Northern Flicker - Higbee Beach
Red-headed Woodpecker (juvenile) - Higbee Beach
Red-headed Woodpecker (presumed second year) - Higbee Beachall photos copyright Tom Johnson
Morning Flight - woodpecker photos
Northern Flicker - Higbee BeachRed-headed Woodpecker (juvenile) - Higbee BeachRed-headed Woodpecker (presumed second year) - Higbee Beachall photos copyright Tom Johnson
Hawk Watch Friday September 30, 2011
Today was crazy good with LOTS of raptors moving through almost the entire day. Sharp-shinned Hawks and American Kestrels started off right after sunrise this morning and didn't seem to stop after that. We also had very good numbers of Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, and Merlins. One of the best highlights was a dark morph Swainson's Hawk picked up just after noon.
This was by far the best day of the season so far. Hopefully, there will be more days like this next month (and maybe even November), but what a great way to end the month of September!
Awesome shot of an immature Cooper's Hawk (photo by Tom Johnson).
This was by far the best day of the season so far. Hopefully, there will be more days like this next month (and maybe even November), but what a great way to end the month of September!
We were just 1 bird shy of reaching 200 Osprey today. Rats. (photo by Tom Johnson).
Awesome shot of an immature Cooper's Hawk (photo by Tom Johnson).
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 15 15
Turkey Vulture 0 21 21
Osprey 199 1347 1347
Bald Eagle 10 125 125
Northern Harrier 10 171 171
Sharp-shinned Hawk 921 3671 3671
Cooper's Hawk 87 484 484
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 9 9
Broad-winged Hawk 26 79 79
Red-tailed Hawk 0 43 43
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 620 2210 2210
Merlin 95 758 758
Peregrine Falcon 132 529 529
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 1 2 2
Total: 2103 9464 9464
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:15:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Light to moderate South-southwest winds for the vast majority of the day.
Clear skies for the first couple of hours progressively becoming partly to
mostly cloudy by the end of the day.
Raptor Observations:
A great push of birds today with over 2000 counted. The count was heavily
dominated by Sharp-shinneds, American Kestrels, and Osprey. We also had
good numbers of Cooper's Hawks (at the end of the day), Peregrines, and
Merlins. Unfortunately, Northern Harrier numbers are still very low for
the season.
One of the better highlights of the day was a fairly distant dark morph
Swainson's Hawk at 12:05.
Non-raptor Observations:
6 Hudsonian Godwits (together in a single flock), 1 Glossy Ibis, 7 Wood
Ducks
Predictions:
Since most of September has seen Southerly winds, tonight's cold front and
tomorrow's West winds should bring a strong push of birds tomorrow
(probably better than today).
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
30 September 2011 - Morning Flight
There was a small push early this morning, but not a whole lot to report. All small numbers of the expected species. Six Cape May Warblers were noteworthy. Two standout species were a lone Orchard Oriole heading south, and three Red-headed Woodpeckers, one adult and two immatures. Hopefully this weekend's change in weather will really turn the tide. See you out there!
Avalon Seawatch - 29 September 2011
The seawatch started off really this morning with a good flight of Double-crested Cormorants, but it then petered out pretty quickly. The first Common Loons flew by today. Six Brown Pelicans were a highlight, and Laughing gulls and terns then trickled through all day. In the last hour there were two flocks of Great Blue Herons totaling 15 birds and a small flock of Northern Pintails.
Passerines of note, were one Blackpoll Warbelr and three Savannah Sparrows.
American Black - 1
Northern Pintail - 19
Surf Scoter - 16
Black Scoter - 3
Common Loon - 6
Northenr Gannet - 19
Brown Pelican - 6
Double-crested Cormorant - 1670
Great Blue Heron - 15
Laughing Gull - 87
Ring-billed Gull - 2
Herring Gull - 9
Great Black-backed Gull - 14
Caspian Tern - 3
Common Tern - 27
Forster's Tern - 34
Royal Tern - 35
Black Skimmer - 1
(Total - 1967)
Hawk Watch Thursday September 29, 2011
Over 500 migrating raptors on a South wind? Yep, that's what happens when the month of September has been dominated by southerly winds. Birds just can't fight the itch anymore and start to head South...even if the winds are wrong. That's what we saw today. We had a very nice day at the platform with good showings of Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and Osprey. Peregrine Falcons also put on a great show for visitors today with just over 100 counted (first day over 100 this fall!). In fact, we were treated to great views of all 3 falcon species as many would fly right over the platform. We even had a Merlin zip just a few feet above visitors on the platfrom as it tried to snatch an American Goldfinch out of the air! Super cool.
A great shot of a banded female American Kestrel (photo by Tom Johnson).
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 15 15
Turkey Vulture 0 21 21
Osprey 60 1148 1148
Bald Eagle 1 115 115
Northern Harrier 6 161 161
Sharp-shinned Hawk 170 2750 2750
Cooper's Hawk 19 397 397
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 7 7
Broad-winged Hawk 7 53 53
Red-tailed Hawk 0 43 43
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 115 1590 1590
Merlin 77 663 663
Peregrine Falcon 101 397 397
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 1 1
Total: 556 7361 7361
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Varying South winds throughout the day but becoming a steady
South-southwest wind for the last 3 hours. The first half of the day saw
overcast skies but blue sky finally made an appearance and the rest of the
day had partly cloudy skies.
