Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 01, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 28 28 28
Bald Eagle 0 0 0
Northern Harrier 4 4 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 4 4
Cooper's Hawk 3 3 3
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 0
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 56 56 56
Merlin 6 6 6
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 102 102 102
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Observation start time: 05:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.52 hours
Official Counter: Tom Reed
Observers:
Weather:
Mostly cloudy, humid and hazy throughout. Winds W to NW @ 5-10mph for most
of the day. Brief period of light rain during the mid-morning.
Raptor Observations:
A slow start to the day wasn't helped out by a period of showers during the
mid-morning. A few pulses of Kestrels and Ospreys came through during the
middle of the day as conditions improved. Most of the flight was fairly low
and close. Our first bird of the season was a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
American Golden-Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper (10+),
Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe (5+), Gull-billed Tern, Little Blue Heron
(2), Tricolored Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Red-breasted Nuthatch
(~10), Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), Cliff Swallow (2), Bank Swallow (15+),
Blue Grosbeak (4), Bobolink (800+), Brown Pelican (6).
A modest songbird flight, dominated by Bobolinks, took place during the
first two hours of daylight. Barn Swallows were moving throughout the day,
with a sprinkling of Bank Swallows, Purple Martins and Chimney Swifts mixed
in. A few shorebirds were also on the move, with several flocks of Lesser
Yellowlegs, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers throughout.
A couple hundred southbound Monarchs were noted, with a noticeable influx
during the early-morning. A few dozen Cloudless Sulphurs were also counted
by Tony Leukering.
Predictions:
Given the date and the weather forecast (SE winds with a chance for
showers), I think we can expect a fairly slow day tomorrow.
