a few feet of them and they flew off…leaving me to run around the yard and swoop with my net to try to capture just one Monarch. I looked absolutely ridiculous. When not missing butterflies with my net, you might find me in
Since it has been a slower week, it has allowed me ample time to think. And I have realized, we have one month until Halloween. Wow! It is already the end of September. And it is never too early to start preparing for Halloween! So I wanted to give you all some costume ideas. And I guess I have some secret desire to embarrass myself, also. I admit, I have been a Monarch dork for a long time. Ever since first grade I have reared the caterpillars in cages. My grandmother had an old farm with many acres of abandoned fields and we could go there for a day and my sisters and I would come back with hundreds of caterpillars. Watching hundreds of caterpillars munch through milkweed and transform to butterflies is an amazing thing. And it inspired my Halloween costume for several years. Below are some pictures of some wonderful costumes that my mother helped create (okay, let’s be honest, she did most of the work). So, you could be a bird for Halloween. Or you could be a dragonfly. But, let’s be honest here, the coolest thing you could be for Halloween is a Monarch butterfly or caterpillar.
Avalon Seawatch September 27, 2010
Quite slow today at the Avalon Seawatch, with a few bursts of excitement. The day started with fairly heavy rain showers that eventually cleared and, despite some menacing-looking clouds throughout the day, did not return. Talking to Doug this evening, there were Double-crested Cormorant lines moving down at the point. However, there were no cormorants moving up at Avalon. The most notable movement today was of Common Terns, which totaled 87 migrants. The excitement for the day was provided by a lone White-winged Scoter (first of the season), and a total of three Parasitic Jaegers. Two of the three jaegers were migrating together and chasing each other along with a Royal Tern.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/27/10
Number of species: 27
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 4
Northern Gannet 9
Brown Pelican 14
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Osprey X
Semipalmated Plover X
American Oystercatcher X
Ruddy Turnstone X
Sanderling X
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 74
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 19
Caspian Tern 17
Common Tern 87
Forster's Tern 12
Royal Tern 36
Parasitic Jaeger 3
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow X
European Starling X
House Sparrow X
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/27/10
Number of species: 27
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 4
Northern Gannet 9
Brown Pelican 14
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Osprey X
Semipalmated Plover X
American Oystercatcher X
Ruddy Turnstone X
Sanderling X
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 74
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 3
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 19
Caspian Tern 17
Common Tern 87
Forster's Tern 12
Royal Tern 36
Parasitic Jaeger 3
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow X
European Starling X
House Sparrow X
Morning Flight September 27, 2010
At Higbee, it rained for most of the morning before clearing around 11. I counted the "flight" for two hours and saw two passerines which *might* have been engaged in morning flight behavior - a Blue Grosbeak and a Northern Parula. Other warblers, including Blackpolls, Palms, and a Connecticut, were milling around the edge of the woods, but they didn't fly out. This wasn't terribly surprising given the lack of even mediocre migratory conditions last night. The path up the dike is quite slick, so be very careful if you make the ascent.
This Dickcissel was not at the Higbee Dike, but has been frequenting the House Sparrow flock in Cape May Point State Park for the last two days (Tom Johnson).
This Dickcissel was not at the Higbee Dike, but has been frequenting the House Sparrow flock in Cape May Point State Park for the last two days (Tom Johnson).
Hawk Watch Monday September 27, 2010
Well, we finally got some clouds at the Hawkwatch...unfortunately they were accompanied by rain, and lots of it. There were, however, a fair amount of raptors moving today, highlighted by 50 Peregrine Falcons. At least 2 adult Parasitic Jaegers (including one that came by very close just off shore) were joined by 2 Northern Gannets over the Ocean. In addition to 3 flyby Red Knots, the monotony of the incredibly slow afternoon was broken up by the continuing Dickcissel right in front of the platform.
Hawkcount list and eBird photos below.
Hawkcount list and eBird photos below.
(Photos copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 14 2638 2638
Bald Eagle 1 173 173
Northern Harrier 15 432 432
Sharp-shinned Hawk 101 4817 4817
Cooper's Hawk 2 837 837
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 449 449
Red-tailed Hawk 0 137 137
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 7 2738 2738
Merlin 42 770 770
Peregrine Falcon 50 145 145
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 232 13386 13386
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
Overcast, SSE Winds, Intermittent rain
Raptor Observations:
Good Peregrine Falcon movement
Non-raptor Observations:
2 adult Parasitic Jaegers, 10 Black Scoters, 5 Wilson's Snipe, 2 Lesser
Black-backed Gull, 3 flyby Red Knots, Pied-billed Grebe
Predictions:
SSE Winds and Thunderstorms: few, if any, birds.
