A slow day at the Hawk Watch, with the highlight bird being a juvenile Common Tern, although the highlight event for most people was the offshore Northern Gannet show.
The south winds kept even the most generally common passerines down, even Yellow-rumpeds, and not much else was moving either. 3 Wilson's Snipe and a Red-throated Loon were the only even moderately interesting highlights. Tomorrow should be better.
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/24/09
Number of species: 69
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 12
American Wigeon 16
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 12
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 27
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Ruddy Duck 12
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Northern Gannet 250
Double-crested Cormorant 65
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 7
Osprey 1
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 33
Cooper's Hawk 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 3
American Coot 15
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Wilson's Snipe 3
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 20
Royal Tern 25
Black Skimmer 200
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 550
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
American Robin X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler 40
Palm Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
White-crowned Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Saturday, October 24, 2009
So today was not the big day.
We did have a few good sightings today. We had a Harlequin Duck, a Commone Eider, a Bonaparte's Gull, and two Common Terns.
We also had a Red-throated Loon and a Common Loon diving near the sea wall giving us a good view.
Here is a lost of bird seen today.
Brant 4
American Black Duck 4
Green-winged Teal 8
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 2448
Black Scoter 418
White-winged Scoter 5
dark-winged scoter sp. 265
Red-throated Loon 32
Common Loon 5
Brown Pelican 2
Northern Gannet 2152
Double-crested Cormorant 18
Great Cormorant 1
Laughing Gull 190
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull 18
Great Black-backed Gull 13
Forster's Tern 14
Royal Tern 119
Parasitic Jaegar 3
American Oystercatcher 25
We did have a few good sightings today. We had a Harlequin Duck, a Commone Eider, a Bonaparte's Gull, and two Common Terns.
We also had a Red-throated Loon and a Common Loon diving near the sea wall giving us a good view.
Here is a lost of bird seen today.
Brant 4
American Black Duck 4
Green-winged Teal 8
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 2448
Black Scoter 418
White-winged Scoter 5
dark-winged scoter sp. 265
Red-throated Loon 32
Common Loon 5
Brown Pelican 2
Northern Gannet 2152
Double-crested Cormorant 18
Great Cormorant 1
Laughing Gull 190
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-billed Gull 18
Great Black-backed Gull 13
Forster's Tern 14
Royal Tern 119
Parasitic Jaegar 3
American Oystercatcher 25
Hawk Watch Friday October 23, 2009
The hawk flight became heavy right around 10:30 AM, and kept up for almost 2 hours before the strong East winds shut it down almost completely. Not much in the way f a buteo flight materialized but a close low Red-shouldered pleased the few people that were on the platform just before 3 PM. Currently there is a decent variety of Sparrows and Ducks viewable from the platform, which always a nice bonus. Saturday we should be inside the pavilion due to the projected rain (almost 100%).
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/23/09
Notes: Light NE wind, becoming strong from the East by 12:00 PM.
Number of species: 70
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 6
American Wigeon 12
Mallard 10
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 27
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
dark-winged scoter sp. 5000
Ruddy Duck 6
Common Loon 2
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Northern Gannet 500
Double-crested Cormorant 250
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 34
Osprey 6
Northern Harrier 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 237
Cooper's Hawk 69
Red-shouldered Hawk 4
Broad-winged Hawk 5
Red-tailed Hawk 8
American Kestrel 10
Merlin 5
Peregrine Falcon 7
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 15
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 45
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 600
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
American Robin 50
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) X
Palm Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat X
Savannah Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 16
Common Grackle X
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/23/09
Notes: Light NE wind, becoming strong from the East by 12:00 PM.
Number of species: 70
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 6
American Wigeon 12
Mallard 10
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 27
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
dark-winged scoter sp. 5000
Ruddy Duck 6
Common Loon 2
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Northern Gannet 500
Double-crested Cormorant 250
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 4
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 34
Osprey 6
Northern Harrier 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 237
Cooper's Hawk 69
Red-shouldered Hawk 4
Broad-winged Hawk 5
Red-tailed Hawk 8
American Kestrel 10
Merlin 5
Peregrine Falcon 7
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 15
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 45
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 600
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
American Robin 50
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) X
Palm Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat X
Savannah Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 16
Common Grackle X
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Morning Flight Friday October 23, 2009
A slowish flight for this time of year, with American Robins being the dominant bird. A close Rusty Blackbird was the passerine highlight, and a Northbound flyby Common Eider on the bay was a neat bird for the dike. Also continuing up there are good numbers and a nice variety of shorebirds, which today included 26 White-rumped Sandpipers and a Stilt Sandpiper.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/23/09
Notes: Light NE winds.
Number of species: 54
Brant (Atlantic) 2
Northern Shoveler 2
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 350
Northern Gannet 8
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron 24
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
American Kestrel 1
Semipalmated Plover 14
Killdeer 5
Lesser Yellowlegs 17
Semipalmated Sandpiper 12
Least Sandpiper 34
White-rumped Sandpiper 26
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern 10
Black Skimmer 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 5
Blue Jay X
American Crow 98
Tree Swallow 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
American Robin 1555
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 2
Northern Parula 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 707
Palm Warbler 13
Blackpoll Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 2
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Eastern Meadowlark 15
Rusty Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 1
House Sparrow X
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/23/09
Notes: Light NE winds.
Number of species: 54
Brant (Atlantic) 2
Northern Shoveler 2
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 350
Northern Gannet 8
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron 24
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
American Kestrel 1
Semipalmated Plover 14
Killdeer 5
Lesser Yellowlegs 17
Semipalmated Sandpiper 12
Least Sandpiper 34
White-rumped Sandpiper 26
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern 10
Black Skimmer 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 5
Blue Jay X
American Crow 98
Tree Swallow 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
American Robin 1555
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 2
Northern Parula 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 707
Palm Warbler 13
Blackpoll Warbler 6
Common Yellowthroat 2
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Eastern Meadowlark 15
Rusty Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 1
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch, Friday, October 23, 2009
Today the morning started off with a beautiful sunrise over the calm waters and Gannets already moving and diving. As the day progressed the wind picked up and the sea started to turn.
The Surf Scoter were out in number today with 15,000 plus rallying to move south; a much greater number than the Black Scoter (~1500). The Gannets also had another big day with ~4600.
We also had a good waterbird diversity with King Eider, Red-breasted Mergansers, American Wigeon, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallards, Northern Shoveler, Pintail, Great Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Brant, Pelicans, and both Loon species.
Below is a list of birds seen today:
Brant 3
American Black Duck 10
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 3
Northern Shoveler 1
Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal 212
King Eider 1
Surf Scoter 15,233
Black Scoter 1558
White-winged Scoter 7
dark-winged scoter sp. 265
Red-throated Loon 107
Common Loon 17
Brown Pelican 3
Northern Gannet 4,812
Double-crested Cormorant 2531
Great Cormorant 2
Laughing Gull 136
Ring-billed Gull 27
Herring Gull 59
Great Black-backed Gull 94
Forster's Tern 47
Royal Tern 44
Parasitic Jaegar 3
Now wether tomorrow will be the "Big Day," who can say?
The Surf Scoter were out in number today with 15,000 plus rallying to move south; a much greater number than the Black Scoter (~1500). The Gannets also had another big day with ~4600.
We also had a good waterbird diversity with King Eider, Red-breasted Mergansers, American Wigeon, Wood Duck, American Black Duck, Mallards, Northern Shoveler, Pintail, Great Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Brant, Pelicans, and both Loon species.
Below is a list of birds seen today:
Brant 3
American Black Duck 10
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 3
Northern Shoveler 1
Pintail 12
Green-winged Teal 212
King Eider 1
Surf Scoter 15,233
Black Scoter 1558
White-winged Scoter 7
dark-winged scoter sp. 265
Red-throated Loon 107
Common Loon 17
Brown Pelican 3
Northern Gannet 4,812
Double-crested Cormorant 2531
Great Cormorant 2
Laughing Gull 136
Ring-billed Gull 27
Herring Gull 59
Great Black-backed Gull 94
Forster's Tern 47
Royal Tern 44
Parasitic Jaegar 3
Now wether tomorrow will be the "Big Day," who can say?
Morning Flight Thursday October 22
Well, it finally happened! I had been hoping for a big Yellow-rumped flight and today was the day. Fortunately I had help, a huge thanks to Derek Lovitch and Michael O'Brien for helping me count. Our combined efforts netted 23,717 Yellow-rumped Warblers! It was a pretty incredible show. We also had a significant uptic in the number of White-rumped Sandpipers, the count today was 42, which may be a Cape Island high count. Other than Yellow-rumpeds, the passerine flight was pretty uninspired with very low diversity. The were quite a few Northern Gannets leaving the Bay and Michael spotted a Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Laughing Gull.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/22/09
Number of species: 83
Mallard 6
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 300
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 42
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 3
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 70
Cooper's Hawk 9
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 5
Merlin 6
Semipalmated Plover 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 18
White-rumped Sandpiper 42 Perhaps a high count for Cape Is.
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 8
Laughing Gull 120
Ring-billed Gull 17
Herring Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 3
Royal Tern 3
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Rock Pigeon 65
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 9
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 30
American Crow 15
Fish Crow 60
Tree Swallow 500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 4
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 2595
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 60
American Pipit 9
Cedar Waxwing 12
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 23717 Huge! Derek and Michael helped count. Southbound into light SW wind.
Palm Warbler 70
Blackpoll Warbler 16
Common Yellowthroat 4
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 92
Savannah Sparrow 17
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 12
White-throated Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 15
Northern Cardinal 8
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 125
Eastern Meadowlark 12
Common Grackle 6
Purple Finch 4
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 24
House Sparrow 3
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/22/09
Number of species: 83
Mallard 6
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 300
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 42
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 3
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 70
Cooper's Hawk 9
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 5
Merlin 6
Semipalmated Plover 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 18
White-rumped Sandpiper 42 Perhaps a high count for Cape Is.
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 8
Laughing Gull 120
Ring-billed Gull 17
Herring Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 3
Royal Tern 3
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Rock Pigeon 65
Mourning Dove 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 9
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 30
American Crow 15
Fish Crow 60
Tree Swallow 500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 4
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 3
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 2595
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 60
American Pipit 9
Cedar Waxwing 12
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 23717 Huge! Derek and Michael helped count. Southbound into light SW wind.
