Seawatch – 30 November 2014

Observation time:  0658 – 1658
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 30
American Black Duck – 4
Green-winged Teal – 15
Redhead – 9
Greater Scaup – 3
Lesser Scaup – 17
Common Eider – 7
Surf Scoter – 1,242
White-winged Scoter – 34
Black Scoter – 3,988
Surf/Black Scoter – 182
scoter, sp. – 53
Long-tailed Duck – 21
Bufflehead – 3
Common Goldeneye – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 103
Red-throated Loon – 484
Pacific Loon – 1
Common Loon – 6
Horned Grebe – 4
Northern Gannet – 1,328
Double-crested Cormorant – 26
Great Cormorant – 2
Bonaparte's Gull – 2
Ring-billed Gull – 48
Herring Gull – 104
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 2
Great Black-backed Gull –28

Total: 7,747


Hawkwatch – 30 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 30, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0            103            208
Turkey Vulture               0           1125           2193
Osprey                       0             26           3811
Bald Eagle                   2             80            672
Northern Harrier             3            456           1313
Sharp-shinned Hawk          28           1888          14949
Cooper's Hawk                9            467           3886
Northern Goshawk             0              6              8
Red-shouldered Hawk          6            553            692
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             22           1008           1487
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             13             19
American Kestrel             0            117           4519
Merlin                       1             57           1420
Peregrine Falcon             0             39           1000
Unknown Accipiter            0              2              6
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      71           5962          36932
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.25 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Clear skies nearly all day with a few late afternoon clouds.  Winds were
S/SW 10-15 mph (gusts to 20) in the am, becoming lighter 5-10 mph in the
afternoon.  Quite pleasant temps with a high of 61F.

Raptor Observations:
A short-lived (10:00-12:00), distant flight of mainly sharpies and
red-tails mixed with vultures over the northern treeline.  

Non-raptor Observations:
American Bittern(2), Eurasian Wigeon(1).

Predictions:
Last day of count.  Thanks for a great season!

(Warm temps near 60F, SW winds 10-15mph becoming NW in the afternoon.)

Seawatch – 29 November 2014

"Howdy all, so sorry to be away for so long dear seawatch aficionados. I've been meaning to post an update for a while now, but my hands have become twisted claws from clutching tally clickers for hours on end in the cold. Still I have gotten it together to let you all know that not only does the count at Avalon continue, it is thriving in recent days. Thanksgiving was a fantastic day full of gannets and loons- a total of 28,000+ birds were seen that day with the pièce de résistance being an adult(ish?) Pomarine Jaeger going by that afternoon. While I feel we likely had one earlier in the season, this bird was the first one I felt sure of this fall and makes for only the second time in Seawatch history that the Jaeger sweep of all three birds has occurred. Truly delightful! 

As for today, it was a wonderful day at the watch with October-like numbers of scoters passing by (albeit often at a great distance). Over 12,000 scoters of all types, including 28 White-winged Scoters, were seen today. Also notable was the smaller pied cousin of the scoter, Long-tailed Duck with a healthy 97 counted. Rounding out the "cool sea ducks" portion of the count were 13 Common Eiders passing by, both by themselves and tucked into scoter flocks. Red-throated Loons continue to pass by in robust numbers with 8,530 tallied in today. And while we had more Gannets on Thanksgiving, today's total was important as it took the season total just under a hundred thousand gannets! Considering the seasonal average is 65,000, I'm pretty pleased, as well as curious to see if the Sulid Parade keeps on going. Herring Gulls have really got rolling finally with 807 recorded as migrants with many other hundreds passing by far off shore recorded as the tragically mundane "gull spuh".

Final honorable mention for bird of the day goes to the leucistic Great Blue Heron flying with two normal looking herons over Sea Isle. What made the bird particularly striking was that it still had the dark flight feathers on the wings with an off-white body, looking shockingly similar to a Wood Stork! Good times..."   –– S.H.

[These Long-tailed Ducks put on a wonderful show near the seawall today. 
Photo by Skye Haas.]

[Leucistic Great Blue Heron (at left). Photo by Skye Haas.]




Observation time:  0649 – 1659
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Snow Goose – 49
Canada Goose – 76
Brant – 69
Wood Duck – 3
Gadwall – 5
American Wigeon – 1
American Black Duck – 143
Mallard – 8
Northern Pintail – 1
Green-winged Teal – 14
dabbling duck, sp. – 17
Ring-necked Duck – 16
Greater Scaup – 6
Lesser Scaup – 79
scaup, sp. – 38
aythya, sp. – 15
Common Eider – 13
Surf Scoter – 2,255
White-winged Scoter – 28
Black Scoter – 3,873
Surf/Black Scoter – 3,131
scoter, sp. – 3,160
Long-tailed Duck – 94
Bufflehead – 25
Common Goldeneye – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 51
duck, sp. – 206
Red-throated Loon – 8,530
Common Loon – 19
loon, sp. – 8
Horned Grebe – 20
Northern Gannet – 3,641
Double-crested Cormorant – 254
Great Cormorant – 8
Great Blue Heron – 3
Great Egret – 1
Laughing Gull – 2
Ring-billed Gull – 488
Herring Gull – 807
Great Black-backed Gull – 17
gull, sp. – 531
Forster's Tern – 2

Total: 27,708

Hawkwatch – 29 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 29, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0            103            208
Turkey Vulture              14           1125           2193
Osprey                       0             26           3811
Bald Eagle                   0             78            670
Northern Harrier            32            453           1310
Sharp-shinned Hawk          23           1860          14921
Cooper's Hawk               12            458           3877
Northern Goshawk             1              6              8
Red-shouldered Hawk          4            547            686
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             14            986           1465
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 1             13             19
American Kestrel             0            117           4519
Merlin                       2             56           1419
Peregrine Falcon             0             39           1000
Unknown Accipiter            0              2              6
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     103           5891          36861
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Cool and mostly cloudy. Winds calm during AM, becoming S 5-10mph during PM.
Visibility excellent. 

Raptor Observations:
Steady trickle of NOHA during AM; GOEA and NOGO at 1228.

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Wigeon (2), Black/Surf Scoter (5,000+), Great Cormorant (3),
Glaucous Gull (1), Eurasian Collared-Dove (1), Short-eared Owl (1),
Orange-crowned Warbler (2), American Tree Sparrow (1), Baltimore Oriole (1)

Predictions:
Sunny; 55ºF; winds SW 15-20mph.

