Sea Watch Count 9/26/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Canada Goose - 1

Common Loon - 2

Northern Gannet - 8

Brown Pelican - 2

Double-crested Cormorant - 6

Laughing Gull - 70

Common Tern - 1

Forster's Tern - 4
sterna sp. - 9

jaeger sp. - 1

Greater Yellowlegs - 2

Leach's Storm Petrel* - 1

Total: 109

*Note: The Leach's Storm Petrel was seen at close range by Jon Kauffman and I at 3:50 PM. A full write up has been written for the NJ records committee to review.

Hawk Watch Count 9-26-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0            325            325
Bald Eagle                   0            134            134
Northern Harrier             5            122            122
Sharp-shinned Hawk          30           2230           2230
Cooper's Hawk                5            844            844
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            0             54             54
Red-tailed Hawk              0             68             68
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             4           1481           1481
Merlin                      43            578            578
Peregrine Falcon            38            212            212
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     125           6066           6066

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/26/08

Greetings all! As you may have noticed (at least those who live in Cape May), we are still waiting for that big monarch flight. Last week we averaged 28.18 monarchs/hour. This number is significantly lower than the average from this time last year. So far, the numbers for this week have been low as well. It's hard to predict what will happen for the rest of migration season here in Cape May, but we will all have to keep our fingers crossed (and hope for NW winds!).

In the meantime however, the Monarch Monitoring Project is still plugging away. We are working hard to find and tag every monarch that comes through Cape May! Maybe you have questions about the tagging process? Perhaps you just want to learn more about the wonderful monarch? Then by all means come on down to the:

Monarch Tagging Demo!


Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm you can join members of the MMP at the picnic table pavilion in Cape May Point State Park. There will be a short presentation about the ecology, migration, and importance of the monarch butterfly. You can get your monarch questions answered by the experts! After the talk you can participate in a very cool tagging demonstration where we will show you the ins and outs of tagging monarchs. If you're lucky you can even let one go and wish it luck on its long journey to Mexico!


So come and join us! Remember, the demo is every day except Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm by the picnic tables next to the Hawkwatch platform.



Thanks Michael O'Brien and Dan Berard for the pictures!

Morning Flight 9-26-2008

Morning Flight: 10-15 NE wind, foggy conditions
Counter: Dan Berard


Total Birds: 0

Hawk Watch Count 9-25-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       1            325            325
Bald Eagle                   0            134            134
Northern Harrier             4            117            117
Sharp-shinned Hawk           2           2200           2200
Cooper's Hawk                1            839            839
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            0             54             54
Red-tailed Hawk              0             68             68
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             4           1477           1477
Merlin                      45            535            535
Peregrine Falcon            31            174            174
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                      88           5941           5941

Morning Flight 9-25-2008

Morning Flight: 25-35 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Northern Parula- 1
Black-and-White Warbler- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 1
Warbler sp. - 12

Total Birds: 15

Non Morning Flight birds: 1 Common Loon, 1 Parasitic Jaeger

Hawk Watch Count 9-24-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       5            324            324
Bald Eagle                   4            134            134
Northern Harrier             9            113            113
Sharp-shinned Hawk         263           2198           2198
Cooper's Hawk               56            838            838
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            8             54             54
Red-tailed Hawk              3             68             68
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            96           1473           1473
Merlin                      40            490            490
Peregrine Falcon             8            143            143
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     492           5853           5853

Morning Flight 9-24-2008

Morning Flight: 10-15 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker- 1
Northern Flicker- 23
Red-eyed Vireo- 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 2
American Robin- 816
Cedar Waxwing- 32
Northern Parula- 57
Yellow Warbler- 1
Black-throated Green Warbler- 3
Palm Warbler- 20
Blackpoll Warbler- 24
Black-and-White Warbler- 6
American Redstart- 10
Northern Waterthrush- 3
Connecticut Warbler- 1
Warbler sp. - 165
Baltimore Oriole- 1
Summer Tanager- 1

Total Birds: 1171

Non Morning Flight birds: 1 Common Loon, 4 Black Scoter, 3 Surf Scoter, 4 Black-bellied Plover

Sea Watch Count 9/23/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Mallard - 1

Green-winged Teal - 4

teal sp. - 3

dabbler sp. - 1

Surf Scoter - 2

Black Scoter - 20

dark-winged scoter - 17

unidentified scoter - 6

duck sp. - 3

Common Loon - 4

Brown Pelican - 1

Doubler-crested Cormorant - 818

Great Blue Heron - 15

Laughing Gull - 18

Common Tern - 13

jaeger sp. - 2

American Oystercatcher - 6

Total: 934

Monarch - 2

Hawk Watch Count 9-23-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0            319            319
Bald Eagle                   7            130            130
Northern Harrier             5            104            104
Sharp-shinned Hawk         297           1935           1935
Cooper's Hawk               80            782            782
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            2             46             46
Red-tailed Hawk              2             65             65
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           139           1377           1377
Merlin                      43            450            450
Peregrine Falcon             6            135            135
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              1              1              1

