Last night's cold front did not disappoint, producing the best day of the season since day one! Conditions were quite pleasant, being clear all day, a bit cool in the morning but warming up later in the day, and with overall interesting winds that started from the north, went to southeast, and ended from the southwest. The most noticeable changes to the species composition were the flocks of Canada Goose, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, and American Black Duck that were had throughout the day, unlike the previous week. Over 400 Black Scoter were tallied today, the best day of the season so far, and just a tiny preview of what October will be like.
Also of note were many birds that had gotten pushed out over the ocean overnight due to the N and NW winds, returning to land once they realized they were not in a good place. 12 Northern Flickers, several Palm Warblers, an American Redstart, and a (no doubt very tired) Marsh Wren that flew in at 6 PM--perhaps having flown for upwards of 20 hours nonstop to survive!
In non-bird news, a good push of bats and monarchs occurred today, primarily before noon, but still occurring later in the day. Over 270 monarchs were counted, and that was just a small fraction of how many most likely flew past me over the course of the day that I missed! Expect many in Cape May Point in the next couple days.
For the full count data, check out Trektellen: http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20170929
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