Avalon Seawatch - 22 December 2011

The last day of the Seawatch was slow overall, but had some excitement. It all started at about 0740, when a Black guillemot flew down the channel at an unbelievably close range and kept going south pass the 8th street jetty. Then a little later in the morning, an adult male King Eider turned up in the Common Eider flock and was seen through the end of the day, often at very close range. Other noteworthy birds were a handful of Razorbills, three Red-necked Grebes, and a couple of Black-legged Kittiwake. Nothing like going out with a bang!

Canada Goose - 25

Wood Duck - 1

Lesser Scaup - 1

King Eider - 1

Surf Scoter - 78

White-winged Scoter - 4

Black Scoter - 75

dark-winged scoter - 18

unknown scoter - 50

Long-tailed Duck - 21

Common Goldeneye - 2

Red-breasted Merganser - 18

Red-throated Loon - 364

Common Loon - 4

Red-necked Grebe - 3

Northern Gannet - 144

Double-crested Cormorant - 1

Great blue Heron - 1

Bonaparte's Gull - 26

Ring-billed Gull - 11

Herring Gull - 79

Great Black-backed gull - 12

Black-legged Kittiwake - 2

Forster's Tern - 1

Razorbill - 5

Black Guillemot - 1

Total - 948

Avalon Seawatch - 21 December 2011

The seawatch was rather slow with rain in the morning and late afternoon. This is not uncommon for late December, as things tend to slow down. The highlight was a young Brown Pelican midday.

Canada Goose - 5

American Black Duck - 3

Surf Scoter - 102

White-winged Scoter - 4

Black Scoter - 18

dark-winged scoter - 11

Long-tailed Duck - 14

Red-breasted Merganser - 26

Red-throated Loon - 48

Common Loon - 2

Northern Gannet - 91

Brown Pelican - 1

Bonaparte's Gull -41

Ring-billed Gull - 11

Herring Gull - 13

Great Black-backed Gull - 4

Total - 394

Avalon Seawatch - December 20, 2011

My time at the Seawatch ended with pleasant weather and a respectable late-season flight today. A couple lingering Forster's Terns and a few Common Goldeneye complemented a small early morning surge of Red-throated Loons, which just don't seem to stop moving.

This seems a fitting time to thank the many people who supplied assistance to this year's Seawatch season. Whether it was help with counting on the big flights, or supplying food and coffee, or just keeping me company on the slow days, it was all appreciated very much. Thank you.

However, the season isn't quite over yet! Tom Magarian will wrap things up tomorrow and Thursday, so make sure to stop by and get your last dose of seawatching for 2011. If nothing else, go check out the Common Eider flock, which has grown to over 50 birds and is providing great and close looks from the seawall.


Canada Goose - 41
American Black Duck - 12
Surf Scoter - 145
White-winged Scoter - 7
Black Scoter - 226
dark-winged scoter - 109
scoter, sp. - 81
Long-tailed Duck - 57
Bufflehead - 8
Common Goldeneye - 4
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 11
Red-throated Loon - 865
Common Loon - 2
Northern Gannet - 94
Bonaparte's Gull - 55
Ring-billed Gull - 107
Forster's Tern - 2

(Total = 1,828)

Avalon Seawatch - December 19, 2011

A generally slow day was punctuated by a few highlights at Avalon, among which were an Iceland Gull, two Humpback Whale spouts, and a pair of Red-necked Grebes. Duck diversity was fair, and included Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser and a hybrid Mallard/Black Duck.

The Seawatch ends on Thursday, but tomorrow will be my last day at the end of 7th Street. Here's hoping to a great last day!

Snow Goose - 1
Canada Goose - 1
American Black Duck - 61
Mallard X Black Duck hybrid - 1
Lesser Scaup - 4
Surf Scoter - 285
White-winged Scoter - 6
Black Scoter- 251
dark-winged scoter - 73
scoter, sp. - 17
Long-tailed Duck - 25
Bufflehead - 1
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 28
Red-throated Loon - 65
Common Loon - 2
Horned Grebe - 1
Red-necked Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 183
Double-crested Cormorant - 3
Bonaparte's Gull - 49
Ring-billed Gull - 47
Herring Gull - 18
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
large alcid, sp. - 4

(Total = 1,132)

Avalon Seawatch - December 18, 2011

It finally felt like December in Avalon today, with temps struggling to reach the mid-30s and a stiff north wind all day. A goose flight that had started the night before spilled over into the morning hours, and included over 1,000 Snow Geese, several hundred Canada Geese and a Cackling Goose. Another Razorbill passed by during the first hour of the day, followed a bit later by two Black-legged Kittiwakes. An appreciable movement of Ring-billed Gulls developed late in the day.

The Seawatch is also included in the Cape May Christmas Bird Count, so today was the only day of the season in which "all" birds were tallied. Thanks go to Kevin Karlson for his assistance with the CBC portion of today's effort.


Snow Goose - 1,067
Brant - 51
Cackling Goose - 1
Canada Goose - 728
American Black Duck - 111
Mallard - 12
Greater Scaup - 1
Common Eider - 1
Surf Scoter - 208
White-winged Scoter - 10
Black Scoter - 153
dark-winged scoter - 237
scoter, sp. - 106
Long-tailed Duck - 22
Hooded Merganser - 8
Horned Grebe - 3
Northern Gannet - 385
Double-crested Cormorant - 72
Great Egret - 9
Bonaparte's Gull - 32
Ring-billed Gull - 520
Herring Gull - 93
Black-legged Kittiwake - 2
Razorbill - 1

(Total = 4,181)

Avalon Seawatch - December 16, 2011

A strong early morning push of Red-throated Loons quickly faded to a steady trickle, but was enough to encompass a large majority of today's flight past Avalon. The day's highlight was the Common Tern that flew past with two Forster's Terns shortly after noon. This is likely one of the latest ever recorded in New Jersey, though perhaps it isn't a total shock given that inshore water temperatures are still near 50 degrees!

