Hawk Watch Saturday September 18, 2010

Migration is awesome. What else can I say? It is simply amazing to be able to sit back and watch a natural spectacle unfold right before your eyes, and that's exactly what happened today at the Hawk Watch platform. The raptors were heading South today! I knew it was going to be a great flight today when I saw Sharp-shinned Hawks flying overhead as I parked my car in the state park. Sure enough, I counted 62 in the first fifteen minutes! We had a very nice movement of raptors today. Unfortunately, they were very high in the sky and hard to pick out against the clear, blue sky. Can you say warbler neck?

And let's not forget about the tremendous "aerial plankton" I had to overcome today. Not only were there literally thousands of Tree Swallows about, the Monarchs were just plain outrageous. I have never, ever seen so many monarchs before, and I didn't even leave the platform! It was definately a great day for migration all across the board.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 18, 2010
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture              14            121            121
Osprey                     122           2009           2009
Bald Eagle                  19            143            143
Northern Harrier            53            231            231
Sharp-shinned Hawk         604           1612           1612
Cooper's Hawk               87            468            468
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              5              5
Broad-winged Hawk          163            418            418
Red-tailed Hawk             24             97             97
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            51           1694           1694
Merlin                      44            335            335
Peregrine Falcon             7             23             23
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:                    1188           7156           7156
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:       

Weather:
Variable North winds most of the day turning South for the last two hours.
Almost no cloud cover the entire day.

Raptor Observations:
Good movement of birds (SSHA, OSPR, BWHA)but very high and far by the
afternoon. 

Non-raptor Observations:
Clay-colored Sparrow

Predictions:
North winds switching to South by the afternoon so movement early on but
probably slowing down later.