Five species this year were new to Morning Flight: White-winged Dove (1), Swainson's Thrush (3), Kentucky Warbler (1), Mourning Warbler (1), and White-throated Sparrow (1). Additionally, twelve species set single-season high counts: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (7), Belted Kingfisher (30), Red-bellied Woodpecker (234), Empidonax sp. (24), Eastern Phoebe (126), Red-eyed Vireo (399), Red-breasted Nuthatch (3255)!, White-breasted Nuthatch (66), Cedar Waxwing (9559), Blackpoll Warbler (2445), Common Yellowthroat (15), and Pine Siskin (3782).
Of these, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch, Cedar Waxwing, and Pine Siskin are particularly noteworthy. The previous Red-bellied Woodpecker high count was a mere 91 birds in 2004. Nearly as many Red-breasted Nuthatches flew this year (3255) as had been registered in the previous nine years combined (3676), which included some then notable flights. Only 84 White-breasted Nuthatches had been tallied for the prior nine years, making this year's count (66) all the more remarkable. Cedar Waxwings (9559) more than doubled their season average (4141), smashing the next highest yearly mark (6774 in 2005). And Pine Siskins (3782) completely obliterated any prior year at Morning Flight; the cumulative total from the previous nine years had amounted to only 1238.
A few other high counts are worth mentioning. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (179), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (497), Northern Parula (2305), Northern Waterthrush (916), and Indigo Bunting (364) all put in great showings. Tennessee Warblers (148) also had a stellar year, more than doubling their average (68). On the flip side, a number of species flew in below-average numbers this fall. For whatever reason, very few Ruby-crowned Kinglets (111) were registered this year, far below the average (319). Likewise, Blue-winged Warbler (3), Black-throated Blue Warbler (486), and Prothonotary Warbler (2) were also rarer than usual. But perhaps most notably, this was the worst year on record for Dickcissel (14), less than half the average (33). See here for a visual representation of their expected local patterns of occurrence. After 10 Dickcissels through 9/11, only 4 were detected the remainder of the season. Lastly, Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco flights are notoriously variable at Morning Flight, with this year's figures falling at the low end of both spectrums.
Warblers make up the bulk of the Morning Flight count (110,000+ individuals); however, only a handful of species flew in excess of 1000 individuals: Yellow-rumped Warbler (74,564), American Redstart (3372), Blackpoll Warbler (2445),
The nature of morning flight at Cape May is that the bulk of some season totals can be accounted for in a relative few days. Most days have light to moderate flights, but when a big flight happens, it can be an unforgettable experience. For example: 34% of this fall's Northern Flickers flew on 9/24 (744), 64% of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers on 8/16 (316), 42% of Yellow-rumped Warblers on 10/21 (31,117), 44% of Blackpoll Warblers on 9/29 (1068), and 67% of Baltimore Orioles on 8/29 (174).
Finally, some of the other notable single day flights include 50 Red-bellied Woodpeckers on 10/5, 427 Red-breasted Nuthatches on 10/5, 374 Red-breasted Nuthatches on 8/29, 22 White-breasted Nuthatches on 10/21, 140 Northern Waterthrushes on 9/6, 75 Indigo Buntings on 10/1, and 1129 Pine Siskins on 10/7.
Format for 2012 cumulative species list:
A "*" denotes a species that is new to Morning Flight (2003-2012); a "+" denotes a species that flew in numbers greater than 25% above the Morning Flight average; and a "-" denotes a species that flew in numbers less than 25% below the Morning Flight average. And since warbler taxonomy was recently shuffled to the point of being nearly unrecognizable, I decided to organize the warblers from most abundant to least abundant in the following list.
