Sea Watch Count - 11/15/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Wigeon - 3
Mallard - 6
Blue-winged Teal - 1
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 5
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup - 4
Lesser Scaup - 4
Common Eider - 2
Surf Scoter - 178
White-winged Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 7
Long-tailed Duck - 7
Bufflehead - 3
Red-breasted Merganser - 18
Red-throated Loon - 1,619
Common Loon - 16
Northern Gannet - 142
Laughing Gull - 43
Bonaparte's Gull - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 3
Forster's Tern - 1

Total - 2,071
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-15-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             46            110
Turkey Vulture               0            316            762
Osprey                       0             17           1006
Bald Eagle                   0             24            273
Northern Harrier             0             41            572
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            478          10897
Cooper's Hawk                0            224           4391
Northern Goshawk             0              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            110            174
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0            268            527
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             16             24
American Kestrel             0             26           3018
Merlin                       0              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             0              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0           1586          24964
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/14/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Wood Duck - 3
Greater Scaup - 8
Lesser Scaup - 18
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 4
Surf Scoter - 723
White-winged Scoter - 9
Black Scoter - 169
Long-tailed Duck - 11
Bufflehead - 14
Red-breasted Merganser - 14
Red-throated Loon - 3,982
Common Loon - 189
Northern Gannet - 3,886
Laughing Gull - 127
Ring-billed Gull - 56
Herring Gull - 46
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 12
Common Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 4
Royal Tern - 17
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
Razorbill - 1

Total - 9,298
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-14-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             46            110
Turkey Vulture               0            316            762
Osprey                       0             17           1006
Bald Eagle                   0             24            273
Northern Harrier             0             41            572
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            478          10897
Cooper's Hawk                0            224           4391
Northern Goshawk             0              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            110            174
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0            268            527
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             16             24
American Kestrel             0             26           3018
Merlin                       0              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             0              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0           1586          24964
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/13/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Wood Duck - 6
Gadwall - 3
American Wigeon - 1
American Black Duck - 3
Green-winged Teal - 269
Greater Scaup - 54
Lesser Scaup - 36
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 8
Surf Scoter - 6,175
White-winged Scoter - 21
Black Scoter - 15,258
dark-winged scoter - 660
Long-tailed Duck - 44
Bufflehead - 56
Red-breasted Merganser - 77
Red-throated Loon - 2,583
Common Loon - 39
Horned Grebe - 2
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 2,603
Double-crested Cormorant - 273
Great Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 33
Bonaparte's Gull - 13
Ring-billed Gul - 130
Herring Gull - 195
Great Black-backed Gull - 103
Black-legged Kittiwake - 1
Royal Tern - 16

Total - 28,665
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-13-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             46            110
Turkey Vulture               0            316            762
Osprey                       0             17           1006
Bald Eagle                   0             24            273
Northern Harrier             0             41            572
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            478          10897
Cooper's Hawk                0            224           4391
Northern Goshawk             0              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            110            174
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0            268            527
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             16             24
American Kestrel             0             26           3018
Merlin                       0              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             0              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0           1586          24964
Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 11-12-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             46            110
Turkey Vulture              54            316            762
Osprey                       0             17           1006
Bald Eagle                   0             24            273
Northern Harrier             4             41            572
Sharp-shinned Hawk          21            478          10897
Cooper's Hawk               35            224           4391
Northern Goshawk             0              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk         17            110            174
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk             79            268            527
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0             16             24
American Kestrel             0             26           3018
Merlin                       0              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             0              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     210           1586          24964
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/12/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 132
Wood Duck - 38
American Black Duck - 22
Northern Shoveler - 2
Northern Pintail - 13
Green-winged Teal - 211
Greater Scaup - 21
Lesser Scaup - 38
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 15
Surf Scoter - 18,223
White-winged Scoter - 35
Black Scoter - 11,948
dark-winged scoter - 27,762
Long-tailed Duck - 91
Bufflehead - 62
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 80
Red-throated Loon - 1,105
Common Loon - 92
Horned Grebe - 3
Northern Gannet - 21,627
Double-crested Cormorant - 24,637
Great Cormorant - 14
Laughing Gull - 64
Bonaparte's Gull - 10
Ring-billed Gull - 90
Herring Gull - 159
Great Black-backed Gull - 59
Common Tern - 4
Forster's Tern - 31
Royal Tern - 12
Razorbill - 1
Sandhill Crane - 2

Total - 106,605
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 11/11/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 7
Wood Duck - 94
American Wigeon - 18
American Black Duck - 81
Northern Pintail - 3
Green-winged Teal - 10
dabbler sp. - 39
Greater Scaup - 2
Lesser Scaup - 53
Surf Scoter - 1,039
White-winged Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 501
scoter sp. - 1,271
Long-tailed Duck - 13
Bufflehead - 43
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 18
Red-throated Loon - 132
Common Loon - 10
Northern Gannet - 16,946*
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 3,977
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 130
Bonaparte's Gull - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 117
Common Tern - 3
Forster's Tern - 32
Royal Tern - 32

Total: 24,580

Monarch: 1

Other birds of note: Golden Eagle and Orange-crowned Warbler

*This denotes a new single day record for Northern Gannet at the Avalon Sea Watch. The peak hour of movement occurred between 11:38am and 12:38pm when 5,992 were counted moving south. To put this in perspective, the previous single day record of Gannet was set last year when 7,685 were tallied in a full day!
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-11-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               13             46            110
Turkey Vulture             161            262            708
Osprey                       3             17           1006
Bald Eagle                   9             24            273
Northern Harrier             6             37            568
Sharp-shinned Hawk          82            457          10876
Cooper's Hawk               62            189           4356
Northern Goshawk             0              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk         59             93            157
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk            103            189            448
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 1             16             24
American Kestrel             2             26           3018
Merlin                       0              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             0              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     501           1376          24754
Posted by Anonymous at