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/27/10
Notes: SSE winds, overcast, scattered showers.
Number of species: 78
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 5
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall X
American Wigeon 20
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 4
Green-winged Teal X
Black Scoter 10
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 2
Double-crested Cormorant 700
Great Blue Heron 2
Snowy Egret 5
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 18
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 15
Sharp-shinned Hawk 101
Cooper's Hawk 3
American Kestrel 7
Merlin 42
Peregrine Falcon 50
Black-bellied Plover 27
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Red Knot 3
Sanderling 50
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Wilson's Snipe 5
Laughing Gull 200
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 600
Caspian Tern 1
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 25
Royal Tern 50
Black Skimmer X
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 15
Blue Jay X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 400
Cliff Swallow 1
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 2
Marsh Wren 1
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 7
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling X
Yellow Warbler 3
Palm Warbler (Western) 5
Common Yellowthroat 2
Savannah Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting X
Dickcissel 1
Bobolink 6
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle 1
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Sunday September 26, 2010
It started off a little chaotic on the platform yesterday morning with migrating birds coming from every plausible direction it seemed because of the very light Northeast wind. Once the wind picked up to a moderate speed, however, the birds seemed to pick a more concrete flight path and a steady stream of raptors made its way through Cape May Point. There were lots of Sharp-shinned Hawks, falcons (American Kestrels, Merlins, and Peregrines), Northern Harriers, and a few Bald Eagles as well. The rain made its appearance known in the late morning and continued throughout the day off and on.
Visitors were also treated to 2 Dickcissels foraging with the House Sparrow flock just below the platform, a flyover Common Loon, and a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo that stuck around for most of the day. There were the regular Bald Eagle vs. Osprey chases throughout the day, and even a Bald Eagle chase in the afternoon. We had a total of 3 beautiful adult Bald Eagles fly out right in front of the platform very suddenly. Apparently, 2 of the adults did not like the newcomer and proceeded to chase him off the premises.
Visitors were also treated to 2 Dickcissels foraging with the House Sparrow flock just below the platform, a flyover Common Loon, and a very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo that stuck around for most of the day. There were the regular Bald Eagle vs. Osprey chases throughout the day, and even a Bald Eagle chase in the afternoon. We had a total of 3 beautiful adult Bald Eagles fly out right in front of the platform very suddenly. Apparently, 2 of the adults did not like the newcomer and proceeded to chase him off the premises.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 132 2624 2624
Bald Eagle 10 172 172
Northern Harrier 44 417 417
Sharp-shinned Hawk 872 4716 4716
Cooper's Hawk 56 835 835
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 14 449 449
Red-tailed Hawk 2 137 137
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 188 2731 2731
Merlin 89 728 728
Peregrine Falcon 27 95 95
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 1434 13154 13154
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Northeast winds throughout the day with 100% cloud cover for the vast
majority of the day. Rain developed in the late morning and continued with
scattered showers for the remainder of the day.
Raptor Observations:
Good numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks and falcons.
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Common Loon (flyby); 2 Dickcissel foraging below the platform; 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Avalon Seawatch September 26, 2010
There was some movement of birds today at the Avalon Seawatch! A total of 1014 birds were counted. 820 Double-crested Cormorants, the highest total to date for the season, passed by today. Other highlights included a lone Gadwall, 4 Blue-winged Teal, and 5 Common Loons. Winds were out of the northeast all day today, which contributed to the flight. Rain started off-and-on in the middle of the afternoon, and picked up in earnest in the late afternoon, virtually stopping any migration.