Seawatch – 28 November 2014

Observation time:  0655 – 1654
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Snow Goose – 99
Canada Goose – 74
Brant – 130
goose, sp. – 1
Tundra Swan – 9
America Black Duck – 64
Mallard – 7
Black Duck/Mallard – 2
Green-winged Teal – 7
scaup, sp. – 2
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 799
White-winged Scoter – 5
Black Scoter – 988
Surf/Black Scoter – 1,572
scoter, sp. – 275
Long-tailed Duck – 11
Hooded Merganser – 3
Red-breasted Merganser – 20
duck, sp. – 21
Red-throated Loon – 3,842
Common Loon – 14
Northern Gannet – 2,785
Double-crested Cormorant – 832
Great Cormorant – 2
Great Blue Heron – 5
Bonaparte's Gull – 1
Ring-billed Gull – 284
Herring Gull – 296
Great Black-backed Gull – 13

Total: 12,104

Hawkwatch – 28 November 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 28, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               12            103            208
Turkey Vulture              53           1111           2179
Osprey                       1             26           3811
Bald Eagle                   4             78            670
Northern Harrier            21            421           1278
Sharp-shinned Hawk          44           1837          14898
Cooper's Hawk                9            446           3865
Northern Goshawk             0              5              7
Red-shouldered Hawk         38            543            682
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             62            972           1451
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             1            117           4519
Merlin                       1             54           1417
Peregrine Falcon             0             39           1000
Unknown Accipiter            1              2              6
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     247           5788          36758
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Mainly clear skies all day with steady NW winds 10-15 mph with gusts up to
28 mph.  Temps reaching 39F with wind chills around 30.

Raptor Observations:
A nice flight between 9:00 and 12:00 with quite a few red-tails,
red-shoulders, and harriers over the northern tree-line.

Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of snow geese flocks(517) and large grackle flocks.  On the pond,
Eurasian Wigeon(2), American Bittern(1), and Tundra Swan(1).

Predictions:
Mostly cloudy with light and variable winds becoming south 10-15 mph. 
Temps in the upper 40's.

Seawatch – 27 November 2014

Observation time:  0653 – 1657
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 91
Wood Duck – 50
American Wigeon – 1
American Black Duck – 22
Northern Pintail – 1
Green-winged Teal – 12
Common Eider – 2
Surf Scoter – 3,059
White-winged Scoter – 5
Black Scoter – 5,096
Surf/Black Scoter – 3,495
scoter, sp. – 204
Long-tailed Duck – 24
Bufflehead – 4
Common Goldeneye – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 27
Red-throated Loon – 8,341
Common Loon – 51
loon, sp. – 13
Horned Grebe – 11
Northern Gannet – 6,534
Double-crested Cormorant – 685
Great Cormorant – 1
Great Blue Heron – 4
Pomarine Jaeger – 1
jaeger, sp. – 1
Bonaparte's Gull – 10
Laughing Gull – 17
Ring-billed Gull – 429
Herring Gull – 164
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1
Great Black-backed Gull – 15
Forster's Tern – 28

Total: 28,400

Hawkwatch – 27 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 27, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               13             91            196
Turkey Vulture              48           1058           2126
Osprey                       1             25           3810
Bald Eagle                   7             74            666
Northern Harrier            14            400           1257
Sharp-shinned Hawk          76           1793          14854
Cooper's Hawk               23            437           3856
Northern Goshawk             1              5              7
Red-shouldered Hawk         27            505            644
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             42            910           1389
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       0             53           1416
Peregrine Falcon             1             39           1000
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     253           5541          36511
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Cool and partly cloudy. Winds W/NW 5-10mph throughout; visibility
excellent. 

Raptor Observations:
A morning-heavy flight that lasted as long as the sun would allow. Soaring
NOGO around 1040 was a highlight.

Non-raptor Observations:
Tundra Swan (5), Eurasian Wigeon (2), Redhead (1), American Pipit (210),
American Goldfinch (6,135)

Predictions:
Mostly sunny; 39ºF; winds NW 15-25mph.

Seawatch – 26 November 2014

Observation time:  0654 – 1623
Observer:  Skye Haas
Weather note: strong coastal storm; visibility 1km or less throughout. 

Species counted:
American Black Duck – 1
Surf Scoter – 260
White-winged Scoter – 1
Black Scoter – 65
Surf/Black Scoter – 943
Long-tailed Duck – 1
Bufflehead – 5
Red-throated Loon – 9
Common Loon – 3
Double-crested Cormorant – 1
Great Cormorant – 1
Laughing Gull – 7
Ring-billed Gull – 58
Herring Gull – 23
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1
Great Black-backed Gull – 8

Total: 1,387

Hawkwatch – 26 November 2014

No count was conducted today, as a coastal storm brought steady rain throughout the observation period. Counting will resume tomorrow--Thursday, November 27.

-tr

Seawatch – 25 November 2014

Observation time:  0638 – 1643
Observer:  Tom Reed

Species counted:
Canada Goose – 3
Brant – 4
Tundra Swan – 8
American Black Duck – 33
Mallard – 4
Northern Pintail – 3
Ring-necked Duck – 3
Greater Scaup – 7
Lesser Scaup – 4
scaup, sp. – 16
aythya, sp. – 2
Surf Scoter – 2,145
White-winged Scoter – 3
Black Scoter – 3,293
Surf/Black Scoter – 2,324
scoter, sp. – 42
Long-tailed Duck – 9
Bufflehead – 6
Hooded Merganser – 2
Red-breasted Merganser – 34
Red-throated Loon – 1,463
Common Loon – 63
Horned Grebe – 17
Red-necked Grebe – 1
Northern Gannet – 16
Double-crested Cormorant – 239
Great Blue Heron – 7
Little Blue Heron – 1
Laughing Gull – 231
Ring-billed Gull – 325
Herring Gull – 88
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 3
Great Black-backed Gull – 22
Forster's Tern – 68
Royal Tern – 3

Total: 10,429

Hawkwatch – 25 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 25, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             78            183
Turkey Vulture               0           1010           2078
Osprey                       0             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   0             67            659
Northern Harrier             4            386           1243
Sharp-shinned Hawk          23           1717          14778
Cooper's Hawk                5            414           3833
Northern Goshawk             0              4              6
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            478            617
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk              0            868           1347
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       0             53           1416
Peregrine Falcon             0             38            999
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      32           5288          36258
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Cloudy skies all day with winds from the NW 5-10 mph, with a hint of North
in the afternoon and almost calm.  Temps reaching the mid 50's.

Raptor Observations:
Another slower day with mainly sharpies and a few harriers.

Non-raptor Observations:
An impressive flight this morning with large numbers of Red-winged
Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds, Common Grackles(flock of 1,000), Cedar
Waxwings, American Goldfinch, American Robin, and Eastern Bluebirds. 
Eastern Meadowlark(4), Greater Yellowlegs(3), Killdeer(11) and American
Bittern(2) engaged in a display of sorts revealing white plumes at
shoulders.

Predictions:
Rain, temps in the mid 40s, and winds N/NE 20-30 mph.