A Record Day at Cape May Hawk Watch: Golden Eagles 11-10-2008

A Record Raptor Day: Golden Eagles: By: Seth Cutright Counted By: Dan Berard

Today was a record breaking day…literally. During the Fall of 1996, 8 Golden Eagles were recorded on a single day. Today, that record was broken, as 14 Golden Eagles were recorded from the Cape May Hawk Watch Platform. As anyone who has attempted to count raptors knows, it can be tough trying to figure out which birds are migrating and which birds have been around all day and that goes double for eagles. Thankfully, today was a team effort. There was constant communication between me, in the Far North Raptor Banding Blind, Forrest Rowland, the counter at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch, and Dan Berard, counting at the Cape May Hawk Watch Platform. As an eagle was spotted, word was spread and we were able to track their movements and even how long it took some individuals to cross the bay.

Cape May wasn’t the only hawk watch to break a record. The Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch broke two records, with a new day and season total for Golden Eagles. They recorded six for their daily total. Here at the Cape May Hawk Watch we recorded a new day high count at fourteen. Out of the fourteen that were recorded at the Cape May Hawk Watch, Cape Henlopen was able to count how long it took six of these to cross the Bay. Overall, they all crossed in about an hour. Another astonishing number to throw at you is five, which is the number of the Cape May birds that were adults. Yet another interesting note is that the Golden Eagle recorded yesterday was seen again today but was not counted, which means that while fourteen birds were recorded today there were actually fifteen seen.

Other highlights at the platform today were Clay-colored and Fox Sparrows feeding among Song and House Sparrows. Many ducks were still on the pond by the count site, along with Cave Swallows flying over it. Then to cap off a really fun and interesting day, the last highlight was a flock of five Tundra Swans.



Photo 1: Juvenile Golden Eagle: 11-9-10-2008
Notes: This bird was seen both days. Some stand out field marks were noted to tell that it was the same bird both days. Such marks are, the very large amount and bright white wing patches, and thicker bright white band on tail. Also noted was the thin brown tail band on tail tip. These marks were seen on this bird both days in person and from banding photos. This photo is from 11-10-2008


Photo 2: Juvenile Golden Eagle: 11-10-2008


Photo 3: Five Tundra Swans: 11-10-2008


Photo 4: Clay-colored Sparrow: 11-10-2008

Photos done by Dan Berard







Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 11-10-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               23             33             97
Turkey Vulture              75            101            547
Osprey                       8             14           1003
Bald Eagle                   6             15            264
Northern Harrier            11             31            562
Sharp-shinned Hawk         125            375          10794
Cooper's Hawk               58            127           4294
Northern Goshawk             1              3              5
Red-shouldered Hawk         19             34             98
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk             34             86            345
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                14             15             23
American Kestrel             9             24           3016
Merlin                       2              9           1263
Peregrine Falcon             1              7           1407
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     386            875          24253
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/10/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 49
Canada Goose - 8
Wood Duck - 43
American Wigeon - 5
American Black Duck - 18
Northern Pintail - 1
Green-winged Teal - 26
Greater Scaup - 2
Lesser Scaup - 15
Surf Scoter - 221
Black Scoter - 38
scoter sp. - 111
Long-tailed Duck - 4
Bufflehead - 27
Red-breasted Merganser - 16
Red-throated Loon - 33
Common Loon - 12
Northern Gannet - 1,751
Double-crested Cormorant - 595
Great Cormorant - 3
Great Egret - 7
Laughing Gull - 16
Ring-billed Gull - 32
Herring Gull - 2
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 23
Royal Tern - 7
American Oystercatcher - 3
Marbled Godwit - 7

Total: 3,076
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-9-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               6             26            472
Osprey                       1              6            995
Bald Eagle                   2              9            258
Northern Harrier             3             20            551
Sharp-shinned Hawk          35            250          10669
Cooper's Hawk               12             69           4236
Northern Goshawk             0              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          7             15             79
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk             23             52            311
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 1              1              9
American Kestrel             2             15           3007
Merlin                       3              7           1261
Peregrine Falcon             1              6           1406
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                      96            489          23867
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/9/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 20
Canada Goose - 1
American Wigeon - 13
American Black Duck - 8
Greater Scaup - 3
Surf Scoter - 51
Black Scoter - 11
Bufflehead - 1
Red-throated Loon - 45
Common Loon - 8
Northern Gannet - 497
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 449
Great Egret - 3
Laughing Gull - 12
Ring-billed Gull - 9
Forster's Tern - 60
Royal Tern - 9
American Oystercatcher - 16

Total: 1,217

Other birds of note: White-rumped Sandpiper - 2, Willet - 1, Dickcissel - 1, and Pine Warbler
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 11/8/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Wigeon - 5
Green-winged Teal - 13
Greater Scaup - 1
Lesser Scaup - 8
Surf Scoter - 140
White-winged Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 10
Long-tailed Duck - 3
Bufflehead - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Red-throated Loon - 50
Common Loon - 7
Northern Gannet - 376
Laughing Gull - 116
Bonaparte's Gull - 14
Ring-billed Gull - 16
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 66
Royal Tern - 34
Black Skimmer - 4
Killdeer - 1