Total:                     582           5361           5361

Morning Flight 9-23-2008

Morning Flight: 10-15 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker- 1
Northern Flicker- 7
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Red-eyed Vireo- 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 4
American Robin- 69
Northern Mockingbird- 2
American Pipit- 2
Cedar Waxwing- 63
Northern Parula- 161
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 9
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Blackburnian Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 28
Blackpoll Warbler- 40
"Baypoll" Warbler- 4
Black-and-White Warbler- 25
American Redstart- 48
Ovenbird- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 5
Warbler sp. - 223
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 2
Indigo Bunting- 11
Bobolink- 30

Total Birds: 753

Non Morning Flight birds: 2 Caspian Terns, 1 Philadelphia Vireo

Sea Watch Count 9/22/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Black Duck - 1

Blue-winged Teal - 3

Green-winged Teal - 27

dabbler sp. - 8

Surf Scoter - 11

Brown Pelican - 7

Double-crested Cormorant - 171

Great Blue Heron - 6

Snowy Egret - 25

Laughing Gull - 29

Gull-billed Tern - 1

Common Tern - 23

American Oystercatcher - 2

Total: 314

Monarch - 10

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/22/08

Hello all! Good news from the CMBO Northwoods center: We have a CHRYSALIS! One of the larger caterpillars began the process yesterday by attaching himself to the top of the tank :

In just a few short hours a full beautiful monarch chrysalis was formed!

In about twelve days from now (give or take) there will be a new monarch butterfly! To see this fabulous example of monarch metamorphosis check out the display and tanks at the Northwoods center. To give you guys a full (and much better photographed) example of all four stages of monarch life I turn to Michael O'Brien:

Egg Stage

Early Instar Caterpillar

Late Instar Caterpillar

About to form a chrysalis!

Chrysalis
MONARCH! (tagged and ready to go!)


That's all for now keep checking back! I will have updates about recent monarch numbers and when possible large flights will happen.

Hawk Watch Count 9-22-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      46            319            319
Bald Eagle                  15            123            123
Northern Harrier            12             99             99
Sharp-shinned Hawk         408           1638           1638
Cooper's Hawk              168            702            702
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            8             44             44
Red-tailed Hawk              5             63             63
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           179           1238           1238
Merlin                      53            407            407
Peregrine Falcon            31            129            129
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     925           4779           4779

Morning Flight 9-22-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Northern Flicker- 10
Red-eyed Vireo- 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 5
American Robin- 9
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 66
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 93
Yellow Warbler- 1
Magnolia Warbler- 1
Cape May Warbler- 6
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 24
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 2
Black-throated Green Warbler- 3
Palm Warbler- 46
Blackpoll Warbler- 26
"Baypoll" Warbler- 43
Black-and-White Warbler- 8
American Redstart- 25
Northern Waterthrush- 4
Warbler sp. - 164
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 2
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 31

Total Birds: 575

Non Morning Flight birds: 1 Caspian Tern, 1 Philadelphia Vireo, 1 Parasitic Jaeger

Hawk Watch Count 9-21-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      10            273            273
Bald Eagle                   9            108            108
Northern Harrier             5             87             87
Sharp-shinned Hawk         185           1230           1230
Cooper's Hawk               93            534            534
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            4             36             36
Red-tailed Hawk              4             58             58
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            89           1059           1059
Merlin                      14            354            354
Peregrine Falcon             8             98             98
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     421           3854           3854

Morning Flight 9-21-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Northern Flicker- 1
Eastern Phoebe- 1
Red-eyed Vireo- 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 10
American Robin- 143
Cedar Waxwing- 19
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 35
Yellow Warbler- 3
Magnolia Warbler- 1
Cape May Warbler- 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 7
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 4
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 10
Blackpoll Warbler- 17
Black-and-White Warbler- 4
American Redstart- 9
Northern Waterthrush- 5
Wilson's Warbler- 1
Warbler sp. - 41
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 1
Indigo Bunting- 2
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 3

Total Birds: 323

Non Morning Flight birds: 3 Cliff Swallows, 1 Common Loon

Hawk Watch Count 9-20-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      11            263            263
Bald Eagle                   6             99             99
Northern Harrier             2             82             82
Sharp-shinned Hawk          99           1045           1045
Cooper's Hawk               40            441            441
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            1             32             32
Red-tailed Hawk              3             54             54
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            47            970            970
Merlin                      36            340            340
Peregrine Falcon             4             90             90
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     249           3433           3433

Morning Flight 9-20-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Red-bellied Woodpecker- 2
Northern Flicker- 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 1
American Robin- 35
Cedar Waxwing- 1
Northern Parula- 29
Yellow Warbler- 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 2
Palm Warbler- 5
Blackpoll Warbler- 1
Black-and-White Warbler- 3
American Redstart- 30
Wilson's Warbler- 1
Warbler sp. - 16
Indigo Bunting- 3
Bobolink- 5
Purple Finch- 1

Total Birds: 140

Hawk Watch Count 9-19-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      39            252            252
Bald Eagle                   6             93             93
Northern Harrier             8             80             80
Sharp-shinned Hawk         107            946            946
Cooper's Hawk               34            401            401
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            1             31             31
Red-tailed Hawk              2             51             51
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            86            923            923
Merlin                      60            304            304
Peregrine Falcon             4             86             86
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     347           3184           3184

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/19/08

Yesterday was a great day for monarchs!! (Finally!) With the help of skilled butterfly catcher Sam Galick (AKA the morning flight counter), I was able to tag and measure over 50 monarchs!! Indeed it was very satisfying, but monarchs were not the only insect in abundance at Cape May yesterday. It was a veritable...