Palm Warbler 70
Blackpoll Warbler 16
Common Yellowthroat 4
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 92
Savannah Sparrow 17
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 12
White-throated Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 15
Northern Cardinal 8
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 125
Eastern Meadowlark 12
Common Grackle 6
Purple Finch 4
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 24
House Sparrow 3
Seawatch, Thursday, October 22, 2009
Today was another sunny day and the birds were flying in some numbers. Gannets made up more than 80% of today's flight; scoters and cormorants were not flying in any great numbers.
The highlights of the day include our first Bonaparte's Gulls, our first Long-tailed Duck, and yet another sighting of a Parasitic Jaegar.
Below is a list of birds seen today,
Brant 9
American Black Duck 8
Green-winged Teal 42
Great Scaup 2
Lesser Scaup 1
Surf Scoter 180
Black Scoter 41
dark-winged scoter sp. 7
Red-throated Loon 26
Common Loon 12
Brown Pelican 3
Northern Gannet 4,812
Double-crested Cormorant 165
Laughing Gull 276
Ring-billed Gull 63
Herring Gull 134
Great Black-backed Gull 94
Caspian Tern 1
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 36
Royal Tern 88
Parasitic Jaegar 1
Black Skimmer 3
The highlights of the day include our first Bonaparte's Gulls, our first Long-tailed Duck, and yet another sighting of a Parasitic Jaegar.
Below is a list of birds seen today,
Brant 9
American Black Duck 8
Green-winged Teal 42
Great Scaup 2
Lesser Scaup 1
Surf Scoter 180
Black Scoter 41
dark-winged scoter sp. 7
Red-throated Loon 26
Common Loon 12
Brown Pelican 3
Northern Gannet 4,812
Double-crested Cormorant 165
Laughing Gull 276
Ring-billed Gull 63
Herring Gull 134
Great Black-backed Gull 94
Caspian Tern 1
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 36
Royal Tern 88
Parasitic Jaegar 1
Black Skimmer 3
Hawk Watch Thursday October 22, 2009
Considering the predicted SW winds we had a better than expected day for the hawk count, tallying 528 migrating raptors. Lots of common passerines again, with the highest numbers being Yellow-rumpeds and Robins, as well as a smattering of American Pipits and Eastern Meadowlarks. Notable was the almost complete lack of buteos, despite the summerlike weather. There was also a nice movement of lines of Northern Gannets off the point.
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/22/09
Number of species: 77
Brant (Atlantic) 8
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 27
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Ruddy Duck 4
Common Loon 4
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet 150
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 6
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 15
Sharp-shinned Hawk 335
Cooper's Hawk 95
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 25
Merlin 23
Peregrine Falcon 21
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 15
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 24
Wilson's Snipe 3
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 50
Royal Tern 150
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 50
Blue Jay 200
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 2500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
American Robin 1000
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2500
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 6
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/22/09
Number of species: 77
Brant (Atlantic) 8
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 27
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Ruddy Duck 4
Common Loon 4
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet 150
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 5
Great Egret 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 6
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 15
Sharp-shinned Hawk 335
Cooper's Hawk 95
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 25
Merlin 23
Peregrine Falcon 21
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 15
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 24
Wilson's Snipe 3
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 50
Royal Tern 150
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Chimney Swift 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 50
Blue Jay 200
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 2500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
American Robin 1000
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2500
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 6
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Morning Flight Wednesday October 21 2009
A fairly average day. The White-rumped show continues with 23 seen today. Also we had three individual Vermivora warblers of three species.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/21/09
Number of species: 84
Canada Goose 23
Mallard 6
Black Scoter 180
Brown Pelican 1
Double-crested Cormorant 55
Great Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 14
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 35
Cooper's Hawk 8
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 2
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 12
Killdeer 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Sanderling 15
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5
Least Sandpiper 15
White-rumped Sandpiper 23
Laughing Gull 180
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 45
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 5
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon 75
Mourning Dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 13
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 45
American Crow 12
Fish Crow 65
Tree Swallow 600
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 23
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 8
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 1032
Gray Catbird 3
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 4
European Starling 80
American Pipit 3
Cedar Waxwing 18
Tennessee Warbler 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1422
Palm Warbler 43
Blackpoll Warbler 52
Common Yellowthroat 3
Chipping Sparrow 8
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 9
Northern Cardinal 8
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 240
Eastern Meadowlark 18
Common Grackle 350
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Purple Finch 5
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 120
House Sparrow 6
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/21/09
Number of species: 84
Canada Goose 23
Mallard 6
Black Scoter 180
Brown Pelican 1
Double-crested Cormorant 55
Great Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 14
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 35
Cooper's Hawk 8
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 2
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 12
Killdeer 3
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Sanderling 15
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5
Least Sandpiper 15
White-rumped Sandpiper 23
Laughing Gull 180
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 45
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 5
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon 75
Mourning Dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 13
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 45
American Crow 12
Fish Crow 65
Tree Swallow 600
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 23
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 8
House Wren 1
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 9
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 1032
Gray Catbird 3
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 4
European Starling 80
American Pipit 3
Cedar Waxwing 18
Tennessee Warbler 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1422
Palm Warbler 43
Blackpoll Warbler 52
Common Yellowthroat 3
Chipping Sparrow 8
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 9
Northern Cardinal 8
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 240
Eastern Meadowlark 18
Common Grackle 350
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Purple Finch 5
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 120
House Sparrow 6
Hawk Watch Wednesday October 21, 2009
The most notable event this morning was probably the constant stream of American Robins going west by the platform through the first couple of hours, but the raptors were pretty good too. Northern Harriers put forth a nice showing, and the 7 Red-shouldered Hawks were a treat for many, and especially nice due to the fact that 5 of them were adults. There was also a nice westbound Royal Tern movement just offshore, and Micahel O'Brien pointed out 3 Pine Siskins winging by.
eBird list follows:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/21/09
Notes: Light NW winds shifting to SW in the afternoon. No clouds. Anywhere.
Number of species: 79
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Shoveler X
Green-winged Teal X
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Ruddy Duck 4
Common Loon 3
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 20
Bald Eagle 7
Northern Harrier 45
Sharp-shinned Hawk 386
Cooper's Hawk 164
Red-shouldered Hawk 7
Broad-winged Hawk 29
Red-tailed Hawk 55
American Kestrel 23
Merlin 6
Peregrine Falcon 14
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 14
Black-bellied Plover 2
Killdeer 2
Wilson's Snipe 2
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 100
Royal Tern 40
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) X
Blue Jay 100
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 1000
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 12
Cape May Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 250
Palm Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 8
Common Grackle X
Pine Siskin 3
American Goldfinch 100
House Sparrow X
eBird list follows:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/21/09
Notes: Light NW winds shifting to SW in the afternoon. No clouds. Anywhere.
Number of species: 79
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 3
Northern Shoveler X
Green-winged Teal X
Ring-necked Duck 4
Greater Scaup 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Ruddy Duck 4
Common Loon 3
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 20
Bald Eagle 7
Northern Harrier 45
Sharp-shinned Hawk 386
Cooper's Hawk 164
Red-shouldered Hawk 7
Broad-winged Hawk 29
Red-tailed Hawk 55
American Kestrel 23
Merlin 6
Peregrine Falcon 14
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 14
Black-bellied Plover 2
Killdeer 2
Wilson's Snipe 2
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 100
Royal Tern 40
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) X
Blue Jay 100
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren X
Golden-crowned Kinglet 20
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 1000
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 12
Cape May Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 250
Palm Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 8
Common Grackle X
Pine Siskin 3
American Goldfinch 100
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Wednesday, October 21, 2009
It was a nice sunny day at Avalon. Although it seemed like a slow day the total tally had today's count at almost 11,000 birds; how did I survive those first days of less than a hundred birds?
Today was the first day in which the North Gannet count broke 1,000 birds and also today we had a disproprtionate number of Black Scoter coming through in comparison to the usually equally populous Surf Scoter.
Below is a list of today's birds.
Brant 8
American Black Duck 11
Green-winged Teal 38
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 501
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 4,624
dark-winged scoter sp. 438
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 47
Common Loon 8
Northern Gannet 1803
Double-crested Cormorant 3264
Great Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Laughing Gull 44
Ring-billed Gull 7
Herring Gull 23
Great Black-backed Gull 31
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 24
Royal Tern 9
Today was the first day in which the North Gannet count broke 1,000 birds and also today we had a disproprtionate number of Black Scoter coming through in comparison to the usually equally populous Surf Scoter.
Below is a list of today's birds.
Brant 8
American Black Duck 11
Green-winged Teal 38
Ring-necked Duck 2
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 501
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 4,624
dark-winged scoter sp. 438
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 47
Common Loon 8
Northern Gannet 1803
Double-crested Cormorant 3264
Great Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Laughing Gull 44
Ring-billed Gull 7
Herring Gull 23
Great Black-backed Gull 31
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 24
Royal Tern 9
Morning Flight Tuesday October 20th 2009
We were expecting a tremendous flight of Yellow-rumps, but instead we had a fairly small number of Yellow-rumps but great light and good diversity. Highlights included a very late Connecticut Warbler, 22 White-rumped Sandpipers, a Vespers Sparrow, and a Orange-crowned Warbler that we failed to see during the day but Michael O'Brien found a photo of when view his shots from the morning.
After an internet debacle over the past few weeks we are way behind on blog postings. I will try to enter some of the old totals so everyone can catch up.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/20/09
Number of species: 101
Brant 1
Canada Goose 18
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 6
Common Loon 14
Double-crested Cormorant 115
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 3
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 55
Cooper's Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 12
Killdeer 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Sanderling 30
Semipalmated Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 14
White-rumped Sandpiper 22 Great count! All Juvs, a few beginning to molt mantle feathers. Some size variation between heavier chested individual and those that looked more like BASA.
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Dunlin 8
Laughing Gull 65
Ring-billed Gull 4
Herring Gull 35
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 5
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 29
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue-headed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 35
American Crow 80
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 400
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 10
Brown Creeper 2
Carolina Wren 6
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 40
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 177
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 644
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 300
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 53
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Michael found a photo of one after the dike.
Nashville Warbler 4
Northern Parula 10
Yellow Warbler 1 Late.
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1800 Southbound
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2124 Northbound
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 52
Blackpoll Warbler 27
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Connecticut Warbler 1 Quite late for the dike
Common Yellowthroat 8
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 12
Field Sparrow 1
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 7
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 20
White-throated Sparrow 25
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 23
Northern Cardinal 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 2
Red-winged Blackbird 550
Eastern Meadowlark 11
Rusty Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Baltimore Oriole 1
Purple Finch 7
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 45
After an internet debacle over the past few weeks we are way behind on blog postings. I will try to enter some of the old totals so everyone can catch up.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/20/09
Number of species: 101
Brant 1
Canada Goose 18
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 6
Common Loon 14
Double-crested Cormorant 115
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 3
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 55
Cooper's Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 12
Killdeer 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Sanderling 30
Semipalmated Sandpiper 3
Least Sandpiper 14
White-rumped Sandpiper 22 Great count! All Juvs, a few beginning to molt mantle feathers. Some size variation between heavier chested individual and those that looked more like BASA.
