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/

Avalon Seawatch - November 21, 2011

Upon arriving at the Seawatch this morning, I was presented with quarter-mile visibility, steady light rain and flat-calm seas. This wouldn't last long. By 9:30am, the rain moved offshore and a freshening northerly breeze quickly shooed away the fog. By 9:45am, high flocks of Red-throated Loons seemingly appeared from nowhere, and then all hell broke loose.

What would follow was something nobody could have predicted. The next seven hours each contained over 2,000 Red-throated Loons on the move, totaling 16,851 by day's end- a new single-day Seawatch record. Interestingly, the previous mark (11,214) was set just last year, and on the same date.

[A very, very, very small sample of what today's flight looked like. Photo by Sam Galick.]

Loons were everywhere over the seascape. Sometimes in tiered groups that spanned hundreds of feet vertically; sometimes in clustered lines, low over the bar; sometimes streaming high above or even behind us! On several occasions, it was possible to see hundreds of Red-throated Loons in the air at once.

And while loons stole the show today, there were other stories. About 10,000 total scoter were notable for the date, as were over 2,000 Double-crested Cormorants. Ring-billed and Herring Gulls were obviously moving during the afternoon, complementing a couple big pushes of Northern Gannets. The sky was absolutely packed with birds for several hours, showcasing autumn waterbird migration at its finest.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, today's effort was only made possible by the numerous people who stopped by to lend a hand. There was absolutely no way I could've counted everything on my own. Big, big, big thanks go to Ashley Green, Tony Leukering, Gail Dwyer, Glen Davis, Mike Crewe, Gerry & Chris Dewaghe, Tom Johnson and Melissa Roach for their assistance.

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. But who knows?

Brant - 4

Canada Goose - 7
Wood Duck - 2

American Wigeon - 5

American Black Duck - 59

Mallard - 4

Northern Pintail - 8

Green-winged Teal - 34

Ring-necked Duck - 2

Greater Scaup - 9

Lesser Scaup - 26

scaup, sp. - 13

Common Eider - 1

Surf Scoter - 6,042

White-winged Scoter - 56

Black Scoter - 3,396

dark-winged scoter - 903

Long-tailed Duck - 38

Bufflehead - 46

Hooded Merganser - 7

Red-breasted Merganser - 54

Red-throated Loon - 16,851

Common Loon - 81

Horned Grebe - 4

Northern Gannet - 2,824

Double-crested Cormorant - 2,399

Great Cormorant - 6

Great Blue Heron - 41

Laughing Gull - 46

Bonaparte's Gull - 42

Ring-billed Gull - 808

Herring Gull - 131

Great Black-backed Gull - 6

Forster's Tern - 16

Royal Tern - 17

Parasitic Jaeger - 2

(Total = 34,185)

Hawk Watch Sunday November 20, 2011

Well, it was an even slower raptor day with only 36 birds counted. The morning held the majority of the movement with a fair number of Sharp-shinned Hawks while the afternoon basically shut down and was quite slow. As I mentioned earlier, one of the best things about Cape May is that there is always something to look at...even when the hawks aren't flying.

Yellow-rumped Warblers aren't the only warbler species still around the point. There are still a few Blackpoll Warblers (and other species) fueling up on tasty treats.



Bunker Pond has its fair share of waterfowl at the moment including a group of 11 Lesser Scaup that showed up on Wednesday.

Birds do the darndest things. I captured this Pied-billed Grebe in an unfamiliar pose as it was vigorously taking a bath.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             61
Turkey Vulture               0            118            526
Osprey                       0             17           2626
Bald Eagle                   0             42            414
Northern Harrier             6            140            776
Sharp-shinned Hawk          24            476          14995
Cooper's Hawk                2             72           2882
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1             64            193
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk              2            168            448
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             26           5250
Merlin                       0              8           1600
Peregrine Falcon             1             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:                      36           1168          31851
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Moderate Southwest winds for much of the day with West-southwest winds for
the last 3 hours.  Mostly cloudy skies.