Raptor Observations:
A very good movement of birds considering the steady South winds all day.
Sharp-shinneds and American Kestrels were the most numerous (as usual), but
Peregrines also put on a very nice show (especially in the afternoon).
Non-raptor Observations:
~2500 Double-crested Cormorants, 4 Common Loons, 4 Parasitic Jaegers, 1
Pomarine Jaeger, 3 Caspian Terns, 6 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Stilt
Sandpipers, 2 Dunlin, 1 Eastern Phoebe
Predictions:
Similar to today's weather with light to moderate Southwest winds and a %30
chance of rain so I would expect a decent movement of birds tomorrow.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
29 September 2011 - Morning Flight
Don't worry, there's still a morning flight count going on at Higbee Beach! There hasn't been very much to report recently, but a trickle of birds is continuing to pass through. Birding in the woods and around Cape May Point has varied from mediocre to splendid, however - on occasion this week, the north edge of the woods at Higbee Beach has filled up with songbird flocks even though most are not engaging in redirected morning flight (top species number-wise this week include Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Blackpoll Warbler).
Today's highlight at Higbee was not at the Dike, but further south along the main path - a vagrant Black-throated Gray Warbler, most likely an immature female, was found by Jonathan Wasse and seen by many birders over the time it was in view.
Black-throated Gray Warbler - Higbee Beach 9/29/11 (photo by Tom Johnson)
I'm quite excited about the morning flight possibilities for Friday through Sunday (with Saturday being the expected big day based on the weather forecast). A passing cold front should drop temperatures and shift the wind around to a favorable west/ northwest vector sometime tomorrow. After a very slow September migration-wise, we are certainly ready for this one!
Today's highlight at Higbee was not at the Dike, but further south along the main path - a vagrant Black-throated Gray Warbler, most likely an immature female, was found by Jonathan Wasse and seen by many birders over the time it was in view.
Black-throated Gray Warbler - Higbee Beach 9/29/11 (photo by Tom Johnson)I'm quite excited about the morning flight possibilities for Friday through Sunday (with Saturday being the expected big day based on the weather forecast). A passing cold front should drop temperatures and shift the wind around to a favorable west/ northwest vector sometime tomorrow. After a very slow September migration-wise, we are certainly ready for this one!
Avalon Seawatch - 28 September 2011
Steady light southeast winds and no fog in sight, made for a great day at the Seawatch. The seasons first push of Black Scoter and Double-crested Cormorants gave us our first 1000 bird day! Only one songbird came off the water this morning, a Magnolia Warbler. The seasons first Great Cormorant, Blue-winged Teal, and American Black Duck flew by as well as good numbers of terns and Laughing Gulls. Three Parasitic Jaegers and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls were a treat, but the bird of the day was seen shortly after 11 am. An adult Bridled Tern passed at a distance, but was close enough to confidently ID. The buoyant springy flight style and the dark upper parts and white under parts all stood out.
There was a small flight of American Oystercatchers, as a few small flocks added up to 25 for the day.
American Black Duck - 1
Blue-winged Teal - 1
Green-winged Teal - 11
Surf Scoter - 16
Black Scoter - 177
Dark-winged Scoter - 3
Northern Gannet - 13
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 648
Great Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 90
Herring Gull - 9
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4
Caspian Tern - 7
Common Tern - 61
Forster's Tern -29
Royal Tern - 110
Parasitic Jaeger - 3
(Total - 1185)
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 15 15
Turkey Vulture 0 21 21
Osprey 28 1088 1088
Bald Eagle 0 114 114
Northern Harrier 8 155 155
Sharp-shinned Hawk 142 2580 2580
Cooper's Hawk 21 378 378
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 7 7
Broad-winged Hawk 4 46 46
Red-tailed Hawk 1 43 43
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 71 1475 1475
Merlin 28 586 586
Peregrine Falcon 73 296 296
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 1 1
Total: 376 6805 6805
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Light to moderate East/Southeast winds all day with overcast skies and
heavy fog at times.
Raptor Observations:
Good movement of birds between the bouts of fog with a good movement of
Peregrines in the late afternoon.
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 - September 27, 2011
Tuesday started with visibility once again under a half-mile, and pea soup conditions continued through most of the morning. Passerines were again in evidence from the Seawatch at dawn, with a fly-over Gray-cheeked Thrush being the best of the lot. The fog loosened up for portions of the afternoon and allowed me to register a respectable tally for several species.
Laughing Gulls trickled through all day, and were joined in the afternoon by small flocks of Common Terns. We finally tallied the season's first Green-winged Teal, along with the first actual flock of Black Scoters: 15 that raced past during one of the afternoon's foggiest stretches. We also finished strong at the end of the day, thanks to a mini-push of Royal Terns and Northern Gannets.