A single Ruby-throated Hummingbird zipped past, as well as 60 American Oystercatchers. A Merlin was seen with some passerine prey out over the water at dawn.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/26/10
Number of species: 27
Gadwall 1
Blue-winged Teal 4
Green-winged Teal 13
Surf Scoter 8
Black Scoter 57
Common Loon 5
Northern Gannet 7
Double-crested Cormorant 820
Osprey X
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover X
American Oystercatcher 60
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Sanderling X
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 78
Herring Gull 7
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 5
Common Tern 5
Forster's Tern 4
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow X
American Robin 1
House Sparrow X
A single Ruby-throated Hummingbird zipped past, as well as 60 American Oystercatchers. A Merlin was seen with some passerine prey out over the water at dawn.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/26/10
Number of species: 27
Gadwall 1
Blue-winged Teal 4
Green-winged Teal 13
Surf Scoter 8
Black Scoter 57
Common Loon 5
Northern Gannet 7
Double-crested Cormorant 820
Osprey X
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover X
American Oystercatcher 60
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Sanderling X
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 78
Herring Gull 7
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 5
Common Tern 5
Forster's Tern 4
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow X
American Robin 1
House Sparrow X
Avalon Seawatch September 25, 2010
Another hot and fairly slow day today at the Avalon Seawatch. There was more migration than yesterday, with a final migrant count of 460 birds. There was also a little more diversity today, with a few dabblers migrating past the watch. Highlights included a couple flocks of Northern Pintail and a flock of 5 American Wigeon with 2 Northern Shovelers.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/25/10
Number of species: 31
American Wigeon 5
Northern Shoveler 2
Northern Pintail 43
Green-winged Teal 16
Black Scoter 4
Northern Gannet 26
Brown Pelican 10
Double-crested Cormorant 67
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover X
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Sanderling X
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 70
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 37
Caspian Tern 9
Common Tern 40
Forster's Tern 24
Royal Tern 16
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow X
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Northern Cardinal 1
House Sparrow X
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/25/10
Number of species: 31
American Wigeon 5
Northern Shoveler 2
Northern Pintail 43
Green-winged Teal 16
Black Scoter 4
Northern Gannet 26
Brown Pelican 10
Double-crested Cormorant 67
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover X
Ruddy Turnstone 2
Sanderling X
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 70
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 37
Caspian Tern 9
Common Tern 40
Forster's Tern 24
Royal Tern 16
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow X
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Northern Cardinal 1
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Saturday September 25, 2010
It wasn't too bad at the Hawk Watch platform today. We had a fairly good movement of raptors considering the South winds. We had decent numbers of Osprey,Sharp-shinned Hawks, and American Kestrels. Also, this was the best Peregrine flight of the season with 17 birds (hopefully, that will change soon with many more birds coming through). With South winds the past three days, the Northeast winds predicted for tomorrow should be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 73 2492 2492
Bald Eagle 5 162 162
Northern Harrier 8 373 373
Sharp-shinned Hawk 242 3844 3844
Cooper's Hawk 22 779 779
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 435 435
Red-tailed Hawk 0 135 135
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 117 2543 2543
Merlin 10 639 639
Peregrine Falcon 17 68 68
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 495 11720 11720
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Another day of heat and South winds.
Raptor Observations:
Fairly good movement today but most birds were farther out. Good numbers
of Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and Osprey. Best day yet for
Peregrines.
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
Northeast winds tomorrow should get some birds moving.
Avalon Seawatch September 24, 2010
Today was a rather warm and slow day for my first day at the Avalon Seawatch. Highlights included an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, nice numbers of Brown Pelicans, and spending the day at the Seawatch! The Seabird ID Workshop (Fri., Sat., and Sun., 2-3pm) was treated to the only two flocks of Double-crested Cormorants for the day, as well as the largest scoter flock.
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/24/10
Number of species: 30
Black Scoter 20
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 6
Brown Pelican 24
Double-crested Cormorant 51
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey X
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
American Oystercatcher 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling X
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull 4
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 17
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 22
Royal Tern 33
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
House Sparrow X
A list of species detected follows, with counted migrants in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/24/10
Number of species: 30
Black Scoter 20
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 6
Brown Pelican 24
Double-crested Cormorant 51
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey X
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
American Oystercatcher 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling X
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull 4
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 17
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 22
Royal Tern 33
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
House Sparrow X
Monarch Monitoring Project: Week 3
Wow. Week 3 was fantastic, including the great Monarch Migration flight last Sunday. We had 511.63 Monarchs/Hour!! Incredible. That data was greatly helped by our 1592 Monarchs/Hour observed Saturday September 18th. Things have been a lot slower since the flight on Sunday, but I am hopeful that we will soon get some NW winds that will bring us more Monarchs. Cross your fingers and do your Monarch dance! Some pictures from our epic week 3:
Photos by Michael O'Brien
Photos by Michael O'Brien
Hawk Watch Friday September 24, 2010
It was pretty quiet on the platform today. The Southeast winds aren't exactly ideal for fall migration so there weren't many birds moving. There weren't even that many birds on the pond except for some scattered ducks, egrets, herons, and gulls. A Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer, and Caspian Tern all made appearances on the pond throughout the day as well. Tomorrow looks to be similar to today with Southwest winds so I'm not expecting large numbers.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 24, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 46 46
Turkey Vulture 0 198 198
Osprey 41 2419 2419
Bald Eagle 0 157 157
Northern Harrier 3 365 365
Sharp-shinned Hawk 84 3602 3602
Cooper's Hawk 9 757 757
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 2 435 435
Red-tailed Hawk 1 135 135
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 16 2426 2426
Merlin 10 629 629
Peregrine Falcon 5 51 51
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: 171 11225 11225
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Fog and calm in the morning, then light Southeast winds for the majority of
the day. Partly cloudy.