Total: 869

Other birds of note: Orange-crowned Warbler, Pine Warbler, and 3 Western Willet
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-8-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               0             20            466
Osprey                       0              5            994
Bald Eagle                   0              7            256
Northern Harrier             0             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            215          10634
Cooper's Hawk                0             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             0              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0             29            288
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0             13           3005
Merlin                       0              4           1258
Peregrine Falcon             0              5           1405
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0            393          23771
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 11/7/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 86
Gadwall - 1
American Black Duck - 3
Surf Scoter - 117
Black Scoter - 10
scoter sp. - 25
Red-breasted Merganser - 7
Red-throated Loon - 10
Common Loon - 13
Northern Gannet - 37
Double-crested Cormorant - 804
Great Egret - 2
Laughing Gull - 137
Bonaparte's Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 91
Herring Gull - 11
Forster's Tern - 3
Royal Tern - 12

Total - 1,370
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-7-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               0             20            466
Osprey                       0              5            994
Bald Eagle                   0              7            256
Northern Harrier             0             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            215          10634
Cooper's Hawk                0             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             0              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0             29            288
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0             13           3005
Merlin                       0              4           1258
Peregrine Falcon             0              5           1405
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0            393          23771
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/6/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Green-winged Teal - 3
Surf Scoter - 80
White-winged Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 92
Red-throated Loon - 21
Common Loon - 6
Double-crested Cormorant - 41

Total - 245
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 11/5/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 228
Canada Goose - 4
Wood Duck - 3
Green-winged Teal - 44
Surf Scoter - 556
White-winged Scoter - 11
Black Scoter - 791
dark-winged scoter - 20
Long-tailed Duck - 2
Bufflehead - 6
Red-throated Loon - 34
Common Loon - 8
Northern Gannet - 171
Double-crested Cormorant - 604

Total - 2482
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-6-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               0             20            466
Osprey                       0              5            994
Bald Eagle                   0              7            256
Northern Harrier             0             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            215          10634
Cooper's Hawk                0             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             0              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0             29            288
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0             13           3005
Merlin                       0              4           1258
Peregrine Falcon             0              5           1405
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       0            393          23771
Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 11-5-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               0             20            466
Osprey                       0              5            994
Bald Eagle                   0              7            256
Northern Harrier             0             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1            215          10634
Cooper's Hawk                0             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             0              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              1             29            288
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0             13           3005
Merlin                       1              4           1258
Peregrine Falcon             0              5           1405
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       3            393          23771
Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 11-4-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             74
Turkey Vulture               0             20            466
Osprey                       0              5            994
Bald Eagle                   0              7            256
Northern Harrier             0             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0            214          10633
Cooper's Hawk                0             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             1              2              4
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            0              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              0             28            287
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0             13           3005
Merlin                       0              3           1257
Peregrine Falcon             1              5           1405
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                       2            390          23768
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/4/08

Observer: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 6
American Wigeon - 9
American Black Duck - 29
Green-winged Teal - 40
Ring-necked Duck - 2
Greater Scaup - 14
Lesser Scaup - 7
Surf Scoter - 1,429
Black Scoter - 1,457
scoter sp. - 7
Red-breasted Merganser - 7
Red-throated Loon - 265
Common Loon - 25
Northern Gannet - 624
Double-crested Cormorant - 806
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 123
Ring-billed Gull - 160
Herring Gull - 20
Forster's Tern - 5
Royal Tern - 126

Total: 5,162
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-3-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               10             10             74
Turkey Vulture              20             20            466
Osprey                       5              5            994
Bald Eagle                   5              7            256
Northern Harrier             6             17            548
Sharp-shinned Hawk          52            214          10633
Cooper's Hawk               27             57           4224
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          4              8             72
Broad-winged Hawk            1              1            527
Red-tailed Hawk              5             28            287
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             6             13           3005
Merlin                       2              3           1257
Peregrine Falcon             3              4           1404
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     146            388          23766
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/3/08

Observer: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 37
Wood Duck - 4
American Wigeon - 29
American Black Duck - 33
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 663
Ring-necked Duck - 10
Greater Scaup - 22
Lesser Scaup - 47
Surf Scoter - 3,740
White-winged Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 2,482
scoter sp. - 500
Long-tailed Duck - 2
Bufflehead - 5
Red-breasted Merganser - 26
Red-throated Loon - 630
Common Loon - 15
Northern Gannet - 2,824
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,027
Great Cormorant - 3
Laughing Gull - 95
Bonaparte's Gull - 15
Ring-billed Gull - 84
Herring Gull - 17
Great Black-backed Gull - 9
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 64
Royal Tern - 73

Total: 12,463
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-2-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0             64
Turkey Vulture               0              0            446
Osprey                       0              0            989
Bald Eagle                   2              2            251
Northern Harrier             2             11            542
Sharp-shinned Hawk          91            162          10581
Cooper's Hawk               16             30           4197
Northern Goshawk             0              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          3              4             68
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            526
Red-tailed Hawk             21             23            282
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             0              7           2999
Merlin                       1              1           1255
Peregrine Falcon             0              1           1401
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     136            242          23620
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/2/08

Observer: Sean Fitzgerald

Snow Goose - 15
Brant - 157
Canada Goose - 1
Wood Duck - 63
Gadwall - 9
American Wigeon - 92
American Black Duck - 394
Mallard - 4
Northern Shoveler - 1
Northern Pintail - 143
Green-winged Teal - 1,346
Ring-necked Duck - 9
Greater Scaup - 226
Lesser Scaup - 300
scaup sp. - 27
King Eider - 1
Common Eider - 3
Surf Scoter - 27,345
White-winged Scoter - 64
Black Scoter - 27,493
scoter sp. - 9,730
Long-tailed Duck - 16
Bufflehead - 72
Hooded Merganser - 3
Red-breasted Merganser - 98
Red-throated Loon - 1,317
Common Loon - 45
Northern Gannet - 1,286
Double-crested Cormorant - 10,490
Great Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 31
Laughing Gull - 66
Ring-billed Gull - 133
Herring Gull - 158
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3
Great Black-backed Gull - 12
Black-legged Kittiwake - 1
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 10
Royal Tern - 23
Black Skimmer - 35
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
American Oystercatcher - 52
Killdeer - 1