Dragonfly-palooza!!

(Carolina Saddlebags)

Anyone visiting the hawk watch platform yesterday noticed a little more than just hawks. Literally thousands of dragonflies filled the air in an amazing display of mass insect migration. Naturalist/artist/bird guru/dragonfly photographer Michael O'Brien took on the immense challenge of trying to count them all. He proceeded to do four 5-minute point counts on a transect across Cape May Point from Lighthouse Avenue to the dunes at Coral Avenue. Here is what he counted:

Common Green Darner - 4820
Swamp Darner - 2
Calico Pennant - 1
Eastern Pondhawk - 2
Twelve-spotted Skimmer - 1
Blue Dasher - 3
Wandering Glider - 17
Spot-winged Glider - 7
Pantala (glider) sp. - 52
Blue-faced Meadowhawk - 2
Carolina Saddlebags - 32
Black Saddlebags - 45
Tramea (saddlebags) sp. - 45

TOTAL = 5029

Although Michael didn't do his count until around 1 p.m. (a bit after peak dragonfly flight), the numbers still work out to roughly

15,000 dragonflies/hour!!

(Green Darner)

That's a lot of dragonflies!

Thanks to Michael O'Brien for his always awesome pictures and for his dragonfly census information!

Morning Flight 9-19-2008

Morning Flight: 10-30 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker- 2
Northern Flicker- 7
Red-eyed Vireo- 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 13
American Robin- 16
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 127
Northern Parula- 68
Yellow Warbler- 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 1
Cape May Warbler- 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 8
Black-throated Green Warbler- 2
Blackburnian Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 85
Blackpoll Warbler- 4
Black-and-White Warbler- 9
American Redstart- 43
Northern Waterthrush- 7
Warbler sp. - 325
Chipping Sparrow- 1
Savannah Sparrow- 4
Indigo Bunting- 7
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 92

Total Birds: 835

Morning Flight 9-18-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Red-bellied Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 13
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 3
Eastern Phoebe- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 2
Red-eyed Vireo- 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 18
American Robin- 26
American Pipit- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 122
Tennessee Warbler- 1
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 36
Yellow Warbler- 2
Magnolia Warbler- 6
Cape May Warbler- 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 4
Black-throated Green Warbler- 11
Prairie Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 41
Bay-breasted Warbler- 3
Black-and-White Warbler- 6
American Redstart- 47
Northern Waterthrush- 10
Warbler sp. - 65
Indigo Bunting- 2
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 41
Baltimore Oriole- 2
Yellow-throated Warbler- 1

Total Birds: 477

Hawk Watch Count 9-18-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               12             12             12
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      36            213            213
Bald Eagle                  18             87             87
Northern Harrier             6             72             72
Sharp-shinned Hawk         151            839            839
Cooper's Hawk               73            367            367
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          2              4              4
Broad-winged Hawk            4             30             30
Red-tailed Hawk             13             49             49
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            94            837            837
Merlin                      52            244            244
Peregrine Falcon            16             82             82
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     477           2837           2837

Hawk Watch Count 9-17-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      34            177            177
Bald Eagle                  17             69             69
Northern Harrier            18             66             66
Sharp-shinned Hawk         232            688            688
Cooper's Hawk               79            294            294
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              2              2
Broad-winged Hawk           14             26             26
Red-tailed Hawk             16             36             36
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            85            743            743
Merlin                      41            192            192
Peregrine Falcon            19             66             66
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     556           2360           2360

Morning Flight 9-17-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 N wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 27
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Eastern Phoebe- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 4
Red-eyed Vireo- 13
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 2
American Robin- 1
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 113
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 44
Yellow Warbler- 1
Magnolia Warbler- 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 8
Palm Warbler- 26
Blackpoll Warbler- 3
Black-and-White Warbler- 12
American Redstart- 58
Ovenbird- 2
Northern Waterthrush- 11
Connecticut Warbler- 1
Warbler sp. - 72
Chipping Sparrow- 3
Indigo Bunting- 2
Bobolink- 45
Baltimore Oriole- 12

Total Birds: 470

Hawk Watch Count 9-16-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       7            143            143
Bald Eagle                  12             52             52
Northern Harrier             6             48             48
Sharp-shinned Hawk          79            456            456
Cooper's Hawk               34            215            215
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            4             12             12
Red-tailed Hawk              7             20             20
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           124            658            658
Merlin                      23            151            151
Peregrine Falcon             6             47             47
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     302           1804           1804

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/16/08

It has been another exciting week here at the Monarch Monitoring Project! Although monarch numbers were actually lower than last week (see below), auspicious wind changes yesterday brought new hope to monarch scientists and fans alike.

Week 1: An average of 14.02 monarchs/hour

Week 2: An average of 5.97 monarchs/hour
----------------------------------------------------------------

Cumulative Average for Weeks 1 & 2: 10.16 monarchs/hour

We have to keep our fingers crossed that more monarchs will come our way soon. In the meantime however, the monarchs that are in Cape May have been busy! Multiple monarch eggs were found this week on the underside of tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) leaves.