The day's tally follows-
Green-winged Teal 1
Surf Scoter 1 (adult male)
Black Scoter 21
Northern Gannet 34
Brown Pelican 7
Double-crested Cormorant 39
Great Blue Heron 4
Laughing Gull 125
Herring Gull 4
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Common Tern 61
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 19
Black Skimmer 1
(Total = 338)
Laughing Gulls trickled through all day, and were joined in the afternoon by small flocks of Common Terns. We finally tallied the season's first Green-winged Teal, along with the first actual flock of Black Scoters: 15 that raced past during one of the afternoon's foggiest stretches. We also finished strong at the end of the day, thanks to a mini-push of Royal Terns and Northern Gannets.
The day's tally follows-
Green-winged Teal 1
Surf Scoter 1 (adult male)
Black Scoter 21
Northern Gannet 34
Brown Pelican 7
Double-crested Cormorant 39
Great Blue Heron 4
Laughing Gull 125
Herring Gull 4
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Common Tern 61
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 19
Black Skimmer 1
(Total = 338)
27 September 2011 - Hawk Watch
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Weather:
Heavy fog clearing briefly midday. Light SE 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/
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2011 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Osprey | 34 | 1060 | 1060 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 114 | 114 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 147 | 147 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 174 | 2438 | 2438 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 26 | 357 | 357 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 3 | 42 | 42 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 42 | 42 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 158 | 1404 | 1404 |
| Merlin | 63 | 558 | 558 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 21 | 223 | 223 |
| 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 482 | 6429 | 6429 |
| Observation start time: | 05:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Tom Magarian |
| Observers: |
Weather:
Heavy fog clearing briefly midday. Light SE 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/
26 September 2011 - Hawk Watch
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Avalon Seawatch - September 26, 2011
The north end of Avalon was socked in with heavy fog on Monday, and very few migrants were detected. Four Brown Pelicans were nice, and we once again enjoyed a few passerines at dawn, highlighted by a Scarlet Tanager. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was found by Tony Leukering during the afternoon as it played hide-and-seek in the junipers across the street. I'm currently writing from the seawatch at pre-dawn Tuesday, and to be honest, the fog looks even denser than it was yesterday.
Hawk Watch Sunday September 25, 2011
After many, many days of cruddy skies and Southerly winds, we finally had a decent hawk flight today...surprisingly. Even though there were overcast skies, dense fog, and essentially no wind, the raptors were on the move today! In the span from 10 to 2, we had 479 migrants. Even though most birds were quite high (sometimes disappearing in the fog/clouds), we had some good looks at Osprey, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, and all three falcon species. With the winds picking up from the Southeast in the afternoon, activity died down considerably but most visitors to the platform were able to (finally) see some fall migration.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 11 11
Osprey 89 976 976
Bald Eagle 5 107 107
Northern Harrier 14 135 135
Sharp-shinned Hawk 303 1978 1978
Cooper's Hawk 45 290 290
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 7 7
Broad-winged Hawk 2 34 34
Red-tailed Hawk 2 41 41
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 141 1039 1039
Merlin 39 438 438
Peregrine Falcon 21 146 146
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 1 1
Total: 662 5212 5212
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
The day began with very light Northeast winds but most of the morning
consisted of practically nonexistent winds. Finally around noon, an
actually East wind developed that eventually turned to the Southeast for
the last hour. There was poor visibility for almost the entire day with
overcast skies and a moderate fog that encircled the platform for much of
the count.
Raptor Observations:
Finally a good day of movement dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks, American
Kestrels, and Osprey.
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 - September 25, 2011
I'm a bit short on time tonight, but Sunday was quite similar to the past few days at the Seawatch. The day saw a nice push of Double-crested Cormorants during the late-morning and early-afternoon, with just a smattering of other early season migrants such as terns, gulls and pelicans. There was also a noticeable "morning flight" over the seawatch this morning with numerous passerines coming in off the water, highlighted by a Lark Sparrow that made several loops over the parking area before joining up with two Savannah Sparrows and ultimately heading south down the dunes. Seven species of warblers, including 6 Cape May Warblers, were a nice treat.
[Great Black-backed Gulls at the Seawatch have been unsuccessful in
The following list includes only those species counted today:
Northern Pintail 13
Northern Gannet 10
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 345
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Laughing Gull 16
Herring Gull 14
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Common Tern 18
Forster's Tern 4
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 10
[Great Black-backed Gulls at the Seawatch have been unsuccessful in pirating fish from Osprey so far this season- even when multiple gulls are
involved in the chase. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]
involved in the chase. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]
The following list includes only those species counted today:
Northern Pintail 13
Northern Gannet 10
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 345
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Laughing Gull 16
Herring Gull 14
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Common Tern 18
Forster's Tern 4
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 10
24 September 2011 - Morning flight
Today was a a rather slow day with a total of 65 birds tallied. The standouts were 4 Cape May Warblers and 1 Wilson's Warbler. What we need now to end these doldrums is a major change in the weather and unfortunately it does not appear to be happening anytime soon.