Total: 81,279
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 11-1-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0             64
Turkey Vulture               0              0            446
Osprey                       0              0            989
Bald Eagle                   0              0            249
Northern Harrier             9              9            540
Sharp-shinned Hawk          71             71          10490
Cooper's Hawk               14             14           4181
Northern Goshawk             1              1              3
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              1             65
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0            526
Red-tailed Hawk              2              2            261
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              1
Golden Eagle                 0              0              8
American Kestrel             7              7           2999
Merlin                       0              0           1254
Peregrine Falcon             1              1           1401
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              0              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              0              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              3

Total:                     106            106          23484
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 11/1/08

Observer: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 12
Wood Duck - 21
Gadwall - 7
American Wigeon - 50
American Black Duck - 184
Mallard - 1
Northern Shoveler - 1
Northern Pintail - 35
Green-winged Teal - 73
Ring-necked Duck - 16
Greater Scaup - 13
Lesser Scaup - 12
Common Eider - 1
Surf Scoter - 7,575
White-winged Scoter - 8
Black Scoter - 3,692
scoter sp. - 1,350
Long-tailed Duck - 18
Bufflehead - 86
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 4
Ruddy Duck - 2
Red-throated Loon - 479
Common Loon - 79
Horned Grebe - 2
Northern Gannet - 3,779
Brown Pelican - 2
Double-crested Cormorant - 2,218
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 2
Laughing Gull - 336
Bonaparte's Gull - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 49
Forster's Tern - 123
Royal Tern - 9
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
American Oystercatcher - 3
American Woodcock - 1

Total: 20,249

Monarch: 4

Other birds of note: Lapland Longspur - 1, Pine Siskin - 4
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 10/31/08

Observer: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 105
Canada Goose - 33
Wood Duck - 114
Gadwall - 6
American Wigeon - 162
American Black Duck - 53
Mallard - 8
Northern Pintail - 76
Green-winged Teal - 398
Ring-necked Duck - 7
Greater Scaup - 27
Lesser Scaup - 98
Surf Scoter - 9,631
White-winged Scoter - 17
Black Scoter - 12,473
scoter sp. - 2,513
Long-tailed Duck - 13
Bufflehead - 62
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 16
Red-throated Loon - 350
Common Loon - 125
Horned Grebe - 4
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 3,099
Brown Pelican - 3
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,844
Great Cormorant - 5
Laughing Gull - 60
Bonaparte's Gull - 2
Ring-billed Gull - 49
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 214
Royal Tern - 2
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
Killdeer - 1

Total: 31,575
Posted by at

View from the Platform 10-31-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site
Number of species: 40

Happy Halloween from the Hawk Watch Interpretative Naturalists!!! So while the raptor count will continue until the end of November, this is the final day for all the interpretative naturalists (Ashley, Melissa, Lizzie, and Jon). We've had an AMAZING season this fall on many different levels. Not only was the platform a perfect place to see a wide array of migrating raptors, we also got to expand our knowledge on many other types of birds, insects, butterflies, reptiles, and plants!! We would like to give a special thanks to everyone who gave us their warmth and kindness. The locals and visitors were always supportive and gladly answered any questions we had. You guys are AWESOME!!! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!! The season would be nothing without you. So again, thank you so much for everything. We will miss you guys!!!
-Melissa, Ashley, Lizzie, and Jon

Snow Goose 20
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 2
Mallard 7
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 38
Ring-necked Duck 1
Bufflehead 2
Hooded Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck 18
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 100
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 2
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 7
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 13
Herring Gull 2
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Tree Swallow X
Carolina Chickadee 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Pipit 9
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Palm Warbler 5
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 4
Red-winged Blackbird 52
House Finch 4
House Sparrow X
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 10-31-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            446            446
Osprey                       0            588            989
Bald Eagle                   0            102            249
Northern Harrier            17            374            531
Sharp-shinned Hawk          75           6495          10419
Cooper's Hawk               16           2766           4167
Northern Goshawk             0              2              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          4             55             64
Broad-winged Hawk            0            387            526
Red-tailed Hawk             10            168            259
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 1              8              8
American Kestrel             3            985           2992
Merlin                       1            550           1254
Peregrine Falcon             0            936           1400
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                     127          13918          23378
Posted by Anonymous at

View from the Platform 10-30-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site
Number of species: 32

Snow Goose 5
Canada Goose 70
Mute Swan 1
American Wigeon 15
Mallard 7
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 51
Bufflehead 2
Ruddy Duck 12
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
American Coot 1
Greater Yellowlegs 9
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Mourning Dove 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 2
Tree Swallow X
Eastern Bluebird X
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 75
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 10-30-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture              60            446            446
Osprey                       0            588            989
Bald Eagle                   1            102            249
Northern Harrier            18            357            514
Sharp-shinned Hawk         148           6420          10344
Cooper's Hawk               27           2750           4151
Northern Goshawk             0              2              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          8             51             60
Broad-winged Hawk            2            387            526
Red-tailed Hawk             14            158            249
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 2              7              7
American Kestrel             9            982           2989
Merlin                       3            549           1253
Peregrine Falcon             0            936           1400
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                     292          13791          23251
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 10/30/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 583
Canada Goose - 95
Wood Duck - 44
American Black Duck - 35
Mallard - 3
Northern Shoveler - 2
Green-winged Teal - 159
Lesser Scaup - 1
Surf Scoter - 639
White-winged Scoter - 6
Black Scoter - 579
dark-winged scoter - 910
Long-tailed Duck - 13
Bufflehead - 6
Red-breasted Merganser - 4
Red-throated Loon - 59
Common Loon - 11
Horned Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 133
Double-crested Cormorant - 5627
Great Blue Heron - 7
Great Egret - 19
Forster's Tern - 37
Royal Tern - 12
Black-headed Gull - 1