These eggs are very small and one must look carefully to find them. I, and former monarch intern Bradly Smith, were lucky enough to find two for the MMP's display at the Cape May Bird Observatory's Northwoods Center. After watching a female monarch lay two precious eggs, we cut the plant and rushed to the Northwoods Center to set up a tank. Three days later two tiny little monarch caterpillars hatched! Look below to see a picture of one of our little monarch caterpillars!

This little guy is only one day old in this picture. It's hard to tell but he is already hungrily munching away at the milkweed leaf. Soon enough our caterpillars will grow much larger and develop the bright coloration that is associated with monarch larvae. On this blog I will keep giving updates on the status of our caterpillars, so check back often! You can also visit them yourself at the Northwoods Center located on East Lake Drive right off of Lighthouse Avenue in Cape May Point.

That's all for now, keep trimming those butterfly bushes and wishing for monarchs! Hopefully they will be in Cape May, soon enough!

Morning Flight 9-16-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 N wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Northern Flicker- 8
Empidonax sp.- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 18
Red-breasted Nuthatch- 1
Red-eyed Vireo- 13
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 9
American Robin- 44
Cedar Waxwing- 278
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 125
Yellow Warbler- 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 4
Magnolia Warbler- 7
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 59
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 2
Black-throated Green Warbler- 5
Blackburnian Warbler- 4
Prairie Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 4
Bay-breasted Warbler- 1
Blackpoll Warbler- 6
"Baypoll" Warbler- 2
Black-and-White Warbler- 4
American Redstart- 311
Ovenbird- 2
Northern Waterthrush- 13
Warbler sp. - 183
Scarlet Tanager- 13
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 3
Indigo Bunting- 11
Bobolink- 96
Baltimore Oriole- 12
Hooded Warbler- 1

Total Birds: 1243

Hawk Watch Count 9-15-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      24            136            136
Bald Eagle                  19             40             40
Northern Harrier            12             42             42
Sharp-shinned Hawk         186            377            377
Cooper's Hawk              101            181            181
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            3              8              8
Red-tailed Hawk              4             13             13
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           324            534            534
Merlin                      31            128            128
Peregrine Falcon             3             41             41
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     707           1502           1502

Morning Flight 9-15-2008

Morning Flight: 5-15 W wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Northern Flicker- 2
Red-eyed Vireo- 13
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 2
American Robin- 2
Cedar Waxwing- 56
Northern Parula- 23
Magnolia Warbler- 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 15
Palm Warbler- 13
American Redstart- 51
Northern Waterthrush- 10
Warbler sp. - 123
Dickcissel- 3
Bobolink- 48

Total Birds: 364

Hawk Watch Count 9-14-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       4            112            112
Bald Eagle                   0             21             21
Northern Harrier             1             30             30
Sharp-shinned Hawk          52            191            191
Cooper's Hawk                1             80             80
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            0              5              5
Red-tailed Hawk              1              9              9
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            32            210            210
Merlin                       3             97             97
Peregrine Falcon             1             38             38
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      95            795            795

Morning Flight 9-14-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 S wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

American Robin- 67
Warbler sp.- 19

Total Birds: 88

Hawk Watch Count 9-13-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      10            108            108
Bald Eagle                   3             21             21
Northern Harrier             5             29             29
Sharp-shinned Hawk          62            139            139
Cooper's Hawk               18             79             79
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            1              5              5
Red-tailed Hawk              0              8              8
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            55            178            178
Merlin                      17             94             94
Peregrine Falcon             7             37             37
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     179            700            700

Morning Flight 9-13-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 SSE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 1
American Robin- 2
Black-and-white Warbler- 1
American Redstart- 4
Northern Waterthrush- 4
Bobolink- 6

Total Birds: 19

Hawk Watch Count 9-12-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0             98             98
Bald Eagle                   0             18             18
Northern Harrier             0             24             24
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1             77             77
Cooper's Hawk                1             61             61
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4              4
Red-tailed Hawk              0              8              8
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              3              3
American Kestrel             1            123            123
Merlin                       3             74             74
Peregrine Falcon             0             30             30
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                       6            521            521

Morning Flight 9-12-2008

Morning Flight: 0-10 SSE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Northern Parula- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 3
Warbler sp.- 3
Bobolink- 7

Total Birds: 14

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/12/08

*** Rare Butterfly Alert!! ***

Yesterday, naturalist/artist/bird guru Michael O'Brien was walking on the trails near the hawk watch platform when he stumbled upon a Palamedes Swallowtail! This rare visitor is usually found much more south of Cape May, and this is the first record of one is nearly a decade. Although it is unsure exactly why this wonderful specimen is visiting Cape May, the hurricane this past weekend may be the reason. No one knows how long the Palamedes Swallowtail will be in Cape May, so if you want to see it hurry to the point! To learn more visit this website.



GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HUNTING!
Thank you Michael O'Brien for his lovely photos!