Other headliners included six more Razorbills (and two more alcids too distant to ID), two Black-legged Kittiwakes, and a Red-necked Grebe just before dusk. All of these also make for great "count week" birds for this Sunday's Cape May Christmas Bird Count, and hopefully we'll snag a few on the count day itself.


Snow Goose - 34
Canada Goose - 2
American Black Duck - 4
Surf Scoter - 97
Black Scoter - 83
dark-winged scoter - 133
scoter, sp. - 17
Long-tailed Duck - 26
Red-breasted Merganser - 30
Red-throated Loon - 2,325
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 358
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 2
Bonaparte's Gull - 37
Ring-billed Gull - 75
Herring Gull - 3
Black-legged Kittiwake - 2
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 9
Razorbill - 6
large alcid, sp. - 2

(Total = 3,257)

Avalon Seawatch - 15 December 2011

This was one of the slowest recently as hardly anything was moving. Gannets and Red-throated Loons were again the majority.

Surf Scoter - 122

White-winged Scoter - 3

Black scoter - 97

dark-winged scoter - 3

Long-tailed Duck - 12

Red-breasted Merganser - 4

Red-throated Loon - 125

Common Loon - 1

Northern Gannet - 416

Double-crested Cormorant - 2

Great Cormorant - 1

Bonaparte's Gull - 1

Ring-billed Gull - 10

Herring Gull -14

Great Black-backed Gull - 9

Total - 823

Avalon Seawatch - 14 December 2011

Another slow steady flight at the seawatch. Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons were the bulk of the flight. Scoters made a small push as well.

Gadwall - 6

American Black Duck - 6

Surf Scoter - 408

White-winged Scoter - 31

Black Scoter - 357

dark-winged scoter - 173

Long-tailed Duck - 5

Red-breasted Merganser - 8

Red-throated Loon - 228

Common Loon - 3

Northern Gannet - 679

Double-crested Cormorant - 16

Great Cormorant - 2

Bonaparte's Gull - 34

Ring-billed Gull - 123

Herring Gull - 10

Great Black-backed Gull - 2

Forster's Tern - 7

Total - 2098

Avalon Seawatch - December 12, 2011

[Today's Seawatch quiz bird; answer provided under the day's totals. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Light north to northeast winds and hazy sunshine presided over another decent late-season flight past Avalon. Red-throated Loons and Northern Gannets provided the steadiest activity, particularly during the first hour after sunrise. Smaller numbers of scoters, including a nice proportion of White-wingeds, were also fairly steady throughout.

The day was also filled with some surprises, including an adult Black-headed Gull that made a brief appearance at 9:40am, and a pair of Canvasbacks that were among a flock of Black Scoters. However, top prize goes to a/the Humpback Whale that made several appearances between the 6-buoy and the 8th Street jetty during the late-morning.

[Humpback Whale near the 8th Street jetty late this morning. Photo by Sam Galick.]

The whale was relatively close, as can be seen in the photo above, and was occasionally engaged in flipper-slapping when it surfaced. It was a great show, and hopefully we'll have more sightings before the season ends.


Brant - 9
American Wigeon - 2
American Black Duck - 24
Green-winged Teal - 35
Canvasback - 2
Greater Scaup - 22
Lesser Scaup - 54
Common Eider - 22
Surf Scoter - 433
White-winged Scoter - 82
Black Scoter - 799
dark-winged scoter - 302
scoter, sp. - 253
Long-tailed Duck - 43
Bufflehead - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Red-throated Loon - 1,078
Common Loon - 5
Northern Gannet - 1,441
Double-crested Cormorant - 43
Great Cormorant - 8
Laughing Gull - 1
Bonaparte's Gull - 111
Black-headed Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 185
Herring Gull - 84

(Total = 5,046)

[Quiz answer: Common Eider! Upwards of 30 Common Eiders collected
along the seawall over the course of the day, providing great
looks and photo opportunities. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Avalon Seawatch - December 11, 2011

Today was a tale of two halves at the Seawatch. A slow and chilly morning transitioned into a busy and (slightly) warmer afternoon, which produced a decent late-season showing of scoters and yet another good flight of Red-throated Loons. The Razorbill streak continues, courtesy of a trio that passed by early in the morning, and Common Eiders were on the move again this morning.


Brant - 7
Canada Goose - 56
American Wigeon - 5
American Black Duck - 108
Mallard - 3
Northern Shoveler - 12
Green-winged Teal - 20
Lesser Scaup - 5
Common Eider - 29
Surf Scoter - 745
White-winged Scoter - 28
Black Scoter - 1,981
dark-winged scoter - 234
scoter, sp. - 1,582
Long-tailed Duck - 40
Bufflehead - 1
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 7
Red-throated Loon - 1,704
Common Loon - 2
Horned Grebe - 6
Northern Gannet - 313
Double-crested Cormorant - 186
Great Cormorant - 3
Great Blue Heron - 5
Laughing Gull - 3
Bonaparte's Gull - 48
Ring-billed Gull - 429
Herring Gull - 191
Great Black-backed Gull - 7
Razorbill - 3

(Total = 7,765)

Avalon Seawatch - December 10, 2011

[These Common Eiders were part of a flock of 11 that landed in front of the
seawall this morning. A total of 52 were tallied today. Photo by Tom Reed.]

