Ospreys!!
That was was the name of the game today at the Cape May Hawkwatch. After an early lull, the afternoon sky got real blue; but instead of being filled with clouds (it decidedly wasn't), it was filled with Ospreys. They were flowing by to the north of the platform, high directly over the platform, and far offshore over the Atlantic Ocean. We finished with 312 Ospreys for the day, but the smaller Falcons put on a good show as well. American Kestrels were moving in numbers early on, and Merlins put forth a sustained flight through the day (finishing with a respectable for mid-September 45).
Non-raptor highlights were an earlyish juvenile Great Cormorant flying north over the parking lot, and 5+ juvenile Stilt and a single adult White-rumped Sandpiper hanging around Bunker Pond.
Hawk totals below the photos, with complete eBird list following.
Non-raptor highlights were an earlyish juvenile Great Cormorant flying north over the parking lot, and 5+ juvenile Stilt and a single adult White-rumped Sandpiper hanging around Bunker Pond.
Hawk totals below the photos, with complete eBird list following.
Virginia Rail in "less-than-wild" conditions at the platform today. (copyright Doug Gochfeld)
Great Cormorant (juvenile) over the Cape May Point State Park parking lot.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2010
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 13 88 88
Osprey 312 1015 1015
Bald Eagle 6 59 59
Northern Harrier 9 85 85
Sharp-shinned Hawk 44 201 201
Cooper's Hawk 42 162 162
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1
Broad-winged Hawk 12 110 110
Red-tailed Hawk 3 39 39
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 127 1019 1019
Merlin 45 113 113
Peregrine Falcon 0 4 4
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: 613 2896 2896
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Observation start time: 05:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
Light W/NW wind shifting to SSW late in the day. Mostly clear skies.
Raptor Observations:
Lots of Ospreys on several flight lines.
Non-raptor Observations:
Great Cormorant (juvenile), several Stilt Sandpipers, White-rumped
Sandpiper, moribund Virginia Rail (broken leg). Black-bellied
Whistling-Ducks continuing on Lighthouse Pond.
Predictions:
Mostly westish winds and clear skies. Difficult to predict raptor-wise.
Location: Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform (CMBO hawkwatch)
Observation date: 9/13/10
Number of species: 76
Gadwall 100
American Wigeon 1
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 25
Northern Shoveler 6
Northern Pintail 3 (early flybys coming off the Ocean)
Green-winged Teal 45
Double-crested Cormorant 123
Great Cormorant 1
Great Egret 15
Snowy Egret 3
Glossy Ibis 1
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 17
Osprey 312
Bald Eagle 6
Northern Harrier 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 44
Cooper's Hawk 42
Broad-winged Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 3
American Kestrel 127
Merlin 45
Virginia Rail 1 Adult with broken leg brought to the platform.
Semipalmated Plover 4
Killdeer 1
American Oystercatcher 1
Solitary Sandpiper 6
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Semipalmated Sandpiper 6
Least Sandpiper 4
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 5 (juveniles)
Short-billed Dowitcher 6
Laughing Gull 350
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 500
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 6
Royal Tern 200 (good movement offshore early)
Black Skimmer 150
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 25
Chimney Swift 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 (assaulting a Tree Swallow over the platform)
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4
Empidonax sp. 1
Blue Jay 5
Fish Crow 35
Tree Swallow 1200
Bank Swallow 3
Barn Swallow X
Cliff Swallow 3
Carolina Chickadee X
Carolina Wren 2
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird 6
European Starling X
Yellow Warbler 8
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 15
Northern Waterthrush 3
Common Yellowthroat 8
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting 6
Bobolink 350
Red-winged Blackbird 150
Common Grackle 4
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
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