Raptor Observations:
A slow day overall but a fair number of Sharp-shins in the morning and a
late Peregrine.

Non-raptor Observations:
6 Tundra Swans in the morning, 1 Belted Kingfisher
========================================================================
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 20, 2011

A strong early morning rush of birds past Avalon didn't last long, but was enjoyable, particularly given the number of Red-throated Loons involved. Our consecutive-day Razorbill streak was halted at four, but we did add six Common Eiders today, highlighting a rather slim haul of waterfowl. A more "classic" seawatch weather day, in the form of rain showers and an ocean breeze, is anticipated for tomorrow. We'll see how it unfolds.

Brant - 6
Wood Duck - 1
American Wigeon - 6
American Black Duck - 6
Northern Pintail - 8
Green-winged Teal - 31
Ring-necked Duck - 8
Greater Scaup - 22
Lesser Scaup - 27
scaup, sp. - 11
Common Eider - 6
Surf Scoter - 1,234
White-winged Scoter - 14
Black Scoter - 521
dark-winged scoter - 36
Long-tailed Duck - 3
Bufflehead - 22
Hooded Merganser - 14
Red-breasted Merganser - 56
Red-throated Loon - 3,615
Common Loon - 22
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 64
Double-crested Cormorant - 45
Great Blue Heron - 2
Bonaparte's Gull - 67
Laughing Gull - 90
Ring-billed Gull - 33
Herring Gull - 2
Forster's Tern - 28
Royal Tern - 1

(Total = 6,003)

Hawk Watch Saturday November 19, 2011

It was a slower day at the hawk watch due to the Southwest winds, but there is always something to look at here in Cape May.

This Eastern Phoebe kept me company on a cold, rainy morning Nov. 17th.

One of the 3 Cave Swallows seen today. This particular individual has an obvious missing primary on the right wing.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 19, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             61
Turkey Vulture               0            118            526
Osprey                       1             17           2626
Bald Eagle                   0             42            414
Northern Harrier            13            134            770
Sharp-shinned Hawk          26            452          14971
Cooper's Hawk                5             70           2880
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          3             63            192
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk             11            166            446
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              1              6
American Kestrel             0             26           5250
Merlin                       1              8           1600
Peregrine Falcon             0             19           1077
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:                      60           1132          31815
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 to moderate Southwest winds and partly cloudy skies.

Raptor Observations:
1 late Osprey and Merlin with good looks at Northern Harriers.

Non-raptor Observations:
21 Killdeer, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 3 Cave Swallows
========================================================================
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 Friday November 18, 2011

Finally a good day in November!! Well, good for hawks at least. There have already been numerous days with impressive passerine movement so it was nice to have to hawks to finally count.

Immature Red-tailed Hawk that gave visitors on the platform a nice long look.

Clearly these adult male Northern Harriers don't want to travel together.

One of my absolute favorite raptors, an adult male Northern Harrier.

[All photos by Melissa Roach]

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 18, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                8             12             61
Turkey Vulture              76            118            526
Osprey                       0             16           2625
Bald Eagle                  13             42            414
Northern Harrier            36            121            757
Sharp-shinned Hawk          65            426          14945
Cooper's Hawk                4             65           2875
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk         19             60            189
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk             23            155            435
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 1              1              6
American Kestrel             2             26           5250
Merlin                       0              7           1599
Peregrine Falcon             0             19           1077
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:                     247           1072          31755
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Breezy variable Northwest winds the entire day with clear skies.

Raptor Observations:
Finally a good push in November with over 200 birds counted.  

Non-raptor Observations:
8 American Pipits, 8 Brant, 11 Mute Swans, 9 Tundra Swans, 12 Rusty
Blackbirds, 11 Lesser Scaup on the pond, 2 Bufflehead, 1 Barn Swallow, 1
Bank Swallow, 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 1 Cave Swallow, ~60 Tree
Swallows, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
========================================================================
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 19, 2011

It was a fantastic day at the 7th Street seawall, with over 18,000 migrants tallied. Red-throated Loons performed well throughout the day, particularly early and late. A river of Northern Gannets during the mid-morning was quite the sight, and nearly continuous scoter flocks were fun to pick through, as many contained other species of ducks, Horned Grebes and on one occasion, a Razorbill.