Raptor Observations:
Slow movement today consisting mostly of Sharp-shinned Hawks and Osprey,
but also some American Kestrels, Merlins, and Peregrines.
Non-raptor Observations:
Spotted Sandpiper, Caspian Tern, Wilson's Snipe
Predictions:
Moderate Southwest winds all day tomorrow will keep most birds put so I'm
not expecting much movement tomorrow.
Morning Flight Friday September 24, 2010
Southeast Winds and fog. Enough said. In fact, the fog early on was so thick we couldn't even see Delaware Bay from the Dike. It was a very slow day, with little excitement in the way of Passerines (although singles of Blackpoll Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet did perch very cooperatively at the dike). A flyby juvenile Little Blue Heron was the species highlight of the morning.
Complete eBird list below (w/ Morning Flight species in bold):
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/24/10
Number of species: 35
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 3
Little Blue Heron 1
Osprey 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1 (Calling flyover)
Laughing Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 12
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4
Empidonax sp. 1 (Presumably Alder, but a better look would have been ideal).
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 25
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 2
Northern Parula 3
Palm Warbler 5
Blackpoll Warbler 2
American Redstart 6
Northern Waterthrush 2
warbler sp. 7
Savannah Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 3
Bobolink 27
Red-winged Blackbird 10
House Finch 7
American Goldfinch X
Complete eBird list below (w/ Morning Flight species in bold):
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/24/10
Number of species: 35
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 3
Little Blue Heron 1
Osprey 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1 (Calling flyover)
Laughing Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 12
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4
Empidonax sp. 1 (Presumably Alder, but a better look would have been ideal).
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 25
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
Carolina Wren 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 2
Northern Parula 3
Palm Warbler 5
Blackpoll Warbler 2
American Redstart 6
Northern Waterthrush 2
warbler sp. 7
Savannah Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 3
Bobolink 27
Red-winged Blackbird 10
House Finch 7
American Goldfinch X
Sea Watch Thursday September 23, 2010
The Avalon Seawatch was excellent for the early date today. Winds from the north all day long led to a diverse flight with good numbers of individuals across the board. The day started off well, as the 2nd bird of the morning was a male Common Eider winging its way south. There were solid numbersof Great Blue Herons, Black Skimmers, Double-crested Cormorants, Northern Pintail, and Green-winged Teal, and 2 Parasitic Jaegers within a 20 minute time span kept the middle of the day interesting. The flight finished off strong, with a flock of 10 Blue-winged Teal flying by in the last hour, while 92 Royal Terns were counted in the last 20 minutes of the day.
The primary seabird counter, Steve Kolbe takes up his post tomorrow and will be on for the next 5 days; if you're in town make sure you head up to Avalon and say hi.
1,922 Individuals were counted today; complete eBird list below w/Seawatch species in bold.
This Caspian Tern pleased the few people gathered at the Seawatch by repeatedly hunting at point blank range directly in front of the watch, just beyond the breakwall. Notice the extensive black on the underside of the primaries, which is a useful feature for distinguishing Caspian Terns from Royal Terns. The Avalon Seawatch is a phenomenal place to see Caspian Terns right now, and they're especially stunning in the afternoon light.
(photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/23/10
Number of species: 42
Wood Duck 1
American Black Duck 3
Blue-winged Teal 10
Northern Pintail 59
Green-winged Teal 54
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 17
Black Scoter 31
Common Loon 2
Northern Gannet 39
Brown Pelican 19
Double-crested Cormorant 795
Great Blue Heron 24
Great Egret 20
Snowy Egret 12
Osprey 4
Black-bellied Plover 3
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Sanderling 75
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 435
Herring Gull 16
Great Black-backed Gull 116
Caspian Tern 11
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 96
Royal Tern 121
Black Skimmer 20
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow 25
Barn Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler 1
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 1
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Sparrow 10
The primary seabird counter, Steve Kolbe takes up his post tomorrow and will be on for the next 5 days; if you're in town make sure you head up to Avalon and say hi.
1,922 Individuals were counted today; complete eBird list below w/Seawatch species in bold.
