The several-day heat wave continued into today's migration. Strong heat waves and winds out of the south tend to create lulls in the raptor migration seen from the hawkwatch platform. Despite the hot and humid conditions, we were able to pick up on an array of migrating raptors.
Heatwaves dazzle the horizon. Concentrated thermals lift over the landscape. A nice push of Osprey took place through the mid-day hours, eventually rising to incredible heights come mid-afternoon. Later in the day we witnessed a Merlin chasing an American Kestrel, simply because it can.
Merlin are renowned for their attitude. While in migration they will frequently dive and pester other raptors in flight. It was great to see the structural differences and color comparison between the two individuals. For their tiny size, American Kestrels are lanky-winged and long-tailed. They are the small falcon of slender extremities and a bouyant flight. With each wingbeat, an observer will notice the unique "slapping banana peel" motion. Merlin, on the other hand, are stouter and darker overall. They are the small (bigger than an American Kestrel) falcon of dark chocolate tones and speedy maneuvers. Their wingbeats are stiff and powerful, and their flight is swift and direct. Falcons are a fun challenge to differentiate. The Cape May Hawk Watch is a great place to learn about falcon identification and more.
Bring on the cooler temps kettles of raptors to come! The naturalists are looking forward to scanning the skies with you. Please be mindful of the heat and stay hydrated while scanning the skies with us.
Good hawkwatching,
Erik Bruhnke
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| Bobolink |
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| Northern Harrier |
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| Broad-winged Hawk. Look at those gorgeous angular-edged wings and pointed wingtips! |
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| American Kestrel (left) and Merlin (right) |
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| American Kestrel (above) and Merlin (below) |
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| Today's sightings. |
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