6 October 2011 - Morning Flight

A modest morning flight of songbirds passed Higbee Beach this morning, though virtually the entire flight was within the first hour of daylight. A juvenile Upland Sandpiper was hanging out in the third field at Higbee, and provided for a close encounter. After Nick Bonomo and I sat down, the bird approached us very closely, and even ate some crickets about 3 feet away from my leg - wow! This is very late for this species in Cape May; most are gone by mid-September.

Upland Sandpiper at Higbee Beach today

Morning flight birds only in this eBird checklist:

Red-bellied Woodpecker 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 5
Northern Flicker 60
Eastern Phoebe 4
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Brown Creeper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 22
American Pipit 2
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 2
Connecticut Warbler 2
American Redstart 2
Northern Parula 18
Yellow Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 61
Black-throated Blue Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 38
Yellow-rumped Warbler 137
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
warbler sp. 69
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 4
Dickcissel 2
Bobolink 4

Hawk Watch Wednesday October 5, 2011

It was another bird-filled day at the Hawk Watch platform. Oodles of swallows, Northern Flickers, assorted passerines...oh yeah, and raptors! Unfortunately for visitors (and my sanity) most of the hawks were cruising by on the far treeline and blended in quite nicely with the vast array of aerial plankton (i.e. swallows, flickers, etc). The American Kestrel show wasn't nearly as impressive as yesterday, but we did have a very impressive late-fall Broad-winged Hawk flight today (impressive by Cape May standards at least since the coast doesn't get nearly the numbers that the ridge sites do).

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable day with lots of birds to look at. Hopefully these North winds will continue to bring in good numbers of migrants for us here at the point.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             10             25
Turkey Vulture              27             52             73
Osprey                      88            765           2112
Bald Eagle                  15             84            209
Northern Harrier            59            153            324
Sharp-shinned Hawk         980           3553           7224
Cooper's Hawk              214            665           1149
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              7             16
Broad-winged Hawk          356            550            629
Red-tailed Hawk              3             13             56
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           493           2292           4502
Merlin                      79            430           1188
Peregrine Falcon            15            145            674
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              3

Total:                    2329           8720          18184
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 11.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Absolutely no cloud coverage today with moderate North-northwest winds
throughout. Even though we had clear blue skies, the wind was strong enough
to keep the flight line fairly low for the entire day.

Raptor Observations:
Another good movement of birds today but most birds were out pretty far
over the North treeline.  We had an impressive late Broad-winged flight
with birds streaming across the treeline for about 2.5 hours.  We also had
very good numbers of Sharp-shins, American Kestrels, and Cooper's Hawks
with decent numbers of Northern Harriers.

Non-raptor Observations:
1 Eastern Meadowlark, 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 1 GRAY KINGBIRD, 3
Golden-crowned Kinglets, lots of Northern Flickers, swallows, and
Red-winged Blackbirds.

Predictions:
The winds are predicted to be North-northeast for the first few hours of
the morning becoming Northwest by the afternoon.  I would expect a decent
flight of birds tomorrow and perhaps a few more Peregrine Falcons than
we've been seeing in the past couple of days.  
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

5 October 2011 - Morning Flight

Today was a VERY good day for Northern Flicker migration in Cape May, with nearly 700 of these attractive woodpeckers tallied flying north over Higbee Beach. The flicker flight slowed down just as the accipiter parade began - Tom Reed and I clicked 500 northbound Sharp-shinned Hawks in the first three hours of the day from the Higbee Dike! Warblers weren't too shabby either, with over 500 individuals of 15 species noted.

This Northern Flicker shows some red pigment in the wings, likely a result of diet rather than introgression with western "Red-shafted" birds.


Only morning flight birds are in this eBird checklist:

Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker 693 *high
Eastern Phoebe 3
Red-eyed Vireo 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 90
Black-and-white Warbler 4
Nashville Warbler 1
American Redstart 4
Cape May Warbler 5
Northern Parula 25
Magnolia Warbler 2
Bay-breasted Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 2
Blackpoll Warbler 77
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 16
Palm Warbler 121
Pine Warbler 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 77
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 3
warbler sp. 205
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Scarlet Tanager 2
Indigo Bunting 2
Dickcissel 1

Avalon Seawatch - October 4, 2011

[Caspian Tern hunting in front of the Avalon Seawatch on Tuesday. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Tuesday was a gorgeous day at Avalon, with morning clouds giving way to afternoon sunshine, accompanied by an increasing northwest breeze. A slow flight in the morning gradually picked up speed in the afternoon, with small flocks of scoters, cormorants and even egrets passing through by day's end. Seven species of waders were tallied for the day, though the "best" bird was undoubtedly the Sandwich Tern that flew south just beyond the 8th Street jetty early in the morning.

[This Northern Harrier was one of several to fly in from the ocean on Tuesday afternoon. Interestingly, most had full crops! Photo by Tom Reed.]