Avalon Seawatch - September 24, 2011
Today featured weather that was comparable to yesterday, with mild and overcast conditions prevailing, but with not nearly enough breeze to keep away the billions of no-see-ums at dawn! And unlike yesterday there was a noticeable, albeit small, pulse of birds during the mid-morning, highlighted by 32 Brown Pelicans. Double-crested Cormorants put in their first showing of the season, with small groups sliding past all day. Our first wading bird of the season was a Great Blue Heron that appeared out of the early morning fog, and our first flock of dabbling ducks came by way of 33 Northern Pintails that passed during the 4:00 hour.
[Six of the 32 Brown Pelicans that passed by the
Seawatch today. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]
Other notable sightings included a flock of 5 Whimbrel, a single Red Knot and an extremely dark Peregrine Falcon that buzzed the seawall during the afternoon. The day's list follows- count species are bold-faced, and totals for those species reflect only the number of individuals migrating today.
--
Avalon Seawatch, Cape May, US-NJ
Sep 24, 2011
39 species (+2 other taxa)
Northern Pintail 33 (one flock during 4pm hour)
Northern Gannet 8 (6 adults, 1 juvenile, 1 3rd-year)
Double-crested Cormorant 128
Brown Pelican 32 (all between 9:00 and 10:30am; a slight majority adults)
Great Blue Heron 1 (high over ocean, shortly after dawn)
Osprey 12
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1 (juvenile)
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Whimbrel 5 (one flock high overhead at 4:19pm, headed ESE)
Ruddy Turnstone 6
Red Knot 1 (flying out of inlet)
Sanderling 24
Semipalmated Sandpiper 9
Least Sandpiper 1
peep sp. 7
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Caspian Tern 3
Common Tern 32
Forster's Tern 2
Royal Tern 11
Black Skimmer 7 (one flock southbound at 6:29pm)
Parasitic Jaeger 1 (dark-morph juvenile during 3pm hour; passed close over bar)
Rock Pigeon 9
Mourning Dove 2
crow sp. 7
Tree Swallow 90
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 2
Blackpoll Warbler 1 (flew in off water at 8:19am)
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 3 (flew in off water at 7:48am)
House Sparrow 18
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)
[Six of the 32 Brown Pelicans that passed by theSeawatch today. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]
Other notable sightings included a flock of 5 Whimbrel, a single Red Knot and an extremely dark Peregrine Falcon that buzzed the seawall during the afternoon. The day's list follows- count species are bold-faced, and totals for those species reflect only the number of individuals migrating today.
--
Avalon Seawatch, Cape May, US-NJ
Sep 24, 2011
39 species (+2 other taxa)
Northern Pintail 33 (one flock during 4pm hour)
Northern Gannet 8 (6 adults, 1 juvenile, 1 3rd-year)
Double-crested Cormorant 128
Brown Pelican 32 (all between 9:00 and 10:30am; a slight majority adults)
Great Blue Heron 1 (high over ocean, shortly after dawn)
Osprey 12
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1 (juvenile)
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Whimbrel 5 (one flock high overhead at 4:19pm, headed ESE)
Ruddy Turnstone 6
Red Knot 1 (flying out of inlet)
Sanderling 24
Semipalmated Sandpiper 9
Least Sandpiper 1
peep sp. 7
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Caspian Tern 3
Common Tern 32
Forster's Tern 2
Royal Tern 11
Black Skimmer 7 (one flock southbound at 6:29pm)
Parasitic Jaeger 1 (dark-morph juvenile during 3pm hour; passed close over bar)
Rock Pigeon 9
Mourning Dove 2
crow sp. 7
Tree Swallow 90
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 2
Blackpoll Warbler 1 (flew in off water at 8:19am)
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 3 (flew in off water at 7:48am)
House Sparrow 18
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)
Hawk Watch Saturday September 24, 2011
It was a much better day on the platform compared to yesterday's dreadful weather and lack of birds. We had a decent movement of raptors for the first half of the day but things died down quite a bit in the afternoon.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 24, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 11 11
Osprey 25 887 887
Bald Eagle 1 102 102
Northern Harrier 4 121 121
Sharp-shinned Hawk 82 1675 1675
Cooper's Hawk 8 245 245
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 6
Broad-winged Hawk 1 32 32
Red-tailed Hawk 0 39 39
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 23 898 898
Merlin 24 399 399
Peregrine Falcon 12 125 125
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 1 1
Total: 180 4550 4550
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Very light and variable winds throughout the day with overcast skies
accompanied by light scattered showers in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
A better day than yesterday with fairly good movement of birds. We had
good numbers of Osprey, Sharp-shinns, and all 3 falcon species. Numbers
started to dwindle around 12:30 STD and the afternoon was very slow.
Non-raptor Observations:
Very good numbers of Yellowleg sp (approximately 130), 3 Stilt Sandpipers,
2 Dowitcher sp, 10 Pectoral Sandpipers, 1 Blue Grosbeak, 2 Caspian Terns, 1
American Bittern, 7 Chimney Swifts, 3 Parasitic Jaegers, 1 Common
Nighthawk, 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
========================================================================
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 September 23, 2011
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 23, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 11 11
Osprey 5 862 862
Bald Eagle 0 101 101
Northern Harrier 0 117 117
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 1593 1593
Cooper's Hawk 1 237 237
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 6
Broad-winged Hawk 0 31 31
Red-tailed Hawk 0 39 39
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 1 875 875
Merlin 4 375 375
Peregrine Falcon 9 113 113
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 1 1
Total: 27 4370 4370
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Southeast winds dominated the day with scattered showers throughout.