Seawatch – 24 November 2014

Observation time:  0637 – 1642  (visibility <0.25km until 1215)
Observer:  Tom Reed

Species counted:
Brant – 10
Wood Duck – 8
Green-winged Teal – 1
Greater Scaup – 1
Lesser Scaup – 2
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 1,154
White-winged Scoter – 3
Black Scoter – 2,702
Surf/Black Scoter – 837
Long-tailed Duck – 7
Bufflehead – 1
Hooded Merganser – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 15
Red-throated Loon – 8
Common Loon – 6
Northern Gannet – 13
Laughing Gull – 30
Ring-billed Gull – 102
Herring Gull – 33
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 2
Great Black-backed Gull – 58
Forster's Tern – 6

Total: 5,001

Hawkwatch – 24 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 24, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             78            183
Turkey Vulture               0           1010           2078
Osprey                       0             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   0             67            659
Northern Harrier             3            382           1239
Sharp-shinned Hawk           6           1694          14755
Cooper's Hawk                1            409           3828
Northern Goshawk             0              4              6
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            478            617
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk              1            868           1347
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       0             53           1416
Peregrine Falcon             1             38            999
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      12           5256          36226
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:00:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 7.75 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Started count late due to heavy fog in the am.  Fog finally cleared out by
11:00.  Steady South winds all day 15-20mph.

Raptor Observations:
Very slow out there with a handful of sharpies and a few harriers showing
up as the fog cleared and the sun came out.

Non-raptor Observations:
American Bittern(2), Eurasian Wigeon(1). 

Predictions:
Partly sunny, high near 55F, and winds NW 5-10.

Seawatch – 23 November 2014

Observation time:  0659 – 1654
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Canada Goose – 1
Wood Duck – 1
Gadwall – 10
American Black Duck – 134
Mallard – 3
Black Duck/Mallard – 6
Northern Pintail – 7
Green-winged Teal – 29
Canvasback – 8
Greater Scaup – 14
Lesser Scaup – 37
scaup, sp. – 6
Surf Scoter – 3,112
White-winged Scoter – 18
Black Scoter – 4,275
Surf/Black Scoter – 439
Long-tailed Duck – 20
Bufflehead – 15
Hooded Merganser – 10
Red-breasted Merganser – 16
duck, sp. – 13 
Red-throated Loon – 3,841
Common Loon – 47
Horned Grebe – 10
Northern Gannet – 978
Double-crested Cormorant – 367
Great Cormorant – 3
Parasitic Jaeger – 1
Laughing Gull – 72
Ring-billed Gull – 413
Herring Gull – 22
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1
Great Black-backed Gull – 7
Forster's Tern – 21

Total: 13,957

Hawkwatch – 23 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             78            183
Turkey Vulture               0           1010           2078
Osprey                       0             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   0             67            659
Northern Harrier             6            379           1236
Sharp-shinned Hawk           6           1688          14749
Cooper's Hawk                3            408           3827
Northern Goshawk             0              4              6
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            478            617
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk              1            867           1346
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       1             53           1416
Peregrine Falcon             0             37            998
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      17           5244          36214
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Partly cloudy skies all day with winds from the S/SW 5-10 mph.  Quite calm
and pleasant with temps reaching 54F.

Raptor Observations:
Fairly empty skies out there today with a few harriers and sharpies
composing most of the flight in the first hour.

Non-raptor Observations:
American Bitterns(2)-interacting- one chasing the other. Fox(1) and Field
Sparrow(2) feeding near platform. And still plenty of ducks to be seen!

Predictions:
Rain overnight and showers possible in the am.  South winds 20-30 mph. 
Warm temps in the low 60's.

Seawatch – 22 November 2014

Observation time:  0650 – 1656
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Snow Goose – 54
Canada Goose – 416
Brant – 1
Wood Duck – 5
American Wigeon – 1
American Black Duck – 253
Mallard – 34
Black Duck/Mallard – 87
Northern Shoveler – 26
Northern Pintail – 26
Green-winged Teal – 102
dabbling duck, sp. – 1
Canvasback – 4
Redhead – 16
Ring-necked Duck – 3
Greater Scaup – 28
Lesser Scaup – 62
scaup, sp. – 61
aythya, sp. – 6
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 2,135
White-winged Scoter – 5
Black Scoter – 2,685
Surf/Black Scoter – 2,659
scoter, sp. – 65
Long-tailed Duck – 52
Bufflehead – 95
Common Goldeneye – 2
Hooded Merganser – 54
Common Merganser – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 20
duck, sp. – 342
Red-throated Loon – 3,779
Common Loon – 83
loon, sp. – 8
Horned Grebe – 22
Northern Gannet – 1,651
Double-crested Cormorant – 1,295
Great Cormorant – 3
Great Blue Heron – 2
Great Egret – 6
Bonaparte's Gull – 2
Laughing Gull – 38
Ring-billed Gull – 1,589
Herring Gull – 38
Great Black-backed Gull – 7
Forster's Tern – 115

Total: 17,959

Hawkwatch – 22 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 22, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               10             78            183
Turkey Vulture              94           1010           2078
Osprey                       0             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   1             67            659
Northern Harrier            17            373           1230
Sharp-shinned Hawk          25           1682          14743
Cooper's Hawk               10            405           3824
Northern Goshawk             0              4              6
Red-shouldered Hawk         31            478            617
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             23            866           1345
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       1             52           1415
Peregrine Falcon             0             37            998
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     212           5227          36197
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Quite cold overnight.  Entire pond had ice until nearly 1:00pm.  Very clear
skies all day with winds from the SW 10-15mph.

Raptor Observations:
Harriers, red-tails, and red-shoulders mixed with vultures during the late
morning.  Fairly high and over the northern treeline.

Non-raptor Observations:
Pond was frozen most of the day, so far fewer ducks than usual, but quite a
few sparrows were around including White-throated, Song, Swamp, Field, Fox
and Dark-eyed Junco.  American Bittern(1) on pond.

Predictions:
Sunny, temps in the mid-50's, SW winds 10-15mph.

Seawatch – 21 November 2014

Observation time:  0647 – 1655
Observer:  Skye Haas

Species counted:
Snow Goose – 12
Canada Goose – 38
Brant – 74
Tundra Swan – 61
Wood Duck – 3
American Black Duck – 11
Mallard – 11
Black Duck/Mallard – 2
Green-winged Teal – 2
dabbling duck, sp. – 6
Lesser Scaup – 21
scaup, sp. – 48
Surf Scoter – 71
White-winged Scoter – 3
Black Scoter – 693
Surf/Black Scoter – 1,203
Long-tailed Duck – 10
Bufflehead – 106
Hooded Merganser – 10
Red-breasted Merganser – 28
duck, sp. – 40
Red-throated Loon – 486
Common Loon – 8
Horned Grebe – 12
Red-necked Grebe – 1
Northern Gannet – 269
Double-crested Cormorant – 461
Great Cormorant – 2
Great Blue Heron – 1
Great Egret – 1
Bonaparte's Gull – 1
Laughing Gull – 58
Ring-billed Gull – 337
Herring Gull – 32
Great Black-backed Gull – 6
Forster's Tern – 293
Black Skimmer – 14
jaeger, sp. – 1

Total: 4,436

Hawkwatch – 21 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 21, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                8             68            173
Turkey Vulture              55            916           1984
Osprey                       0             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   3             66            658
Northern Harrier            10            356           1213
Sharp-shinned Hawk          18           1657          14718
Cooper's Hawk                6            395           3814
Northern Goshawk             1              4              6
Red-shouldered Hawk         17            447            586
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             30            843           1322
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 1             12             18
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       3             51           1414
Peregrine Falcon             2             37            998
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     154           5015          35985
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Quite cold out there with temperatures reaching 36F and NW winds from 15-20
mph, gusts up to 30 mph.  Wind chills did not reach over 30F all day.  Very
sunny skies with excellent visibility.