Species - 2012 season total (morning flight average) || high count and date || first through last dates
* White-winged Dove – 1 (0) || 1 on 8/20
Mourning Dove – 526 (not enough data) || 97 on 10/23 || 8/22 – 10/27
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 7 (0) || 1 each on seven days || 8/29 – 10/13
+ Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 179 (94) || 14 on 8/20 || 8/16 – 9/24
+ Belted Kingfisher – 30 (not enough data) || 4 on 8/20 and 10/3 || 8/16 – 10/23
+ Red-headed Woodpecker – 7 (4) || 1 each on seven days || 9/7 – 10/4
+ Red-bellied Woodpecker – 234 (42) || 50 on 10/5 || 8/22 – 10/27
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 66 (87) || 9 on 9/30 || 9/25 – 10/20
Downy Woodpecker – 4 (5) || 2 on 9/27 and 10/5 || 9/27 – 10/5
Hairy Woodpecker – 1 (1) || 1 on 10/5
Northern Flicker – 2170 (2806) || 744 on 9/24 || 9/10 – 10/25
Olive-sided Flycatcher – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/29
+ Eastern Wood-Pewee – 41 (31) || 5 on 9/29 and 9/30 || 8/29 – 10/9
Least Flycatcher – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/16
– Alder Flycatcher – 0 (1)
“Traill’s” Flycatcher – 1 (0) || 1 on 8/28
+ Empidonax sp. – 24 (10) || 4 on 8/16 and 9/7 || 8/16 – 10/8
+ Eastern Phoebe – 126 (46) || 48 on 10/5 || 9/11 – 10/23
Great Crested Flycatcher – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/19
– Western Kingbird – 0 (1)
– Eastern Kingbird – 403 (2029) || 77 on 9/9 || 8/16 – 9/24
Yellow-throated Vireo – 1 (0) || 1 on 9/30
Blue-headed Vireo – 8 (8) || 2 on 10/23 || 9/24 – 10/27
– Warbling Vireo – 2 (5) || 1 on 8/18 and 8/24
+ Red-eyed Vireo – 399 (247) || 62 on 9/24 || 8/22 – 10/21
+ Horned Lark – 6 (4) || 2 on 10/15 and 10/20 || 10/15 – 10/23
+ Red-breasted Nuthatch – 3255 (408) || 427 on 10/5 || 8/19 – 10/27
+ White-breasted Nuthatch – 66 (9) || 22 on 10/21 || 9/24 – 10/24
+ Brown Creeper – 37 (7) || 12 on 10/17 || 10/5 – 10/24
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 230 (252) || 62 on 10/22 || 9/30 – 10/24
– Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 111 (319) || 20 on 10/5 || 9/16 – 10/23
kinglet sp. – 26 (71) || 5 on 10/23 || 10/1 – 10/23
+ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 497 (316) || 313 on 8/16 || 8/16 – 10/5
Eastern Bluebird – 12 (not enough data) || 6 on 10/20 || 10/18 – 10/25
Veery – 2 (2) || 1 each on 9/6 and 9/11 || 9/6 – 9/11
* Swainson’s Thrush – 3 (0) || 2 on 9/30 || 9/17 – 9/30
– Catharus sp. – 6 (3) || 4 on 10/5 || 10/1 – 10/17
– American Robin – 51,977 (69,459) || 12,365 on 10/25 || 8/16 – 10/27
Northern Mockingbird – 22 (20) || 4 on 8/16 || 8/16 – 10/2
American Pipit – 163 (134) || 32 on 10/17 || 9/24 – 10/27
+ Cedar Waxwing – 9559 (4141) || 1235 on 10/24 || 8/16 – 10/27
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– Yellow-rumped Warbler – 74,564 (109,323) || 31,117 on 10/21 || 8/16 – 10/27
warbler sp. – 26,230 (20,147) || 7809 on 10/5 || 8/16 – 10/25
American Redstart – 3372 (3705) || 726 on 9/6 || 8/16 – 10/16
+ Blackpoll Warbler – 2445 (1462) || 1068 on 9/29 || 8/29 – 10/27
+ Northern Parula – 2305 (1630) || 298 on 9/10 || 8/23 – 10/23
– Palm Warbler – 1915 (3083) || 389 on 10/5 || 9/2 – 10/27
+ Northern Waterthrush – 916 (703) || 140 on 9/6 || 8/16 – 10/12