Total - 8986
Posted by at

View from the Platform 10-29-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site
Number of species: 31

Snow Goose 20
Canada Goose 30
Mute Swan 3
Gadwall 3
Mallard 4
Green-winged Teal 43
Bufflehead 3
Ruddy Duck 11
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 10
Great Egret 4
American Coot 5
Black-bellied Plover 1
Killdeer 13
Greater Yellowlegs 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 15
Dunlin 10
Bonaparte's Gull 11
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Mourning Dove 3
American Crow 1
Tree Swallow X
Carolina Wren 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 1
Red-winged Blackbird 4
House Sparrow X
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 10/29/08

Observer: Dan Berard

Brant - 228
Canada Goose - 24
Wood Duck - 31
American Black Duck - 16
Northern Shoveler - 7
Northern Pintail - 17
Green-winged Teal - 130
Greater Scaup - 27
Lesser Scaup - 9
Surf Scoter - 16
White-winged Scoter - 10
Black Scoter - 248
dark-winged scoter - 67
Long-tailed Duck - 33
Bufflehead - 27
Red-throated Loon - 25
Common Loon - 22
Northern Gannet - 1619
Double-crested Cormorant - 600
Great Cormorant - 4
Great Blue Heron - 2
Laughing Gull - 63
Forster's Tern - 30
Royal Tern - 5

Total: 3262
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 10-29-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            386            386
Osprey                       4            588            989
Bald Eagle                   0            101            248
Northern Harrier             4            339            496
Sharp-shinned Hawk          16           6272          10196
Cooper's Hawk                3           2723           4124
Northern Goshawk             0              2              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             43             52
Broad-winged Hawk            0            385            524
Red-tailed Hawk              1            144            235
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              5              5
American Kestrel             0            973           2980
Merlin                       2            546           1250
Peregrine Falcon             2            936           1400
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                      32          13499          22959
Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 10-28-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            386            386
Osprey                       0            584            985
Bald Eagle                   0            101            248
Northern Harrier             0            335            492
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0           6256          10180
Cooper's Hawk                0           2720           4121
Northern Goshawk             0              2              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             43             52
Broad-winged Hawk            0            385            524
Red-tailed Hawk              0            143            234
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              5              5
American Kestrel             0            973           2980
Merlin                       0            544           1248
Peregrine Falcon             0            934           1398
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                       0          13467          22927
Posted by Anonymous at

Monarch Monitoring Project 10/28/08


Sadly, the sun is setting on Cape May's monarch migration season. Surveys from this past week reflect this, and we averaged just 12.11 monarchs/hour. It's getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and the monarchs must hurry to Mexico. There will be a few stragglers left in Cape May, but in general our part in monarch migration is over. Later this week I will have more information about the amount of monarchs tagged, and general reflections on the season. For this blog I would like to talk about something else all together...

Monarchs are already dressed up for Halloween. They proudly wear their orange and black, which many associate with the spooky holiday. In Mexico, however, monarchs are associated with a different holiday entirely:

The Day of the Dead
(Dia de los Muertos)

Day of the Dead celebrators looking up for monarchs...


Monarchs begin arriving in the Michoacan region of Mexico around the beginning of November. This corresponds directly with the Mexican "Day of the Dead" on November 1st and 2nd. The main focus of this holiday is the gathering together of friends and relatives to honor and remember family and friends who have died. There are private alters built and gifts brought to the grave sites of the deceased. So, very interesting yes...but what does it have to do with monarchs?




more Day of the Dead participants waiting patiently for monarchs


Well, since the monarchs being arriving at their roosting grounds around the same time, they have become associated with the Day of the Dead. Many "Day of the Dead" participants in the Michoacan region believe that the monarchs are the souls of their ancestors. The souls return once a year to earth in the form of mariposa monarca, aka monarch butterflies. Whether or not you believe this, it's still wonderful to see monarchs revered and respected.

Very cool kids book about monarchs and the Day of the Dead



Even in their roosting grounds, monarchs are (mostly) welcomed visitors. So perhaps if on November 1st you happen to see a monarch, or even just a butterfly, give it a respectful nod. You never know who it might be.


Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 10/28/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

American Wigeon - 1
Northern Pintail - 8
Green-winged Teal - 4
Greater Scaup - 2
Lesser Scaup - 37
Surf Scoter - 70
Black Scoter - 14
Bufflehead - 3
Red-throated Loon - 3
Common Loon - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 11
Laughing Gull - 63
Ring-billed Gull - 3
Caspian Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 1
Royal Tern - 3
American Golden-Plover - 6

Total: 235
Posted by at

Morning Flight 10-28-2008

Morning Flight: 15-30 W wind, clear conditions
Counter: Sam Galick


Total Birds: 0

Non-morning Flight Birds- 2 Morning Dove
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 10/27/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 46
American Wigeon - 8
American Black Duck - 3
Northern Pintail - 1
Lesser Scaup - 4
Surf Scoter - 66
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 6
Red-throated Loon - 13
Common Loon - 13
Northern Gannet - 899
Double-crested Cormorant - 3,083
Great Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 7
Laughing Gull - 440
Bonaparte's Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 45
Herring Gull - 9
Forster's Tern - 74
Royal Tern - 30