Raptor Observations:
A pretty good mix for a slower day including harriers, red-tails and
red-shoulders.  Highlight being a Northern Goshawk making multiple passes
by the platform and a Golden Eagle over the northern treeline.

Non-raptor Observations:
Snow Geese(5), Tundra Swan(7) flying over and (6) on the pond, American
Bittern(2) on the pond, Eastern Bluebird(40), Purple Finch, American
Pipit(9), Greater Yellowlegs(3), Wilson's Snipe(1), Tree Swallows(300).

Predictions:
Sunny skies, temps in the mid-40's, winds SW 10-15mph.

Seawatch – 20 November 2014

Observation time: 0641 – 1701
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 12
Tundra Swan – 12
Gadwall – 2
Northern Shoveler – 4
Green-winged Teal – 18
Redhead – 19
Ring-necked Duck – 1
Greater Scaup – 9
Lesser Scaup – 36
scaup, sp. – 13
aythya, sp. – 3
Surf Scoter – 1,153
White-winged Scoter – 5
Black Scoter – 1,086
Surf/Black Scoter – 43
Long-tailed Duck – 9
Bufflehead – 44
Hooded Merganser – 4
Red-breasted Merganser – 18
duck, sp. – 74
Red-throated Loon – 751
Common Loon – 28
Horned Grebe – 2
Northern Gannet – 1,457
Double-crested Cormorant – 43
Bonaparte's Gull – 22
Laughing Gull – 146
Ring-billed Gull – 452
Great Black-backed Gull – 2
Forster's Tern – 533
Parasitic Jaeger – 1

Total: 6,002

Hawkwatch – 20 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             60            165
Turkey Vulture              58            861           1929
Osprey                       2             24           3809
Bald Eagle                   5             63            655
Northern Harrier            10            346           1203
Sharp-shinned Hawk          29           1639          14700
Cooper's Hawk               11            389           3808
Northern Goshawk             1              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk          4            430            569
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             26            813           1292
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             0            116           4518
Merlin                       0             48           1411
Peregrine Falcon             0             35            996
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     146           4861          35831
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Seasonably cool with variable cloudiness. Winds WSW 15-25mph during the AM,
subsiding to 10mph through most of the PM. 

Raptor Observations:
A quiet day.

Non-raptor Observations:
Tundra Swan (78), Eurasian Wigeon (4), Ring-billed Gull (~3,000), Evening
Grosbeak (1)

Predictions:
Sunny, 38ºF, winds NW 15-25mph.

Seawatch – 19 November 2014

Observation time: 0641 – 1700
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 9
Tundra Swan – 96
Tundra/Trumpeter Swan – 2
Wood Duck – 15
Gadwall – 7
American Wigeon – 7
American Black Duck – 51
Mallard – 49
Black Duck/Mallard – 9
Northern Shoveler – 2
Northern Pintail – 9
Green-winged Teal – 242
dabbling duck, sp. – 13
Ring-necked Duck – 1
Lesser Scaup – 14
scaup, sp. – 17
aythya, sp. – 9
Surf Scoter – 98
White-winged Scoter – 4
Black Scoter – 181
Surf/Black Scoter – 359
Long-tailed Duck – 12
Bufflehead – 192
Hooded Merganser – 6
Red-breasted Merganser – 30
duck, sp. – 205
Red-throated Loon – 885
Common Loon – 69
Horned Grebe – 19
Northern Gannet – 1,845
Double-crested Cormorant – 543
Great Cormorant – 2
Cattle Egret – 1
Bonaparte's Gull – 11
Laughing Gull – 291
Ring-billed Gull – 2,562
Herring Gull – 67
Great Black-backed Gull – 5
Forster's Tern – 88
jaeger, sp. – 1

Total: 8,028

Hawkwatch – 19 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 19, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                6             60            165
Turkey Vulture             115            803           1871
Osprey                       1             22           3807
Bald Eagle                   5             58            650
Northern Harrier            12            336           1193
Sharp-shinned Hawk          53           1610          14671
Cooper's Hawk               18            378           3797
Northern Goshawk             1              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk         37            426            565
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             75            787           1266
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             1            116           4518
Merlin                       0             48           1411
Peregrine Falcon             2             35            996
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     326           4715          35685
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.25 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Cold and clear. Near-record low temp at sunrise; high temp ~34ºF. Winds
W->SW 10-20mph, gusts to 25mph. Visibility good throughout. 

Raptor Observations:
A relatively light and short-lived flight during the late-AM.

Non-raptor Observations:
Tundra Swan (72), Eurasian Wigeon (4), Lapland Longspur (2), American Robin
(10,000+), Dickcissel (1), Rusty Blackbird (30+), Common Redpoll (1)

Predictions:
Sunny, 45ºF, winds W 10-15mph. 

Seawatch – 18 November 2014

Observation time:  0646 – 1701
Observer:  Tom Reed

Species counted:
Brant – 11
Tundra Swan – 102
Wood Duck – 5
Gadwall – 15
American Black Duck – 66
Mallard – 19
Northern Shoveler – 1
Northern Pintail – 21
Green-winged Teal – 8
Redhead – 16
Ring-necked Duck – 4
Greater Scaup – 2
Lesser Scaup – 16
scaup, sp. – 7
aythya, sp. – 59
Surf Scoter – 285
Black Scoter – 340
Surf/Black Scoter – 1,082
scoter, sp. – 53
Long-tailed Duck – 3
Bufflehead – 14
Hooded Merganser – 2
Red-breasted Merganser – 16
Red-throated Loon – 807
Common Loon – 26
Horned Grebe – 3
Northern Gannet – 844
Double-crested Cormorant – 361
Great Cormorant – 1
Great Blue Heron – 5
Parasitic Jaeger – 1
Black-legged Kittiwake – 1
Bonaparte's Gull – 24
Laughing Gull – 267
Ring-billed Gull – 1,485
Herring Gull – 152
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 7
Great Black-backed Gull – 54
Royal Tern – 3
Black Skimmer – 7

Total: 6,473

Hawkwatch – 18 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 18, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                2             54            159
Turkey Vulture              37            688           1756
Osprey                       0             21           3806
Bald Eagle                   1             53            645
Northern Harrier             9            324           1181
Sharp-shinned Hawk           9           1557          14618
Cooper's Hawk                4            360           3779
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          7            389            528
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk             24            712           1191
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             0            115           4517
Merlin                       2             48           1411
Peregrine Falcon             0             33            994
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      95           4389          35359
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
A bit chilly out there today.  Very clear skies with winds from the NW then
W 15-20 mph with gusts up to 32 mph.  Temps only reaching 34F creating wind
chills below 20F for most of the day.

Raptor Observations:
A very short window for the flight today with red-tails, red-shoulders, and
vultures over the northern treeline.