This Caspian Tern pleased the few people gathered at the Seawatch by repeatedly hunting at point blank range directly in front of the watch, just beyond the breakwall. Notice the extensive black on the underside of the primaries, which is a useful feature for distinguishing Caspian Terns from Royal Terns. The Avalon Seawatch is a phenomenal place to see Caspian Terns right now, and they're especially stunning in the afternoon light.(photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
One of several flocks of Black Skimmers that passed the Seawatch today. Word has it they had an exceptionally successful breeding season to the north of us, so we should be seeing many more as the fall progresses. (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/23/10
Number of species: 42
Wood Duck 1
American Black Duck 3
Blue-winged Teal 10
Northern Pintail 59
Green-winged Teal 54
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 17
Black Scoter 31
Common Loon 2
Northern Gannet 39
Brown Pelican 19
Double-crested Cormorant 795
Great Blue Heron 24
Great Egret 20
Snowy Egret 12
Osprey 4
Black-bellied Plover 3
Ruddy Turnstone 5
Sanderling 75
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 435
Herring Gull 16
Great Black-backed Gull 116
Caspian Tern 11
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 96
Royal Tern 121
Black Skimmer 20
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow 25
Barn Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
American Robin 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler 1
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 1
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Sparrow 10
Hawk Watch Thursday, September 23
A bit quiet today in terms of birds on the pond. A caspian tern spent a bit of time on Bunker Pond, and visitors got a good look at a great egret right in front of the platform catching and attempting to swallow a sunfish which seemed an impossible task. After 20+ minutes of attempting to get the fish down its throat, finally, the egret experienced success, a full belly, and likely, some throat relief.
Observation date: 9/23/10
Number of species: 43
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail X
Green-winged Teal X
Great Blue Heron X
Great Egret X
Snowy Egret X
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Bald Eagle X
Northern Harrier X
Sharp-shinned Hawk X
Cooper's Hawk X
Red-tailed Hawk X
American Kestrel X
Merlin X
Peregrine Falcon X
Killdeer X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Laughing Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern X
Black Skimmer X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher X
Northern Flicker X
Blue Jay X
Fish Crow X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Palm Warbler X
Red-winged Blackbird X
House Sparrow X
Monarch Monitoring Project: Mantis Madness
My big event for the day came in the form of a predator-prey interaction. COOLEST THING EVER. I was tagging Monarchs and went for a swoop with the net, but the Monarch didn’t move. And I didn’t capture it in my net. Huh. It was still on the bush. Not moving. How bizarre. Upon closer examination, that Monarch was behaving very oddly. The wings were held very stiffly….OH. Then I saw the Mantis. It was holding the Monarch and munching happily away. It was only eating the thorax (head) of the Monarch. I returned several hours later and the same mantis was still chowing down. Wow. So amazing and so gross, all at the same time.
On this note, it is interesting to discuss the edibleness of the Monarchs. Monarchs are poisonous to birds. As caterpillars, they eat strictly milkweed plants. The milkweed “sap” is milky and contains the heart poison cardiac glycosides. The caterpillars store the cardiac glycosides in their bodies and the butterflies emerge with the same toxins. These cardiac glycosides render the Monarchs inedible to birds. Immature birds will taste the Monarchs but quickly learn that they are bitter and have a horrible taste—poisonous. Monarchs are not poisonous to insects, however, so the Mantis was free to eat without the nasty side effects that birds experience from trying to consume Monarchs. Monarch coloration, the combination of the black and orange, is a warning sign to other creatures that they are poisonous and do not eat!
Hawk Watch Thursday September 23, 2010
Considering the less than ideal weather conditions today (fog, low visibility, non-existent to light winds, and no cloud cover), it turned out to be a pretty good flight with decent numbers and diversity. Even though they were hard to find with just your naked eye, you could see impressive kettles of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Northern Harriers, Osprey, and American Kestrels circling high overhead. We even had 3 Bald Eagles in view at the same time fairly low over the platform and 2 Peregrine Falcons fighting with one another near the lighthouse. It certainly wasn't the most riveting day at the Hawk Watch, but it was a gorgeous day trickled with spurts of excitement throughout.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 23, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 5 46 46
Turkey Vulture 16 198 198
Osprey 76 2378 2378
Bald Eagle 1 157 157
Northern Harrier 33 362 362
Sharp-shinned Hawk 332 3518 3518
Cooper's Hawk 48 748 748
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 4 433 433
Red-tailed Hawk 0 134 134
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 69 2410 2410
Merlin 23 619 619
Peregrine Falcon 10 46 46
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: 617 11054 11054
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Fog early on, but burning off shortly after sunrise. Very calm this
morning, light North/Northeast winds for a brief period, then switching to
East winds for the majority of the day. Another day of virtually no cloud
cover.
Raptor Observations:
Good movement of raptors today including Turkey and Black Vultures but the
flight was very high.
Non-raptor Observations:
12 Great Blue Herons, 5 Green Herons, and 2 Great Egrets migrating; Spotted
Sandpiper on Bunker Pond all day
Predictions:
Tomorrow isn't looking too good with a forecast of South winds all day.