Black-and-white Warbler – 551 (481) || 56 on 9/10 and 9/24 || 8/16 – 10/25
– Black-throated Blue Warbler – 486 (711) || 88 on 9/30 || 8/22 – 10/23
Yellow Warbler – 435 (424) || 53 on 8/30 || 8/16 – 10/11
Black-throated Green Warbler – 157 (162) || 67 on 10/5 || 8/16 – 10/17
“Baypoll” Warbler – 154 (131) || 109 on 10/5 || 9/7 – 10/5
+ Tennessee Warbler – 148 (68) || 23 on 9/17 || 8/29 – 10/24
– Cape May Warbler – 110 (171) || 20 on 9/10 || 8/25 – 10/21
Magnolia Warbler – 93 (115) || 10 on 9/24, 9/29, 10/5 || 8/29 – 10/21
Chestnut-sided Warbler – 60 (51) || 15 on 8/29 || 8/19 – 9/30
Prairie Warbler – 43 (43) || 5 on 8/19 and 8/30 || 8/16 – 10/5
– Blackburnian Warbler – 36 (52) || 5 on 8/16 || 8/16 – 10/5
+ Connecticut
Ovenbird – 25 (24) || 4 on 9/30 || 8/17 – 10/12
Pine Warbler – 23 (24) || 3 on 9/16 and 9/24 || 8/19 – 10/21
– Bay-breasted Warbler – 19 (27) || 4 on 10/5 || 9/6 – 10/6
+ Common Yellowthroat – 15 (1) || 8 on 9/30 || 9/6 – 10/21
Tennessee/Nashville Warbler – 11 (not enough data) || 6 on 10/7 || 10/7 – 10/23
+ Worm-eating Warbler – 10 (6) || 2 on 8/22 || 8/16 – 9/16
+ Louisiana
– Wilson’s Warbler – 5 (8) || 1 each on five days || 8/19 – 9/30
– Blue-winged Warbler – 3 (12) || 1 on 8/17, 8/29, and 9/6 || 8/17 – 9/6
– Prothonotary Warbler – 2 (6) || 1 on 8/20 and 8/25 || 8/20 – 8/25
Golden-winged/“Brewster’s” Warbler – 2 (0) || 1 each on 8/29 and 9/6 || 8/29 – 9/6
Golden-winged Warbler – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/25
+ “Brewster’s” Warbler – 1 (0) || 1 on 8/29
Hooded Warbler – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/29
Yellow-throated Warbler – 1 (1) || 1 on 8/16
* Mourning Warbler – 1 (0) || 1 on 9/30
* Kentucky
– Orange-crowned Warbler – 0 (1)
– Cerulean Warbler – 0 (1)
====================================================
+ Summer Tanager – 4 (2) || 3 on 9/16 || 8/29 – 9/16
Scarlet Tanager – 94 (87) || 25 on 9/24 || 8/29 – 10/8
– Chipping Sparrow – 82 (653) || 18 on 10/23 || 9/16 – 10/25
Clay-colored Sparrow – 4 (5) || 1 each on four days || 8/27 – 10/21
+ Field Sparrow – 2 (1) || 1 each on 10/5 and 10/27 || 10/5 – 10/27
Vesper Sparrow – 1 (1) || 1 on 10/25
Lark Sparrow – 2 (2) || 2 on 8/29
– Savannah
* White-throated Sparrow – 1 (0) || 1 on 10/16
– White-crowned Sparrow – 0 (2)
sparrow sp. – 6 (231) || 6 on 10/23
– Dark-eyed Junco – 105 (969) || 37 on 10/23 || 9/24 – 10/25
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – 47 (38) || 12 on 9/30 || 8/30 – 10/8
+ Blue Grosbeak – 30 (19) || 6 on 8/16 || 8/16 – 10/8
+ Indigo Bunting – 364 (194) || 75 on 10/1 || 8/16 – 10/12
– Dickcissel – 14 (33) || 2 each on 8/17, 8/29, and 9/11 || 8/17 – 10/25
– Bobolink – 2642 (3707) || 727 on 9/1 || 8/16 – 10/9
Eastern Meadowlark – 228 (284) || 42 on 10/23 || 10/3 – 10/27
Rusty Blackbird – 122 (136) || 84 on 10/23 || 10/5 – 10/25
Boat-tailed Grackle – 53 (45) || 43 on 10/5 || 10/2 – 10/14
Orchard Oriole – 4 (6) || 1 each on four days || 8/16 – 9/9
Baltimore Oriole – 260 (525) || 174 on 8/29 || 8/16 – 10/8
Purple Finch – 475 (420) || 78 on 10/11 || 8/29 – 10/27
House Finch – 515 (not enough data) || 180 on 10/24 || 8/20 – 10/27
+ Pine Siskin – 3782 (138) || 1129 on 10/7 || 9/30 – 10/27
House Sparrow – 131 (not enough data) || 49 on 8/22 || 8/21 – 10/25
Total = 192,814
