Morning Flight – 18 August 2014

The night's radar portended a good showing at the dike this morning. While a discernible migration was at hand, the early morning calls of out-of-limit Bobolinks and the altidutinous 'zeep' calls of likely Yellow Warblers gave suspicion that there might have been some birds missed due to these open, gentle conditions. The flight from the early morning built momentum and seemed to peak between 45 and 90 minutes after dawn. A smattering of warblers, mixed with a few Red-eyed Vireos and Downy Woodpeckers started off the peak time, and was to be finished off by a nice showing of Baltimore Orioles (28 for the day). Groups of Eastern Kingbird, young House Finch, swallows, Red-winged Blackbird, and House Sparrow were also to be seen.

You know it's a good day in Cape May when your friends come up to see the flight with you. Doubly good when you are encased in sweet Swarovision EL bins supplied by our sponsor Swarovski Optik!

       Weather and time: mostly clear; 64–77ºF; winds NNE at 5-10 mph; visibility excellent; 0615 sunrise; 4.25 hrs.
   
       Morning Flight Count totals:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  8
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  3
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  198     southbound movement
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  7
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  3
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  100
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum)  2
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla)  1
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  13
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  5
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  31
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  1
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)  1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  28
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)  3
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  13
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  6
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  193     southbound movement
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  28
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  77
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  5
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  13

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19509789

Yellow Warbler  calls on a glide; Photo by: Tom Reed

Bank Swallow, known around the globe as Collared Sand Martin (Riparia riparia); Photo by: Glen Davis

The mother of all hunters... and shots! Sphecius speciosus, the cicada killer wasp by: Tom Reed