Raptor Observations:
A very slow day with only 27 birds counted. Most activity happened between
12 and 1 when the clouds lifted briefly.
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Bonaparte's Gull
========================================================================
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 - September 23, 2011
Today marked my first day of the season at the Seawatch. A few rain showers made brief appearances throughout the day, but all in all, the forecast was far better than I was anticipating. Overcast and mild conditions coupled with a light southeasterly breeze to make for a pleasant time, even though only a few dozen migrant waterbirds were tallied.
Highlights included an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, three Parasitic Jaegers and a single Brown Pelican. "Non-count" birds of note included 13 each of Red Knot and Pectoral Sandpiper, all southbound. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more birdy- stop by and say hello!
The list is below; bold-faced species were counted.
Surf Scoter 1 (female)
Black Scoter 3 (females; northbound)
Northern Gannet 2 (one adult, one 3rd-year; both northbound)
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Brown Pelican 1
Osprey 14
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover 2 (on beach at 8th Street)
American Oystercatcher 4
Ruddy Turnstone 11
Red Knot 13 (groups of 11 and 2; southbound)
Sanderling 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 13 (one flock; southbound during afternoon rain squall)
Dunlin 2
Laughing Gull 37 (7 migrants)
Herring Gull 18
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (adult; traveling south with 1st-cycle GBBG)
Great Black-backed Gull 55 (5 migrants)
Caspian Tern 8
Common Tern 62 (22 migrants)
Forster's Tern 35
Royal Tern 29 (11 migrants)
Parasitic Jaeger 3 (two light-morph adults; one dark-morph immature)
Rock Pigeon 5
Tree Swallow 250
Blackpoll Warbler 3 (all flying in off ocean during first 90 minutes of day)
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 1 (flying in off ocean at dawn)
House Sparrow 7
Highlights included an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, three Parasitic Jaegers and a single Brown Pelican. "Non-count" birds of note included 13 each of Red Knot and Pectoral Sandpiper, all southbound. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more birdy- stop by and say hello!
The list is below; bold-faced species were counted.
Surf Scoter 1 (female)
Black Scoter 3 (females; northbound)
Northern Gannet 2 (one adult, one 3rd-year; both northbound)
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Brown Pelican 1
Osprey 14
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover 2 (on beach at 8th Street)
American Oystercatcher 4
Ruddy Turnstone 11
Red Knot 13 (groups of 11 and 2; southbound)
Sanderling 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 13 (one flock; southbound during afternoon rain squall)
Dunlin 2
Laughing Gull 37 (7 migrants)
Herring Gull 18
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (adult; traveling south with 1st-cycle GBBG)
Great Black-backed Gull 55 (5 migrants)
Caspian Tern 8
Common Tern 62 (22 migrants)
Forster's Tern 35
Royal Tern 29 (11 migrants)
Parasitic Jaeger 3 (two light-morph adults; one dark-morph immature)
Rock Pigeon 5
Tree Swallow 250
Blackpoll Warbler 3 (all flying in off ocean during first 90 minutes of day)
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 1 (flying in off ocean at dawn)
House Sparrow 7
22 September 2011 - Sea Watch
The Seawatch in Avalon begins! The day was a perfect example of early season at the Sea Watch, slow and dicey weather with a few good birds. The day started with a good bit of rain and heavy fog, which cleared after a couple of hours. The rain stayed away for the rest of the day, but the fog would come back randomly throughout the day. This however, played out well, as an intermediate morph juvenile Parasitic Jaeger came cruising along the edge of the fog bank midday and provided an excellent, but rather haunting look as it faded in and out of the fog and then just disappeared, and was then gone in the mist. Seven Brown Pelicans were the other highlight. A group of four in the morning and then a group of three late in the day. Oh, and the first bird of the season was a nice adult Northern Gannet!
Northern Gannet - 2
Brown Pelican - 7
Caspian Tern - 9
Common Tern - 42
Royal Tern - 47
Black Skimmer - 2
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
Small sterna sp - 4
Hawk Watch Monday September 20
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Hawk Watch Monday September 19
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Hawk Watch Thursday September 22, 2011
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 8 8
Osprey 5 808 808
Bald Eagle 1 86 86
Northern Harrier 2 106 106
Sharp-shinned Hawk 86 1291 1291
Cooper's Hawk 7 185 185
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 0 26 26
Red-tailed Hawk 0 31 31
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 2 837 837
Merlin 5 330 330
Peregrine Falcon 4 98 98
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 1 1
Total: 112 3821 3821
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
The first few hours of the day started with fog, mist, and light/moderate
rain that eventually gave way to sunny skies. The sun only lasted a couple
of hours, however, as fog rolled in off of the ocean. Later in the
afternoon, scattered showers developed and heavier rain set in for the last
hour. South winds dominated for the majority of the day with Southeast
winds for the last few hours.