Brant - 10
Wood Duck - 23
American Wigeon - 7
American Black Duck - 62
Mallard - 6
Northern Shoveler - 38
Northern Pintail - 3
Green-winged Teal - 777
Ring-necked Duck - 135
Greater Scaup - 43
Lesser Scaup - 119
scaup, sp. - 56
Surf Scoter - 3,742
White-winged Scoter - 49
Black Scoter - 4,049
dark-winged scoter - 801
scoter, sp. - 172
Long-tailed Duck - 29
Bufflehead - 73
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 8
Red-breasted Merganser - 247
Ruddy Duck - 3
Red-throated Loon - 3,390
Common Loon - 14
Horned Grebe - 80
Northern Gannet - 3,992
Double-crested Cormorant - 528
Great Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 6
Laughing Gull - 56
Bonaparte's Gull - 31
Ring-billed Gull - 80
Herring Gull - 8
Forster's Tern - 34
Royal Tern - 4
Razorbill - 3

(Total = 18,694)

Avalon Seawatch - November 18, 2011

The return of blue skies and west winds coincided with a very nice flight past Avalon today. Quality and quantity were both enjoyed, with scarcities like Razorbill, King Eider (two) and Red-necked Grebe combining with four-digit tallies for six species.

Brant - 219
Canada Goose - 19
Wood Duck - 63
Gadwall - 12
American Wigeon - 12
American Black Duck - 92
Mallard - 13
Green-winged Teal - 61
Ring-necked Duck - 23
Greater Scaup - 16
Lesser Scaup - 6
scaup, sp. - 21
King Eider - 2 (both females)
Common Eider - 1
Surf Scoter - 1,064
Black Scoter - 1,745
dark-winged scoter - 587
scoter, sp. - 1,227
Long-tailed Duck - 32
Bufflehead - 175
Common Goldeneye - 14
Hooded Merganser - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 37
Red-throated Loon - 2,791
Common Loon - 17
Horned Grebe - 7
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 2,583
Double-crested Cormorant - 2,426
Great Cormorant - 6
Great Blue Heron - 1
Great Egret - 15
Laughing Gull - 13
Bonaparte's Gull - 5
Ring-billed Gull - 1,399
Herring Gull - 31
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Forster's Tern - 43
Royal Tern - 2
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
Razorbill - 1

(Total = 14,854)

Avalon Seawatch - 17 November 2011

Even more rain and much colder weather made for a rather bitter day. However, the birds put on a halfway decent show. A distant Razorbill flew south early in the day, and there were good numbers of White-winged Scoters, and Parasitic Jaegers. A flock of 12 Tundra Swans was a nice treat. And again, nasty weather proves to be productive.

Brant - 94

Tundra Swan - 12

Wood Duck - 1

Gadwall - 1

American Black Duck - 8

Mallard - 1

Green-winged Teal - 2

Greater Scaup - 7

Lesser Scaup - 5

scaup sp - 9

Surf Scoter - 914

White-winged Scoter - 35

Black Scoter - 1875

dark-winged scoter - 488

Long-tailed Duck - 27

Bufflehead - 101

Red-breasted Merganser - 80

Red-throated Loon - 1043

Common Loon - 10

Northern Gannet - 1608

Double-crested Cormorant - 1462

Great Cormorant - 1

Great Blue Heron - 6

Laughing Gull - 223

Bonaparte's Gull - 22

Ring-billed Gull - 77

Herring Gull - 37

Great Black-backed Gull - 7

Forster's Tern - 160

Royal Tern - 17

Parasitic Jaeger - 9

Razorbill - 1

Total - 8343

Avalon Seawatch - 16 November 2011

Even though there was rain most of the day, the birds birds still flew. In the morning before the heaviest rain started a female King Eider flew past with a male Long-tailed Duck, giving an excellent view. Then about a half hour later two Razorbills flew past and gave an absolutely crippling look! At the end of the day a mixed flock of terns and gulls provided a Black-headed Gull to the tally. So, if you want to brave a rainy day at the Seawatch, it can be very rewarding.