Hawk Watch Wednesday September 22, 2010
A much slower day in comparison to the past few days with only 231 migrants (dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks). Even though there wasn't much raptor action, visitors were able to see 2 American Oystercatchers, 1 Black-bellied Plover, and 1 Willet on Bunker Pond at the same time. The Willet was actually seen flying to and from the pond throughout the day.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 41 41
Turkey Vulture 0 182 182
Osprey 50 2302 2302
Bald Eagle 1 156 156
Northern Harrier 10 329 329
Sharp-shinned Hawk 124 3186 3186
Cooper's Hawk 19 700 700
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 429 429
Red-tailed Hawk 0 134 134
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 12 2341 2341
Merlin 8 596 596
Peregrine Falcon 7 36 36
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: 231 10437 10437
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Southwest for most of the day turning South for the last two hours. No
cloud cover except very early on.
Raptor Observations:
Slower day dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations:
Willet on the pond off and on throughout the day; 2 American Oystercatchers
and 1 Black-bellied Plover on the pond
Morning Flight Thursday September 23, 2010
This morning saw a nice change of pace from the species diversity mix that has been regular at the dike for a week or so; Blackpoll Warblers were fairly dominant today, with buzzy "zeet" notes ringing out from the airspace over Higbee all morning. Parulas and Palms were nicely represented as well, though American Redstarts have started their noticeable downward slide into October oblivion. A naked eye flyby Connecticut Warbler was frustrating from a photographic perspective - as soon as it was upon us, it was past, offering only the not-so-coveted view of undertail coverts and deep belly zipping away in a straight line. One of these days...
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/23/10
Notes: only birds apparently engaged in morning flight were reported on this checklist; also, an American Bittern was flying around the dike when I arrived pre-dawn
Number of species: 28
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 25
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 18
American Robin 3
Tennessee Warbler 1
Northern Parula 59
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Magnolia Warbler 5
Cape May Warbler 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Palm Warbler 43
Blackpoll Warbler 46
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 31
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 13
Northern Waterthrush 8
Connecticut Warbler 1
warbler sp. 48
Savannah Sparrow 1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 5
Bobolink 5
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/23/10
Notes: only birds apparently engaged in morning flight were reported on this checklist; also, an American Bittern was flying around the dike when I arrived pre-dawn
Number of species: 28
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 25
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
Red-eyed Vireo 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 18
American Robin 3
Tennessee Warbler 1
Northern Parula 59
Chestnut-sided Warbler 8
Magnolia Warbler 5
Cape May Warbler 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Palm Warbler 43
Blackpoll Warbler 46
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 31
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 13
Northern Waterthrush 8
Connecticut Warbler 1
warbler sp. 48
Savannah Sparrow 1
Scarlet Tanager 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 5
Bobolink 5
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Sea Watch Wednesday September 22, 2010
Opening Day! The first day of autumn brings with it the start of the Avalon Seawatch here in Cape May. As usual this early in the season the flight wasn't overwhelming, but it was rather interesting. A few flocks of Northern Pintail (the first species counted this season at Avalon) and a handful of Black Scoter spiced up a flight otherwise dominated by Gulls and Terns, while a Merlin grabbing a Butterfly about half a mile offshore provided some midday excitement.
The Seawatch only gets better from here, and by late October it will be really awesome. If you're planning a visit to the Seawatch (and you should be), keep in mind that the first couple of hours of the day are usually the best, although sometimes the last couple can rival them.
This juvenile Brown Pelican was one of five counted today. Last fall saw a record number of BRPEs go by Avalon. Can this year beat the new high? Come on down to Avalon and find out, you could be a part of history! (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Seawatch totals below:
Mallard- 4
Northern Pintail- 28
Black Scoter- 17
Common Loon- 1
Northern Gannet- 18
Brown Pelican- 5
Double-crested Cormorant- 12
Laughing Gull- 25
Ring-billed Gull- 2
Herring Gull- 3
Great Black-backed Gull- 51
Caspian Tern- 34
Common Tern- 38
Forster's Tern- 92
Royal Tern- 23
Black Skimmer- 2
Total Individuals: 355
The Seawatch only gets better from here, and by late October it will be really awesome. If you're planning a visit to the Seawatch (and you should be), keep in mind that the first couple of hours of the day are usually the best, although sometimes the last couple can rival them.