Hawk Watch Count 9-11-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      15             98             98
Bald Eagle                   2             18             18
Northern Harrier             2             24             24
Sharp-shinned Hawk          12             76             76
Cooper's Hawk               11             60             60
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4              4
Red-tailed Hawk              1              8              8
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             7            122            122
Merlin                       5             74             74
Peregrine Falcon             6             30             30
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      61            515            515

Monarch Monitoring Project - 9/11/08

Greetings butterfly enthusiasts! Welcome to another year of the Monarch Monitoring Project blog! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Erin Cord and I am the new monarch intern for this fall. You may see me in the near future walking around Cape May with a giant bug net and a look of determination on my face. If you do, feel free to say hello, stop and chat, or inquire about the monarchs. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during my stay in Cape May.

The monarchs have only just started to arrive, and it should be a few weeks before they begin to come in droves. This week we had an average of 14.02 monarchs/hour. Hopefully this number will increase greatly as the month goes on. In the meantime I wanted to remind everyone a few things they can do to help our migrating friends when they do arrive.

The Art of Deadheading

What is deadheading, you ask? Simply put, it is the act of cutting off, literally, the dead flower heads of a butterfly bush (Buddleja sp.) Deadheading causes the plant to put it's energy into growing new flowers, instead of making seeds. The new flowers don't take very long to grow, and now is an opportune time to trim your butterfly bush. By deadheading today, you can be sure that there will be beautiful, nectar-filled flowers available for your monarch friends when they arrive in a few weeks. Having more flowers gives the monarchs more opportunities to eat and gain weight. This makes their chances of survival much greater as they travel to the roosting grounds in Mexico.

Deadheading is easy! Try to just trim off the old dead flowers and leave as much of the stem as possible. This way the new flowers will grow as fast as possible. Don't worry too much about over-trimming your plant though, butterfly bushes are very hearty and they will recover quickly.

For more info on butterfly bushes in general visit this website.

*(Also important to note that it is a great idea to cut your butterfly bushes back a good deal in early March, this way they will grow with all fresh flowers and bloom beautifully off this new growth.)*

So let's get deadheading, and make Cape May the best monarch migration stop-over point that it can be!!

Morning Flight 9-11-2008

Morning Flight: 5-15 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 6
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher- 15
Cedar Waxwing- 12
Northern Parula- 1
Yellow Warbler- 2
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1
Palm Warbler- 1
Black-and-white Warbler- 2
American Redstart- 18
Northern Waterthrush- 7
Warbler sp.- 16
Blue Grosbeak- 1
Bobolink- 167
Baltimore Oriole- 6

Total Birds: 256

Morning Flight 9-10-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Eastern Kingbird- 14
Cedar Waxwing- 46
Northern Parula- 6
Yellow Warbler- 5
Magnolia Warbler- 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Prairie Warbler -1
American Redstart- 26
Northern Waterthrush- 9
Warbler sp.- 25
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 177

Total Birds: 313

Hawk Watch Count 9-9-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       7             59             59
Bald Eagle                   0             10             10
Northern Harrier             1             19             19
Sharp-shinned Hawk           3             46             46
Cooper's Hawk                7             25             25
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            0              4              4
Red-tailed Hawk              0              2              2
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             5             88             88
Merlin                      11             53             53
Peregrine Falcon             3             18             18
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      37            325            325

Morning Flight 9-9-2008

Morning Flight: 0-10 SSW wind, clear conditions
Counter: Don Freiday

Eastern Kingbird- 1
Red-eyed Vireo- 2
Cedar Waxwing- 40
Yellow Warbler- 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 2
Black-and-white Warbler- 6
American Redstart- 5
Ovenbird- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 7
Warbler sp.- 28
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 29
Baltimore Oriole- 1

Total Birds: 125

Hawk Watch Count 9-8-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      20             52             52
Bald Eagle                   6             10             10
Northern Harrier             5             18             18
Sharp-shinned Hawk          21             43             43
Cooper's Hawk               11             18             18
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            1              4              4
Red-tailed Hawk              1              2              2
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            29             83             83
Merlin                      16             42             42
Peregrine Falcon             9             15             15
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                     119            288            288

Morning Flight 9-8-2008

Morning Flight: 0-15 ENE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 7
Empidonax sp.- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 24
Red-eyed Vireo- 70
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 11
Cedar Waxwing- 169
Tennessee Warbler- 15
Nashville Warbler- 4
Northern Parula- 124
Yellow Warbler- 64
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 25
Magnolia Warbler- 25
Cape May Warbler- 22
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 75
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 2
Black-throated Green Warbler- 23
Blackburnian Warbler- 22
Prairie Warbler- 7
Palm Warbler- 8
Blackpoll Warbler- 6
"Baypoll" Warbler- 2
Black-and-white Warbler- 65
American Redstart- 1108
Ovenbird- 3
Northern Waterthrush- 117
Connecticut Warbler- 2
Wilson's Warbler- 2
Canada Warbler- 5
Warbler sp.- 1200
Scarlet Tanager- 3
Chipping Sparrow- 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak- 2
Indigo Bunting- 6
Dickcissel- 7
Bobolink- 731
Baltimore Oriole- 92
Golden-winged Warbler- 1
Spizella sp.- 1
Veery- 3

Total Birds: 4055

Hawk Watch Count 9-7-2008

Official Observer:  Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       9             32             32
Bald Eagle                   2              4              4
Northern Harrier             7             13             13
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1             22             22
Cooper's Hawk                0              7              7
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            2              3              3
Red-tailed Hawk              0              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            17             54             54
Merlin                      11             26             26
Peregrine Falcon             4              6              6
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      53            169            169