Raptor Observations:
Quite the slow day with only spurts of activity.
Non-raptor Observations:
Parasitic Jaeger, Common Loon
Predictions:
Does not look promising due to significant rain predicted for tomorrow.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
22 September 2011 - Morning Flight
Early rain and fog made this morning's songbird flight at Higbee Beach a washout. After hanging around for two hours (mostly hiding from the rain inside my car), I headed to Cape May Point State Park, where the birding was fairly slow, but we did see a Eurasian Collared-Dove fly past the hawkwatch a few times, and a calling American Golden-Plover headed west along the beach. The hawk flight was pretty slow, as expected on a dreary south wind day. What a lackluster September for migration weather at Cape May!
Hawk Watch Wednesday September 21, 2011
Even though the forecast called for Southeast winds today, the day started with Northeast winds for the first couple of hours and only turned to the East. Therefore, much to my surprise, there was a decent flight of hawks for the first half of the day. Unfortunately, the flight seemed to completely shut down in the afternoon and very few birds were counted after noon (STD).
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 8 8
Osprey 3 803 803
Bald Eagle 0 85 85
Northern Harrier 3 104 104
Sharp-shinned Hawk 94 1205 1205
Cooper's Hawk 5 178 178
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 1 26 26
Red-tailed Hawk 3 31 31
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 10 835 835
Merlin 16 325 325
Peregrine Falcon 5 94 94
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 1 1
Total: 140 3709 3709
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
The day started with light Northeast winds that soon became light to
moderate East winds for the majority of the day. Mostly to completely
cloudy skies throughout the day with light scattered showers in the
afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Fairly good movement of birds for the first half of the day but migration
almost completely shut down in the afternoon.
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/
21 September 2011 - Morning Flight
Morning flight at Higbee Beach was slow again today; observations from Michael O'Brien and others at Cape May Point (~2 miles south of the Higbee dike) suggested a slightly stronger flight lasting later into the morning there, but it did not extend north through Higbee. Approximately 30-40 warblers "flew out" of the woods; these were dominated by Northern Waterthrush and Blackpoll Warbler (notice the trend away from the early season flights dominated by Yellow Warbler and American Redstart?), but also included a Bay-breasted Warbler and a Pine Warbler. Most exciting to me were the two Wild Turkeys that popped up over the woods before dawn and landed on the road next to my car! While there are breeding turkeys on the island, they are not numerous and typically not in Higbee Beach proper, but a bit further east along New England Rd.
20 September 2011 - Morning Flight
There was virtually no visible songbird movement this morning at Higbee Beach in Cape May. One Northern Parula thought it a good idea to fly north out of the woods; the little warbler was promptly dissuaded by a hunting Merlin, and the "morning flight" for the day was officially over. South winds are on deck for the near future, so I don't anticipate a significant flight for several days, though some birds might be moving if the wind is light enough.
In other news, I saw a Violet-green Swallow yesterday afternoon along the dune ponds between Cape May Point State Park and the Meadows. The bird was feeding with a Barn Swallow and disappeared to the north shortly after I got close looks and some photos. This is the third Violet-green Swallow in Cape May after one in November 1992 and another in October 1997. New Jersey's third record was from East Point, Cumberland County, in November 1999. Given the extreme rarity of this species in the east, it seems very strange to me that NJ now has 4 records.
The Violet-green Swallow might have been seen from a boat in Cape May harbor today, but it was unconfirmed as far as I know. Since the other two Cape May birds stuck around for several days, I wouldn't be surprised if this one reappears soon. Good luck!
In other news, I saw a Violet-green Swallow yesterday afternoon along the dune ponds between Cape May Point State Park and the Meadows. The bird was feeding with a Barn Swallow and disappeared to the north shortly after I got close looks and some photos. This is the third Violet-green Swallow in Cape May after one in November 1992 and another in October 1997. New Jersey's third record was from East Point, Cumberland County, in November 1999. Given the extreme rarity of this species in the east, it seems very strange to me that NJ now has 4 records.
The Violet-green Swallow might have been seen from a boat in Cape May harbor today, but it was unconfirmed as far as I know. Since the other two Cape May birds stuck around for several days, I wouldn't be surprised if this one reappears soon. Good luck!
Fall 2011 Seasonal Staff
Here at Cape May we are so lucky each year to have funding for a team of Seasonal Counters and Interpretive Naturalists who provide field data for our research projects and help to inform and educate our thousands of visitors during the Fall season. Here's a quick look at this year's team.
REBECCA ALLMOND
Monarch Migration Project Naturalist
Rebecca Allmond hails from a small town in Upstate New York. She is a biologist with a well-rounded background in both biology and the liberal arts. Pursing her love of nature she has worked in greenhouses, national parks and universities. Her experiences range from garden sales to interpretive park ranger, to entomologist, having researched an endemic Hawaiian damselfly and the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly. Currently, she is working at the NJ Audubon in Cape May, adding her honed field skills to the Monarch Monitoring Project. She has decided to pursue entomology conservation, specifically butterflies, and is currently researching Master’s degree programs.
