Morning Flight - 17 October 2012

Winds were light and variable this morning, and at times it was dead calm.  This lead to a large southbound flight of birds, with lots of American Robins and Yellow-rumped Warblers heading towards Cape May Point.  Michael O'Brien reported a massive flight of high Yellow-rumped Warblers heading out across the Delaware Bay.  However, at Higbee Beach, I only count the northbound flight, which was only a fraction of the magnitude of the southbound flight.  Nonetheless, today's flight was still very diverse and thoroughly enjoyable.  Aside from a major reduction in Blackpoll and Yellow-rumped Warbler numbers, today's warbler flight was oddly similar to yesterday's, with eight species seen (ten yesterday).

Woodpeckers returned today and flew in small numbers, nuthatches and kinglets made another fantastic showing, while finch numbers were significantly reduced.  My personal highlight, though, aside from a flyby Blue-headed Vireo and a late Black-and-white Warbler, was a steady trickle of Brown Creepers (12).  Not a particularly strong or confident flier, these birds pass by singly or in spaced pairs very low over the Phragmites.  Brown Creepers are not quite annual at Morning Flight (with season misses during 2003, 2007, and 2009).  Only 66 individuals have been tallied all-time (2003-2011) at Morning Flight, and the season average is just 7 birds/year.  Thus, this season's 27 Brown Creepers, second only to 38 in 2011, already comprises a great flight.            

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 3
Northern Flicker - 7
Eastern Phoebe - 5
Blue-headed Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 258
White-breasted Nuthatch - 4
Brown Creeper - 12
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 41
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 5
kinglet sp. - 3
Horned Lark - 1
Catharus sp. - 1

American Robin - 87
American Pipit - 32

Cedar Waxwing - 91
Nashville Warbler - 4
Northern Parula - 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 4

Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1040
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1

Palm Warbler - 17
Blackpoll Warbler - 23

Black-and-white Warbler - 1

warbler sp. - 148

Chipping Sparrow - 3
Savannah Sparrow - 9
Dark-eyed Junco - 7
Eastern Meadowlark - 31
Purple Finch - 5

Pine Siskin - 25

Total = 1882

Other highlights today included a single Caspian Tern.