Non-raptor Observations:
Pretty quiet out there.  American Robin, American Goldfinch, and Red-winged
Blackbird flocks.  Nice sized Tree Swallow flock (400+), Forster's
Terns(10), and small Ring-billed Gull movement.

Predictions:
Sunny with a high temp in the upper 30's. West winds 11-18 mph.

Seawatch – 17 November 2014

[Franklin's Gull flying past the 8th Street jetty. Photo by Tom Reed.]


Observation time:  0625 – 1545 (count suspended at 1545 due to lightning and low visibility).
Observer:  Tom Reed

Species counted:
American Black Duck – 18
Mallard – 2
Northern Pintail – 16
Green-winged Teal – 49
Ring-necked Duck – 12
Greater Scaup – 14
Lesser Scaup – 12
scaup, sp. – 6
Surf Scoter – 626
Black Scoter – 756
Surf/Black Scoter – 456
scoter, sp. – 31
Long-tailed Duck – 5
Bufflehead – 2
Red-breasted Merganser – 3
Red-throated Loon – 1,205
Common Loon – 9
Horned Grebe – 2
Northern Gannet – 1,846
Double-crested Cormorant – 5
Great Blue Heron – 1
Parasitic Jaeger – 1
Bonaparte's Gull – 103
Laughing Gull – 53
Franklin's Gull – 1  (first-winter, flying with 3 Ring-billed Gulls around 8am)
Ring-billed Gull – 358
Herring Gull – 100
Great Black-backed Gull – 21
Forster's Tern – 226
Royal Tern – 5

Total: 5,954

Hawkwatch – 17 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 17, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52            157
Turkey Vulture               0            651           1719
Osprey                       0             21           3806
Bald Eagle                   0             52            644
Northern Harrier             1            315           1172
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1           1548          14609
Cooper's Hawk                0            356           3775
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            382            521
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk              0            688           1167
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             0            115           4517
Merlin                       0             46           1409
Peregrine Falcon             0             33            994
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                       2           4294          35264
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:45:00 
Observation end   time: 10:30:00 
Total observation time: 3.75 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Suboptimal conditions out there.  Cloudy skies with low visibility early,
then complete fog socked in by 10:00am.  Fog was followed by strong SW/S
winds and a thunderstorm with heavy rain as a front moved through.  Count
was ended early due to weather conditions.

Raptor Observations:
Nothing moving out there, except for same banded adult Coop still
apparently hunting ducks on the pond.

Non-raptor Observations:
Not too many ducks on the pond this morning, but still good variety: 
Eurasian Wigeon(1), American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler,
Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Green-winged
Teal, Bufflehead(2), and Hooded Merganser(1).  Also, Pied-billed Grebe(2),
American Bittern(2), and Wilson's Snipe(1).

Predictions:
Partly cloudy and windy. Temps much colder (in the mid 30's) with winds
from the west 25-30 mph with gusts up to 43mph.

Hawkwatch – 16 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 16, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52            157
Turkey Vulture               0            651           1719
Osprey                       0             21           3806
Bald Eagle                   1             52            644
Northern Harrier            13            314           1171
Sharp-shinned Hawk          22           1547          14608
Cooper's Hawk                8            356           3775
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          4            382            521
Broad-winged Hawk            0             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk              4            688           1167
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             3            115           4517
Merlin                       0             46           1409
Peregrine Falcon             1             33            994
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               1              1              2
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                      57           4292          35262
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 07:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Cloudy nearly all day with only a few brief moments of sunshine.  Winds
light from the SW/S in the morning and then calm in the afternoon.  Temps
reached 46F.

Raptor Observations:
Slow day with harriers and accipiters making the count; a few buteos
appeared during periods of sun.  Most interesting was observing a Cooper's
Hawk(Adult) attempting to drown a Ruddy Duck.  After a minute of actually
sitting in the water, it was a failed attempt and the Ruddy a bit dazed
swam away.

Non-raptor Observations:
Tundra Swan(6) flew over, American Bittern(3) on pond, Cave Swallow(1),
Dicksisel(1) feeding with house sparrows, Lesser Black-backed Gull(1),
Eurasian Wigeon(1), Wood Duck(2) and Hooded Mergansers(13)

Predictions:
Rain very likely.  Winds South 18-23mph and temps reaching 60F.

Seawatch – 16 November 2014


"And here I thought yesterday was amazing.. It was, but today while having relatively less gannets and loons, still was host to tons of birds AND had an amazing whale show in the afternoon! The day started out right with a bang and from the moment I got there birds were gearing up. The first 20 minutes were light, but then someone flipped the switch and the Red-throated Loons and Northern Gannets just poured forth. Throw in steady pulses of scoter flocks and it kept me on the edge for a couple of hours. Thankfully Sams Wilson & Galick showed up and helped do some counting as several gull species and mixed dabbling duck/scaup flocks started getting in on the action. I do so love teasing apart mixed duck flocks and today was a great chance to do exactly that. Another feature that made me love today was the overcast lighting over the ocean- the birds were so well illuminated and features like scaup or wigeon wing stripes were really popping. Over the course of the day, another 30,000 waterbirds were tallied in- over 16K in Red-throated Loons in two days! 

But yeah, it was all about the late afternoon whale show. A Humpback Whale with a calf spend a few hours feeding offshore, and wow, did it give a performance. It did a full spy-hop, rising out of the ocean to check out the fishing boats nearby before starting to feed vigorously. At times it would lunge up out of the water with it's mouth open and water pouring out like a falls. A few times it rolled side-wise and showed off its lengthy flippers! Such a beautiful animal, I feel privileged and thankful to have witnessed it for so long today." – S.H.

[Humpback Whale. Photo by Sam Galick.]



Observation time: 0642 – 1701
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 15
Wood Duck – 92
Gadwall – 8
American Wigeon – 61
American Black Duck – 279
Mallard – 4
Northern Shoveler – 16
Northern Pintail – 22
Green-winged Teal – 1,037
Redhead – 11
Greater Scaup – 72
Lesser Scaup – 89
scaup, sp. – 158
aythya, sp. – 15
Surf Scoter – 4,458
White-winged Scoter – 9
Black Scoter – 5,817
Surf/Black Scoter – 3,343
Long-tailed Duck – 25
Bufflehead – 43
Hooded Merganser – 18
Red-breasted Merganser – 50
duck, sp. – 170
Red-throated Loon – 6,686
Common Loon – 13
Pacific/Red-throated Loon – 1
Horned Grebe – 9
Northern Gannet – 5,636
Double-crested Cormorant – 237
Great Cormorant – 2
Great Blue Heron – 6
Laughing Gull – 215
Bonaparte's Gull – 155
Ring-billed Gull – 1,050
Herring Gull – 91
Great Black-backed Gull – 14
Forster's Tern – 386
Royal Tern – 4
Parasitic Jaeger – 1

Ruddy Turnstone – 2
Sanderling – 60
Dunlin – 80
Purple Sandpiper – 32
shorebird, sp. – 1

Total: 30,317

Seawatch – 15 November 2014

"Woo-wee! A rocking day here at the Avalon Seawatch! A lot of birds were on the move; the flight was non-stop all day long with several species moving in big numbers. Dabbling ducks had a strong movement today, and even though I didn't think so at the time, scoters had a strong flight with 8,265 recorded. Also Ring-billed Gulls really cranked up their flight, while the terns continue to slip away. However, the two main species of the day were Northern Gannet and Red-throated Loon. Robust totals for both species were recorded and I think the Gannet numbers may be the 3rd highest ever for Avalon. But the loons really stole the show. Coming by in concentrated waves several times over the course of the afternoon, there was a moment when the flight got so intense I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scope and was clicking loons so furiously yet still couldn't keep up, and had to have a fresh clicker put in my hand to start clicking by 10s! Truly one of my favorite moments so far this season! One final avian highlight was a pair of Cave Swallows that flew off the ocean and over the parking lot midday. I had been hoping to see some at the seawatch!" – S.H.