KATHY HIXSONHawkwatch Interpretive Naturalist
Kathy joins us at CMBO after spending the summer as a field technician in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Although she was studying amphibians, she spent much of her summer marveling at western birds and is ecstatic to now call bird-watching her job. Kathy is a native of the Appalachian mountains of southwestern Virginia and graduated this past May from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Wildlife Science. Having spent most of her spare time during college searching for salamanders on rainy nights, maintaining remote sensor cameras for a bobcat study, and banding passerines, she looks forward to going back to school and diving headfirst into some graduate research. For now, she is excited to have the opportunity to witness the amazing hawk migration at Cape May.
TOM JOHNSON
Morning Flight CounterTom has been watching and learning about birds since childhood. More recently, he has also enjoyed photographing birds, writing about birds, counting birds, and traveling to see birds, but he won't rule
out dinners by candlelight or long walks on the beach. Road trips across North America and southern South America were important in fueling his interest, and field research on owls, swallows, shorebirds, and gulls has helped focus his passion with a hint of science. In the future, Tom would like to work in a capacity to promote conservation both in North America and further afield.
TIFFANY KERSTENGeorge Meyers Field Naturalist
Tiffany first got hooked on birds at age 12, after participating in a birding class and being led to a field full of Sandhill Cranes calling and doing their mating dance. She comes from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, earning a B.S. in Natural Resources from Northland College in 2010. After a four year stint with the US Forest Service conducting various bird surveys, and three years censusing waterfowl for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tiffany spent last fall here as a HawkWatch Interpretive Naturalist, and returns this fall as the George Meyers Field Naturalist. In the interim she has spent the winter conducting Honeycreeper research in Hawaii, and the spring and summer monitoring shorebirds on Cape Cod, Ma. She is also working towards a certificate in Supervisory Leadership, as she hopes to one day become the director of a nature center or bird observatory.
TOM MAGARIAN
Swing Counter
You may remember Tom from the hawkwatch, as he was the primary counter from 2004-2006. He returns this season as the swing counter, dividing his time equally between the Swarovski Hawkwatch, Morning Flight and Seawatch. Tom grew up in the sticks of central New York State where his interest in birds and nature were just a part of growing up. He earned a BS in wildlife biology from Unity College, Maine in 2002. After the 2006 season he spent most of the next year in Arizona working on several research projects and moved back to Cape May for the winter. In the spring of 2008 he was hired by New Jersey Audubon as a research associate, conducting avian radar studies in Lowville, NY; Block Island, RI and, most recently, Monhegan Island, ME. Tom was also part of a NJ Audubon research expedition to South America to collect data toward the conservation of Semipalmated Sandpipers. He looks forward to seeing old and new faces at the fall counts this season.
Monarch Migration Project Intern
Victoria - Tori to her friends - graduated from Lafayette College (Easton, PA) in May 2011 with a degree focusing on ecology and environmental science. She is very interested in monarch biology, conservation, and education. Monarchs were the subject of her undergraduate research and honors thesis! Since graduation, she has worked in a drug testing facility as well as teaching swim lessons in Pennsylvania. She is very excited to be working on the Monarch Monitoring Project this season and looks forward to learning more about theses amazing butterflies! *Fingers Crossed for a Cape May recovery in Mexico!*
Seawatch Counter
Tom Reed is the Primary Seawatch Counter for the 2011 season. A familiar face in the New Jersey birding community, he is a fixture in Cape May and a sixth-generation area resident. Tom volunteers as one of CMBO’s Associate Naturalists, is a member of CMBO’s World Series of Birding team, and contributes to BirdCapeMay.org. He has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout southern New Jersey on behalf of several organizations and government agencies, has written for various birding publications, and is the founder of the Mizpah Christmas Bird Count. Tom recently graduated from Rutgers University and holds a B.S. in Environmental Policy, Institutions & Behavior.
LAUREN RICHARDHawkwatch Interpretive Naturalist
Lauren grew up in Vermont and graduated in May 2010 from beautiful Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks. While earning bachelors of science degrees in biology and wildlife, she enjoyed working on various sustainability-related projects. She has always had a great love of the natural world, and more recently of birds in particular. Lauren was fortunate to have an 'Adirondack Raptors' class at her college, and so it began! There, she grew in awe of nature's feathered beauties, and learned about Cape May's significance as a migratory hotspot and "Bird Mecca". She is honored to be here for the season. After living her whole life inland, she aspires to finally learn some shorebirds! Thankfully, Cape May's hawkwatch is a place you can't be without learning. Lauren is now beginning to pursue a graduate degree so she can do more to conserve the habitat of all the world's creatures.