It was a fun day at the Seawatch, with a steady movement of birds and a few surprises. Red-throated Loons returned to four-digit territory, with noticeable pulses streaming through early and late. Common Eiders also put in a strong showing, including a flock of 22 that contained ten adult males. The first couple hours of the day produced the best birds, frontlined by an adult Little Gull that was in amongst a group of five Bonaparte's Gulls, and a continuation of the Razorbill influx.


Brant - 22
Canada Goose - 17
Gadwall - 2
American Black Duck - 7
Mallard - 2
Lesser Scaup - 11
scaup, sp. - 19
Common Eider - 52 (highest count this season)
Surf Scoter - 173
White-winged Scoter - 43
Black Scoter - 811
dark-winged scoter - 282
scoter, sp. - 88
Long-tailed Duck - 57
Bufflehead - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 32
Red-throated Loon - 1,537
Common Loon - 6
Horned Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 474
Double-crested Cormorant - 44
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 2
Bonaparte's Gull - 23
Little Gull - 1 (adult, southbound with small flock of BOGU at 8:30am)
Ring-billed Gull - 243
Herring Gull - 45
Razorbill - 7 (all during first two hours of day)
large alcid, sp. - 3

(Total = 4,012)

Avalon Seawatch - December 9, 2011

Friday featured south winds and a relatively slow flight at Avalon, highlighted by five more Razorbills during the morning hours. Small numbers of the primary late-season species trickled through over the course of the day.

American Black Duck - 1
Green-winged Teal - 5
Greater Scaup - 34
Lesser Scaup - 53
Surf Scoter - 350
White-winged Scoter - 31
Black Scoter - 630
dark-winged scoter - 9
scoter, sp. - 9
Long-tailed Duck - 107
Bufflehead - 15
Red-breasted Merganser - 41
Red-throated Loon - 830
Common Loon - 11
Horned Grebe - 15
Northern Gannet - 418
Double-crested Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 13
Bonaparte's Gull - 48
Ring-billed Gull - 72
Herring Gull - 51
Great Black-backed Gull - 6
Razorbill - 5
large alcid, sp. - 1

(Total = 2,756)

Avalon Seawatch - 8 December 2011

The seawatch had a steady push of Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons. There was a lone immature Brown Pelican that headed south late in the day. This is getting rather late for this species. There no sightings of whales, with was rather unfortenate, as a couple of people came hoping to see one.

Canada Goose - 30

American Wigeon - 3

American Black Duck - 2

Green-winged Teal - 12

scaup sp. - 1

Surf Scoter - 30

White-winged Scoter - 15

Black Scoter - 27

unidentified scoter - 32

Long-tailed Duck - 57

Hooded Merganser - 3

Red-breasted Merganser - 5

Red-throated Loon - 756

Common Loon - 5

Northern Gannet - 2491

Brown Pelican - 1

Laughing Gull - 1

Boanparte's Gull - 24

Ring-billed Gull - 377

Herring Gull - 28

Great Black-backed Gull - 10

Forster's Tern - 156

Total - 4066

Avalon Seawatch - 7 December 2011

The seawatch today was rather slow overall. It started out good, but quickly faded. Northern Gannet were the only thing flying in any numbers. A Harlequin Duck and a flock of 10 American Wigeon were nice in the morning.

The biggest highlight today was watching Humpback Whales feeding all day just the other side of the bar. There were at least two. They were bubble cloud feeding on small fish, possibly Sandlance. There was a constant flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, a couple of Laughing Gulls, and Forster's Terns taking advantage of the easy pickings. Red-throated loons were also in the fray as well.

American Wigeon - 10

Harlequin Duck - 1

Surf Scoter - 18

White-winged Scoter - 3

Black Scoter - 34

Long-tailed Duck - 2

Red-breasted Merganser - 7

Red-throated Loon - 355

Common Loon - 1

Northern Gannet - 1049

Laughing Gull - 12

Bonaparte's Gull - 136

Ring-billed Gull - 3

Great Black backed Gull - 7

Forster's Tern - 145

Total - 1783

Avalon Seawatch - December 6, 2011

It was a strange day at the seawatch, with an underwhelming flight that included a few surprises. The flight started strong, with over 1,100 birds during the first hour, but then quickly dropped to under 150 birds during the second hour. This pace continued for the rest of the day, with an average of about 50 birds an hour for the afternoon.

However, there were still highlights, headlined by a surprising 10 Razorbills. Most passed by in the morning, but a closer individual was picked out by Steve Glynn during the latter portion of the day. Two more Parasitic Jaegers are certainly notable for December 6, and an additional two were seen flying north during the afternoon. Also seen flying north was a single Brown Pelican, the first I've seen in about a month, and always a notable bird in December.

Tomorrow is my day to sleep in, and that's a good thing, as it looks like there's a lot of rain in store. If you're feeling kind, consider bringing Tom Magarian some warm soup or coffee. Maybe you'll even see a Razorbill while you're there.