[Cave Swallow flying past the Seawatch. Photo by Skye Haas.]


Observation time: 0642 – 1710
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Canada Goose – 2
Brant – 43
Wood Duck – 16
American Black Duck – 137
Mallard – 8
Black Duck/Mallard – 14
Northern Pintail – 50
Green-winged Teal – 119
Ring-necked Duck – 2
Greater Scaup – 29
Lesser Scaup – 50
scaup, sp. – 77
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 453
White-winged Scoter – 3
Black Scoter – 4,095
Surf/Black Scoter – 3,398
scoter, sp. – 316
Long-tailed Duck – 11
Bufflehead – 77
Hooded Merganser – 11
Red-breasted Merganser – 15
duck, sp. – 214
Red-throated Loon – 9,572
Common Loon  – 49
loon, sp. – 1
Horned Grebe – 12
Northern Gannet – 9,628
Double-crested Cormorant – 855
Great Cormorant – 2
Great Blue Heron – 1
Great Egret – 3
Laughing Gull – 25
Bonaparte's Gull – 192
Ring-billed Gull – 755
Herring Gull – 303
Great Black-backed Gull – 17
Forster's Tern – 126
Royal Tern – 2

American Oystercatcher – 1
Black-bellied Plover – 35
Ruddy Turnstone – 2
Red Knot – 16
Sanderling – 200
Dunlin – 400
Purple Sandpiper – 15

Total: 30,684

Hawkwatch – 15 November 2014


Cape May 
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 15, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                6             52            157
Turkey Vulture             166            651           1719
Osprey                       0             21           3806
Bald Eagle                   6             51            643
Northern Harrier            22            301           1158
Sharp-shinned Hawk          89           1525          14586
Cooper's Hawk               37            348           3767
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk         96            378            517
Broad-winged Hawk            2             21            744
Red-tailed Hawk            193            684           1163
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             2            112           4514
Merlin                       2             46           1409
Peregrine Falcon             3             32            993
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     624           4235          35205
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 15:45:00 
Total observation time: 9.25 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Very clear skies today with steady Northwest winds/North at 5-10mph and
gusts up to 20mph. Temps on the chilly side, 34F in the am and reaching a
high of 43. 

Raptor Observations:
A great flight for mid-Nov with skies full of Red-tails, Red-shoulders, and
Vultures.  

Non-raptor Observations:
Highlight being Sandhill Cranes(3), Cave Swallow(3), Snow Bunting(1),
American Bittern(1) on pond, Eurasian Wigeon(3), Hooded Mergansers(16)

Predictions:
Partly cloudy in the am becoming mostly cloudy with temps in the low 50's
and winds from the SW/S 5-10 mph.

Seawatch – 14 November 2014

"Overall one of the slower days in a few weeks. There was a little flurry of activity in the early morning, with an impressive 2,515 Northern Gannets in the 2nd hour, but by mid-morning, the flight all but died and stayed that way for the rest of the day. However, every day has its little gem and today's was a couple of flocks of high-flying Tundra Swans moving south. Such a pretty beast!"S.H.

Observation time: 0641 – 1656
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 85
Tundra Swan – 23
Wood Duck – 1
American Black Duck – 5
Green-winged Teal – 3
scaup, sp. – 12
Surf Scoter – 287
White-winged Scoter – 2
Black Scoter – 1,772
Surf/Black Scoter – 1,569
scoter, sp. – 28
Long-tailed Duck – 2
Bufflehead – 109
Red-breasted Merganser – 7
duck, sp. – 37
Red-throated Loon – 193
Common Loon – 35
loon, sp. – 2
Horned Grebe – 4
Northern Gannet – 3,835
Double-crested Cormorant – 576
Great Cormorant – 1
Laughing Gull – 6
Bonaparte's Gull – 25
Ring-billed Gull – 58
Herring Gull – 17
Forster's Tern – 82
Royal Tern – 9 
American Oystercatcher – 7
Black-bellied Plover – 23
Ruddy Turnstone – 3
Sanderling – 80
Dunlin – 300
Purple Sandpiper – 19
Red Knot – 16

Total: 8,785

Hawkwatch – 14 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 14, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                8             46            151
Turkey Vulture             114            485           1553
Osprey                       1             21           3806
Bald Eagle                  10             45            637
Northern Harrier            26            279           1136
Sharp-shinned Hawk         206           1436          14497
Cooper's Hawk               30            311           3730
Northern Goshawk             1              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk         70            282            421
Broad-winged Hawk            3             19            742
Red-tailed Hawk            183            491            970
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel            10            110           4512
Merlin                       4             44           1407
Peregrine Falcon             4             29            990
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     670           3611          34581
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 15:30:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Quite chilly out there today, including our first brief snow flurries! 
North becoming Northwest winds 10-15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.  Entirely
cloudy skies became partly cloudy mid-day and then mostly cloudy again in
the late afternoon.  Temps reaching 43F.

Raptor Observations:
Good flight day with lots of Red-tails and Red-shoulders.  A steady stream
of both mixed with accipiters and vultures over the treeline from 9am to 2
pm. 

Non-raptor Observations:
Cave Swallow(4). Eurasian Wigeon(atleast 3), American Bittern(1) on pond.  

Predictions:
Sunny with northwest winds 10-15 mph and temps in the mid-40's.

Seawatch – 13 November 2014

Observation time: 0630 – 1652
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 142
Wood Duck – 7
American Wigeon – 1
American Black Duck – 39
Mallard – 1
Green-winged Teal – 10
aythya, sp. – 3
Surf Scoter – 988
White-winged Scoter – 3
Black Scoter – 4,524
Surf/Black Scoter – 5,562
scoter, sp. – 362
Long-tailed Duck – 3
Bufflehead – 58
Red-breasted Merganser – 20
duck, sp. – 411
Red-throated Loon – 1,507
Common Loon – 27
loon, sp. – 13
Horned Grebe – 2
Northern Gannet – 2,243
Double-crested Cormorant – 6,819
Great Cormorant – 1
Great Blue Heron – 3
Laughing Gull – 13
Ring-billed Gull – 103
Herring Gull – 95
Great Black-backed Gull – 11
Caspian Tern – 1
Forster's Tern – 51
Royal Tern – 4
Parasitic Jaeger – 3

American Oystercatcher – 39
Purple Sandpiper – 24
Semipalmated Plover – 3
Sanderling – 200
Dunlin – 500
Black-bellied Plover – 24
Ruddy Turnstone – 1

Total:  23,030

Hawkwatch – 13 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 13, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                3             38            143
Turkey Vulture              17            371           1439
Osprey                       3             20           3805
Bald Eagle                   2             35            627
Northern Harrier            17            253           1110
Sharp-shinned Hawk         105           1230          14291
Cooper's Hawk               17            281           3700
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk         14            212            351
Broad-winged Hawk            4             16            739
Red-tailed Hawk             13            308            787
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             3            100           4502
Merlin                       3             40           1403
Peregrine Falcon             2             25            986
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     203           2941          33911
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Cool and overcast throughout. Winds NE->N->NW; 10-15mph during the AM,
5-10mph during PM. Visibility good throughout.