Passerines were few, but were highlighted by a few dozen Northern Flickers coming in off the ocean throughout the day along with at least one Cape May Warbler. Tuesday also brought our first full-fledged Monarch flight of the season, with 1,077 tallied between 9:30am and 5:30pm. All in all, a solid day at the seawatch.

The day's tally follows-

Canada Goose - 11
Brant - 27
American Black Duck - 6
Northern Pintail - 86
Green-winged Teal - 9
scaup sp. - 1
Surf Scoter - 12
Black Scoter - 77
dark-winged scoter - 7
Common Loon - 6
Northern Gannet - 15
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,502
Great Blue Heron - 56
Great Egret - 62
Snowy Egret - 135
Little Blue Heron - 6
Tricolored Heron - 2
Green Heron - 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 8
Laughing Gull - 478
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Herring Gull - 11
Great Black-backed Gull - 18
Forster's Tern - 54
Royal Tern - 46
Sandwich Tern - 1
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

(Total = 2,639)

Hawk Watch Tuesday October 4 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	6	10	25
Turkey Vulture	11	25	46
Osprey	86	677	2024
Bald Eagle	16	69	194
Northern Harrier	19	94	265
Sharp-shinned Hawk	986	2573	6244
Cooper's Hawk	202	451	935
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	7	16
Broad-winged Hawk	60	194	273
Red-tailed Hawk	2	10	53
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	1029	1799	4009
Merlin	148	351	1109
Peregrine Falcon	14	130	659
Unknown Accipiter	0	0	0
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	1	1	3
Total:	2580	6391	15855

Observation start time:	06:00:00
Observation end time:	18:30:00
Total observation time:	12.5 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Moderate NW winds all day with good cumulus clouds. Excellent visibility.

Raptor Observations:
Kestrels, kestrels, kestrels!!!!!!

Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
It should be great!

---

Report submitted by Tom Magarian ()
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawk Watch Monday October 3 2011

Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 03, 2011 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 1 4 19 Turkey Vulture 2 14 35 Osprey 89 591 1938 Bald Eagle 18 53 178 Northern Harrier 21 75 246 Sharp-shinned Hawk 397 1587 5258 Cooper's Hawk 93 249 733 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 7 16 Broad-winged Hawk 25 134 213 Red-tailed Hawk 2 8 51 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 46 770 2980 Merlin 21 203 961 Peregrine Falcon 18 116 645 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 2 Total: 737 3811 13275 Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 19:15:00 Total observation time: 12 hours Official Counter Tom Magarian Observers: Weather: Light westerly winds all day with good visibility. Some short showers in the afternoon. Raptor Observations: Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Tom Magarian () Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - October 3, 2011

Today brought a mixed bag of weather to Avalon, with warm sunshine at times and heavy downpours at others. The flight was also a bit of a mixed bag, with the most numerous bird of the day being Laughing Gull among 20 species recorded for the count. A light-morph adult Parasitic Jaeger was a highlight of the afternoon, and 106 Great Blue Herons moved through during the last 25 minutes of sunlight this evening.

The day's tally follows-

Canada Goose - 1
Brant - 10
American Black Duck - 9
Green-winged Teal - 4
Surf Scoter - 28
Black Scoter - 40
Common Loon - 20
Northern Gannet - 12
Brown Pelican - 10
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,253
Great Cormorant - 2
Great Blue Heron - 141
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 11
Laughing Gull - 1,288
Herring Gull - 53
Great Black-backed Gull - 177
Common Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 34
Royal Tern - 59
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

(Total = 3,155)

Hawk Watch Sunday October 2, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                3              3             18
Turkey Vulture              12             12             33
Osprey                     285            502           1849
Bald Eagle                   2             35            160
Northern Harrier            10             54            225
Sharp-shinned Hawk         174           1190           4861
Cooper's Hawk               19            156            640
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              3             12
Broad-winged Hawk           12            109            188
Red-tailed Hawk              0              6             49
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           176            724           2934
Merlin                      45            182            940
Peregrine Falcon            20             98            627
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              2

Total:                     758           3074          12538
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Variable West to Southwest winds and overcast skies throughout the day with
a few scattered showers starting around noon.

Raptor Observations:
A much slower day than the 2 previous days but I think weather played a key
role in that.  The day actually started out quite well with good numbers of
birds moving for the first 4 hours (555 birds) but the scattered showers
slowed movement considerably for the remainder of the day.

Non-raptor Observations:
109 Black-crowned Night-herons, 150 Great Blue Herons, 19 Great Egrets, 2
Ruddy Ducks, 7 Chimney Swifts, 1 juv. Red-headed Woodpecker, 3 Red-bellied
Woodpeckers, ~200 Northern Flickers, 1 Common Nighthawk, 1 Rose-breasted
Grosbeak, 1 Baltimore Oriole, 4 Barn Swallows, 1 Bank Swallow, 2 Cliff
Swallows, an ungodly number of Tree Swallows, 6 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2
Brant, 8 Hudsonian Godwits (one flock of 5 had both adults and juvs)
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - October 2, 2011

Slow and somewhat steady was the best way to describe today's count at Avalon. It was a fairly diverse flight, with 22 species logged for the day, but numbers were generally quite low. We enjoyed a brief but heavy burst of Double-crested Cormorants mid-morning, and the season's first flocks of Brant also rolled through today. But perhaps the highlight of the day was a passerine, in the form of a nearly-exhausted Yellow-breasted Chat that apparently flew in from the ocean shortly after 6pm and landed under my tripod! After a collision with the nearby wall, it flopped into the nearest pine.