Northern Pintail - 2
Surf Scoter - 121
White-winged Scoter - 3
Black Scoter - 141
Long-tailed Duck - 4
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Red-throated Loon - 515
Common Loon - 3
Northern Gannet - 837
Laughing Gull - 11
Bonaparte's Gull - 55
Ring-billed Gull - 8
Herring Gull - 8
Parasitic Jaeger - 2 (Late. Both light-morphs; one adult, one imm.)
Razorbill - 10 (Notable count. Record daily count is 19, set in 2004. Season total for RAZO now 24)

(Total = 1,721)

Avalon Seawatch - December 5, 2011

[Sunrise from the north end of Avalon this morning. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Today's flight past the seawatch was quite modest, and was actually one of the lightest I've seen since early-October. However, there were still plenty of interesting things to see. Among the day's goodies were five Razorbills, three Parasitic Jaegers and three Canvasbacks. A small whale might've been the coolest sighting of the day, seen briefly this evening on two occasions when it surfaced just beyond the bar. I didn't get a good enough look to identify it, but it appeared to be about 15' long and was dark gray in color.

In other news, Red-throated Loons finally dropped below the 1,000-mark today, ending an impressive streak of four digit tallies that lasted for 18 days. Loon totals for those past 18 days piled up to a remarkable 73,857 individuals, representing 91% of the entire season's total. Amazingly, the previous 18 days also produced a higher RTLO total than any other entire season in Seawatch history. That's a lot of loons!

Tomorrow will finally bring an end to the freakishly springlike conditions of late, with rain showers and a westerly(?) breeze in the offing. We'll see what surprises await.


Surf Scoter - 357
White-winged Scoter - 13
Black Scoter - 254
dark-winged scoter - 36
Long-tailed Duck - 13
Red-breasted Merganser - 10
Red-throated Loon - 827
Common Loon - 2
Horned Grebe - 3
Northern Gannet - 742
Double-crested Cormorant - 4
Laughing Gull - 22
Bonaparte's Gull - 209
Ring-billed Gull - 39
Herring Gull - 20
Great Black-backed Gull - 10
Forster's Tern - 6
Parasitic Jaeger - 3
Razorbill - 5

(Total = 2,578)

Avalon Seawatch - December 4, 2011

Our recent string of nice weather continued today, with remarkably pleasant conditions for early December. Sunny skies, high temps over 60 degrees and a slack breeze were the name of the game. As might be expected, the flight suffered a bit due to the still conditions, but it was still a very enjoyable day.

Red-throated Loons (what else?) were again the dominant species today, with decent showings for both of the dark-winged scoters, though Gannets were noticeably absent for the most part. Gulls were again well represented, with the season's first Iceland Gull being a highlight. A late-morning Razorbill was the ninth recorded this season.

[This Iceland Gull was found sitting on the water in front of the seawall before flying over toward the gull roost at the south end of Sea Isle City. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Conditions look somewhat similar for tomorrow, and it will be interesting to see if the flight is also similar to today's.


Brant - 31
American Black Duck - 3
Green-winged Teal - 11
Greater Scaup - 3
Surf Scoter - 1,264
White-winged Scoter - 50
Black Scoter - 1,814
dark-winged scoter - 327
scoter, sp. - 19
Long-tailed Duck - 23
Red-breasted Merganser - 43
Red-throated Loon - 2,220
Common Loon - 3
Horned Grebe - 6
Northern Gannet - 442
Double-crested Cormorant - 12
Laughing Gull - 15
Bonaparte's Gull - 375
Ring-billed Gull - 126
Herring Gull - 50
Iceland Gull - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3
Great Black-backed Gull - 9
Razorbill - 1

(Total = 6,851)

Avalon Seawatch - December 3, 2011

Red-throated Loons and Northern Gannets were again the main attraction at the Seawatch today, with a small but steady movement of gulls in the mix as well. It was an enjoyable day, with birds moving throughout, though lacking the rarities of the day before.


Brant - 68
Canada Goose - 20
American Black Duck - 62
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 46
Surf Scoter - 603
White-winged Scoter - 73
Black Scoter - 849
dark-winged scoter - 549
scoter, sp. - 75
Long-tailed Duck - 30
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 9
Red-throated Loon - 3,978
Common Loon - 8
Northern Gannet - 1,104
Double-crested Cormorant - 132
Great Cormorant - 4
Laughing Gull - 4
Bonaparte's Gull - 127
Ring-billed Gull - 330
Herring Gull - 95
Great Black-backed Gull - 9

(Total = 8,179)

Avalon Seawatch - December 2, 2011

Good numbers, good diversity and a new season record were all had at the Seawatch on Friday. A strong flight of Red-throated Loons provided the most consistent action throughout the day, and a big push during the evening propelled us to a new single-season record for the species. Now at a little over 74,000, it'll be fun to see just how many more pass by during the watch's final couple of weeks.

It was also a great day for some of the Seawatch's most desired birds. King Eider, Red-necked Grebe, Harlequin Duck and Razorbill were all seen, in addition to a northbound Parasitic Jaeger. Scoters put in a good showing for December, and 100+ White-wingeds are always nice to see.


Brant - 83
Canada Goose - 21
American Black Duck - 68
Mallard - 6
Green-winged Teal - 76
Ring-necked Duck - 1
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 3
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 1,149
White-winged Scoter - 111
Black Scoter - 1,785
dark-winged scoter - 343
scoter, sp. - 794
Long-tailed Duck - 40
Bufflehead - 2
Hooded Merganser - 9
Red-breasted Merganser - 66
Red-throated Loon - 3,178
Common Loon - 5
Horned Grebe - 12
Red-necked Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 499
Double-crested Cormorant - 341
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 2
Laughing Gull - 48
Bonaparte's Gull - 71
Ring-billed Gull - 398
Herring Gull - 22
Great Black-backed Gull - 3
Forster's Tern - 6
Razorbill - 1

(Total = 9,148)

Avalon Seawatch - 1 December 2011

The day was very similar to yesterday. Mostly, Red-throated Loons and Northern Gannets. However, Ring-billed Gulls were moving in decent numbers and late in the day there was a push Bonaparte's Gulls. Three Great Egrets in the last hours were also a treat.