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Dunlin 8
Laughing Gull 65
Ring-billed Gull 4
Herring Gull 35
Great Black-backed Gull 60
Forster's Tern 5
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 29
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue-headed Vireo 3
Blue Jay 35
American Crow 80
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 400
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 10
Brown Creeper 2
Carolina Wren 6
House Wren 2
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 40
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 177
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 644
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 300
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 53
Orange-crowned Warbler 1 Michael found a photo of one after the dike.
Nashville Warbler 4
Northern Parula 10
Yellow Warbler 1 Late.
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1800 Southbound
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2124 Northbound
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 52
Blackpoll Warbler 27
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Connecticut Warbler 1 Quite late for the dike
Common Yellowthroat 8
Scarlet Tanager 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 12
Field Sparrow 1
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 7
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 20
White-throated Sparrow 25
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 23
Northern Cardinal 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 2
Red-winged Blackbird 550
Eastern Meadowlark 11
Rusty Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Baltimore Oriole 1
Purple Finch 7
House Finch 8
American Goldfinch 45
Sea Watch Tuesday October 20, 2009
photos copyright Doug Gochfeld 
This Bald Eagle grabbed a bit more than it could handle and had to drop this fish shortly afterwards...probably in favor of finding an Osprey to pillage
This Bald Eagle grabbed a bit more than it could handle and had to drop this fish shortly afterwards...probably in favor of finding an Osprey to pillage
Yet another Brown Pelican in what has been a record setting season for them at the Avalon Seawatch
Another interesting day at Avalon (when is a day up there ever uninteresting?), from another good moving day for Gannets to a nice early off-the-water flight of passerines (mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, but also a few American Pipits, Kinglets, and Palm Warblers). We also had some rare-for-the-seawatch waterbirds, including 3 Little Blue Herons, 8 Tricolored Herons, and a Blue-winged Teal. Later in the day a female Common Eider cooperatively sat on the water just off the seawall impressing the few visitors that were present.
eBird list follows with migrant waterbirds in bold:
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/20/09
Number of species: 67
Brant 16
Canada Goose 9
Wood Duck 30
American Wigeon 8
American Black Duck 6
Northern Pintail 11
Green-winged Teal 42
Common Eider 4
Surf Scoter 1200
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 815
dark-winged scoter sp. 47
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 13
Common Loon 47
Northern Gannet 796
Brown Pelican 12
Double-crested Cormorant 2319
Great Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 68
Snowy Egret 9
Little Blue Heron 3
Tricolored Heron 8
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 5
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 65
Least Sandpiper 1
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 12
Laughing Gull 31
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 20
Great Black-backed Gull 34
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 83
Royal Tern 36
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Tree Swallow 750
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
American Pipit 4
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 95
Palm Warbler 5
Savannah Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 4
Indigo Bunting 1
Boat-tailed Grackle 6
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Monday October 19, 2009
Well, we beat the Brown Pelican annual record today...but that's only because every Brown Pelican from here on out is a new record; we actually set the new high last week. The seawatch total for today was 13,397, highlighted by good numbers of Northern Gannets moving all day and a nice late-day Egret flight. Tricolored Heron was the first for the watch this season, and we also had the high-day for Gannets so far this season.
eBird list follows with count birds in bold.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/19/09
Number of species: 56
Brant 116
Canada Goose 2
American Wigeon 1
American Black Duck 22
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 10
Common Eider 3
Surf Scoter 988
White-winged Scoter 3
Black Scoter 623
dark-winged scoter sp. 239
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 11
Common Loon 18
Northern Gannet 776
Brown Pelican 48
Double-crested Cormorant 10168
Great Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 12
Great Egret 195
Snowy Egret 17
Tricolored Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 14
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 7
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 3
Black-bellied Plover 12
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 60
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 350
Dunlin 40
Laughing Gull 9
Ring-billed Gull 37
Herring Gull 13
Great Black-backed Gull 21
Forster's Tern 24
Caspian Tern 2
Royal Tern 33
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Blue Jay 1
Tree Swallow 200
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
American Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow X
eBird list follows with count birds in bold.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/19/09
Number of species: 56
Brant 116
Canada Goose 2
American Wigeon 1
American Black Duck 22
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 10
Common Eider 3
Surf Scoter 988
White-winged Scoter 3
Black Scoter 623
dark-winged scoter sp. 239
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 11
Common Loon 18
Northern Gannet 776
Brown Pelican 48
Double-crested Cormorant 10168
Great Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 12
Great Egret 195
Snowy Egret 17
Tricolored Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 14
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 7
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 3
Black-bellied Plover 12
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 60
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 350
Dunlin 40
Laughing Gull 9
Ring-billed Gull 37
Herring Gull 13
Great Black-backed Gull 21
Forster's Tern 24
Caspian Tern 2
Royal Tern 33
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Blue Jay 1
Tree Swallow 200
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
American Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow X
Seawatch Sunday, October 18, 2009
With a 90% chance of rain I was expecting yet another character building day of wind, sea spray, cold, and rain. We had the latter three, but there was hardly any rain today!
Despite getting a break in the weather the scoter decided they would not move in large numbers today; and it seemed the other birds were of the same mind.
Here is a list of birds seen today.
Snow Goose 1
Brant 16
American Black Duck 25
Green-Wing Teal 3
Great Scaup 2
Surf Scoter 322
Black Scoter 1304
Dark-winged Scoter 178
Red-throated Loon 18
Common Loon 5
North Gannet 35
Double-crested Cormorant 5,611
Great Blue Heron 38
Great Egret 3
Laughing Gull 12
Herring Gull 32
Ring-billed Gull 4
Royal Tern 4
Despite getting a break in the weather the scoter decided they would not move in large numbers today; and it seemed the other birds were of the same mind.
Here is a list of birds seen today.
Snow Goose 1
Brant 16
American Black Duck 25
Green-Wing Teal 3
Great Scaup 2
Surf Scoter 322
Black Scoter 1304
Dark-winged Scoter 178
Red-throated Loon 18
Common Loon 5
North Gannet 35
Double-crested Cormorant 5,611
Great Blue Heron 38
Great Egret 3
Laughing Gull 12
Herring Gull 32
Ring-billed Gull 4
Royal Tern 4
Seawatch Saturday, October 17, 2009
Well it has been a while since I have been last able to post.
Francis, our beloved Laughing Gull companion, has not been seen of late, and it is thought that he joined his compatriots in this season's great migration.
The last few days have been a little wet and windy up at Sea Watch and we have had two big scoter days; Thursday we had over 17,000 scoter move through, and today we had over 22,000 scoter move through.
The diversity of species seen the last few days has been nill. Here is a species list of birds seen today.
Brant 6
Wood Duck 1
Black Duck 3
Green-Wing Teal 77
Great Scaup 3
Lesse Scaup 1
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 6,559
Black Scoter 8,900
Dark-winged Scoter 7,332
Red-throated Loon 12
Common Loon 6
Double-crested Cormorant 3,552
Laughing Gull 49
Herring Gull 32
Ring-billed Gull 13
Forsters Tern 12
Royal Tern 15
We also had a big flight of Cormorants, but obviously we did not see it here at Avalon because the little buggers were migrating inland today for the most part. Its been estimated that there were about 35,000 DCCO that flew over Cape May.
And on a final note we have counted 144,876 birds since starting the Sea Watch a little less then a month ago.
Francis, our beloved Laughing Gull companion, has not been seen of late, and it is thought that he joined his compatriots in this season's great migration.
The last few days have been a little wet and windy up at Sea Watch and we have had two big scoter days; Thursday we had over 17,000 scoter move through, and today we had over 22,000 scoter move through.
The diversity of species seen the last few days has been nill. Here is a species list of birds seen today.
Brant 6
Wood Duck 1
Black Duck 3
Green-Wing Teal 77
Great Scaup 3
Lesse Scaup 1
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 6,559
Black Scoter 8,900
Dark-winged Scoter 7,332
Red-throated Loon 12
Common Loon 6
Double-crested Cormorant 3,552
Laughing Gull 49
Herring Gull 32
Ring-billed Gull 13
Forsters Tern 12
Royal Tern 15
We also had a big flight of Cormorants, but obviously we did not see it here at Avalon because the little buggers were migrating inland today for the most part. Its been estimated that there were about 35,000 DCCO that flew over Cape May.
And on a final note we have counted 144,876 birds since starting the Sea Watch a little less then a month ago.
Hawk Watch Saturday October 17, 2009
This morning the Cape May Hawkwatch was more like the Cormorant Watch. Double-crested Cormorants were pouring by in tremendous numbers, and when all was said and done we estimated at least 35,500 individuals. There was also an appreciable movement of Scoters offshore and the first noticeable push of Loons.
A few Harriers and Falcons were moving throughout the truncated count day, and there was a spurt of Accipiters right before the rain came, but other than that raptors were thin. Non-raptor highlights were an American Bittern, 2 Tricolored Herons, 3 Wilson's Snipe, as well as a single female-type Common Eider sitting cooperatively in the water just off Cape May Point State Park.
eBird list follows:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/17/09
Notes: Strong NE Winds, with rain starting at 11:30 AM..
Number of species: 83
Brant (Atlantic) 30
Canada Goose 75
Mute Swan 5
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 8
American Black Duck 25
Mallard 12
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 18
Ring-necked Duck 4
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Ruddy Duck 6
Red-throated Loon 28
Common Loon 35
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Northern Gannet 8
Double-crested Cormorant 35500
Great Cormorant 4
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 35
Great Egret 8
Snowy Egret 1
Tricolored Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 2
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 17
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 25
Cooper's Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 6
Merlin 8
Peregrine Falcon 11
American Coot 12
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 15
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 2
Greater Yellowlegs 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Sanderling 350
Dunlin 20
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Snipe 3
Laughing Gull 40
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 300
Forster's Tern 25
Royal Tern 15
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 5
Tree Swallow 400
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Northern Mockingbird 4
European Starling X
American Pipit 3
Cedar Waxwing 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 75
Palm Warbler 8
Common Yellowthroat 2
Savannah Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal X
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow X
A few Harriers and Falcons were moving throughout the truncated count day, and there was a spurt of Accipiters right before the rain came, but other than that raptors were thin. Non-raptor highlights were an American Bittern, 2 Tricolored Herons, 3 Wilson's Snipe, as well as a single female-type Common Eider sitting cooperatively in the water just off Cape May Point State Park.
eBird list follows:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/17/09
Notes: Strong NE Winds, with rain starting at 11:30 AM..