The day's tally follows:
Canada Goose - 15
Brant - 42 (first of season)
Northern Pintail - 47
Green-winged Teal - 2
Surf Scoter - 5
Black Scoter - 2
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 5
Northern Gannet - 6
Brown Pelican - 2
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,139
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 24
Great Egret - 2
Laughing Gull - 132
Herring Gull - 16
Great Black-backed Gull - 190
Caspian Tern - 5
Common Tern - 6
Forster's Tern - 59
Royal Tern - 68

(Total = 1,771)

Avalon Seawatch - October 1, 2011

The first day of October was met at the Seawatch by a refreshing northwest breeze and plenty of birds. Highlights included almost 2,400 Double-crested Cormorants, 198 Northern Pintails, the season's first Red-throated Loon, and a great evening heron flight that included 26 Tricolored and 14 Little Blue Herons.

Other bird highlights included 2 southbound Hudsonian Godwits and one southbound American Golden-Plover, a Connecticut Warbler that flew in off the ocean, 112 migrant American Oystercatchers, and a nice hawk flight that was punctuated by at least 50 Osprey during the course of the day.

Also of note were the 258 Monarchs that drifted south past the Seawatch today...about time!

[A staple of the Seawatch and the most numerous early-season migrant, Double-crested Cormorants were recorded during every hour on Saturday, often in flocks of 100+ individuals. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]

The day's tally follows:

Canada Goose - 12
Blue-winged Teal - 3
Northern Pintail - 198
Green-winged Teal - 10
Black Scoter - 11
dark-winged Scoter - 30
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 9
Northern Gannet - 11
Brown Pelican - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 2,394
Great Blue Heron - 91
Great Egret - 12
Snowy Egret - 82
Little Blue Heron - 14
Tricolored Heron - 26
Glossy Ibis - 54
Laughing Gull - 407
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Herring Gull - 33
Great Black-backed Gull - 41
Forster's Tern - 115
Royal Tern - 10

(Total = 3,569)

Hawk Watch Saturday October 1, 2011

Second day in a row with over 2000 raptors tallied!! It was a really fun day on the platform with lots of raptors to look at, thousands of swallows swirling about, loads of other birds to keep you busy, and plenty of socializing with friends. With all that being said, it was not a particularly fun day to count the mass of raptors moving through the point. It was quite chaotic at times, and I would like to give many thanks to the extra eyes who helped pick out super high and/or super far out birds. It was very much appreciated.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 01, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0             15
Turkey Vulture               0              0             21
Osprey                     217            217           1564
Bald Eagle                  33             33            158
Northern Harrier            44             44            215
Sharp-shinned Hawk        1016           1016           4687
Cooper's Hawk              137            137            621
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          3              3             12
Broad-winged Hawk           97             97            176
Red-tailed Hawk              6              6             49
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           548            548           2758
Merlin                     137            137            895
Peregrine Falcon            78             78            607
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              2

Total:                    2316           2316          11780
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
The day began with moderate North winds that gradually turned to
West-Northwest for the last couple of hours.  We had variable cloud
coverage throughout the day ranging from nearly overcast to basically
devoid of clouds.  

Raptor Observations:
Another great day of movement dominated by Sharp-shinneds (over 1000),
American Kestrels, Osprey (good push near the end of the day), and Merlin. 
We also had a decent day for Broad-wings with small lines of birds
streaming in off the ocean around midday.  

Non-raptor Observations:
15 dowitcher sp, 3 Black-bellied Plovers, 1 Wilson's Snipe, 8 Pied-billed
Grebes on the pond, 15 Pectoral Sandpipers, an interesting white-rumped
swallow (brief look by multiple observers)

Predictions:
The forecast is calling for Southwest winds all day tomorrow.  There
certainly isn't the best wind for migration but it isn't the worst either
so I would expect some movement tomorrow but not an overwhelming push.  
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

1 October 2011 - Morning Flight

Today's songbird morning flight at Higbee Beach was a bit slower than anticipated. I've had visions of thousands of warblers dancing through my head for the last few days; these were dashed, apparently by lingering rain through the first half of the evening last night which likely prevented large numbers of songbirds from taking off on nocturnal migration. That said, there were around 200 warblers past the Dike today, about 3/4 of which were Northern Parula. The balance of the flight was dominated by Blackpoll Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler.