Canada Goose - 1

Brant - 130

American Black Duck - 3

Lesser Scaup - 1

Common Eider - 3

Surf Scoter - 121

Black Scoter - 262

dark-winged scoter - 40

Long-tailed Duck - 7

Bufflehead - 2

Hooded Merganser - 4

Red-breasted Merganser - 30

Red-throated Loon - 2401

Common Loon - 2

Horned Grebe - 1

Northern Gannet - 1047

Double-crested Cormorant - 431

Great Blue Heron - 1

Great Egret - 3

Laughing Gull - 3

Bonaparte's Gull - 64

Ring-billed Gull - 356

Herring Gull - 27

Great Black-backed Gull - 5

Forster's Tern - 12

Total - 4957

Avalon Seawatch - 30 November 2011

The seawatch was good for two species today. Northern Gannet and Red-throated Loon. Other interesting species were 20 Snow Buntings and five Tri-colored Herons and three Snowy Egrets that were flushed up out of the marsh by a Bald Eagle.

American Black Duck - 2

Surf Scoter - 102

White-winged Scoter - 4

Black Scoter - 246

dark-winged scoter - 21

Long-tailed Duck - 15

Red-breasted Merganser - 3

Red-throated Loon - 1823

Common Loon - 9

Northern Gannet - 3470

Double-crested Cormorant - 12

Laughing Gull - 3

Bonaparte's Gull - 5

Herring Gull - 15

Great Black-backed Gull - 10

Forster's Tern - 8

Royal Tern - 4

Total - 5752

Hawk Watch Wednesday November 30, 2011

And that's the ballgame! The last day of the Hawk Watch was actually pretty good. The sun was shining for most of the day, I counted over 60 birds, and there was plenty of good company.

It's true that the count this fall was quite a bit lower than last year's, and the platform didn't see any mega rarities but I'm still leaving the upper deck with a happy heart. Sure, we didn't get a gos this year (total bummer) but we had a great season for Swainson's Hawks! Yes, the weather gods were NOT on our side this season (so much South wind and not enough Northwest), but it was relatively mild (I never even pulled out my sleeping bag!). We still had a solid number of migrants this year and lots of other birds to keep visitors entertained. I feel so lucky to have been one small part of this fall season at Cape May, and I would like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy the birds and pay me a visit. The season would be nothing if it weren't for your smiling and helpful faces (no matter how many cool birds were around!). Thanks again for yet another great fall in good ol Cape May :D

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 30, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                7             31             80
Turkey Vulture              20            240            648
Osprey                       0             20           2629
Bald Eagle                   3             53            425
Northern Harrier             2            187            823
Sharp-shinned Hawk          19            617          15136
Cooper's Hawk                5            119           2929
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1            135            264
Broad-winged Hawk            0              5            991
Red-tailed Hawk              7            275            555
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       1             10           1602
Peregrine Falcon             0             25           1083
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                      65           1745          32428
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end   time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:       

Weather:
Moderate to heavy Southwest then West winds throughout the day with mostly
clear skies becoming dark and overcast around 1.

Raptor Observations:
A pretty decent day for the end of November dominated by vultures and
Sharp-shins.

Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
No predictions because the count is DONEZO!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Cape May Hawk Watch - 29 November 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 29, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	24	73
Turkey Vulture	0	220	628
Osprey	0	20	2629
Bald Eagle	0	50	422
Northern Harrier	1	186	822
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2	603	15122
Cooper's Hawk	1	116	2926
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	134	263
Broad-winged Hawk	0	5	991
Red-tailed Hawk	0	268	548
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	1	6
American Kestrel	0	27	5251
Merlin	0	9	1601
Peregrine Falcon	0	25	1083
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
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	6
Total:	4	1688	32371

Observation start time:	07:00:00
Observation end time:	14:00:00
Total observation time:	7 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Moderate SE winds and lots of rain.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:

---

Report submitted by Tom Magarian ()
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Cape May Hawk Watch - 28 November 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 28, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	24	73
Turkey Vulture	0	220	628
Osprey	0	20	2629
Bald Eagle	0	50	422
Northern Harrier	0	185	821
Sharp-shinned Hawk	3	601	15120
Cooper's Hawk	1	115	2925
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	134	263
Broad-winged Hawk	0	5	991
Red-tailed Hawk	0	268	548
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	1	6
American Kestrel	0	27	5251
Merlin	0	9	1601
Peregrine Falcon	0	25	1083
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
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	6
Total:	4	1684	32367

Observation start time:	07:00:00
Observation end time:	14:30:00
Total observation time:	7.5 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Mostly cloudy all day with light to moderate south winds.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:

---

Report submitted by Tom Magarian ()
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - November 29, 2011

[Red-throated Loons against the dawn sky at Avalon this morning. Photo by Tom Reed.]

After several strong flights, today ended up being rather quiet at the Seawatch. A mixed bag of weather seemed to hamper today's flight, with rain, fog, mist, shifting winds and even occasional breaks of sunshine all combining to make for curious flying (and viewing) conditions. Red-throated Loons produced a 1,000+ total for a remarkable 13th day in a row, and we now sit about 7,000 birds shy of the single-season record for the species.