Hawk Watch Count 9-6-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0

Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       1             23             23
Bald Eagle                   0              2              2
Northern Harrier             0              6              6

Sharp-shinned Hawk           0             21             21
Cooper's Hawk                0              7              7
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0

Broad-winged Hawk            0              1              1
Red-tailed Hawk              0              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0

American Kestrel             0             37             37
Merlin                       2             15             15
Peregrine Falcon             1              2              2
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1


Total:                       4            116            116
------------------------------------------------------------

Hawk Watch Count 9-5-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       4             22             22
Bald Eagle                   0              2              2
Northern Harrier             0              6              6
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1             21             21
Cooper's Hawk                1              7              7
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0
Broad-winged Hawk            1              1              1
Red-tailed Hawk              0              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             2             37             37
Merlin                       1             13             13
Peregrine Falcon             0              1              1
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1

Total:                      10            112            112

Morning Flight 9-5-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 E wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Bobolink- 1

Total Birds: 1

Hawk Watch Count 9-4-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0

Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0             18             18
Bald Eagle                   0              2              2
Northern Harrier             0              6              6

Sharp-shinned Hawk           2             20             20
Cooper's Hawk                0              6              6
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0

Broad-winged Hawk            0              0              0
Red-tailed Hawk              0              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0

American Kestrel             2             35             35
Merlin                       2             12             12
Peregrine Falcon             0              1              1
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1


Total:                       6            102            102
------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Flight 9-4-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 ESE wind, foggy conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Total Birds: 0

Hawk Watch Count 9-3-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0

Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       5             18             18
Bald Eagle                   0              2              2
Northern Harrier             1              6              6

Sharp-shinned Hawk           6             18             18
Cooper's Hawk                3              6              6
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0

Broad-winged Hawk            0              0              0
Red-tailed Hawk              0              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0

American Kestrel             5             33             33
Merlin                       2             10             10
Peregrine Falcon             1              1              1
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1


Total:                       23            96             96
------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Flight 9-3-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 E wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 46
American Robin- 4
Cedar Waxwing- 44
Yellow Warbler- 4
American Redstart- 11
Prothonotary Warbler- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 14
Warbler sp.- 25
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 56
Baltimore Oriole- 5

Total Birds: 215

Hawk Watch Count 9-2-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0

Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       5             13             13
Bald Eagle                   1              2              2
Northern Harrier             4              5              5

Sharp-shinned Hawk           3             12             12
Cooper's Hawk                2              3              3
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0

Broad-winged Hawk            0              0              0
Red-tailed Hawk              1              1              1
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0

American Kestrel            15             28             28
Merlin                       4              8              8
Peregrine Falcon             0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1


Total:                       35            73             73
------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Flight 9-2-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 ENE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Don Freiday

Eastern Wood-Pewee- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 44
Red-eyed Vireo- 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 2
American Robin- 12
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 53
Blue-winged Warbler- 1
Tennessee Warbler- 4
Northern Parula- 6
Yellow Warbler- 8
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 2
Magnolia Warbler- 1
Cape May Warbler- 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 19
Black-throated Green Warbler- 4
Blackburnian Warbler- 1
Black and White Warbler- 13
American Redstart- 70
Worm-eating Warbler- 1
Ovenbird- 2
Northern Waterthrush- 31
Warbler sp.- 95
Scarlet Tanager- 2
Blue Grosbeak- 6
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 64
Baltimore Oriole- 43

Total Birds:502

Hawk Watch Count 9-1-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0

Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       8              8              8
Bald Eagle                   1              1              1
Northern Harrier             1              1              1

Sharp-shinned Hawk           9              9              9
Cooper's Hawk                1              1              1
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              0              0

Broad-winged Hawk            0              0              0
Red-tailed Hawk              0              0              0
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0

American Kestrel            13             13             13
Merlin                       4              4              4
Peregrine Falcon             0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               1              1              1


Total:                       38            38             38
------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Flight 9-1-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 6
Empidonax sp.- 3
Eastern Kingbird- 35
Red-eyed Vireo- 28
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 15
American Robin- 4
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 215
Blue-winged Warbler- 1
Tennessee Warbler- 2
Northern Parula- 1
Yellow Warbler- 55
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 3
Magnolia Warbler- 7
Cape May Warbler- 18
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 23
Blackburnian Warbler- 3
Prairie Warbler- 1
Black-and White Warbler- 54
American Redstart- 338
Ovenbird- 8
Northern Waterthrush- 51
Wilson's Warbler- 1
Warbler sp.- 45
Scarlet Tanager- 2
Blue Grosbeak- 1
Indigo Bunting- 5
Bobolink- 190
Baltimore Oriole- 86
Veery- 1

Total Birds: 1208

Morning Flight 8-31-2008

Morning Flight: 5-15 NE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 10
Eastern Wood-Pewee- 4
Emipidonax sp.- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 64
Philadelphia Vireo- 1
Red-eyed Vireo- 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 38
Cedar Waxwing- 695
Tennessee Warbler- 2
Nashville Warbler- 1
Northern Parula- 8
Yellow Warbler - 26
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 6
Magnolia Warbler- 9
Cape May Warbler- 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 51
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 5
Blackburnian Warbler- 13
Prairie Warbler- 10
Black-and-White Warbler- 70
American Redstart- 850
Ovenbird- 3
Northern Waterthrush- 50
Canada Warbler- 2
Warbler sp.- 113
Scarlet Tanager- 3
Blue Grosbeak- 2
Indigo Bunting- 8
Bobolink- 257
Baltimore Oriole- 26