Sharp-shinned Hawk giving the morning flight watchers the crazy eye! (photo by Tom Johnson)

Morning Flight - woodpecker photos

Northern Flicker - Higbee Beach

Red-headed Woodpecker (juvenile) - Higbee Beach

Red-headed Woodpecker (presumed second year) - Higbee Beach

all photos copyright Tom Johnson

Hawk Watch Friday September 30, 2011

Today was crazy good with LOTS of raptors moving through almost the entire day. Sharp-shinned Hawks and American Kestrels started off right after sunrise this morning and didn't seem to stop after that. We also had very good numbers of Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, and Merlins. One of the best highlights was a dark morph Swainson's Hawk picked up just after noon.
This was by far the best day of the season so far. Hopefully, there will be more days like this next month (and maybe even November), but what a great way to end the month of September!

We were just 1 bird shy of reaching 200 Osprey today. Rats. (photo by Tom Johnson).

Awesome shot of an immature Cooper's Hawk (photo by Tom Johnson).

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             15             15
Turkey Vulture               0             21             21
Osprey                     199           1347           1347
Bald Eagle                  10            125            125
Northern Harrier            10            171            171
Sharp-shinned Hawk         921           3671           3671
Cooper's Hawk               87            484            484
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          2              9              9
Broad-winged Hawk           26             79             79
Red-tailed Hawk              0             43             43
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           620           2210           2210
Merlin                      95            758            758
Peregrine Falcon           132            529            529
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              1              2              2

Total:                    2103           9464           9464
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Light to moderate South-southwest winds for the vast majority of the day. 
Clear skies for the first couple of hours progressively becoming partly to
mostly cloudy by the end of the day.  

Raptor Observations:
A great push of birds today with over 2000 counted.  The count was heavily
dominated by Sharp-shinneds, American Kestrels, and Osprey.  We also had
good numbers of Cooper's Hawks (at the end of the day), Peregrines, and
Merlins.  Unfortunately, Northern Harrier numbers are still very low for
the season.

One of the better highlights of the day was a fairly distant dark morph
Swainson's Hawk at 12:05.  

Non-raptor Observations:
6 Hudsonian Godwits (together in a single flock), 1 Glossy Ibis, 7 Wood
Ducks

Predictions:
Since most of September has seen Southerly winds, tonight's cold front and
tomorrow's West winds should bring a strong push of birds tomorrow
(probably better than today).
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

30 September 2011 - Morning Flight

There was a small push early this morning, but not a whole lot to report. All small numbers of the expected species. Six Cape May Warblers were noteworthy. Two standout species were a lone Orchard Oriole heading south, and three Red-headed Woodpeckers, one adult and two immatures. Hopefully this weekend's change in weather will really turn the tide. See you out there!

Avalon Seawatch - 29 September 2011

The seawatch started off really this morning with a good flight of Double-crested Cormorants, but it then petered out pretty quickly. The first Common Loons flew by today. Six Brown Pelicans were a highlight, and Laughing gulls and terns then trickled through all day. In the last hour there were two flocks of Great Blue Herons totaling 15 birds and a small flock of Northern Pintails.

Passerines of note, were one Blackpoll Warbelr and three Savannah Sparrows.

American Black - 1

Northern Pintail - 19

Surf Scoter - 16

Black Scoter - 3

Common Loon - 6

Northenr Gannet - 19

Brown Pelican - 6

Double-crested Cormorant - 1670

Great Blue Heron - 15

Laughing Gull - 87

Ring-billed Gull - 2

Herring Gull - 9

Great Black-backed Gull - 14

Caspian Tern - 3

Common Tern - 27

Forster's Tern - 34

Royal Tern - 35

Black Skimmer - 1

(Total - 1967)

Hawk Watch Thursday September 29, 2011

Over 500 migrating raptors on a South wind? Yep, that's what happens when the month of September has been dominated by southerly winds. Birds just can't fight the itch anymore and start to head South...even if the winds are wrong. That's what we saw today. We had a very nice day at the platform with good showings of Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and Osprey. Peregrine Falcons also put on a great show for visitors today with just over 100 counted (first day over 100 this fall!). In fact, we were treated to great views of all 3 falcon species as many would fly right over the platform. We even had a Merlin zip just a few feet above visitors on the platfrom as it tried to snatch an American Goldfinch out of the air! Super cool.

A great shot of a banded female American Kestrel (photo by Tom Johnson).

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             15             15
Turkey Vulture               0             21             21
Osprey                      60           1148           1148
Bald Eagle                   1            115            115
Northern Harrier             6            161            161
Sharp-shinned Hawk         170           2750           2750
Cooper's Hawk               19            397            397
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              7              7
Broad-winged Hawk            7             53             53
Red-tailed Hawk              0             43             43
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           115           1590           1590
Merlin                      77            663            663
Peregrine Falcon           101            397            397
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     556           7361           7361
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Varying South winds throughout the day but becoming a steady
South-southwest wind for the last 3 hours.  The first half of the day saw
overcast skies but blue sky finally made an appearance and the rest of the
day had partly cloudy skies.  

Raptor Observations:
A very good movement of birds considering the steady South winds all day. 
Sharp-shinneds and American Kestrels were the most numerous (as usual), but
Peregrines also put on a very nice show (especially in the afternoon).  