Mallard - 2

Northern Pintail - 1

Green-winged Teal - 3

Greater Scaup - 5

King Eider - 1

Surf Scoter - 507

White-winged Scoter - 9

Black Scoter - 1066

dark-winged scoter - 84

Long-tailed Duck - 3

Red-breasted Merganser - 28

Ruddy Duck - 2

Red-throated Loon - 143

Common Loon - 5

Horned Grebe - 1

Northern Gannet - 1268

Laughing Gull - 84

Bonaparte's Gull - 92

Black-headed Gull - 1

Ring-billed Gull - 32

Herring Gull - 22

Great Black-backed Gull - 27

Forster's Tern - 74

Royal Tern - 3

Razorbill - 2

Total - 3465

Hawk Watch Thursday November 17, 2011

It was another day of rain and brisk winds. Fortunately, the winds were coming from the North-northwest so I had a few raptors in between the bouts of rain. The true spectacle was the absolutely amazing songbird movement in the morning. The sky was littered with American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, American Pipits, and who knows what else. There's no telling what tomorrow's winds will bring our way. I would suggest getting out there and birding!

We're still seeing Bald Eagles almost daily even though some of them are the local residents but it's always a nice treat.

There are still reports of Snow Buntings on the state park beach. We had a flock of 12 fly up the dune this afternoon.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 17, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              4             53
Turkey Vulture               0             42            450
Osprey                       1             16           2625
Bald Eagle                   2             29            401
Northern Harrier             6             85            721
Sharp-shinned Hawk          10            361          14880
Cooper's Hawk                0             61           2871
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             41            170
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk              0            132            412
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
American Kestrel             4             24           5248
Merlin                       0              7           1599
Peregrine Falcon             1             19           1077
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:                      24            825          31508
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Another day filled with rain but very few raptors.  Much of the morning was
spent under the pavillion to avoid the rain.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:
11 Killdeer, 1 Ruddy Turnstone, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 1 Snowy Egret, 1 Cattle
Egret, 1 Bufflehead, 1 Lesser Scaup, 8 Wilson's Snipe, 11 Snow Geese, 36
Tundra Swans, 12 Snow Buntings

Predictions:
The rain has finally cleared so hopefully tomorrow will bring a late
November push of birds!
========================================================================
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 Wednesday November 16, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 16, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              4             53
Turkey Vulture               0             42            450
Osprey                       0             15           2624
Bald Eagle                   0             27            399
Northern Harrier             0             79            715
Sharp-shinned Hawk           3            351          14870
Cooper's Hawk                0             61           2871
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             41            170
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4            990
Red-tailed Hawk              0            132            412
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              5
American Kestrel             0             20           5244
Merlin                       0              7           1599
Peregrine Falcon             0             18           1076
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:                       3            801          31484
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
The day started with light rain off and on but by 11:30, the rain was heavy
and persistent so I took a break and came back at 12:45 when the rain
stopped.  Unfortunately, the rain picked up again even worse than before
around 2 so the count ended early.

Raptor Observations:
Lousy.

Non-raptor Observations:
4 Tundra Swans, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 110 American Coots, 13 Ruddy
Ducks, 15 Lesser Scaup
========================================================================
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 - 15 November 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 15, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	4	53
Turkey Vulture	0	42	450
Osprey	0	15	2624
Bald Eagle	0	27	399
Northern Harrier	5	79	715
Sharp-shinned Hawk	7	348	14867
Cooper's Hawk	0	61	2871
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	41	170
Broad-winged Hawk	0	4	990
Red-tailed Hawk	0	132	412
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	5
American Kestrel	3	20	5244
Merlin	0	7	1599
Peregrine Falcon	0	18	1076
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:	15	798	31481

Observation start time:	06:45:00
Observation end time:	15:00:00
Total observation time:	8.25 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Light westerly winds, with overcast skies. Ending with a light steady drizzle.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:

---

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