Total Birds: 2338

Morning Flight 8-30-2008

Morning Flight: SW 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Total Birds: 0

Morning Flight 8-29-2008

Morning Flight: ENE 5-10 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 1
American Redstart- 3
Northern Waterthrush- 32
Warbler sp.- 4
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 21

Total Birds: 65

Morning Flight 8-28-2008

Morning Flight: E 5-10 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 3
Eastern Kingbird- 268
American Robin- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 34
Blackburnian Warbler- 1
Black and White Warbler- 1
American Redstart- 9
Prothonotary Warbler- 1
Warbler sp.- 3
Bobolink- 8

Total Birds: 329

Morning Flight 8-27-2008

Morning Flight: ENE 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Glen Davis

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 4
Eastern Kingbird- 336
American Robin- 23
Cedar Waxwing- 26
Tennessee Warbler- 1
Yellow Warbler- 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 1
Cape May Warbler- 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 2
Black-throated Green Warbler- 2
Prairie Warbler-1
Black and White Warbler- 5
American Redstart- 23
Prothonotary Warbler- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 8
Warbler sp.- 22
Bobolink- 106
Baltimore Oriole- 15

Total Birds: 583

Morning Flight 8-25-2008

Morning Flight: SW 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Indigo Bunting- 1

Total Birds: 1

Morning Flight 8-24-2008

Morning Flight: SSW 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Total Birds: 0

Morning Flight 8-23-2008

Morning Flight: S 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Total Birds: 0

Morning Flight 8-22-2008

Morning Flight: E 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Eastern Kingbird- 79
American Robin- 23
Cedar Waxwing- 6
Warbler sp.- 1

Total Birds: 110

Morning Flight 8-21-2008

Morning Flight:E 0-5 wind, hazy conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Eastern Kingbird- 2
American Robin- 5
Yellow Warbler- 2
Prairie Warbler- 1
American Redstart- 4
Northern Waterthrush- 3
Warbler sp.- 1
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 15

Total Birds: 34

Morning Flight 8-20-2008

Morning Flight: NE 5-10 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 5
Eastern Kingbird- 240
Warbling Vireo- 1
Red-eyed Vireo-1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 18
American Robin- 15
Northern Mockingbird- 1
Cedar Waxwing- 16
Yellow Warbler- 27
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler- 1
Blackburnian Warbler- 1
Black and White Warbler- 21
American Redstart- 106
Prothonotary Warbler- 2
Worm-eating Warbler- 1
Ovenbird- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 6
Warbler sp.- 27
Scarlet Tanager- 1
Bobolink- 93
Baltimore Oriole- 83
Orchard Oriole- 1

Total Birds: 671

Morning Flight 8-19-2008

Morning Flight: WNW 5-10 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Don Freiday

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 7
American Robin- 7
Cedar Waxwing- 7
Yellow Warbler- 2
American Redstart- 9
Northern Waterthrush- 2
Warbler sp.- 13
Indigo Bunting- 1
Bobolink- 11

Total Birds: 59

Morning Flight 8-18-2008

Morning Flight: SW 0-5 wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Eastern Kingbird- 31
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 3
American Robin- 7
Cedar Waxwing- 5
Yellow Warbler- 9
Prairie Warbler- 1
Black and White Warbler- 1
American Redstart- 14
Worm-eating Warbler- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 6
Warbler sp.- 6
Scarlet Tanager- 1
Bobolink- 6
Baltimore Oriole- 5

Total Birds: 96

Morning Flight 8-17-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 WNW wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 9
Empidonax sp.- 2
Eastern Kingbird- 162
Least Flycatcher- 1
Warbling Vireo- 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 49
American Robin- 22
Northern Mockingbird- 5
Cedar Waxwing- 26
Blue-winged Warbler- 4
Yellow Warbler - 77
Chestnut-sided Warbler- 1
Black-throated Green Warbler- 1
Blackburnian Warbler- 3
Prairie Warbler- 1
Black-and-White Warbler- 69
American Redstart- 414
Prothonotary Warbler- 3
Worm-eating Warbler- 9
Ovenbird- 2
Northern Waterthrush- 91
Canada Warbler- 5
Warbler sp.- 97
Blue Grosbeak- 1
Indigo Bunting- 2
Bobolink- 20
Baltimore Oriole- 32
Hooded Warbler- 1
Louisiana Waterthrush- 1
Western Kingbird- 1
Summer Tanager- 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo- 1
Blue Jay- 1

Total Birds: 1115

Morning Flight 8-16-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 SSW wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 7
Eastern Kingbird- 43
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- 13
American Robin- 23
Northern Mockingbird- 2
Cedar Waxwing- 12
Yellow Warbler - 37
Cape May Warbler- 1
Black-and-White Warbler- 6
American Redstart- 54
Ovenbird- 1
Northern Waterthrush- 31
Warbler sp.- 37
Indigo Bunting- 7
Bobolink- 40
Baltimore Oriole- 4
Yellow-throated Warbler- 1