MELISSA ROACH
Hawk Counter
Returning for a fourth season after spending last fall as Hawk Counter and the previous two as Hawk Watch Interpretive Naturalist for CMBO, Melissa feels like a fixture here. Earning her B.S. in biology from Lynchburg College, Virginia in 2008, Melissa has always had a strong passion for the environment and its study. Although her undergraduate research focused on the fishing spider Dolomedes scriptus, Melissa has an ever-increasing appetite to explore the field of ornithology. In spring and summer 2010, Melissa helped conduct Golden-winged Warbler field research in West Virginia and spent this past spring and summer in beautiful Missouri, conducting an extensive nest-searching and monitoring study with a graduate student.
Returning for a fourth season after spending last fall as Hawk Counter and the previous two as Hawk Watch Interpretive Naturalist for CMBO, Melissa feels like a fixture here. Earning her B.S. in biology from Lynchburg College, Virginia in 2008, Melissa has always had a strong passion for the environment and its study. Although her undergraduate research focused on the fishing spider Dolomedes scriptus, Melissa has an ever-increasing appetite to explore the field of ornithology. In spring and summer 2010, Melissa helped conduct Golden-winged Warbler field research in West Virginia and spent this past spring and summer in beautiful Missouri, conducting an extensive nest-searching and monitoring study with a graduate student.
Hawk Watch Sunday September 18, 2011
Considering we had Northeast winds throughout the entire day, we had a fairly good number of migrants dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks, Osprey, and Merlin. Highlights included very nice looks at a young Lark Sparrow and a Common Loon flying right over the platform.
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 18, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 8 8
Osprey 35 800 800
Bald Eagle 3 85 85
Northern Harrier 7 101 101
Sharp-shinned Hawk 84 1111 1111
Cooper's Hawk 7 173 173
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 1 25 25
Red-tailed Hawk 5 28 28
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 18 825 825
Merlin 35 309 309
Peregrine Falcon 4 89 89
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 1 1
Total: 199 3569 3569
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Northeast winds and heavy cloud coverage all day.
Raptor Observations:
Fairly good number of migrants considering the Northeast winds today
dominated by Sharp-shins, Osprey, and Merlin.
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/
Hawk Watch Saturday September 17, 2011
There were some raptors migrating early today but with the winds switching to the East coupled with dreary skies, migration came to a stop and most birds were simply hanging around the area foraging. Light rain developed around noon and eventually became persistent and heavy, cutting the count 2 hours short. We were able to see some really nice views of Merlins zipping past before the rain drenched the platform.
A typical view of a fast-flying Merlin: a small dark falcon zipping by so fast it looks like a blur (photo by Jon McRay).
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 17, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 9 9
Turkey Vulture 0 8 8
Osprey 22 765 765
Bald Eagle 0 82 82
Northern Harrier 8 94 94
Sharp-shinned Hawk 62 1027 1027
Cooper's Hawk 4 166 166
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 1 24 24
Red-tailed Hawk 1 23 23
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 37 807 807
Merlin 4 274 274
Peregrine Falcon 1 85 85
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 1 1
Total: 141 3370 3370
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 13:45:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
The day started with North-northeast winds but they gradually turned
completely to the East. Cloud rolled in fairly soon in the morning, and
the sky remained overcast for the remainder of the day. Light rain started
around noon and continued for the rest of the day. The count was cut short
at 1:45 STD due to increased rain.
Raptor Observations:
Some movement in the morning but most birds seemed to be milling around the
area and not actually leaving. Only 2 raptors were counted in the last 3
hours due to steady rain.
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/
17 September 2011 - Morning Flight
Today (Saturday) marked another great day at Higbee Beach. ~1550 warblers of 21+ species flew out this morning; this total included >500 Northern Parula and good numbers of American Redstart, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Palm Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler. The next few days look like a bit of a washout for morning flight, so enjoy some photos while you wait for more songbirds to arrive in the mid-Atlantic.
This photo shows the blurry flank streaks, abrupt color changes below, and white undertail coverts typical of a Blackpoll Warbler in flight.
Bay-breasted Warblers are tough to identify in morning flight, but close looks occasionally reveal the smooth colors of the underparts which typically blend together nicely.
Catharus (and Hylocichla/ Wood Thrush) thrushes are not usually part of the morning flight phenomenon at Cape May; however, this Gray-cheeked Thrush got up high from the woods of Higbee Beach and flew over the Cape May Canal this morning, making the most convincing display of this behavior by a member of the genus that I've ever seen.
Eastern Wood-Pewees are lanky and loose fliers, and are readily told in flight from their smaller, stubbier, and more frenetic cousins, the Empidonax flycatchers.
This photo shows the blurry flank streaks, abrupt color changes below, and white undertail coverts typical of a Blackpoll Warbler in flight.
Bay-breasted Warblers are tough to identify in morning flight, but close looks occasionally reveal the smooth colors of the underparts which typically blend together nicely.
Catharus (and Hylocichla/ Wood Thrush) thrushes are not usually part of the morning flight phenomenon at Cape May; however, this Gray-cheeked Thrush got up high from the woods of Higbee Beach and flew over the Cape May Canal this morning, making the most convincing display of this behavior by a member of the genus that I've ever seen.
Eastern Wood-Pewees are lanky and loose fliers, and are readily told in flight from their smaller, stubbier, and more frenetic cousins, the Empidonax flycatchers.