This juvenile Brown Pelican was one of five counted today. Last fall saw a record number of BRPEs go by Avalon. Can this year beat the new high? Come on down to Avalon and find out, you could be a part of history! (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)Seawatch totals below:
Mallard- 4
Northern Pintail- 28
Black Scoter- 17
Common Loon- 1
Northern Gannet- 18
Brown Pelican- 5
Double-crested Cormorant- 12
Laughing Gull- 25
Ring-billed Gull- 2
Herring Gull- 3
Great Black-backed Gull- 51
Caspian Tern- 34
Common Tern- 38
Forster's Tern- 92
Royal Tern- 23
Black Skimmer- 2
Total Individuals: 355
Monarch Monitoring Project: Week 2
So I am a little behind in my updates…we already have completed week 2 and 3, but one week update at a time, to not overwhelm you. Week 2 of the Monarch Monitoring Project has been off the charts. Overall, we counted 145.76 Monarchs/hour! The previous week 2 census data from ALL years averaged 34.02 Monarchs/hour. You can check out census data at:
http://www.monarchmonitoringproject.com/mmptwo.html
The week started out slow but then BOOM, mid-week, we had Monarchs everywhere. Monarchs crossing the roads, crossing the beaches, crossing the dunes. Naturalists reported Monarchs in the thousands at the state park. Reports trickled in that Monarchs were roosting in cedar trees in Cape May Point. And reflecting all these reports and sightings, Team Monarch has thus far, after only two weeks of the season, tagged……(drum roll please) over 1800 Monarchs! Wowsers. That is a huge number. And has required the ordering of 3,000 more tags in preparation for what could be an amazing Monarch year.
Not familiar with tagging? This year we are using Monarch Watch tags. Monarch Watch is a University of Kansas based program that studies the Monarch migration, incorporating outreach and education. The tag is essentially a tiny sticker, about the size of a pencil eraser. It has a unique tag ID number and a phone number and e-mail address to contact when you want to report a tagged Monarch sighting or find. When we capture a Monarch, we measure the wing length, record the sex of the Monarch, check the abdomen for lipids essential for the migration, and then stick a little tag on its wing! Then with a little luck, we let it go.
Why do we tag the Monarchs? Well, originally Monarchs were tagged to determine where they overwinter. We now know that Monarchs spend the winters in the Oyamel fir trees of Michoacan, Mexico. But tagging is still important to determine the route that Monarchs travel from the far North areas like Canada and Maine to arrive in Mexico. The arrival of the Monarchs in Mexico coincides with the Day of the Dead, a holiday honoring family and ancestors in Mexico. Monarchs are believed to be the spirits of the ancestors returning on the Day of the Dead. But I digress. Tagging helps us determine how long it takes for Monarchs to travel from Cape May, NJ to Mexico and where our Monarchs stop to nectar and store lipids for the long winter in Mexico.
Monarchs are not the only butterflies out and about this season. Buckeyes are everywhere! An epic year for Buckeyes in Cape May. Several days, it was possible to see flowers dripping with Buckeyes, interspersed with several Monarchs.
So get out there and enjoy all those butterflies!
http://www.monarchmonitoringproject.com/mmptwo.html
The week started out slow but then BOOM, mid-week, we had Monarchs everywhere. Monarchs crossing the roads, crossing the beaches, crossing the dunes. Naturalists reported Monarchs in the thousands at the state park. Reports trickled in that Monarchs were roosting in cedar trees in Cape May Point. And reflecting all these reports and sightings, Team Monarch has thus far, after only two weeks of the season, tagged……(drum roll please) over 1800 Monarchs! Wowsers. That is a huge number. And has required the ordering of 3,000 more tags in preparation for what could be an amazing Monarch year.
Not familiar with tagging? This year we are using Monarch Watch tags. Monarch Watch is a University of Kansas based program that studies the Monarch migration, incorporating outreach and education. The tag is essentially a tiny sticker, about the size of a pencil eraser. It has a unique tag ID number and a phone number and e-mail address to contact when you want to report a tagged Monarch sighting or find. When we capture a Monarch, we measure the wing length, record the sex of the Monarch, check the abdomen for lipids essential for the migration, and then stick a little tag on its wing! Then with a little luck, we let it go.
Why do we tag the Monarchs? Well, originally Monarchs were tagged to determine where they overwinter. We now know that Monarchs spend the winters in the Oyamel fir trees of Michoacan, Mexico. But tagging is still important to determine the route that Monarchs travel from the far North areas like Canada and Maine to arrive in Mexico. The arrival of the Monarchs in Mexico coincides with the Day of the Dead, a holiday honoring family and ancestors in Mexico. Monarchs are believed to be the spirits of the ancestors returning on the Day of the Dead. But I digress. Tagging helps us determine how long it takes for Monarchs to travel from Cape May, NJ to Mexico and where our Monarchs stop to nectar and store lipids for the long winter in Mexico.