Number of species: 83
Brant (Atlantic) 30
Canada Goose 75
Mute Swan 5
Wood Duck 2
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 8
American Black Duck 25
Mallard 12
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Northern Pintail 3
Green-winged Teal 18
Ring-necked Duck 4
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Ruddy Duck 6
Red-throated Loon 28
Common Loon 35
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Northern Gannet 8
Double-crested Cormorant 35500
Great Cormorant 4
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 35
Great Egret 8
Snowy Egret 1
Tricolored Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 2
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 17
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk 25
Cooper's Hawk 12
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 6
Merlin 8
Peregrine Falcon 11
American Coot 12
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 15
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 2
Greater Yellowlegs 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Sanderling 350
Dunlin 20
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Snipe 3
Laughing Gull 40
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 300
Forster's Tern 25
Royal Tern 15
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Blue Jay 5
Tree Swallow 400
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Northern Mockingbird 4
European Starling X
American Pipit 3
Cedar Waxwing 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 75
Palm Warbler 8
Common Yellowthroat 2
Savannah Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal X
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Friday October 16, 2009
Finally we have internet back up at the seasonal staff house, after about 10 days down. The hawk watch was pretty interesting today, although it wasn't really related to the raptor movement. Earlier in the day a Hudsonian Godwit (found by Pete Dunne) treated those who were quick to a close view as it flew over the South Pavilion. Other birds present at times through the day were 5-6 Parasitic Jaegers, 2 Northern Gannets, an American Bittern, Cape May Warbler, American Pipits, and 4 Glossy Ibis
(I'm sure I'm missing something). We also watched two Laughing Gulls grab an unfortunate Warbler-sized passerine in the afternon after what was almost certainly an arduous and nearly succesful journey by the victim. Also great were 4 extremely cooperative White-crowned Sparrows found by Michael O'Brien at the south edge of the parking lot, which had multipled to 6 (2 adults, 4 juveniles) by 4:00 PM.
Hawkcount data will be posted a bit later.
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/16/09
Notes: Light Rain, NE winds
Number of species: 70
Brant (Atlantic) 35
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 10
Mallard 12
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 4
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 15
Ring-necked Duck 3
Surf Scoter 40
Black Scoter 500
Red-throated Loon 3
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet 2
Double-crested Cormorant 100
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 8
Osprey 7
Northern Harrier 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
American Kestrel 4
Merlin 9
Peregrine Falcon 3
American Coot 10
Killdeer 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 15
Dunlin 30
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 20
Black Skimmer 3
Parasitic Jaeger 5
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 400
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 6
Carolina Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 30
Palm Warbler (Western) 3
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 5
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal X
(I'm sure I'm missing something). We also watched two Laughing Gulls grab an unfortunate Warbler-sized passerine in the afternon after what was almost certainly an arduous and nearly succesful journey by the victim. Also great were 4 extremely cooperative White-crowned Sparrows found by Michael O'Brien at the south edge of the parking lot, which had multipled to 6 (2 adults, 4 juveniles) by 4:00 PM.
Hawkcount data will be posted a bit later.
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/16/09
Notes: Light Rain, NE winds
Number of species: 70
Brant (Atlantic) 35
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 10
Mallard 12
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 4
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 15
Ring-necked Duck 3
Surf Scoter 40
Black Scoter 500
Red-throated Loon 3
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet 2
Double-crested Cormorant 100
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 8
Osprey 7
Northern Harrier 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
American Kestrel 4
Merlin 9
Peregrine Falcon 3
American Coot 10
Killdeer 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 15
Dunlin 30
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 2
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 20
Black Skimmer 3
Parasitic Jaeger 5
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 400
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 6
Carolina Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 30
Palm Warbler (Western) 3
Palm Warbler (Yellow) 5
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal X
Morning Flight Friday October 16, 2009
Not as bad a flight as it could have been. It was almost purely Yellow-rumpeds and Blackpolls, but they were flying relatively low due to the high winds, so it wasn't a complete loss.
Canada Goose 1
Mallard 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Common Loon 3
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 3
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 1
Semipalmated Plover 6
Killdeer 2
Greater Yellowlegs 6
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 4
Laughing Gull 20
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Rock Pigeon X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 20
crow sp. X
Cliff Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 8
American Robin 3
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Northern Parula 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 195
Palm Warbler 19
Blackpoll Warbler 57
Common Yellowthroat 1
Swamp Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
House Sparrow X
Canada Goose 1
Mallard 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Common Loon 3
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 3
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 1
Semipalmated Plover 6
Killdeer 2
Greater Yellowlegs 6
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 4
Laughing Gull 20
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Rock Pigeon X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 20
crow sp. X
Cliff Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 8
American Robin 3
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1
Northern Parula 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 195
Palm Warbler 19
Blackpoll Warbler 57
Common Yellowthroat 1
Swamp Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
House Sparrow X
Hawk Watch Tuesday October 13, 2009
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 6 64 96
Turkey Vulture 36 324 404
Osprey 50 626 2462
Bald Eagle 17 148 353
Northern Harrier 9 185 358
Sharp-shinned Hawk 357 4132 8502
Cooper's Hawk 204 2594 4167
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 4 10
Broad-winged Hawk 5 409 604
Red-tailed Hawk 14 124 317
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 94 956 3435
Merlin 77 525 1532
Peregrine Falcon 75 719 1042
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 946 10810 23284
Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 11 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Hawk Watch Monday, October 12 2009
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 58 90
Turkey Vulture 0 288 368
Osprey 31 576 2412
Bald Eagle 2 131 336
Northern Harrier 7 176 349
Sharp-shinned Hawk 188 3775 8145
Cooper's Hawk 76 2390 3963
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 8
Broad-winged Hawk 4 404 599
Red-tailed Hawk 4 110 303
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 4 862 3341
Merlin 16 448 1455
Peregrine Falcon 10 644 967
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 342 9864 22338
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Hawk Watch Monday October 5, 2009
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2009
Species - Day's Count - Month Total - Season Total
Black Vulture - 11 - 30 - 62
Turkey Vulture - 25- 74 - 154
Osprey - 81 - 225 - 2061
Bald Eagle - 34 - 63 - 268
Northern Harrier - 27 - 61 - 234
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 810 - 1631 - 6001
Cooper's Hawk - 294 - 854 - 2427
Northern Goshawk -0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk - 53 - 97 - 292
Red-tailed Hawk - 15 - 39 - 232 -
Rough-legged Hawk - 0 - 0 - 0 -
Golden Eagle - 0 - 0 - 0 -
American Kestrel - 247 - 450 - 2929
Merlin - 62 - 163 - 1170
Peregrine Falcon - 49 - 301- 624
Unknown Accipiter - 0 - 0 - 1
Unknown Buteo - 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Falcon - 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Eagle - 0 - 0 - 0 -
Unknown Raptor - 0 - 0 - 1 -
Total: 1708 - 3990 - 16464
Observation start time: 05:45:00 - Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 10.75 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2009
Species - Day's Count - Month Total - Season Total
Black Vulture - 11 - 30 - 62
Turkey Vulture - 25- 74 - 154
Osprey - 81 - 225 - 2061
Bald Eagle - 34 - 63 - 268
Northern Harrier - 27 - 61 - 234
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 810 - 1631 - 6001
Cooper's Hawk - 294 - 854 - 2427
Northern Goshawk -0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk - 53 - 97 - 292
Red-tailed Hawk - 15 - 39 - 232 -
Rough-legged Hawk - 0 - 0 - 0 -
Golden Eagle - 0 - 0 - 0 -
American Kestrel - 247 - 450 - 2929
Merlin - 62 - 163 - 1170
Peregrine Falcon - 49 - 301- 624
Unknown Accipiter - 0 - 0 - 1
Unknown Buteo - 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Falcon - 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Eagle - 0 - 0 - 0 -
Unknown Raptor - 0 - 0 - 1 -
Total: 1708 - 3990 - 16464
Observation start time: 05:45:00 - Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 10.75 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Monarch Monitoring Project Week 6
Week 6 was another great one with a season high of 97.23 monarchs/hour! On the 10th, residents on Alexander Avenue may have heard me squealing like a 3 year old as I spent a good part of the morning tagging up a storm as Monarchs gathered on Eupatorium and Seaside Goldenrod. That day,we went from a census count of 113 monarchs at 9 AM to 8 monarchs by 3PM that afternoon, which goes to show how quickly things can change.
It's hard to believe that the Monarch season is coming to a close in the matter of a couple of weeks. This means that we have arrived at our last week of official tagging demonstrations *tear*. If you haven't had the opportunity to see us in action at the State Park, please stop on by to catch one of our final 4 demos (this Wednesday and Friday-Sunday at 2PM). The Monarch team will also be making appearances during Autumn Weekend.
Hopefully you have already registered for all of the exciting festivities in store for this year's 63rd annual Autumn Weekend, but there will still be other events in case you missed the October 5th deadline. All information, events, and special workshops happening that week can be found at this link:
http://www.birdcapemay.org/autumn.shtml
This past Sunday, Cape May Point had a very special visitor found by the Monarch Team and it only makes sense that this exceptionally beautiful butterfly should be...
Week 6's Butterfly of the Week: The Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
This picture was snapped by Michael O'Brien, who took time out from the record breaking Big Sit (with a grand total of 146 species counted!) this weekend at the Hawkwatch to get this shot.
Identification Points: Average Wingspan of 1.65" Deep orange above with diagonal brown markings on the hindwing (seen from below); Antennae are black as opposed to bright pink found in Orange Sulfurs.
Habitat: Wet meadows, open fields, and road sides
Host Plants: Sennas and chamaecristas; Specifics include: Wild Senna, Wild Sensitive Plant, and Partridge Pea.
Interesting Facts: The Sleepy Orange is another tropical butterfly species (just like our Monarchs). This butterfly resides year-round in the Deep South and colonizes areas rarely further north than North Carolina each year, making this appearance in Cape May on October 11th a very rare sighting. The Sleepy Orange flies considerably closer to the ground than the Orange Sulfur with much weaker wingbeats - if you catch a glimpse of this butterfly, you will undoubtedly be looking down at it. The Sleepy Orange is also often called a "Rambling Orange."