Total: 4,751

Monarch: 3
Posted by at

View from the Platform 10-27-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site
Number of species: 36

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 3
Mallard 12
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 54
Ruddy Duck 7
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 1
Rock Pigeon 10
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 23
American Crow 10
Fish Crow 4
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 2
Eastern Bluebird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Pipit 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Palm Warbler 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Rusty Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow X
Posted by at

Hawk Watch Count 10-27-2008

Official Observer: Dan Berard


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture              39            386            386
Osprey                       2            584            985
Bald Eagle                   1            101            248
Northern Harrier            12            335            492
Sharp-shinned Hawk         179           6256          10180
Cooper's Hawk               29           2720           4121
Northern Goshawk             1              2              2
Red-shouldered Hawk          5             43             52
Broad-winged Hawk            1            385            524
Red-tailed Hawk              0            143            234
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 1              5              5
American Kestrel            58            973           2980
Merlin                      15            544           1248
Peregrine Falcon             6            934           1398
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                     349          13467          22927
Posted by Anonymous at

Hawk Watch Count 10-26-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            347            347
Osprey                       1            582            983
Bald Eagle                   4            100            247
Northern Harrier             7            323            480
Sharp-shinned Hawk          41           6077          10001
Cooper's Hawk                8           2691           4092
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          2             38             47
Broad-winged Hawk            0            384            523
Red-tailed Hawk              5            143            234
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              4              4
American Kestrel             6            915           2922
Merlin                       6            529           1233
Peregrine Falcon             3            928           1392
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                      83          13118          22578
Posted by Anonymous at

View from Jake's Landing/Jon's Car

10-26-08

This evening, interpretive naturalists Lizzie Condon, Jon Kauffman and Ashley Green, along with hawk counter Seth Cutright, visited Jake's Landing for some birdwatching. Out hunting were Red-tailed Hawks, and over 15 Northern Harriers! As the sun set, we heard Black-bellied Plovers, Yellowlegs, Savannah Sparrows, a Woodcock and plenty of rowdy Clapper Rails! Also seen were Black-crowned Night Herons, Green-winged Teal, Eastern Meadowlarks and the main objective for our trip; a Short-eared Owl flying low over the marsh! On our drive out, we stopped the car in the woods and heard two Eastern Screech owls and a Great Horned Owl! A great time was had by all!
Ashley Green
Posted by at

View from the Platform 10-26-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site

Today marked the end of Autumn Weekend here at Cape May. Highlights at the platform included a Black-headed Gull, Cliff Swallow, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Also, a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk was caught this morning. Banders Arthur and John brought the bird over to the east shelter and 30+ people on the platform were treated to an impromptu raptor demonstration!
Ashley Green

Number of species: 28

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 6
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 6
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 18
Ruddy Duck 7
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 3
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Black-headed Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon 7
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 2
crow sp. 6
Tree Swallow X
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 1
Carolina Wren 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Red-winged Blackbird 26
House Sparrow X
Posted by at

Sea Watch Count - 10/26/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 324
Wood Duck - 1
American Black Duck - 9
Green-winged Teal - 1
Surf Scoter - 155
Black Scoter - 34
scoter sp. - 10
Red-throated Loon - 28
Common Loon - 30
Northern Gannet - 959
Brown Pelican - 7
Double-crested Cormorant - 3,352
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 8
Laughing Gull - 8
Herring Gull - 6
Forster's Tern - 1
Royal Tern - 5
American Oystercatcher - 11

Total: 4,950

Monarch: 3
Posted by at

Morning Flight 10-26-2008

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

American Robin- 38
American Pipit- 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 42
Blackpoll Warbler- 1
Warbler sp.- 343
Eastern Meadowlark- 16
Purple Finch- 5
Pine Siskin- 2

Total Birds: 449

Non-morning Flight Birds- 113 Forster's Terns, 4 Common Loons, 672 Northern Gannet
Posted by at

Monarch Monitoring Project - 10/26/08

The "Insect" of the week

The Jumping Spider

Photo (c) Wayne Madison at the Tree of Life.org

Hello all! Today we have a very special addition of the "insect of the week". As an ode to Dick Walton (naturalist, generalist, and humorist), I've decided to do a blog about Jumping Spiders! Although they are not insects, they are closely related to insects. Below is the taxonomy of jumping spiders:

Kingdom: Animalia (just like insects)
Phylum: Arthropoda (again like insects)
Class: Arachnida (ooh there's the difference! Insects are class Insecta)
Order: Aranae (all spiders)
Family: Salticidae

Dick Walton has done a lot of interesting research on these little guys and they really are quite fascinating. You may not like spiders, but how can one resist the jumping spider? Observe the cute and cuddly Phidippus audax:





This guy, also known as the bold jumping spider, is very common in Cape May but how often do we really pay attention to P. audax or any jumping spider? Jumping spiders are extremely diverse and numerous. There is an estimated 5,000 species of Salticids in the world! The main feature that sets them apart from other spiders is their eyes. They have eight eyes in all, but the front row of four are enlarged and powerful giving them stereoscopic vision. If you find a jumping spider it will often turn and look directly at you. They see us, and quite well!






This advance vision gives Salticids an advantage when hunting for prey that is relatively far away. They have a powerful concentration of muscles in the front of their bodies that gives them the ability to jump more than fifty times their body length. The jumping spider is also one of the few spiders that can actually climb on most surfaces, including glass. Although they don't spin webs in the general sense, salticids do use silk for a variety of reasons. When patrolling territory, whether looking for a mate or hunting, the jumping spider will lay out a line of silk. This works as a kind of a safety line that allows the spider to travel anywhere without fear of falling. They also will weave tent-like shelters out of silk where the female will go to lay eggs. Both sexes will also use the shelter when they need a safe place to molt.




