Hawkwatch, 11 September 2015

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 11, 2015
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               6             25             25
Osprey                     197            744            744
Bald Eagle                   9             43             43
Northern Harrier            18             50             50
Sharp-shinned Hawk          27             53             53
Cooper's Hawk               19             40             40
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk            2             14             14
Red-tailed Hawk              0              3              3
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            77            220            220
Merlin                      17             51             51
Peregrine Falcon             1             13             13
Unknown Accipiter            0              2              2
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              2              2
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     373           1263           1263
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:30:00 
Total observation time: 11.5 hours

Official Counter:        Cameron Cox

Observers:        

Weather:

Following a weak front we finally had a day with sustained westerly winds
and a decrease in humidity if not much of decrease in temperature. Atypical
for a day with west winds was near 100% cloud cover and a low cloud ceiling
that often is not conducive to good raptor movements. The clouds began to
breakup with the arrival of light easterly winds in the late afternoon   


Raptor Observations:
Another reasonable flight of Osprey keeps us on pace for a good season for
the species. There was a bit of a mid-afternoon push of small falcons, a
bit earlier in the day than typical. It was the first double digit day for
Northern Harriers with 18 including two adult males. Overall a pleasant
little flight though it mostly only whetted our appetite for a stronger
push of birds.

Non-raptor Observations:
A extremely diverse day with good movements of Bobolinks, likely the last
little push of Purple Martins, and good numbers of migrating shorebirds.
Mixed in with flocks of yellowlegs and peeps we spotted flyby White-rumped
Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Red Knots, and 2-3 Wilson's
Phalaropes along with a few other more common species.  

Predictions:
Uncertain, passerines are moving overnight but with east winds will we have
raptors? Likely there will be a small flight of Osprey and a trickle of
other raptors but it does not project to be a stellar day.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Cameron Cox (Kumlieni@gmail.com)
Cape May information may be found at:
http://BirdCapeMay.org