Northern Gannets were really the only other species moving in noticeable numbers today, with scoters again having a weak day. A few gulls winged past early on, highlighted by two close Black-legged Kittiwakes. The clearing front may bring more dabbling ducks, geese and gulls tomorrow and/or Thursday.


American Black Duck - 2
Northern Pintail - 2
Surf Scoter - 636
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 193
dark-winged scoter - 59
Long-tailed Duck - 10
Bufflehead - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 8
Red-throated Loon - 1,030
Common Loon - 1
Northern Gannet - 703
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 17
Bonaparte's Gull - 24
Ring-billed Gull - 35
Herring Gull - 27
Great Black-backed Gull - 9
Black-legged Kittiwake - 2
Forster's Tern - 9

(Total = 2,771)

Avalon Seawatch - November 28, 2011

I sound like a broken record, but indeed, the Seawatch once again enjoyed a nice flight in nice weather today. How nice was it? A record high temperature was tied at the Atlantic City Airport (69 degrees), and even at Avalon's north end it was still downright balmy.

As for birds, a big morning movement of Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons was notable, and it ended up being our biggest total to date for the former. There was actually not much else on the move today, with one hour's scoter tally totaling a whopping six birds.

Common Eiders continue to trickle through, with three more today. Other goodies included a flock of seven American Wigeon, a dark-morph Parasitic Jaeger, and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Gerry & Chris Dewaghe were of great assistance during the early portion of the day, which included a first hour of over 5,000 birds. Big thanks go to them for their help today, and on numerous other days this season.


American Wigeon - 7
American Black Duck - 5
Greater Scaup - 3
scaup, sp. - 1
Common Eider - 3
Surf Scoter - 338
White-winged Scoter - 9
Black Scoter - 296
dark-winged scoter - 9
Long-tailed Duck - 3
Bufflehead - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 31
Red-throated Loon - 2,897
Common Loon - 8
Northern Gannet - 7,522
Double-crested Cormorant - 10
Laughing Gull - 60
Bonaparte's Gull - 40
Ring-billed Gull - 101
Herring Gull - 128
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 46
Forster's Tern - 34
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

(Total = 11,554)

Avalon Seawatch - November 27, 2011

[One of the many Northern Gannets feeding close
to the 7th Street seawall today. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Another great weather day brought another decent flight past the Avalon Seawatch. Certainly the day's highlight was the large number of Northern Gannets, which were at times on the move, and were at other times feeding and milling about. It made counting them a challenge, but the spectacle itself was very enjoyable. Otherwise there was much of the standard seawatch fare, with plenty of scoters and loons again passing through, along with a solid late season movement of Laughing Gulls.

[Common Eiders have become a daily sight at the Seawatch over the past week, with some occasional good looks at birds sitting on the water. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Observant readers of this blog will also notice that today's total was exactly 200 birds less than yesterday's count, and indeed, the past two day's totals for each species are also very similar across the board.


American Black Duck - 27
Green-winged Teal - 26
Greater Scaup - 4
Lesser Scaup - 5
Common Eider - 6
Surf Scoter - 1,284
White-winged Scoter - 61
Black Scoter - 1,586
dark-winged scoter - 57
Long-tailed Duck - 3
Bufflehead - 4
Red-breasted Merganser - 119
Red-throated Loon - 1,786
Common Loon - 11
Horned Grebe - 14
Northern Gannet - 5,333
Double-crested Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 351
Bonaparte's Gull - 44
Ring-billed Gull - 41
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Forster's Tern - 14

(Total = 10,779)

Hawk Watch Sunday November 27, 2011

Thank God it's Friday! Well, MY Friday at least, especially since it was dreadfully slow today. I'll be taking it easy for the next couple of days but I'll be back Wednesday to count the very last day of the season. Come on stop so I can give everyone a proper farewell :)

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 27, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             24             73
Turkey Vulture               0            220            628
Osprey                       0             20           2629
Bald Eagle                   0             50            422
Northern Harrier             1            185            821
Sharp-shinned Hawk          10            598          15117
Cooper's Hawk                4            114           2924
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1            134            263
Broad-winged Hawk            0              5            991
Red-tailed Hawk              4            268            548
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       0              9           1601
Peregrine Falcon             1             25           1083
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                      21           1680          32363
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 07:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Moderate and variable South winds with partly cloudy skies.

Raptor Observations:
Very slow and practically dead in the afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:
1 Common Gallinule, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 12 Lesser Scaup, 1 Ring-necked
Duck, 72 American Coots, 4 Hooded Mergansers, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers
(over the ocean), 2 Blue-winged Teal, 2 Bufflehead
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - November 26, 2011

It's pretty hard to complain when you can count 10,000 birds on a 65 degree day in late November- and that's exactly what we did at the Seawatch today. Another good flight of Red-throated Loons included hourly counts of over 600 at times, while peak hourly tallies for Northern Gannet surpassed 900 individuals. Species highlights included the season's second Canvasback, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, and 26 Common Eiders. Thanks to Tom Magarian for his assistance with the count this afternoon.