One last thing I want to mention about salticids is their interesting dimorphic appearance and intricate courtship process. Males often have bright coloration or other flashy modifications that females lack. Males will use these attributes in an elaborate courtship dance. This dance is different than most spiders due to to the salticids advanced vision. To see video of this visit this website. Many jumping spiders will also mimic other insects/arthropods, including ants, some beetles, and even pseudoscorpions!






The four spiders that are shown above, Platycryptus undatus, Phidippus audax, Eris flava, and Metacryba taeniola are all very common species of jumping spiders that you can see around Cape May. They are amazing creatures and they are right in our own backyard. Lucky us!

To see more visit Dick Walton's website: www.rkwalton.com
All photographs above provided by Dick Walton




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View from the Platform 10-25-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site
Number of species: 20

Brant 11
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 2
American Wigeon 10
Mallard X
Northern Pintail 5
Green-winged Teal 22
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Northern Flicker 1
crow sp. 4
Tree Swallow X
Palm Warbler 1
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Hawk Watch Count 10-25-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            347            347
Osprey                       0            581            982
Bald Eagle                   0             96            243
Northern Harrier             0            316            473
Sharp-shinned Hawk           3           6036           9960
Cooper's Hawk                0           2683           4084
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             36             45
Broad-winged Hawk            0            384            523
Red-tailed Hawk              0            138            229
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              4              4
American Kestrel             1            909           2916
Merlin                       0            523           1227
Peregrine Falcon             3            925           1389
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                       7          13035          22495
Posted by Anonymous at

Sea Watch Count - 10/25/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Green-winged Teal - 1
Lesser Scaup - 1
Common Eider - 1
Surf Scoter - 313
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 113
Red-throated Loon - 12
Common Loon - 9
Northern Gannet - 981
Laughing Gull - 48
Ring-billed Gull - 3
Royal Tern - 13

Total: 1,496
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Morning Flight 10-25-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 ESE wind, rainy conditions
Counter: Sam Galick

Yellow-rumped Warbler- 17

Total Birds: 17

Non-morning Flight Birds- 208 Forster's Terns, 3 Common Loons, 4 Royal Terns
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Hawk Watch Count 10-24-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             52             64
Turkey Vulture               0            347            347
Osprey                       0            581            982
Bald Eagle                   0             96            243
Northern Harrier             2            316            473
Sharp-shinned Hawk          10           6033           9957
Cooper's Hawk                0           2683           4084
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             36             45
Broad-winged Hawk            0            384            523
Red-tailed Hawk              0            138            229
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              4              4
American Kestrel             1            908           2915
Merlin                       3            523           1227
Peregrine Falcon             2            922           1386
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                      18          13028          22488
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View from the Platform 10-24-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch
Number of species: 30

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 3
Mallard X
Northern Pintail 4
Green-winged Teal 21
Ruddy Duck 7
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 2
Semipalmated Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 3
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 1
Royal Tern 1
Fish Crow 4
Tree Swallow X
Carolina Chickadee 1
Winter Wren 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Pine Siskin 1
House Sparrow X
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Sea Watch Count - 10/24/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 129
Wood Duck - 5
American Wigeon - 16
American Black Duck - 22
Northern Pintail - 21
Green-winged Teal - 388
Greater Scaup - 9
Lesser Scaup - 29
Surf Scoter - 3,654
White-winged Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 4,033
scoter sp. - 202
Long-tailed Duck - 2
Hooded Merganser - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 12
Red-throated Loon - 112
Common Loon - 78
Northern Gannet - 1,163
Brown Pelican - 17
Double-crested Cormorant - 2,426
Great Cormorant - 6
Laughing Gull - 87
Ring-billed Gull - 23
Herring Gull - 74
Forster's Tern - 3
Royal Tern - 31

Total: 12,547
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Morning Flight 10-24-2008

Morning Flight: 5-10 SE wind, clear conditions
Counter: Dan Berard

Yellow-rumped Warbler- 60
Pine Siskin- 7

Total Birds: 67

Non-morning Flight Birds- 1 Great Horned Owl, 1 American Woodcock, 1 Winter Wren
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Hawk Watch Count 10-23-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                3             52             64
Turkey Vulture              46            347            347
Osprey                       2            581            982
Bald Eagle                   2             96            243
Northern Harrier             6            314            471
Sharp-shinned Hawk          80           6023           9947
Cooper's Hawk               21           2683           4084
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          5             36             45
Broad-winged Hawk            2            384            523
Red-tailed Hawk             12            138            229
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 0              4              4
American Kestrel             7            907           2914
Merlin                       1            520           1224
Peregrine Falcon             5            920           1384
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                     192          13010          22470
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View from the Platform 10-23-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch
Number of species: 25

Brant 10
Canada Goose X
Gadwall 15
American Black Duck 3
Mallard 5
Northern Pintail 3
Ruddy Duck 6
Double-crested Cormorant 17
Great Egret 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 3
Greater Yellowlegs 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 2
Ring-billed Gull 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 2
Blue Jay 5
Tree Swallow X
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Eastern Bluebird X
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Purple Finch 1
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Sea Watch Count - 10/23/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Brant - 1398
Wood Duck - 30
American Black Duck - 55
Mallard - 1
Northern Pintail - 17
Green-winged Teal - 285
Ring-necked Duck - 8
Greater Scaup - 7
Lesser Scaup - 10
Common Eider - 3
Surf Scoter - 7322
White-winged Scoter - 19
Black Scoter - 38284
dark-winged scoter - 14134
Red-breasted Merganser - 23
Red-throated Loon - 140
Common Loon - 110
Northern Gannet - 14
Double-crested Cormorant - 11237