Raptor Observations:
A brief burst of buteos and accipiters during the mid-AM, otherwise a quiet
day.

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Wigeon (2), Black/Surf Scoter (5,000+), Red-throated Loon (500),
Lapland Longspur (2), American Goldfinch (1200), Pine Siskin (300), Common
Redpoll (1)

Predictions:
Mostly sunny, 47ºF, winds NW 20-25mph. 

Seawatch – 12 November 2014

Observation time: 0638 – 1701
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Tundra Swan – 14
American Wigeon – 7
Mallard/American Black Duck – 2
Northern Pintail – 24
Green-winged Teal – 2
Surf Scoter – 503
Black Scoter – 1263
Surf/Black Scoter – 499
Bufflehead – 15
Red-breasted Merganser – 5
duck, sp. – 5
Red-throated Loon – 295
Common Loon – 2
Horned Grebe – 1
Northern Gannet – 159
Double-crested Cormorant – 774
Laughing Gull – 11
Bonaparte's Gull – 10
Ring-billed Gull – 8
Great Black-backed Gull – 4
Forster's Tern – 33
Royal Tern – 10

Total: 3,646

Hawkwatch – 12 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 12, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                5             35            140
Turkey Vulture              42            354           1422
Osprey                       0             17           3802
Bald Eagle                   0             33            625
Northern Harrier             6            236           1093
Sharp-shinned Hawk         121           1125          14186
Cooper's Hawk               16            264           3683
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          1            198            337
Broad-winged Hawk            0             12            735
Red-tailed Hawk             18            295            774
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             4             97           4499
Merlin                       5             37           1400
Peregrine Falcon             6             23            984
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     224           2738          33708
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 07:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Dense fog until 1130, followed by gradual clearing through the PM hours.
Winds calm, becoming NW ~10mph.

Raptor Observations:
Trickle of SSHA, buteos, and a few falcons during the PM hours.

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Wigeon (2), Black-capped Chickadee (1), Eastern Bluebird (200+),
Dickcissel (1)

Predictions:
Increasing clouds, 51ºF, winds N 10-15mph.

Seawatch – 11 November 2014

Observation time: 0608 – 1658
Observer: Tom Reed

Species counted:
Brant – 1
Wood Duck – 2
American Black Duck – 5
Mallard – 1
Northern Pintail – 16
Green-winged Teal – 527
Ring-necked Duck – 13
Greater Scaup – 2
Lesser Scaup – 31
Redhead – 11
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 2,760
White-winged Scoter – 5
Black Scoter – 3,854
Black/Surf Scoter – 393
Bufflehead – 22
Hooded Merganser – 3
Red-breasted Merganser – 4
Red-throated Loon – 1,148
Common Loon – 31
Horned Grebe – 2
Northern Gannet – 3,060
Double-crested Cormorant – 1,292
Great Cormorant – 1
Laughing Gull – 279
Bonaparte's Gull – 47
Ring-billed Gull – 46
Herring Gull – 53
Great Black-backed Gull – 81
Lesser Black-backed Gull – 1
Forster's Tern – 376
Royal Tern – 19
Parasitic Jaeger – 2

Total: 14,061

Hawkwatch – 11 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 11, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             30            135
Turkey Vulture               0            312           1380
Osprey                       1             17           3802
Bald Eagle                   0             33            625
Northern Harrier             9            230           1087
Sharp-shinned Hawk          79           1004          14065
Cooper's Hawk               22            248           3667
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          1            197            336
Broad-winged Hawk            0             12            735
Red-tailed Hawk              7            277            756
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             11             17
American Kestrel             1             93           4495
Merlin                       1             32           1395
Peregrine Falcon             1             17            978
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     122           2514          33484
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Interestingly warm day with temps reaching 66F.  Skies were partly cloudy
all day with lower visibility due to high humidity in the air.  Winds were
E/SE 5-10 mph.

Raptor Observations:
A slower day with almost entirely accipiters over the northern treeline; a
handful of harriers and red-tails as well.

Non-raptor Observations:
Quiet all around with ducks on the pond providing the most entertainment.
Eurasian Widgeon(4), American Widgeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler,
Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, American Coot,
Mallard, and Bufflehead,

Predictions:
Chance of fog and showers early then becoming mostly sunny with Northwest
winds increasing to 10-20 mph.

Seawatch – 10 November 2014

Observation time: 0607 – 1717
Observer: Tom Reed

Species counted:
Brant – 24
Tundra Swan – 2
Wood Duck – 13
American Black Duck – 18
Northern Pintail – 1
Green-winged Teal – 38
Greater Scaup – 13
Lesser Scaup – 26
scaup, sp. – 6
aythya, sp. – 12
Common Eider – 1
Surf Scoter – 6,114
White-winged Scoter – 30
Black Scoter – 10,411
Black/Surf Scoter – 3,265
scoter, sp. – 166
Long-tailed Duck – 9
Bufflehead – 167
Red-breasted Merganser – 54
Ruddy Duck – 1
Red-throated Loon – 3,126
Common Loon – 49
Horned Grebe – 13
Northern Gannet – 3,722
Double-crested Cormorant – 8,248
Laughing Gull – 441
Bonaparte's Gull – 270
Ring-billed Gull – 98
Herring Gull – 31
Great Black-backed Gull – 102
Forster's Tern – 552
Royal Tern – 43
Black Skimmer – 2
Parasitic Jaeger – 2

Total: 37,070

Hawkwatch – 10 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 10, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               13             30            135
Turkey Vulture               0            312           1380
Osprey                       1             16           3801
Bald Eagle                   2             33            625
Northern Harrier            10            221           1078
Sharp-shinned Hawk         136            925          13986
Cooper's Hawk               40            226           3645
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk         18            196            335
Broad-winged Hawk            1             12            735
Red-tailed Hawk             48            270            749
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 1             11             17
American Kestrel             0             92           4494
Merlin                       1             31           1394
Peregrine Falcon             0             16            977
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     271           2392          33362
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Very clear skies all day with winds calm in the morning and becoming E/SE
in the afternoon (5-10 mph).  Cold in the am with frost, but warming
quickly into the low 50's.