Non-raptor Observations:
~2500 Double-crested Cormorants, 4 Common Loons, 4 Parasitic Jaegers, 1
Pomarine Jaeger, 3 Caspian Terns, 6 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Stilt
Sandpipers, 2 Dunlin, 1 Eastern Phoebe

Predictions:
Similar to today's weather with light to moderate Southwest winds and a %30
chance of rain so I would expect a decent movement of birds tomorrow.  
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

29 September 2011 - Morning Flight

Don't worry, there's still a morning flight count going on at Higbee Beach! There hasn't been very much to report recently, but a trickle of birds is continuing to pass through. Birding in the woods and around Cape May Point has varied from mediocre to splendid, however - on occasion this week, the north edge of the woods at Higbee Beach has filled up with songbird flocks even though most are not engaging in redirected morning flight (top species number-wise this week include Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Blackpoll Warbler).

Today's highlight at Higbee was not at the Dike, but further south along the main path - a vagrant Black-throated Gray Warbler, most likely an immature female, was found by Jonathan Wasse and seen by many birders over the time it was in view.

Black-throated Gray Warbler - Higbee Beach 9/29/11 (photo by Tom Johnson)

I'm quite excited about the morning flight possibilities for Friday through Sunday (with Saturday being the expected big day based on the weather forecast). A passing cold front should drop temperatures and shift the wind around to a favorable west/ northwest vector sometime tomorrow. After a very slow September migration-wise, we are certainly ready for this one!

Avalon Seawatch - 28 September 2011

Steady light southeast winds and no fog in sight, made for a great day at the Seawatch. The seasons first push of Black Scoter and Double-crested Cormorants gave us our first 1000 bird day! Only one songbird came off the water this morning, a Magnolia Warbler. The seasons first Great Cormorant, Blue-winged Teal, and American Black Duck flew by as well as good numbers of terns and Laughing Gulls. Three Parasitic Jaegers and four Lesser Black-backed Gulls were a treat, but the bird of the day was seen shortly after 11 am. An adult Bridled Tern passed at a distance, but was close enough to confidently ID. The buoyant springy flight style and the dark upper parts and white under parts all stood out.

There was a small flight of American Oystercatchers, as a few small flocks added up to 25 for the day.

American Black Duck - 1

Blue-winged Teal - 1

Green-winged Teal - 11

Surf Scoter - 16

Black Scoter - 177

Dark-winged Scoter - 3

Northern Gannet - 13

Brown Pelican - 1

Double-crested Cormorant - 648

Great Cormorant - 1

Laughing Gull - 90

Herring Gull - 9

Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4

Caspian Tern - 7

Common Tern - 61

Forster's Tern -29

Royal Tern - 110

Parasitic Jaeger - 3

(Total - 1185)

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             15             15
Turkey Vulture               0             21             21
Osprey                      28           1088           1088
Bald Eagle                   0            114            114
Northern Harrier             8            155            155
Sharp-shinned Hawk         142           2580           2580
Cooper's Hawk               21            378            378
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              7              7
Broad-winged Hawk            4             46             46
Red-tailed Hawk              1             43             43
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            71           1475           1475
Merlin                      28            586            586
Peregrine Falcon            73            296            296
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     376           6805           6805
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Light to moderate East/Southeast winds all day with overcast skies and
heavy fog at times.

Raptor Observations:
Good movement of birds between the bouts of fog with a good movement of
Peregrines in the late afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:

========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - September 27, 2011

Tuesday started with visibility once again under a half-mile, and pea soup conditions continued through most of the morning. Passerines were again in evidence from the Seawatch at dawn, with a fly-over Gray-cheeked Thrush being the best of the lot. The fog loosened up for portions of the afternoon and allowed me to register a respectable tally for several species.

Laughing Gulls trickled through all day, and were joined in the afternoon by small flocks of Common Terns. We finally tallied the season's first Green-winged Teal, along with the first actual flock of Black Scoters: 15 that raced past during one of the afternoon's foggiest stretches. We also finished strong at the end of the day, thanks to a mini-push of Royal Terns and Northern Gannets.

The day's tally follows-

Green-winged Teal 1
Surf Scoter 1 (adult male)
Black Scoter 21
Northern Gannet 34
Brown Pelican 7
Double-crested Cormorant 39
Great Blue Heron 4
Laughing Gull 125
Herring Gull 4
Great Black-backed Gull 14
Common Tern 61
Forster's Tern 7
Royal Tern 19
Black Skimmer 1

(Total = 338)

27 September 2011 - Hawk Watch

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2011
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	15	15
Turkey Vulture	0	21	21
Osprey	34	1060	1060
Bald Eagle	2	114	114
Northern Harrier	0	147	147
Sharp-shinned Hawk	174	2438	2438
Cooper's Hawk	26	357	357
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	7	7
Broad-winged Hawk	3	42	42
Red-tailed Hawk	1	42	42
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	158	1404	1404
Merlin	63	558	558
Peregrine Falcon	21	223	223
Unknown Accipiter	0	0	0
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	1	1
Total:	482	6429	6429

Observation start time:	05:45:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	11.25 hours
Official Counter	Tom Magarian
Observers:

Weather:
Heavy fog clearing briefly midday. Light SE winds.