Total: 73097
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Hawk Watch Count 10-22-2008

Official Observer: Seth Cutright


Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             49             61
Turkey Vulture               0            301            301
Osprey                       0            579            980
Bald Eagle                   3             94            241
Northern Harrier            14            308            465
Sharp-shinned Hawk         179           5943           9867
Cooper's Hawk               36           2662           4063
Northern Goshawk             1              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          3             31             40
Broad-winged Hawk            2            382            521
Red-tailed Hawk              9            126            217
Rough-legged Hawk            0              1              1
Golden Eagle                 1              4              4
American Kestrel            22            900           2907
Merlin                      10            519           1223
Peregrine Falcon             6            915           1379
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Mississippi Kite             0              1              2
Swallow-tailed Kite          0              1              1
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                     286          12818          22278
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Sea Watch Count - 10/22/08

Counter: Dan Berard

Snow Goose - 9
Brant - 370
Canada Goose - 11
Wood Duck - 1
Gadwall - 26
American Wigeon - 17
American Black Duck - 192
Mallard - 5
Northern Shoveler - 5
Northern Pintail - 76
Green-winged Teal - 275
Surf Scoter - 216
White-winged Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 459
Long-tailed Duck - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 8
Red-throated Loon - 19
Common Loon - 127
Northern Gannet - 32
Brown Pelican - 7
Double-crested Cormorant - 4084
Great Egret - 43
Snowy Egret - 3
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

Total: 5969

Other birds: 

Purple Sandpiper - 7
Pine Siskin - 1
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View from the Platform 10-22-08

Location: Cape May Bird Observatory Hawk Watch Site

Fall has finally arrived in Cape May this week, bringing along cool crisp air and blustery winds to the hawk watch platform. Though our migration numbers were not as high today (286) as they have been, visitors to the platform sighted 15 of the 19 (most) possible raptor species today! Highlights included our first Northern Goshawk of the season, an immature Golden Eagle and several close looks at Red-shouldered Hawks. A variety non-raptor species were also seen - see list below:
Ashley Green

Number of species: 27

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan 2
Gadwall 2
Mallard X
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 29
Ruddy Duck 6
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Egret 2
Ruddy Turnstone 5
White-rumped Sandpiper 3
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Belted Kingfisher 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 10
crow sp. X
Tree Swallow X
Cliff Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Palm Warbler 1
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Rusty Blackbird 2
Pine Siskin X
House Sparrow X
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Morning Flight 10-22-08

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

American Robin- 47
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 177
Pine Siskin- 1

Total Birds: 225
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Sea Watch Count - 10/21/08

Counter: Sean Fitzgerald

Brant - 9
Wood Duck - 2
American Wigeon - 1
American Black Duck - 3
Mallard - 3
Northern Pintail - 29
Green-winged Teal - 34
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup - 2
Surf Scoter - 413
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 162
scoter sp. - 77
Red-breasted Merganser - 3
Red-throated Loon - 22
Common Loon - 21
Northern Gannet - 975
Brown Pelican - 25
Double-crested Cormorant - 177
Great Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 29
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Royal Tern - 36

Total: 2,028

Monarch: 17
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Monarch Monitoring Project - 10/21/2008

Greetings everyone! This past week was our second best week to date for the season. Surveys average 53.87 monarchs/hour. That puts the cumulative average for the whole season at 38.01 monarchs/hour. In spite of cold temperatures, monarch numbers remained high. There were a few "mini-roosts" around the point containing groups of 5-20 monarchs. Although these roosts were small, it was a welcomed site for the volunteers at the MMP.

We are now done giving our tagging demonstrations at Cape May Point State Park. There will be three more given specifically for the upcoming Autumn Weekend. Look for us at the picnic table area at the state park this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Head coordinator Louise Zemaitis, will also be giving a special monarch presentation this Friday (Oct 24th) at 1pm in the Interpretive Center Classroom at the state park. Be sure to check her presentation out, you are bound to learn something new about monarchs!


Louise Zemaitis(above) and some new monarch fans

Here at the MMP we are often asked the question "why do you tag monarchs?" Well, there are many reasons. We want to know where our monarchs go. Do they make it all the way to the roosting grounds? What route do they take? How long does it take them? Tagging allows us to answer many of these questions. Just recently we had a monarch recovered that illustrates why we tag very well. I give you:

Speedy: The story of one determined Monarch

Speedy was tagged in Cape May on October 9, 2008 by Patsy Eickelburg, one of our most beloved volunteers. It was given the tag "LAA962". Patsy noted that LAA962 was a male in average condition, with a fat content of 4 (out of 5). It was feeding on aster when caught, and after tagging the monarch, and taking some measurements, Patsy set LAA962 free. Just three days later on October 12th a Mr. Hatfield of Harlem, GA notified Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch that he had spotted LAA962! Below is a map of the distance traveled (made by Dick Walton):




What an amazing feat! Winds on the 9th were from the S and SW, these are not ideal for crossing the bay. The next day winds shifted to the N and NW which makes us think that LAA962 didn't even leave the point until the morning of the 10th. So to fly 558 miles in about two days is incredible! This goes to show that when wind conditions are ideal (coming from the northwest) monarchs will travel great distances rather quickly. Hopefully LAA962 will continue on his way and make it to the roosting grounds in Mexico. Maybe we will hear from him again as he continues on his journey. No matter happens though, this example once again shows us why tagging monarchs is so important.
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