Brant - 4
American Wigeon - 1
American Black Duck - 46
Mallard - 2
Northern Pintail - 7
Green-winged Teal - 9
Canvasback - 1
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup - 6
Lesser Scaup - 3
scaup, sp. - 1
Common Eider - 26
Surf Scoter - 800
White-winged Scoter - 23
Black Scoter - 1,919
dark-winged scoter - 115
Long-tailed Duck - 33
Bufflehead - 4
Hooded Merganser - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 18
Red-throated Loon - 3,364
Common Loon - 12
Horned Grebe - 9
Northern Gannet - 4,076
Double-crested Cormorant - 17
Great Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 251
Bonaparte's Gull - 3
Ring-billed Gull - 166
Herring Gull - 16
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 9
Forster's Tern - 24
Parasitic Jaeger - 3

(Total = 10,979)

Hawk Watch Saturday November 26, 2011

The Hawk Watch is starting to wind down with only 4 more days left..even though it felt like October today with warmer weather. So if you still haven't quite gotten your raptor fix yet, you still have a few more days to come visit the counter on the platform.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 26, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             24             73
Turkey Vulture               0            220            628
Osprey                       1             20           2629
Bald Eagle                   1             50            422
Northern Harrier             9            184            820
Sharp-shinned Hawk          17            588          15107
Cooper's Hawk                4            110           2920
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          7            133            262
Broad-winged Hawk            0              5            991
Red-tailed Hawk             18            264            544
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       0              9           1601
Peregrine Falcon             0             24           1082
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                      57           1659          32342
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 07:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Light to almost nonexistent West to South-southwest winds with partly
cloudy skies. Quite warm.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:
1 Barn Swallow with 13 Tree Swallows, 7 Hooded Mergansers on the pond
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - November 25, 2011

A warm day with southwest winds produced a modest flight at Avalon, highlighted by a slow but steady stream of Red-throated Loons throughout the day, along with a fine selection of waterfowl. Four Black-legged Kittiwakes, including two southbound adults, were all seen during the morning, and Common Eiders continue to become more regular.

[Northern Shovelers are uncommon migrants at the Seawatch. This flock was a treat, particularly in favorable evening light. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Brant - 9
Canada Goose - 30
Wood Duck - 1
American Wigeon - 14
American Black Duck - 91
Mallard - 42
American Black Duck x Mallard hybrid - 1
Northern Shoveler - 22
Northern Pintail - 14
Green-winged Teal - 14
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup - 14
Lesser Scaup - 2
scaup, sp. - 1
Common Eider - 17
Surf Scoter - 815
White-winged Scoter - 15
Black Scoter - 1,355
dark-winged scoter - 366
scoter, sp. - 179
Long-tailed Duck - 29
Bufflehead - 4
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 64
Red-throated Loon - 2,639
Common Loon - 10
Horned Grebe - 20
Northern Gannet - 508
Double-crested Cormorant - 132
Great Cormorant - 4
Laughing Gull - 40
Bonaparte's Gull - 5
Ring-billed Gull - 221
Herring Gull - 74
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4
Great Black-backed Gull - 3
Black-legged Kittiwake - 2
Forster's Tern - 38

(Total = 6,811)

Avalon Seawatch - 24 November 2011

The seawatch was very similar to the day before. A steady slow movement all day. The morning brought the season's first Black-legged Kittiwake. A nice adult at that! And, two American Woodcock came in off the water late in the day.

Snow Goose - 2

Canada Goose - 4

Brant - 14

Tundra Swan - 10

Gadwall - 13

American Wigeon - 1

American Black Duck - 111

Mallard - 2

Northern Pintail - 10

Green-winged Teal - 62

Common Eider - 13

Surf Scoter - 861

White-winged Scoter - 11

Black Scoter - 2176

dark-winged scoter - 440

unidentified scoter -40

Long-tailed Duck - 17

Bufflehead - 1

Hooded Merganser - 3

Red-breasted Merganser - 45

Red-throated Loon - 2419

Common Loon - 11

Horned Grebe - 1

Northern Gannet - 1049

Double-crested Cormorant - 1339

Great Cormorant - 1

Laughing Gull - 43

Bonaparte's Gull - 6

Ring-billed Gull - 136

Herring Gull - 52

Great Black-backed Gull - 5

Black-legged Kittiwake - 1

Forster's Tern - 2

Total - 8901

Hawk Watch Friday November 25, 2011

I hope everyone had a relaxing, fun, and food-filled Thanksgiving yesterday! My Thanksgiving day was spent at the platform, and I was very thankful for the great movement of birds moving through yesterday. Today was quite a bit slower; a more typical late-November flight was seen with limited activity between 10 and 1.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 25, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             24             73
Turkey Vulture               0            220            628
Osprey                       2             19           2628
Bald Eagle                   3             49            421
Northern Harrier             8            175            811
Sharp-shinned Hawk          21            571          15090
Cooper's Hawk               10            106           2916
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          7            126            255
Broad-winged Hawk            0              5            991
Red-tailed Hawk             19            246            526
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       0              9           1601
Peregrine Falcon             0             24           1082
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                      70           1602          32285
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Light, variable West winds becoming mostly Southwest by the end of the day
with clear skies (just some wispy clouds at the end).

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:
2 male Eurasian Wigeons, 1 male Redhead, 3 Cave Swallow sightings, 2
Bufflehead
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawk Watch Thursday November 24, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 24, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               12             24             73
Turkey Vulture              85            220            628
Osprey                       0             17           2626
Bald Eagle                   4             46            418
Northern Harrier            20            167            803
Sharp-shinned Hawk          63            550          15069
Cooper's Hawk               21             96           2906
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk         54            119            248
Broad-winged Hawk            1              5            991
Red-tailed Hawk             58            227            507
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       0              9           1601
Peregrine Falcon             1             24           1082
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                     319           1532          32215
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 14:00:00 
Total observation time: 7.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Clear skies with North winds becoming Northwest.

Raptor Observations:
A very good late-November late with over 300 birds counted dominated by
Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and Sharp-shinned Hawks.  