This week, we have a special treat for everyone: Several members of the community have spent parts (or all) of some recent afternoons sitting and waiting for the emergence of a Monarch from its chrysalis. All their patience paid off and Michael O' Brien was there to capture the rare sequence. Enjoy!
It's hard to believe that the Monarch season is coming to a close in the matter of a couple of weeks. This means that we have arrived at our last week of official tagging demonstrations *tear*. If you haven't had the opportunity to see us in action at the State Park, please stop on by to catch one of our final 4 demos (this Wednesday and Friday-Sunday at 2PM). The Monarch team will also be making appearances during Autumn Weekend.
Hopefully you have already registered for all of the exciting festivities in store for this year's 63rd annual Autumn Weekend, but there will still be other events in case you missed the October 5th deadline. All information, events, and special workshops happening that week can be found at this link:
http://www.birdcapemay.org/autumn.shtml
This past Sunday, Cape May Point had a very special visitor found by the Monarch Team and it only makes sense that this exceptionally beautiful butterfly should be...
Week 6's Butterfly of the Week: The Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
This picture was snapped by Michael O'Brien, who took time out from the record breaking Big Sit (with a grand total of 146 species counted!) this weekend at the Hawkwatch to get this shot.
Identification Points: Average Wingspan of 1.65" Deep orange above with diagonal brown markings on the hindwing (seen from below); Antennae are black as opposed to bright pink found in Orange Sulfurs.
Habitat: Wet meadows, open fields, and road sides
Host Plants: Sennas and chamaecristas; Specifics include: Wild Senna, Wild Sensitive Plant, and Partridge Pea.
Interesting Facts: The Sleepy Orange is another tropical butterfly species (just like our Monarchs). This butterfly resides year-round in the Deep South and colonizes areas rarely further north than North Carolina each year, making this appearance in Cape May on October 11th a very rare sighting. The Sleepy Orange flies considerably closer to the ground than the Orange Sulfur with much weaker wingbeats - if you catch a glimpse of this butterfly, you will undoubtedly be looking down at it. The Sleepy Orange is also often called a "Rambling Orange."
This week, we have a special treat for everyone: Several members of the community have spent parts (or all) of some recent afternoons sitting and waiting for the emergence of a Monarch from its chrysalis. All their patience paid off and Michael O' Brien was there to capture the rare sequence. Enjoy!
Monarch Monitoring Project Week 5
Greetings All!
Week 5 has been by far our most successful week with 88.12 monarchs/hour! Although the numbers aren't quite as good as they were this time last year, it's truely exciting to see the small hundreds of Monarchs coasting the dunes while out tagging. It's hard to say what Week 6 will bring, but Team Monarch is hopeful for another repeat performance of this week.
A very special thanks to Arthur Nelson for this picture of one of our tagged Monarchs!
As for my additional segments, they may not be posted till later this week or until I can be sure that my facts are straight (so as not to misrepresent/mispost the work that people have done to contribute to my posts) - whichever comes first. My apologies for any inconvenience.
Till then, Happy Friday everyone :)
Week 5 has been by far our most successful week with 88.12 monarchs/hour! Although the numbers aren't quite as good as they were this time last year, it's truely exciting to see the small hundreds of Monarchs coasting the dunes while out tagging. It's hard to say what Week 6 will bring, but Team Monarch is hopeful for another repeat performance of this week.
A very special thanks to Arthur Nelson for this picture of one of our tagged Monarchs!
As for my additional segments, they may not be posted till later this week or until I can be sure that my facts are straight (so as not to misrepresent/mispost the work that people have done to contribute to my posts) - whichever comes first. My apologies for any inconvenience.
Till then, Happy Friday everyone :)
Morning Flight Wednesday October 7 2009
There was a brief shining moment where it looked like it might be a good morning followed by disaster. I stood atop the Dike just as dawn broke and the sun reached though a gap in the clouds creating the illusion of a brilliant orange crack in a solid gray shroud. For that one moment the light was so bright that I had to turn my head away only to immediately pick up a female Peregrine winging lazily across the sky right in front of me. But the clouds closed ranks, the Peregrine flew away, the rain began, and I got shut out on migrating passerines. In fact if given the choice between counting this morning over again, after the sunrise moment, or battering my head against a brick wall, I would have to spent a few seconds considering the pro's and con's of each possibility before making my decision. Tomorrow should be a bit better.
Morning Flight Tuesday October 6 2009
Tuesday brought a second day of solid movement at the dike. Clearly we are into the later part of fall but with enough remnants of the warmer months to keep the diversity high. While there were 19 species of warblers, today was the first day that Yellow-rumpeds absolutely dominated. There was an excellent raptor flight including a kettle of 32 Broad-wings that formed directly over the Dike. We also had a fantastic look at a Connecticut Warbler, perhaps the last of the season, and 9 Red-breasted Nuthatches.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/6/09
Number of species: 105
Canada Goose 15
Mallard 2
Blue-winged Teal 5
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Surf Scoter 8
Black Scoter 6
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Blue Heron 9
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 5
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 80
Cooper's Hawk 15
Broad-winged Hawk 32
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 3
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 15
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 39
Eastern Phoebe 3
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 35
American Crow 140
Fish Crow 3
Tree Swallow 150
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 400
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 175
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 81
Tennessee Warbler 7
Nashville Warbler 4
Northern Parula 73
Yellow Warbler 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 2
Cape May Warbler 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1686
Black-throated Green Warbler 23
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 245
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 28
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 5
Connecticut Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 8
Scarlet Tanager 9
Chipping Sparrow 4
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Northern Cardinal 12
Indigo Bunting 20
Dickcissel 2
Bobolink 3
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Eastern Meadowlark 7
Common Grackle 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 18
Baltimore Oriole 2
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 45
House Sparrow 8
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/6/09
Number of species: 105
Canada Goose 15
Mallard 2
Blue-winged Teal 5
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Surf Scoter 8
Black Scoter 6
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Blue Heron 9
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 12
Osprey 5
Bald Eagle 4
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 80
Cooper's Hawk 15
Broad-winged Hawk 32
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 3
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 15
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 4
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 39
Eastern Phoebe 3
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 35
American Crow 140
Fish Crow 3
Tree Swallow 150
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 9
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Gray-cheeked Thrush 1
Swainson's Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 400
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 175
American Pipit 2
Cedar Waxwing 81
Tennessee Warbler 7
Nashville Warbler 4
Northern Parula 73
Yellow Warbler 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 2
Cape May Warbler 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1686
Black-throated Green Warbler 23
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 245
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 28
Black-and-white Warbler 5
American Redstart 5
Connecticut Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 8
Scarlet Tanager 9
Chipping Sparrow 4
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Northern Cardinal 12
Indigo Bunting 20
Dickcissel 2
Bobolink 3
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Eastern Meadowlark 7
Common Grackle 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 18
Baltimore Oriole 2
Purple Finch 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 45
House Sparrow 8
Morning Flight Monday October 5
Finally! A huge and somewhat unexpected flight! I thought the wind would be too strong for a big movement of passerines but was quickly proven wrong. As expected for this time of year, Palms and Yellow-rumpeds were the dominate species. The overall diversity was fairly good though and 20 species of warblers were observed. The total number of individual warblers was 1750 including 921 unidentified warblers. Early on I got a call from Doug, who was counting at the Seawatch, about a goose that was flying with 4 Canada Geese that he believed was a Cackling Goose. Forty-five minutes later a Cackling Goose with 4 Canada Geese appeared! Number 210 for the Dike species list this fall!
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/5/09
Number of species: 94
Cackling Goose 1
Canada Goose 30
Wood Duck 5
Mallard 4
Blue-winged Teal 6
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Black Scoter 1
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 65
Cooper's Hawk 12
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 47
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 4
Laughing Gull 55
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 6
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 76
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 30
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 200
Carolina Chickadee 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 3
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling 95
Cedar Waxwing 250
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Tennessee Warbler 8
Nashville Warbler 8
Northern Parula 71
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 5
Cape May Warbler 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler 42
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 250
Black-throated Green Warbler 7
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 363
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 41
Black-and-white Warbler 8
American Redstart 11
Northern Waterthrush 2
Connecticut Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Scarlet Tanager 9
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 17
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 95
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 8
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/5/09
Number of species: 94
Cackling Goose 1
Canada Goose 30
Wood Duck 5
Mallard 4
Blue-winged Teal 6
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Black Scoter 1
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Snowy Egret 3
Black Vulture 6
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 65
Cooper's Hawk 12
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 47
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 4
Laughing Gull 55
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 6
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 76
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Warbling Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 30
Fish Crow 12
Tree Swallow 200
Carolina Chickadee 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 3
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling 95
Cedar Waxwing 250
Blue-winged Warbler 1
Tennessee Warbler 8
Nashville Warbler 8
Northern Parula 71
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 5
Cape May Warbler 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler 42
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 250
Black-throated Green Warbler 7
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 363
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 41
Black-and-white Warbler 8
American Redstart 11
Northern Waterthrush 2
Connecticut Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Scarlet Tanager 9
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 3
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 17
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 95
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 8
Hawk Watch Sunday October 4, 2009
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 15 - 19 - 51
Turkey Vulture 12 - 49 - 129
Osprey 45 - 144 - 1980
Bald Eagle 8 - 29 - 234
Northern Harrier 4 - 34 - 207
Sharp-shinned Hawk 200 - 821 - 5191
Cooper's Hawk 158 - 560 - 2133
Northern Goshawk 0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk 21 - 44 - 239
Red-tailed Hawk 6 - 24 - 217
Rough-legged Hawk 0 - 0 - 0
Golden Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
American Kestrel 123 - 203 - 2682
Merlin 53 - 101 - 1108
Peregrine Falcon 118 - 252 - 575
Unknown Accipiter 0 - 0 - 1
Unknown Buteo 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Falcon 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Raptor 0 - 0 - 1
Total: 763 2282 14756
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 18:00:00
Total observation time: 12.25 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Observers:
Weather:
Fog early, clearing by Noon.
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 15 - 19 - 51
Turkey Vulture 12 - 49 - 129
Osprey 45 - 144 - 1980
Bald Eagle 8 - 29 - 234
Northern Harrier 4 - 34 - 207
Sharp-shinned Hawk 200 - 821 - 5191
Cooper's Hawk 158 - 560 - 2133
Northern Goshawk 0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk 21 - 44 - 239
Red-tailed Hawk 6 - 24 - 217
Rough-legged Hawk 0 - 0 - 0
Golden Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
American Kestrel 123 - 203 - 2682
Merlin 53 - 101 - 1108
Peregrine Falcon 118 - 252 - 575
Unknown Accipiter 0 - 0 - 1
Unknown Buteo 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Falcon 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
Unknown Raptor 0 - 0 - 1
Total: 763 2282 14756
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:45:00
Observation end time: 18:00:00
Total observation time: 12.25 hours
Official Counter: Pete Dunne
Observers:
Weather:
Fog early, clearing by Noon.