Raptor Observations:
Slow day with peak of the flight between 9:00 and 1:00.  Flight was quite
high and far over the northern treeline. Quite a few Red-tails mixed with
accipiters and vultures.

Non-raptor Observations:
American Bittern(1) on the pond. Lots of sparrows in the am, consistent
duck variety on the pond, and large flocks of cormorants in the afternoon
passing overhead.

Predictions:
Partly cloudy skies, warm in the low 60's, and winds East 5-10 mph.

Seawatch – 9 November 2014

Observation time: 0635 – 1709
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant – 37
American Black Duck – 33
Green-winged Teal – 25
Greater Scaup – 1
Lesser Scaup – 10
scaup, sp. – 4
Surf Scoter – 2,073
White-winged Scoter – 2
Black Scoter – 4,202
Black/Surf Scoter – 613
Long-tailed Duck – 5
Bufflehead – 33
Red-breasted Merganser – 6
duck, sp. – 68
Red-throated Loon – 1,714
Common Loon – 80
loon, sp. – 14
Horned Grebe – 13
Northern Gannet – 6,493
Double-crested Cormorant – 2,266
Laughing Gull – 183
Bonaparte's Gull – 64
Ring-billed Gull – 72
Herring Gull – 15
Great Black-backed Gull – 11
Forster's Tern – 376
Royal Tern – 4
tern, sp. – 1
Parasitic Jaeger – 3

Black-bellied Plover – 7
Semipalmated Plover – 2
Ruddy Turnstone – 3
Sanderling – 300
Dunlin – 150
Purple Sandpiper – 2

Total: 18,421

Hawkwatch – 9 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 09, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             17            122
Turkey Vulture               0            312           1380
Osprey                       0             15           3800
Bald Eagle                   0             31            623
Northern Harrier            18            211           1068
Sharp-shinned Hawk          58            789          13850
Cooper's Hawk               27            186           3605
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          4            178            317
Broad-winged Hawk            0             11            734
Red-tailed Hawk             13            222            701
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             10             16
American Kestrel             1             92           4494
Merlin                       2             30           1393
Peregrine Falcon             5             16            977
Unknown Accipiter            0              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     128           2121          33091
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
A pleasant day with winds much calmer than the prior several days; very
light 0-5 mph from the W/NW.  Skies were mostly cloudy all day and
temperatures were around 54 all day.

Raptor Observations:
A fairly slow day with the majority of the flight between 10:00am and
1:00pm.  Accipiters making up the bulk of the flight along with high
streaming harriers and several red-tails.

Non-raptor Observations:
WHITE PELICAN landed on pond (10:35am) and circled the point for a good 20
minutes or more. Typical pond visitors including American Bittern(1),
Eurasian Widgeon(2), Buffleheads, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Ducks,
Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Ducks,
American Coot, American Widgeon, etc.

Predictions:
Mostly sunny, mid 50's, winds light and variable becoming northeast 0-5mph.

Seawatch – 8 November 2014

"Good times today! The Avalon Seawatch was a rocking the whole day today, and in fact things got so hectic in the early AM, I had to call Tom to come up and help me count for a while till the pacing slowed to more manageable levels. It was a good flight today with over 34,000 birds being recorded. Seven species had totals in the thousands and Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Bufflehead, and Red-throated Loon all had their highest counts so far for the season. Scoters, Green-winged Teal and Northern Gannets also had strong flights today. One of my favorite parts about waterbird counting are flocks of dabblers. We are all familiar with them as part of a pond or spring marsh scene, but watching them in active migration, often flying high up in the clouds over the water really gets my juices going! Very exciting was in the second hour was an American Woodcock that came flying off the ocean and headed quickly between the houses. Tom had encountered several (including sadly many road-killed individuals already in lower Cape May), so obviously a big push of that species occurred overnight. But the bird of the day came late and was well timed. Just as NJAS naturalists Shaun Bamford and Gail Dwyer were wrapping up their excellent waterbird flight workshop program, a Short-eared Owl was spotted circling nearby over the ocean. Everyone got a great look and it was a lifer for many participants!  Exciting stuff!" – S. H.


[ABOVE: Short-eared Owl. BELOW: Green-winged Teal. Photos by Skye Haas.]    




Observation time: 0633 – 1708
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Canada Goose – 10
Brant – 30
Wood Duck – 245
American Wigeon – 13
American Black Duck – 58
Mallard – 6
Mallard/Black Duck – 7
Northern Shoveler – 20
Northern Pintail – 226
Green-winged Teal – 1,254
Ring-necked Duck – 1
Greater Scaup – 14
Lesser Scaup – 19
scaup, sp. – 13
duck, sp. – 272
Surf Scoter – 2,576
White-winged Scoter – 10
Black Scoter – 11,805
Black/Surf Scoter – 5,461
Long-tailed Duck – 13
Bufflehead – 210
Red-breasted Merganser – 36
Red-throated Loon – 1,357
Common Loon – 63
loon, sp. – 17
Horned Grebe – 2
Northern Gannet – 4,551
Double-crested Cormorant – 2,483
Great Cormorant – 3
Great Blue Heron – 2
Laughing Gull – 84
Bonaparte's Gull – 295
Ring-billed Gull – 40
Great Black-backed Gull – 16
Forster's Tern – 728
Royal Tern – 11
Parasitic Jaeger – 9
waterbird, sp. – 150

American Oystercatcher – 1
Black-bellied Plover – 19
Killdeer – 1
Semipalmated Plover – 2
Sanderling – 300
Dunlin – 900
Purple Sandpiper – 2
American Woodcock – 1

Total: 33,336

Hawkwatch – 8 November 2014


Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 08, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             17            122
Turkey Vulture             187            312           1380
Osprey                       0             15           3800
Bald Eagle                  11             31            623
Northern Harrier             8            193           1050
Sharp-shinned Hawk          61            731          13792
Cooper's Hawk               21            159           3578
Northern Goshawk             0              0              2
Red-shouldered Hawk         91            174            313
Broad-winged Hawk            2             11            734
Red-tailed Hawk             50            209            688
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 8             10             16
American Kestrel             2             91           4493
Merlin                       0             28           1391
Peregrine Falcon             3             11            972
Unknown Accipiter            1              1              5
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     445           1993          32963
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Morning started cold(34F) and calm with very clear skies. Winds were light
and variable for most of the day from NE to E to W to SW then S in the
afternoon.  Skies remained quite clear with a few thin clouds throughout
the day.  Temps reaching 50F.

Raptor Observations:
An interesting day with hardly any birds in the sky for the first 2 hours
then they suddenly appeared, above and quite high.  A large number of
Turkey Vultures, Red-shoulders and Red-tails with the highlight of the day
being 8 Golden Eagles.  Flight started fizzling by noon when winds
increased from the S/SW.

Non-raptor Observations:
A good mix of sparrows around this morning including song, savannah, swamp,
field, dark-eyed junco, and vesper.  Typical waterfowl on the pond as
previous weeks with additional bufflehead(3), horned grebe(2), and hooded
merganser(6).  American Bittern(1)

Predictions:
Partly cloudy becoming sunnier, low 50's, and NW winds 5-10.