View from the Field: Morning Flight, 1-2 September, 2015

"Bink", "Wink", Schmabobo-pinks! Thats the sound high in the skies. The Bobolink has been the passerine of the moment, passing by Cape May in the thousands yesterday, and the hundreds today. The species is an incredibly long-distance neotropical migrant that is the bane to anyone trying to accurately count their numbers as they move high above the earth. They vault there way to central South America every autumn. One call heard can actually turn out to be many in a flock and if you hear three calling, well, that could turn out to be just three. They keep a migration counter on their toes!

Speaking of which, be on the lookout for a potentially decent showing of migrants tomorrow and with the winds switching to a hard east on Friday and Saturday, perhaps a nice new influx of shorebirds. Remember to catch the action at: https://raptor.specteo.com/cape-may-bird-observatory/morning-flight/ and for the Hawk Watch at: https://raptor.specteo.com/cape-may-bird-observatory/hawk-watch/.

A Bay-breasted warbler (likely adult female?) is always good to get photo confirmation on! BTW there was a great shot of one today (the only "juicy" Morning Flight bird, on an otherwise extremely slow day for that phenomenon) by our seasonal interpretive naturalist, Jacob Drucker. Nice one Jacob!