Raptor Observations:


Non-raptor Observations:

---

Report submitted by Tom Magarian ()
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

26 September 2011 - Hawk Watch

Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2011 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 6 15 15 Turkey Vulture 10 21 21 Osprey 50 1026 1026 Bald Eagle 5 112 112 Northern Harrier 12 147 147 Sharp-shinned Hawk 286 2264 2264 Cooper's Hawk 41 331 331 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 7 7 Broad-winged Hawk 5 39 39 Red-tailed Hawk 0 41 41 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 207 1246 1246 Merlin 57 495 495 Peregrine Falcon 56 202 202 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 735 5947 5947 Observation start time: 05:45:00 Observation end time: 17:30:00 Total observation time: 11.75 hours Official Counter Tom Magarian Observers: Weather: Heavy fog clearing mid afternoon. Light SE winds all day. Raptor Observations: Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Tom Magarian () Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - September 26, 2011

The north end of Avalon was socked in with heavy fog on Monday, and very few migrants were detected. Four Brown Pelicans were nice, and we once again enjoyed a few passerines at dawn, highlighted by a Scarlet Tanager. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was found by Tony Leukering during the afternoon as it played hide-and-seek in the junipers across the street. I'm currently writing from the seawatch at pre-dawn Tuesday, and to be honest, the fog looks even denser than it was yesterday.

Hawk Watch Sunday September 25, 2011

After many, many days of cruddy skies and Southerly winds, we finally had a decent hawk flight today...surprisingly. Even though there were overcast skies, dense fog, and essentially no wind, the raptors were on the move today! In the span from 10 to 2, we had 479 migrants. Even though most birds were quite high (sometimes disappearing in the fog/clouds), we had some good looks at Osprey, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, and all three falcon species. With the winds picking up from the Southeast in the afternoon, activity died down considerably but most visitors to the platform were able to (finally) see some fall migration.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              9              9
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      89            976            976
Bald Eagle                   5            107            107
Northern Harrier            14            135            135
Sharp-shinned Hawk         303           1978           1978
Cooper's Hawk               45            290            290
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              7              7
Broad-winged Hawk            2             34             34
Red-tailed Hawk              2             41             41
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           141           1039           1039
Merlin                      39            438            438
Peregrine Falcon            21            146            146
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     662           5212           5212
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
The day began with very light Northeast winds but most of the morning
consisted of practically nonexistent winds.  Finally around noon, an
actually East wind developed that eventually turned to the Southeast for
the last hour.  There was poor visibility for almost the entire day with
overcast skies and a moderate fog that encircled the platform for much of
the count.

Raptor Observations:
Finally a good day of movement dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks, American
Kestrels, and Osprey.

Non-raptor Observations:

========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - September 25, 2011

I'm a bit short on time tonight, but Sunday was quite similar to the past few days at the Seawatch. The day saw a nice push of Double-crested Cormorants during the late-morning and early-afternoon, with just a smattering of other early season migrants such as terns, gulls and pelicans. There was also a noticeable "morning flight" over the seawatch this morning with numerous passerines coming in off the water, highlighted by a Lark Sparrow that made several loops over the parking area before joining up with two Savannah Sparrows and ultimately heading south down the dunes. Seven species of warblers, including 6 Cape May Warblers, were a nice treat.

[Great Black-backed Gulls at the Seawatch have been unsuccessful in

pirating fish from Osprey so far this season- even when multiple gulls are
involved in the chase. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]

The following list includes only those species counted today:

Northern Pintail 13
Northern Gannet 10
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 345
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Laughing Gull 16
Herring Gull 14
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Common Tern 18
Forster's Tern 4
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 10

24 September 2011 - Morning flight

Today was a a rather slow day with a total of 65 birds tallied. The standouts were 4 Cape May Warblers and 1 Wilson's Warbler. What we need now to end these doldrums is a major change in the weather and unfortunately it does not appear to be happening anytime soon.

Avalon Seawatch - September 24, 2011

Today featured weather that was comparable to yesterday, with mild and overcast conditions prevailing, but with not nearly enough breeze to keep away the billions of no-see-ums at dawn! And unlike yesterday there was a noticeable, albeit small, pulse of birds during the mid-morning, highlighted by 32 Brown Pelicans. Double-crested Cormorants put in their first showing of the season, with small groups sliding past all day. Our first wading bird of the season was a Great Blue Heron that appeared out of the early morning fog, and our first flock of dabbling ducks came by way of 33 Northern Pintails that passed during the 4:00 hour.

[Six of the 32 Brown Pelicans that passed by the
Seawatch today. Photo by Sam Galick; click to enlarge.]