Sea Watch Monday October 5, 2009
Today was the best day of the season so far at the Avalon Seawatch, both in terms of sheer numbers and diversity. 19 species of migrant waterbird were counted, including 7 dabbling duck species, and over 3,000 Cormorants.
The highlight bird of the day was a single Cackling Goose that flew over in the company of 4 Canada Geese. This was especially notable because that same (presumably) group was seen roughly 45 minutes later flying over the dike at Higbee's Beach, which is interesting in that it crossed over from the ocean side to the bay side of the peninsula at some point in between. The end of the day was highlighted by a good Heron & Egret flight that included almost 250 individuals over the last 1.5 hours. It was also the first day Laughing Gulls were noticeably moving in any kind of numbers.
Non-data sheet highlights were 2 Eastern Meadowlarks coming in off the ocean separately, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 7 Peregrine Falcons, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper and 5 Dunlin.
3,964 individuals were counted.
eBird list below, with migrant waterbirds in bold.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/5/09
Number of species: 55
Brant 2
Cackling Goose 1
Canada Goose 18
Wood Duck 36
American Wigeon 6
American Black Duck 10
Northern Pintail 34
Green-winged Teal 84
Dabbling duck sp. 39
Surf Scoter 9
Black Scoter 19
dark-winged scoter sp. 8
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 9
Northern Gannet 79
Brown Pelican 3
Double-crested Cormorant 3193
Great Blue Heron 64
Great Egret 55
Snowy Egret 132
Little Blue Heron 12 (Townsends Inlet heron roost)
Tricolored Heron 3 (Townsends Inlet heron roost)
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 3
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 7
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 11
Sanderling 250
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 2
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 5
Laughing Gull 162
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Caspian Tern 10
Forster's Tern 225
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon X
Chimney Swift 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 6
Eastern Phoebe 1
Tree Swallow 450
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 10
The highlight bird of the day was a single Cackling Goose that flew over in the company of 4 Canada Geese. This was especially notable because that same (presumably) group was seen roughly 45 minutes later flying over the dike at Higbee's Beach, which is interesting in that it crossed over from the ocean side to the bay side of the peninsula at some point in between. The end of the day was highlighted by a good Heron & Egret flight that included almost 250 individuals over the last 1.5 hours. It was also the first day Laughing Gulls were noticeably moving in any kind of numbers.
Non-data sheet highlights were 2 Eastern Meadowlarks coming in off the ocean separately, 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, 7 Peregrine Falcons, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper and 5 Dunlin.
3,964 individuals were counted.
eBird list below, with migrant waterbirds in bold.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/5/09
Number of species: 55
Brant 2
Cackling Goose 1
Canada Goose 18
Wood Duck 36
American Wigeon 6
American Black Duck 10
Northern Pintail 34
Green-winged Teal 84
Dabbling duck sp. 39
Surf Scoter 9
Black Scoter 19
dark-winged scoter sp. 8
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 9
Northern Gannet 79
Brown Pelican 3
Double-crested Cormorant 3193
Great Blue Heron 64
Great Egret 55
Snowy Egret 132
Little Blue Heron 12 (Townsends Inlet heron roost)
Tricolored Heron 3 (Townsends Inlet heron roost)
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 10
Bald Eagle 3
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 7
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 11
Sanderling 250
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 2
White-rumped Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 5
Laughing Gull 162
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Caspian Tern 10
Forster's Tern 225
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon X
Chimney Swift 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 6
Eastern Phoebe 1
Tree Swallow 450
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 1
European Starling X
Palm Warbler 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Eastern Meadowlark 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 10
Sea Watch Sunday, October 4, 2009
We had a turn around after two slow days; today we broke the 1,000 bird mark. To top it off we had a Pied-billed Grebe and Western Willet.
Below is a list of birds seen.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/4/09
Number of species: 14
American Black Duck 6
Surf Scoter 33
Black Scoter 6
dark-winged scoter sp. 3
Red-throated Loon 2
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 54
Brown Pelican 3
Double-crested Cormorant 924
Great Egret 1
Willet (Western) 1
Laughing Gull 24
Black Skimmer 32
Parasitic Jaeger 4
Below is a list of birds seen.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/4/09
Number of species: 14
American Black Duck 6
Surf Scoter 33
Black Scoter 6
dark-winged scoter sp. 3
Red-throated Loon 2
Common Loon 1
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 54
Brown Pelican 3
Double-crested Cormorant 924
Great Egret 1
Willet (Western) 1
Laughing Gull 24
Black Skimmer 32
Parasitic Jaeger 4
Monarch Monitoring Project Week 4
With unfavorable weather conditions came unfavorable numbers for our migrating Monarchs as Week 4 finished with an average of 23.28 Monarchs/hour. Despite the lower numbers there has been no shortage of butterflies to tag, so Team Monarch continues on.
Week 5 has been a huge improvement and I anticipate a much better report ahead, but in the meantime we move to....
Week 4's Butterfly of the Week!
While out and about, Michael O'Brien stumbled upon a rare find in the form of the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes):
Appearance: Wingspan 3 3/8-5 1/2 inches; Dark from above with yellow banding forming a triangle across the Forewing and Hindwing; Yellow spots on the tails of the hindwings is a distinguishing mark.
Larval Food: Ornamental Citrus, torchwood, lime, and hoptree
Habitat: Semi-open to open areas, meadows, and river courses
Interesting Facts: This species is almost always found in association with citrus plants with the larvae feeding on the foliage. The species is common in the Southern Coastal U.S. making it a very uncommon one here in Cape May. Adults engage in 2 flights year-round southward.
Butterflies aren't the only critters wandering through the Cape these days...
Michael was also kind enough to do a dragonfly count on the Point on September 24th and found 9 different species total! Here were the results as a percent of the approximately 100 dragonflies/minute he saw between 1:15 and 3 PM that afternoon(~12,000 dragonflies total!):
Carolina Saddlebags-60%
Blue Dasher-12%
Black Saddlebags-9%
Green Darner-8%
Wandering Glider-5%
Spot-winged Glider-5%
Swamp Darner-0.75%
Twelve-spotted Skimmer-0.25%
And...our ninth species was a Great Blue Skimmer, the first one seen engaged in a migratory movement!
Today was a great day to spot Monarchs engaging in some small roosting. If you're on the hunt for a few of these roost areas, some great spots to look first can be found amongst the Ivy near the corner of Cambridge and Coral Avenue and out on the Goldenrod scattered along the dunes of Sunset Beach. Happy hunting!
Happy Sunday everyone!
Week 5 has been a huge improvement and I anticipate a much better report ahead, but in the meantime we move to....
Week 4's Butterfly of the Week!
While out and about, Michael O'Brien stumbled upon a rare find in the form of the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes):
Appearance: Wingspan 3 3/8-5 1/2 inches; Dark from above with yellow banding forming a triangle across the Forewing and Hindwing; Yellow spots on the tails of the hindwings is a distinguishing mark.
Larval Food: Ornamental Citrus, torchwood, lime, and hoptree
Habitat: Semi-open to open areas, meadows, and river courses
Interesting Facts: This species is almost always found in association with citrus plants with the larvae feeding on the foliage. The species is common in the Southern Coastal U.S. making it a very uncommon one here in Cape May. Adults engage in 2 flights year-round southward.
Butterflies aren't the only critters wandering through the Cape these days...
Michael was also kind enough to do a dragonfly count on the Point on September 24th and found 9 different species total! Here were the results as a percent of the approximately 100 dragonflies/minute he saw between 1:15 and 3 PM that afternoon(~12,000 dragonflies total!):
Carolina Saddlebags-60%
Blue Dasher-12%
Black Saddlebags-9%
Green Darner-8%
Wandering Glider-5%
Spot-winged Glider-5%
Swamp Darner-0.75%
Twelve-spotted Skimmer-0.25%
And...our ninth species was a Great Blue Skimmer, the first one seen engaged in a migratory movement!
Today was a great day to spot Monarchs engaging in some small roosting. If you're on the hunt for a few of these roost areas, some great spots to look first can be found amongst the Ivy near the corner of Cambridge and Coral Avenue and out on the Goldenrod scattered along the dunes of Sunset Beach. Happy hunting!
Happy Sunday everyone!
Morning Flight Saturday October 3 and Sunday October 4
Saturday was a bit of a train wreck. The ratio of mosquito bites received to birds counted was about 3 to 1. I counted 2 Parulas, 1 Blackpoll, 1 unidentified, and 2 Indigo Buntings. We've had better days.
Like today! Sunday was certainly an improvement over Saturday, though the flight was not huge. We had the second and third Red-breasted Nuthatches of the season. In case you are wondering, that does not bode well for the nuthatch numbers for the winter and reports from farther north are similar. Otherwise we had a good diversity of warblers and overall quite a pleasant morning until an impenetrable bank of fog rolling in at the end of the third hour.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/4/09
Number of species: 81
Blue-winged Teal 6
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Snowy Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 8
Cooper's Hawk 4
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 9
Laughing Gull 45
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 6
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 3
Black Skimmer 4
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 8
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 28
American Crow 15
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 16
Cedar Waxwing 4
Northern Parula 17
Magnolia Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 6
Black-throated Blue Warbler 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 62
Black-throated Green Warbler 11
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 46
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 24
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 8
Ovenbird 1
Connecticut Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 8
Dickcissel 1
Bobolink 4
Red-winged Blackbird 18
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
American Goldfinch 6
Like today! Sunday was certainly an improvement over Saturday, though the flight was not huge. We had the second and third Red-breasted Nuthatches of the season. In case you are wondering, that does not bode well for the nuthatch numbers for the winter and reports from farther north are similar. Otherwise we had a good diversity of warblers and overall quite a pleasant morning until an impenetrable bank of fog rolling in at the end of the third hour.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/4/09
Number of species: 81
Blue-winged Teal 6
Northern Shoveler 5
Green-winged Teal 4
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Snowy Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 8
Cooper's Hawk 4
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 3
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 9
Laughing Gull 45
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 6
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 3
Black Skimmer 4
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 8
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Blue Jay 28
American Crow 15
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 16
Cedar Waxwing 4
Northern Parula 17
Magnolia Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 6
Black-throated Blue Warbler 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 62
Black-throated Green Warbler 11
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 46
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 24
Black-and-white Warbler 1
American Redstart 8
Ovenbird 1
Connecticut Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 2
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 8
Dickcissel 1
Bobolink 4
Red-winged Blackbird 18
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird 4
American Goldfinch 6
Sea Watch Saturday, October 3, 2009
Up at Sea Watch we were thankful for the rain already having move through the area, but on the down side hardly anything was moving, not even the cormorants.