Non-raptor Observations:

========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - 23 November 2011

Not a bad day overall. Nothing like the prior two days. Rain in the morning with ESE winds shifting to NW by mid day. There have up to four Common Eiders hanging out by the jetties, including on adult male. Also, all three scoters and one Great Cormorant have been hanging out as well.

Snow Goose - 20

Brant - 20

Wood Duck - 1

Gadwall - 1

American Wigeon - 1

American Black Duck - 75

Mallard - 33

Northern Pintail - 6

Greater Scaup - 1

Lesser Scaup - 4

Common Eider - 32

Surf Scoter - 906

White-winged Scoter - 24

Black Scoter - 1866

dark-winged scoter - 151

Long-tailed Duck - 24

Bufflehead - 7

Red-breasted Merganser - 118

Red-throated Loon - 2645

Common Loon - 4

Horned Grebe - 1

Northern Gannet - 1482

Double-crested Cormorant - 321

Great Cormorant - 3

Great Blue Heron - 2

Laughing Gull - 369

Bonaparte's Gull - 12

Ring-billed Gull - 56

Herring Gull - 130

Great black-backed Gull - 21

Forster's Tern - 12

Total - 8348

Hawk Watch November 23, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             61
Turkey Vulture               0            135            543
Osprey                       0             17           2626
Bald Eagle                   0             42            414
Northern Harrier             2            147            783
Sharp-shinned Hawk           4            487          15006
Cooper's Hawk                1             75           2885
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1             65            194
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk              0            169            449
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             27           5251
Merlin                       0              9           1601
Peregrine Falcon             1             23           1081
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
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              6

Total:                       9           1213          31896
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:45:00 
Observation end   time: 14:15:00 
Total observation time: 5.5 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Rain and thunderstorms delayed the count this morning.  During the count
period, we saw overcast skies but South winds turning to the Northwest as
the front passed...which also brought more rain showers in the afternoon
which ended the count early.

Raptor Observations:
Slow day.

Non-raptor Observations:

========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - November 22, 2011

"Some spillover of the loon flight might be in evidence tomorrow morning, though I can't imagine it'll even compare to what happened today."

Those were the words I used to quasi-predict today's flight at the Seawatch. I was wrong.

Today brought an even stronger flight to Avalon. Red-throated Loons were again the main course, but were also joined by nearly 30,000 scoter and big numbers of various other species. Loons started early, and reached a peak of over 3,100 in a single hour during the middle of the day. Unfortunately, the flight shut down about an hour before sundown, possibly due in part to a steady, soaking rain that took hold around 2pm.

Most big flights usually have at least one highlight bird, and today was no different- though it didn't feature a single species. An interesting hybrid gull, most likely a Black-headed X Ring-billed, flew past during the late-morning. Expect photos of it to appear on either this blog or on View From the Cape in the near future.

The totals below are once again thanks in large part to a dedicated group of folks who volunteered to help out today. Huge thanks go to Clay Sutton (who I left out yesterday, but devoted many hours over the past two days), Pat Sutton, Gerry & Chris Dewaghe, Tom Johnson, Melissa Roach, Michael O'Brien, Kevin Karlson, and Scott Whittle.

Brant - 3
Wood Duck - 3
American Wigeon - 31
American Black Duck - 67
Mallard - 13
Northern Shoveler - 4
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 433
Redhead - 9
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup - 43
Lesser Scaup - 63
Common Eider - 27
Surf Scoter - 13,633
White-winged Scoter - 251
Black Scoter - 13,515
dark-winged scoter - 2,237
scoter, sp. - 64
Long-tailed Duck - 14
Bufflehead - 23
Hooded Merganser - 14
Red-breasted Merganser - 1,213
Red-throated Loon - 15,787
Common Loon - 59
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 1,340
Double-crested Cormorant - 12
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 142
Bonaparte's Gull - 516
Ring-billed Gull - 89
Herring Gull - 65
Royal Tern - 3
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

(Total = 49,728)

Cape May Hawk Watch - 22 November 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 22, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	12	61
Turkey Vulture	1	135	543
Osprey	0	17	2626
Bald Eagle	0	42	414
Northern Harrier	0	145	781
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2	483	15002
Cooper's Hawk	0	74	2884
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	64	193
Broad-winged Hawk	0	4	990
Red-tailed Hawk	0	169	449
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	1	6
American Kestrel	0	27	5251
Merlin	0	9	1601
Peregrine Falcon	2	22	1080
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
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	6
Total:	5	1204	31887

Observation start time:	07:00:00
Observation end time:	14:00:00
Total observation time:	7 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Moderate ESE winds all day. Overcast with periods of rain.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:

---

Report submitted by Tom Magarian ()
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Cape May Hawk Watch - 21 November 2011

Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 21, 2011 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 12 61 Turkey Vulture 16 134 542 Osprey 0 17 2626 Bald Eagle 0 42 414 Northern Harrier 5 145 781 Sharp-shinned Hawk 5 481 15000 Cooper's Hawk 2 74 2884 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 64 193 Broad-winged Hawk 0 4 990 Red-tailed Hawk 1 169 449 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 6 American Kestrel 1 27 5251 Merlin 1 9 1601 Peregrine Falcon 0 20 1078 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 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 6 Total: 31 1199 31882 Observation start time: 08:45:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6.25 hours Official Counter Tom Magarian Observers: Weather: Rain early in the morning delayed the start. Overcast with ENE winds. Raptor Observations: Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Tom Magarian () Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/