Other notable sightings included a flock of 5 Whimbrel, a single Red Knot and an extremely dark Peregrine Falcon that buzzed the seawall during the afternoon. The day's list follows- count species are bold-faced, and totals for those species reflect only the number of individuals migrating today.

--

Avalon Seawatch, Cape May, US-NJ
Sep 24, 2011
39 species (+2 other taxa)

Northern Pintail 33 (one flock during 4pm hour)
Northern Gannet 8 (6 adults, 1 juvenile, 1 3rd-year)
Double-crested Cormorant 128
Brown Pelican 32 (all between 9:00 and 10:30am; a slight majority adults)
Great Blue Heron 1 (high over ocean, shortly after dawn)
Osprey 12
Peregrine Falcon 2
Black-bellied Plover 8
Semipalmated Plover 1
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1 (juvenile)
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Whimbrel 5 (one flock high overhead at 4:19pm, headed ESE)
Ruddy Turnstone 6
Red Knot 1 (flying out of inlet)
Sanderling 24
Semipalmated Sandpiper 9
Least Sandpiper 1
peep sp. 7
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Caspian Tern 3
Common Tern 32
Forster's Tern 2
Royal Tern 11
Black Skimmer 7 (one flock southbound at 6:29pm)
Parasitic Jaeger 1 (dark-morph juvenile during 3pm hour; passed close over bar)
Rock Pigeon 9
Mourning Dove 2
crow sp. 7
Tree Swallow 90
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 2
Blackpoll Warbler 1 (flew in off water at 8:19am)
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 3 (flew in off water at 7:48am)
House Sparrow 18

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2 (http://ebird.org)

Hawk Watch Saturday September 24, 2011

It was a much better day on the platform compared to yesterday's dreadful weather and lack of birds. We had a decent movement of raptors for the first half of the day but things died down quite a bit in the afternoon.

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 24, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              9              9
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                      25            887            887
Bald Eagle                   1            102            102
Northern Harrier             4            121            121
Sharp-shinned Hawk          82           1675           1675
Cooper's Hawk                8            245            245
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              6              6
Broad-winged Hawk            1             32             32
Red-tailed Hawk              0             39             39
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            23            898            898
Merlin                      24            399            399
Peregrine Falcon            12            125            125
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     180           4550           4550
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Very light and variable winds throughout the day with overcast skies
accompanied by light scattered showers in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
A better day than yesterday with fairly good movement of birds.  We had
good numbers of Osprey, Sharp-shinns, and all 3 falcon species.  Numbers
started to dwindle around 12:30 STD and the afternoon was very slow.

Non-raptor Observations:
Very good numbers of Yellowleg sp (approximately 130), 3 Stilt Sandpipers,
2 Dowitcher sp, 10 Pectoral Sandpipers, 1 Blue Grosbeak, 2 Caspian Terns, 1
American Bittern, 7 Chimney Swifts, 3 Parasitic Jaegers, 1 Common
Nighthawk, 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawk Watch Friday September 23, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 23, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              9              9
Turkey Vulture               0             11             11
Osprey                       5            862            862
Bald Eagle                   0            101            101
Northern Harrier             0            117            117
Sharp-shinned Hawk           7           1593           1593
Cooper's Hawk                1            237            237
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              6              6
Broad-winged Hawk            0             31             31
Red-tailed Hawk              0             39             39
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             1            875            875
Merlin                       4            375            375
Peregrine Falcon             9            113            113
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                      27           4370           4370
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
Southeast winds dominated the day with scattered showers throughout.

Raptor Observations:
A very slow day with only 27 birds counted.  Most activity happened between
12 and 1 when the clouds lifted briefly.

Non-raptor Observations:
1 Bonaparte's Gull
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Avalon Seawatch - September 23, 2011

Today marked my first day of the season at the Seawatch. A few rain showers made brief appearances throughout the day, but all in all, the forecast was far better than I was anticipating. Overcast and mild conditions coupled with a light southeasterly breeze to make for a pleasant time, even though only a few dozen migrant waterbirds were tallied.

Highlights included an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, three Parasitic Jaegers and a single Brown Pelican. "Non-count" birds of note included 13 each of Red Knot and Pectoral Sandpiper, all southbound. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit more birdy- stop by and say hello!

The list is below; bold-faced species were counted.

Surf Scoter 1 (female)
Black Scoter 3 (females; northbound)
Northern Gannet 2 (one adult, one 3rd-year; both northbound)
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Brown Pelican 1
Osprey 14
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover 2 (on beach at 8th Street)
American Oystercatcher 4
Ruddy Turnstone 11
Red Knot 13 (groups of 11 and 2; southbound)
Sanderling 35
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 13 (one flock; southbound during afternoon rain squall)
Dunlin 2
Laughing Gull 37 (7 migrants)
Herring Gull 18
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (adult; traveling south with 1st-cycle GBBG)
Great Black-backed Gull 55 (5 migrants)
Caspian Tern 8
Common Tern 62 (22 migrants)
Forster's Tern 35
Royal Tern 29 (11 migrants)
Parasitic Jaeger 3 (two light-morph adults; one dark-morph immature)
Rock Pigeon 5
Tree Swallow 250
Blackpoll Warbler 3 (all flying in off ocean during first 90 minutes of day)
Northern Cardinal 1
Bobolink 1 (flying in off ocean at dawn)
House Sparrow 7