Total Birds: 319

Morning Flight 08-15-2008

Morning Flight: 0-5 SSE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Eastern Kingbird- 10
Cedar Waxwing- 11
Yellow Warbler - 9
Northern Waterthrush- 1
Warbler sp.- 9
Dickcissel- 1
Bobolink- 8

Total Birds: 50

2007 Sea Watch Totals, Part 1

Avalon Sea Watch, New Jersey, USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            2007 Total    Record Total     Peak/ Date
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------

Red-throated Loon        70006          73704   10348/18-Nov
Common Loon               1758           5066     323/18-Nov
Horned Grebe               188            388      25/14-Nov
Northern Gannet         115291         91951+     7685/5-Dec
Great Cormorant             79            145       14/2-Oct
Double-crested Cormorant214428         240670    21303/8-Nov
Great Blue Heron           641           1530     118/12-Oct
Great Egret                630            822     315/12-Oct
Snowy Egret                406            487     275/12-Oct
Snow Goose                5953          17146    4893/12-Oct
Brant                     4288          16558    1122/12-Oct
Canada Goose              4658         23242+     876/13-Oct
Tundra Swan                 41            601      14/25-Nov
Wood Duck                  451          1607+       73/4-Nov
Gadwall                     22            93+       5/15-Oct
American Wigeon            331           1037      58/17-Oct
American Black Duck       3439           4422     278/12-Nov
Mallard                    462           620+      79/12-Nov
Northern Pintail          1167          3601+     216/23-Sep
Green-winged Teal         6917          11024    1976/26-Oct
Ring-necked Duck           191            350      36/31-Oct
Greater Scaup             1629          2259+     181/16-Oct

2007 Sea Watch Totals, Part 2

Avalon Sea Watch, New Jersey, USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            2007 Total    Record Total     Peak/ Date
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------


Lesser Scaup              1542          2960+      206/2-Dec
scaup,sp.                  120           3667             30
Common Eider               123            169      38/25-Nov
Long-tailed Duck          2235           4159     294/17-Nov
Black Scoter            205601         256633   74998/25-Oct
Surf Scoter             200587         208857   69928/25-Oct
White-winged Scoter       1714           6126     251/18-Nov
dark-winged scoter       16077         160828     3286/9-Oct
unidentified scoter      68830          44900   14455/25-Oct
Common Goldeneye            67            290             13
Bufflehead                2309           2428    1063/17-Nov
Hooded Merganser           323            371      78/17-Nov
Red-breasted Merganser    2860           6439     523/19-Nov
Parasitic Jaeger           126            224       14/2-Oct
Laughing Gull            39053          33222    5787/19-Oct
Bonaparte's Gull          3269           8647     1174/2-Dec
Ring-billed Gull         13349         33340+     2328/6-Dec
Herring Gull              5471          35169     766/10-Oct
Great Black-backed Gull   1726           2490     135/27-Oct
Black-legged Kittiwake       5            201       1/16-Oct
Forster's Tern           12086          14372    1441/14-Oct
Royal tern                1282           2631     295/23-Oct

2007 Sea Watch Totals, Part 3

Avalon Sea Watch, New Jersey, USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            2007 Total    Record Total     Peak/ Date
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------



Razorbill                    5             13       2/18-Nov
Monarch                   5377             --    4047/13-Oct
Brown Pelican              446            302       76/2-Oct
Glossy Ibis                  3             --              3
Little Blue Heron            8            201              5
Blue-winged Teal            14             84              5
dabbler,sp.                 47             --             18
Aythya,sp.                 346             --     105/30-Nov
duck,sp.                    22             --             12
American Oystercatcher     740             --     141/29-Sep
Lesser Black-backed Gull     5             18              1
Common Tern               1316           2803     516/27-Oct
Caspian Tern                24             96      12/29-Oct
Northern Shoveler           79             55      24/24-Nov
Black Skimmer              289            286      78/29-Sep
Ruddy Duck                  52             72      22/14-Nov
Black-crowned Night-Heron   83            121             42
American Bittern             1             --              1
Redhead                      7            184              2
Harlequin Duck               5             13              3
American Woodcock            2             --              1
Red-necked Grebe             5             15       2/19-Nov

2007 Sea Watch Totals, Part 4

Avalon Sea Watch, New Jersey, USA
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            2007 Total    Record Total     Peak/ Date
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------



Iceland Gull                 1              3              1
Greater Yellowlegs           3             --              3
Canvasback                   5             --              2
Black Tern                   2             --              1
MALL/ABDU Integrade          3             --              1
Whimbrel                     6             --              6
King Eider                   9             21              2
Common Merganser             3             12              1
Mute Swan                    4             19              4
Pacific Loon                 1             --              1
Clapper Rail                 1             --              1
Belted Kingfisher            6             --              2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper      5             --              5
Killdeer                    10             --              9
Spotted Sandpiper            1             --              1
American Golden-Plover      22             --             21
Cackling Goose               1             --              1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   2             --              2
Northern Saw-whet Owl        1             --              1
American Coot                1             --              1
Barrow's Goldeneye           1             --              1

Total                  1015318         976213  162470/26-Oct
Total Species               99             99             34