However it seems today was the first day of Northern Gannets beginning to really move in large numbers.
Below is a lost of birds seen today.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/3/09
Number of species: 9
Brant 4
Green-winged Teal 1
Surf Scoter 17
Black Scoter 11
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 39
Double-crested Cormorant 95
Laughing Gull 18
Parasitic Jaeger 2
However it seems today was the first day of Northern Gannets beginning to really move in large numbers.
Below is a lost of birds seen today.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/3/09
Number of species: 9
Brant 4
Green-winged Teal 1
Surf Scoter 17
Black Scoter 11
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 39
Double-crested Cormorant 95
Laughing Gull 18
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Sea Watch Friday, October 2, 2009
Today was a windy day up at Avalon, and like much of the other counters working here, I did not have a whole lot of birds migrating through.
However, we did have two sightings of Parasitic Jaegars and a sighting of a pair of Greater Scaup, the first of the season. Below is the list of birds seen.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/2/09
Number of species: 15
Blue-winged Teal 31
Northern Pintail 18
Green-winged Teal 1
Duck Sp. 12
Greater Scaup 2
Surf Scoter 11
Black Scoter 9
Red-throated Loon 4
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 10
Double-crested Cormorant 542
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 13
Laughing Gull 7
Common Tern 1
Black Skimmer 4
However, we did have two sightings of Parasitic Jaegars and a sighting of a pair of Greater Scaup, the first of the season. Below is the list of birds seen.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/2/09
Number of species: 15
Blue-winged Teal 31
Northern Pintail 18
Green-winged Teal 1
Duck Sp. 12
Greater Scaup 2
Surf Scoter 11
Black Scoter 9
Red-throated Loon 4
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 10
Double-crested Cormorant 542
Great Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 13
Laughing Gull 7
Common Tern 1
Black Skimmer 4
Morning Flight Thursday October 1
Surely a lineup of 2 Long-billed Dowitchers, a Parasitic Jaeger, the first YB Cuckoo since early September, a calling Bicknell's Thrush along with three Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 19 species of warblers including 4 Connecticuts, 3 Bay-breasted, and 2 Blackburnians, Lincoln's and Clay-colored Sparrows, and the first Rusty Blackbird of the season would be enough to make anyone happy. You might think so but you would be wrong. It all comes down to expectations, as I mentioned in an earlier blog post, and my expectations were for a stunning movement of passerines. Scanning the list below the number of species is impressive as is the number of scarce birds, but the overall numbers of individuals is quite pedestrian. Knowing that this was one of the last chances for a large push of a number of the earlier migrant warblers I was near apoplectic with rage when a major push did not develop and I treated the handful of visitors to the dike to a minor tantrum. It blows my mind that over the past 6 weeks of counting the dike I have not had a single classic cold front. Not a single front that pushed through quickly the day before bringing a distinct drop in temperature, clear skies, and steady Northwest winds maintained throughout the night and into the next morning. Oh well, we shall overcome.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 97
Wood Duck 6 typical oval shaped flock
Mallard 5
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 4
Double-crested Cormorant 8
Snowy Egret 4
Turkey Vulture 6
Osprey 8
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 12
Cooper's Hawk 9
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 6
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Least Sandpiper 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 8
Long-billed Dowitcher 2
Laughing Gull 200
Ring-billed Gull 8
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Parasitic Jaeger 1 DM. Large and powerful individual heading up the bay.
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 4
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 First in weeks!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 178
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 6
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 65
Fish Crow 4
Tree Swallow 45
Carolina Chickadee 3
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush 3 Calling before sunrise.
Bicknell's Thrush 1 Calling right at the base of the Dike early then retreating farther back unto the trees as the morning progressed, occasionally calling.
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling 60
Cedar Waxwing 54
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 3
Northern Parula 54
Yellow Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler 17
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 29
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 159
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 41
Black-and-white Warbler 3
American Redstart 4
Ovenbird 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Connecticut Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 18
Scarlet Tanager 7
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Blue Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 4
Bobolink 2
Red-winged Blackbird 45
Rusty Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 6
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
Baltimore Oriole 8
American Goldfinch 8
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 97
Wood Duck 6 typical oval shaped flock
Mallard 5
Blue-winged Teal 2
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 4
Double-crested Cormorant 8
Snowy Egret 4
Turkey Vulture 6
Osprey 8
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 12
Cooper's Hawk 9
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 6
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Least Sandpiper 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 8
Long-billed Dowitcher 2
Laughing Gull 200
Ring-billed Gull 8
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Parasitic Jaeger 1 DM. Large and powerful individual heading up the bay.
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 4
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 First in weeks!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 178
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 6
Red-eyed Vireo 5
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 65
Fish Crow 4
Tree Swallow 45
Carolina Chickadee 3
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush 3 Calling before sunrise.
Bicknell's Thrush 1 Calling right at the base of the Dike early then retreating farther back unto the trees as the morning progressed, occasionally calling.
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling 60
Cedar Waxwing 54
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 3
Northern Parula 54
Yellow Warbler 2
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Cape May Warbler 4
Black-throated Blue Warbler 17
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 29
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 159
Bay-breasted Warbler 3
Blackpoll Warbler 41
Black-and-white Warbler 3
American Redstart 4
Ovenbird 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Connecticut Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 18
Scarlet Tanager 7
Eastern Towhee 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Blue Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 4
Bobolink 2
Red-winged Blackbird 45
Rusty Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 6
Boat-tailed Grackle 3
Baltimore Oriole 8
American Goldfinch 8
Morning Flight Friday October 2, 2009
When the highlight of Morning Flight is a shorebird species you can see just about every autumn day in Cape May, you know it was slow. The southeast and south winds after 3 days of west winds predictably made for an extremely slow flight, with only 63 individuals this morning. Of note was a flock of 17 Pectoral Sandpipers that showed very well on the dike for several minutes, as well as a nice close group of 5 Broad-winged Hawks that pleased the crowd down on the platform for a bit.
Green-winged Teal 2
Double-crested Cormorant 75
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20
Cooper's Hawk 5
Broad-winged Hawk 5
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 17
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4
Blue Jay 25
Tree Swallow 10
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 15
Northern Parula 9
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 4
Blackpoll Warbler 8
warbler sp. 11
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 40
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow X
Green-winged Teal 2
Double-crested Cormorant 75
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20
Cooper's Hawk 5
Broad-winged Hawk 5
American Kestrel 2
Merlin 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 2
Pectoral Sandpiper 17
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 4
Blue Jay 25
Tree Swallow 10
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 3
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 15
Northern Parula 9
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 4
Blackpoll Warbler 8
warbler sp. 11
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 40
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Thursday, October 1, 2009
It was a beautiful day at Avalon Sea Watch, but apparently the birds did not get the memo and they were not out in as strong of numbers as they were yesterday. Perhaps the most notable birds seen were the four Red-throated Loons that came through today.
Here is a list of birds seen today,
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 14
Brant 8
American Black Duck 1
Blue-winged Teal 18
Northern Pintail 6
Green-winged Teal 6
Duck Sp. 3
Surf Scoter 5
Black Scoter 39
dark-winged scoter sp. 3
Red-throated Loon 4
Northern Gannet 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1174
Great Blue Heron 29
Great Egret 14
Snowy Egret 3
Black Skimmer 41
Here is a list of birds seen today,
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 14
Brant 8
American Black Duck 1
Blue-winged Teal 18
Northern Pintail 6
Green-winged Teal 6
Duck Sp. 3
Surf Scoter 5
Black Scoter 39
dark-winged scoter sp. 3
Red-throated Loon 4
Northern Gannet 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1174
Great Blue Heron 29
Great Egret 14
Snowy Egret 3
Black Skimmer 41
Hawk Watch Thursday October 1, 2009
It's funny what a difference a month, or in this case a day, makes sometimes. We know October as the month when the Sparrows, Phoebes and other later migrants come through, and when the cold really begins to set in, but it seems borderline ridiculous for it all that to happen at once right on October 1st, when the preceding day showed little evidence (except slightly cool morning temps) of this. Yet there I was on the Hawkwatch platform early this morning staring down gobs of Common Yellowthroats, Eastern Phoebes, and Savannah and Swamp Sparrows while bundled up (relativel speaking, of course) against the 45 degree temperature. The light NW winds were perfect for passerine migration, but I initially thought we might not get many raptors after the early returns from the day. Luckily, raptors started moving along several flight lines as soon as the sun started to heat everything up, and a pretty good movement devloped and stayed sustained throughout the day. We clicked 963 total raptors when all was said and counted. Also of note was a crowd pleasing American Bittern flying slowly in front of the platform in the gorgeous late afternoon light around 4:30 PM.
