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
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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
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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:
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.

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