Monarchs are not the only butterflies out and about this season. Buckeyes are everywhere! An epic year for Buckeyes in Cape May. Several days, it was possible to see flowers dripping with Buckeyes, interspersed with several Monarchs.
So get out there and enjoy all those butterflies!
Morning Flight Wednesday September 22, 2010
Higbee was very quiet this morning birdwise, probably due to the not-so-quiet wind howling out of the south. A few flickers and warblers pushed through, but the species highlight was a bright Philadelphia Vireo that paused briefly in nearby trees.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/22/10
Notes: primarily south wind - flight almost nonexistent
Number of species: 9
Northern Flicker 16
Philadelphia Vireo 1
American Robin 6
Northern Parula 1
Cape May Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 5
Northern Waterthrush 3
warbler sp. 6
Indigo Bunting 2
Baltimore Oriole 3
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/22/10
Notes: primarily south wind - flight almost nonexistent
Number of species: 9
Northern Flicker 16
Philadelphia Vireo 1
American Robin 6
Northern Parula 1
Cape May Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 5
Northern Waterthrush 3
warbler sp. 6
Indigo Bunting 2
Baltimore Oriole 3
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
Hawk Watch Tuesday September 21, 2010
There was an interesting raptor flight for the first 2 and a half hours of the Hawkwatch this morning. After that the winds picked up and started blowing from the south, which shut the flight down completely. Early on Sharp-shinned Hawks and Northern Harriers were moving in numbers, and there were several American Kestrels way up high before dawn, indicating that they were moving during the night, which is pretty damn cool.
The Hudsonian Godwit was on Bunker Pond for several hours before flying west and never returning, and an American Golden-Plover flew over calling but unfortunately evaded visual detection. The most impressive thing, other than the super high Kestrels, was the morning Northern Flicker and Icterid movement, definitely a fitting way to signal the start of autumn tomorrow. Also there was a good movement of waterbirds, especially Egrets, Terns, and Cormorants, also just in time for the beginning of the Seawatch tomorrow.
Part of the good movement of Northern Harriers that took place over the first couple of hours this morning (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/21/10
Number of species: 77
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal X
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 250
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 9
Snowy Egret 20
Black Vulture 37
Turkey Vulture 19
Osprey 50
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 32
Sharp-shinned Hawk 283
Cooper's Hawk 47
Broad-winged Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 4
American Kestrel 52
Merlin 23
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 5
American Golden-Plover 1 Heard only flyover. Called several times.
Killdeer 7
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Hudsonian Godwit 1
Least Sandpiper 11
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Short-billed Dowitcher 6
Wilson's Snipe 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Black Skimmer X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 125
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 5000
Barn Swallow X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 20
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 4
Northern Waterthrush 1
Bobolink 65
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
The Hudsonian Godwit was on Bunker Pond for several hours before flying west and never returning, and an American Golden-Plover flew over calling but unfortunately evaded visual detection. The most impressive thing, other than the super high Kestrels, was the morning Northern Flicker and Icterid movement, definitely a fitting way to signal the start of autumn tomorrow. Also there was a good movement of waterbirds, especially Egrets, Terns, and Cormorants, also just in time for the beginning of the Seawatch tomorrow.
Part of the good movement of Northern Harriers that took place over the first couple of hours this morning (photo copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2010
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 37 41 41
Turkey Vulture 19 182 182
Osprey 50 2252 2252
Bald Eagle 2 155 155
Northern Harrier 32 319 319
Sharp-shinned Hawk 283 3062 3062
Cooper's Hawk 47 681 681
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 3 429 429
Red-tailed Hawk 4 134 134
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 52 2329 2329
Merlin 23 588 588
Peregrine Falcon 1 29 29
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: 553 10206 10206
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
NE winds early, shifting E then SSE/S. Clear skies.
Raptor Observations:
Good numbers of Harriers and Sharpies early, then the flight died with the
wind shift.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of Monarchs, Hudsonian Godwit, American Golden-Plover, Purple Martin
(late), 5 Brown Pelicans.
Predictions:
10-15 MPH South and Southwest Winds. Very little raptor movement.
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/21/10
Number of species: 77
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal X
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 250
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 9
Snowy Egret 20
Black Vulture 37
Turkey Vulture 19
Osprey 50
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 32
Sharp-shinned Hawk 283
Cooper's Hawk 47
Broad-winged Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 4
American Kestrel 52
Merlin 23
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 5
American Golden-Plover 1 Heard only flyover. Called several times.
Killdeer 7
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Hudsonian Godwit 1
Least Sandpiper 11
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Short-billed Dowitcher 6
Wilson's Snipe 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Black Skimmer X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 125
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 5000
Barn Swallow X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 20
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 4
Northern Waterthrush 1
Bobolink 65
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X