eBird list followed by Hawkcount data:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 69
Canada Goose 200
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 6
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 8
Double-crested Cormorant 600
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 5
Black Vulture 9
Turkey Vulture 35
Osprey 86
Bald Eagle 22
Northern Harrier 26
Sharp-shinned Hawk 350
Cooper's Hawk 274
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Broad-winged Hawk 17
Red-tailed Hawk 18
American Kestrel 77
Merlin 36
Peregrine Falcon 33
American Coot 8
Killdeer 9
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 5
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 35
Eastern Phoebe 6
Blue Jay 20
Fish Crow 15
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 25
Northern Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Pine Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 2
Palm Warbler (Western) 15
Common Yellowthroat 40
Savannah Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Dickcissel 1 Calling flyover
Bobolink 3
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 1 Flyby
Common Grackle 4
American Goldfinch 55
House Sparrow X
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 01, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 4 - 4 - 47
Turkey Vulture 26 - 26 - 94
Osprey 82 - 82 - 1728
Bald Eagle 20 - 20 - 215
Northern Harrier 26 - 26 - 182
Sharp-shinned Hawk 350 - 350 - 4162
Cooper's Hawk 274 - 274 - 1507
Northern Goshawk 0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk 17 - 17 - 195
Red-tailed Hawk 16 - 16 - 195
Rough-legged Hawk 0 - 0 - 0
Golden Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
American Kestrel 77 - 77 - 2152
Merlin 36 - 36 - 870
Peregrine Falcon 33 - 33 - 295
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 963 963 11652
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
NW Winds (variable 5-15)
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
American Bittern, Eastern Meadowlark, Dickcissel
eBird list followed by Hawkcount data:
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 10/1/09
Number of species: 69
Canada Goose 200
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 6
Northern Pintail 1
Green-winged Teal 8
Double-crested Cormorant 600
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 5
Black Vulture 9
Turkey Vulture 35
Osprey 86
Bald Eagle 22
Northern Harrier 26
Sharp-shinned Hawk 350
Cooper's Hawk 274
Red-shouldered Hawk 2
Broad-winged Hawk 17
Red-tailed Hawk 18
American Kestrel 77
Merlin 36
Peregrine Falcon 33
American Coot 8
Killdeer 9
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 5
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 35
Eastern Phoebe 6
Blue Jay 20
Fish Crow 15
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 8
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 25
Northern Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2
Pine Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 2
Palm Warbler (Western) 15
Common Yellowthroat 40
Savannah Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Dickcissel 1 Calling flyover
Bobolink 3
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 1 Flyby
Common Grackle 4
American Goldfinch 55
House Sparrow X
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 01, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 4 - 4 - 47
Turkey Vulture 26 - 26 - 94
Osprey 82 - 82 - 1728
Bald Eagle 20 - 20 - 215
Northern Harrier 26 - 26 - 182
Sharp-shinned Hawk 350 - 350 - 4162
Cooper's Hawk 274 - 274 - 1507
Northern Goshawk 0 - 0 - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 - 2 - 8
Broad-winged Hawk 17 - 17 - 195
Red-tailed Hawk 16 - 16 - 195
Rough-legged Hawk 0 - 0 - 0
Golden Eagle 0 - 0 - 0
American Kestrel 77 - 77 - 2152
Merlin 36 - 36 - 870
Peregrine Falcon 33 - 33 - 295
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 963 963 11652
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 05:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
NW Winds (variable 5-15)
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
American Bittern, Eastern Meadowlark, Dickcissel
Morning Flight Wednesday September 30 2009
Another windy day with few birds. Early on we had a Peregrine drift in off the ocean carrying a bird. It proceeded to pluck it in flight while we tried to figure out the identity of the unfortunate victim. A lively debate resulted in a complete stalemate. Later a pair of Long-billed Dowitchers flew into the impoundment. Otherwise it would have been a quiet morning except the wind was whistling in my ears.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/30/09
Number of species: 68
Mallard 4
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 2
Northern Gannet 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Snowy Egret 6
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7
Cooper's Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 2
Semipalmated Plover 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Long-billed Dowitcher 2
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 20
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 15
Tree Swallow 30
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 15
Northern Parula 14
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 9
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 2
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 34
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 18
American Redstart 6
Northern Waterthrush 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 6
Baltimore Oriole 2
American Goldfinch 6
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/30/09
Number of species: 68
Mallard 4
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 2
Northern Gannet 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Snowy Egret 6
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 3
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7
Cooper's Hawk 2
American Kestrel 3
Merlin 4
Peregrine Falcon 2
Semipalmated Plover 5
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Long-billed Dowitcher 2
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 8
Royal Tern 4
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 20
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 15
Tree Swallow 30
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 15
Northern Parula 14
Cape May Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 9
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 2
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 34
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 18
American Redstart 6
Northern Waterthrush 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 2
Bobolink 1
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 6
Baltimore Oriole 2
American Goldfinch 6
Morning Flight Tuesday September 29
We just about got blown off the dike this morning! The wind was WNW but far too strong for a good flight. We did have 3 Connecticut Warblers.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/29/09
Number of species: 76
Mallard 3
Blue-winged Teal 5
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 4
Black Scoter 1
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Snowy Egret 8
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4
Cooper's Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 2
Semipalmated Plover 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 20
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 25
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 6
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 8
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 12
American Crow 18
Tree Swallow 45
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 4
House Wren 1
Marsh Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 4
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 35
Cedar Waxwing 18
Nashville Warbler 1
Northern Parula 6
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 11
Bay-breasted Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 31
American Redstart 3
Connecticut Warbler 3
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 14
Common Grackle 5
Baltimore Oriole 23
American Goldfinch 5
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 9/29/09
Number of species: 76
Mallard 3
Blue-winged Teal 5
Northern Shoveler 8
Green-winged Teal 4
Black Scoter 1
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Snowy Egret 8
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4
Cooper's Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 2
Semipalmated Plover 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 55
Ring-billed Gull 12
Herring Gull 20
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 25
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 6
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 8
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 12
American Crow 18
Tree Swallow 45
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 4
House Wren 1
Marsh Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 4
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 35
Cedar Waxwing 18
Nashville Warbler 1
Northern Parula 6
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 11
Bay-breasted Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 31
American Redstart 3
Connecticut Warbler 3
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 14
Common Grackle 5
Baltimore Oriole 23
American Goldfinch 5
Sea Watch Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Today was a goregous day with a good wind from the WNW, but visibility was hampered due to heat waves, and so I did not see as many Gannets as I thought I would today.
We had the strongest turn out of the season so far for Double-Crested Cormorants at 1,390 as well as Blue-winged Teal at 19. And being counted for the first time this year we had both Great and Snowy Egrets at 11 and 13 respectively.
Here is a list of what was seen today.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 9/30/09
Number of species: 14
Brant 18
Blue-winged Teal 19
Northern Pintail 9S
urf Scoter 12
Black Scoter 6
Dark-winged Scoter 1
Northern Gannet 6
Brown Pelican 22
Double-crested Cormorant 1390
Great Blue Heron 43
Great Egret 11
Snowy Egret 13
American Oystercatcher 44
Laughing Gull 8
Common Tern 2
We had the strongest turn out of the season so far for Double-Crested Cormorants at 1,390 as well as Blue-winged Teal at 19. And being counted for the first time this year we had both Great and Snowy Egrets at 11 and 13 respectively.
Here is a list of what was seen today.
Location: Avalon Sea Watch
Observation date: 9/30/09
Number of species: 14
Brant 18
Blue-winged Teal 19
Northern Pintail 9S
urf Scoter 12
Black Scoter 6
Dark-winged Scoter 1
Northern Gannet 6
Brown Pelican 22
Double-crested Cormorant 1390
Great Blue Heron 43
Great Egret 11
Snowy Egret 13
American Oystercatcher 44
Laughing Gull 8
Common Tern 2
Hawk Watch Wednesday September 30, 2009
A solid day at the Platform, with a pretty good movement of accipiters during the early hours through mid-day. There were some nice non-raptors as well, including the first group of American Coots (8) of the season, as well as a couple of flyover Dickcissels and a very obliging female Blue Grosbeak that dropped into the platform area at the end of the day.
eBird list follows (with Hawkcount data below):
Canada Goose 200
Mute Swan 8
Wood Duck 22 (flyover flocks of 5 then 17)
Gadwall 1
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 8
Blue-winged Teal 3
Green-winged Teal 24
Surf Scoter 9
Black Scoter 1
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Double-crested Cormorant 45
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 5
Glossy Ibis 1
Black Vulture 9
Turkey Vulture 35
Osprey 54
Bald Eagle 12
Northern Harrier 8
Sharp-shinned Hawk 301
Cooper's Hawk 214
Broad-winged Hawk 13
Red-tailed Hawk 6
American Kestrel 54
Merlin 28
Peregrine Falcon 19
Common Moorhen 1
American Coot 8
Killdeer 10
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 8
Least Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 6
Stilt Sandpiper 1
peep sp. 2
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 75
Royal Tern 5
Black Skimmer 100
Rock Pigeon 15
Mourning Dove 10
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 100
Blue Jay 20
Fish Crow 20
Tree Swallow 400
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Bank Swallow 2
Cliff Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 2
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 2
Cape May Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Prairie Warbler 1
Palm Warbler (Western) 25
Blackpoll Warbler 2
White-throated Sparrow 2
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 10
Dickcissel 2
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 350
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 30
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2009
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 5 43 43
Turkey Vulture 24 68 68
Osprey 49 1646 1646
Bald Eagle 12 195 195
Northern Harrier 8 156 156
Sharp-shinned Hawk 301 3812 3812
Cooper's Hawk 214 1233 1233
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 6
Broad-winged Hawk 13 178 178
Red-tailed Hawk 6 179 179
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 54 2075 2075
Merlin 28 834 834
Peregrine Falcon 19 262 262
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 1 1
Total: 733 10689 10689
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Observation start time: 05:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
NW/NNW Winds, Mostly cloudy
Sea Watch Tuesday September 29, 2009
The only notable seabird change from yesterday was that Gannets (including an adult)were moving more consistently. Another thousand+ day of Cormorants was again almost enirely concenrated in the morning. The non-waterbirds were probably more notable today, including 6 species of raptor, a Dickcissel which perched obligingly for a brief period, and a flyby Marbled Godwit.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/29/09
Notes: SW/W/NW Winds
Number of species: 44
dabbling duck sp. 4
Surf Scoter 3
Black Scoter 1
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 23
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1028
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 20 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Snowy Egret 85 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Little Blue Heron 8 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 5
Bald Eagle 3
Northern Harrier 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 6
Black-bellied Plover 1 Heard only
Semipalmated Plover 1 Heard only
American Oystercatcher 42 Townsends Inlet
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Marbled Godwit 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 400
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 7
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Caspian Tern 12
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 200
Royal Tern 20
Rock Pigeon X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow 450
Carolina Wren 1 Heard only
American Robin 2
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1 Flyover coming in off the jetty
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 1 Perched briefly on telephone wire
Common Grackle 1
blackbird sp. 2
House Sparrow X
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 9/29/09
Notes: SW/W/NW Winds
Number of species: 44
dabbling duck sp. 4
Surf Scoter 3
Black Scoter 1
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 23
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1028
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 20 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Snowy Egret 85 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Little Blue Heron 8 Townsends Inlet wader roost
Turkey Vulture 10
Osprey 5
Bald Eagle 3
Northern Harrier 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 6
Black-bellied Plover 1 Heard only
Semipalmated Plover 1 Heard only
American Oystercatcher 42 Townsends Inlet
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Marbled Godwit 1
Ruddy Turnstone 3
Sanderling 400
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 7
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Caspian Tern 12
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 200
Royal Tern 20
Rock Pigeon X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow 450
Carolina Wren 1 Heard only
American Robin 2
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing 1 Flyover coming in off the jetty
Northern Cardinal 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Dickcissel 1 Perched briefly on telephone wire
Common Grackle 1
blackbird sp. 2
House Sparrow X