22 September 2011 - Sea Watch

The Seawatch in Avalon begins! The day was a perfect example of early season at the Sea Watch, slow and dicey weather with a few good birds. The day started with a good bit of rain and heavy fog, which cleared after a couple of hours. The rain stayed away for the rest of the day, but the fog would come back randomly throughout the day. This however, played out well, as an intermediate morph juvenile Parasitic Jaeger came cruising along the edge of the fog bank midday and provided an excellent, but rather haunting look as it faded in and out of the fog and then just disappeared, and was then gone in the mist. Seven Brown Pelicans were the other highlight. A group of four in the morning and then a group of three late in the day. Oh, and the first bird of the season was a nice adult Northern Gannet!

Northern Gannet - 2

Brown Pelican - 7

Caspian Tern - 9

Common Tern - 42

Royal Tern - 47

Black Skimmer - 2

Parasitic Jaeger - 1

Small sterna sp - 4

Hawk Watch Monday September 20

Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2011 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 9 9 Turkey Vulture 0 11 11 Osprey 5 849 849 Bald Eagle 0 100 100 Northern Harrier 1 112 112 Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 1406 1406 Cooper's Hawk 0 224 224 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 6 Broad-winged Hawk 0 30 30 Red-tailed Hawk 0 36 36 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 2 862 862 Merlin 10 350 350 Peregrine Falcon 2 95 95 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 30 4091 4091 Observation start time: 05:45:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.25 hours Official Counter Tom Magarian Observers: Weather: Light SW winds and overcast with light rain late in the day and the winds shifting to NW for the last three hours. Raptor Observations: Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Tom Magarian () Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawk Watch Monday September 19

Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 19, 2011 Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total Black Vulture 0 9 9 Turkey Vulture 3 11 11 Osprey 44 844 844 Bald Eagle 15 100 100 Northern Harrier 10 111 111 Sharp-shinned Hawk 285 1396 1396 Cooper's Hawk 51 224 224 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 6 6 Broad-winged Hawk 5 30 30 Red-tailed Hawk 8 36 36 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 35 860 860 Merlin 31 340 340 Peregrine Falcon 4 93 93 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 492 4061 4061 Observation start time: 05:45:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.25 hours Official Counter Tom Magarian Observers: Weather: Light easterly winds, with good visibility. Started mostly sunny and ended mostly cloudy. Raptor Observations: Non-raptor Observations: Report submitted by Tom Magarian () Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawk Watch Thursday September 22, 2011

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              9              9
Turkey Vulture               0              8              8
Osprey                       5            808            808
Bald Eagle                   1             86             86
Northern Harrier             2            106            106
Sharp-shinned Hawk          86           1291           1291
Cooper's Hawk                7            185            185
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              5              5
Broad-winged Hawk            0             26             26
Red-tailed Hawk              0             31             31
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             2            837            837
Merlin                       5            330            330
Peregrine Falcon             4             98             98
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     112           3821           3821
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
The first few hours of the day started with fog, mist, and light/moderate
rain that eventually gave way to sunny skies.  The sun only lasted a couple
of hours, however, as fog rolled in off of the ocean.  Later in the
afternoon, scattered showers developed and heavier rain set in for the last
hour.  South winds dominated for the majority of the day with Southeast
winds for the last few hours. 

Raptor Observations:
Quite the slow day with only spurts of activity. 

Non-raptor Observations:
Parasitic Jaeger, Common Loon

Predictions:
Does not look promising due to significant rain predicted for tomorrow.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

22 September 2011 - Morning Flight

Early rain and fog made this morning's songbird flight at Higbee Beach a washout. After hanging around for two hours (mostly hiding from the rain inside my car), I headed to Cape May Point State Park, where the birding was fairly slow, but we did see a Eurasian Collared-Dove fly past the hawkwatch a few times, and a calling American Golden-Plover headed west along the beach. The hawk flight was pretty slow, as expected on a dreary south wind day. What a lackluster September for migration weather at Cape May!

Hawk Watch Wednesday September 21, 2011

Even though the forecast called for Southeast winds today, the day started with Northeast winds for the first couple of hours and only turned to the East. Therefore, much to my surprise, there was a decent flight of hawks for the first half of the day. Unfortunately, the flight seemed to completely shut down in the afternoon and very few birds were counted after noon (STD).

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2011
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              9              9
Turkey Vulture               0              8              8
Osprey                       3            803            803
Bald Eagle                   0             85             85
Northern Harrier             3            104            104
Sharp-shinned Hawk          94           1205           1205
Cooper's Hawk                5            178            178
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              5              5
Broad-winged Hawk            1             26             26
Red-tailed Hawk              3             31             31
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            10            835            835
Merlin                      16            325            325
Peregrine Falcon             5             94             94
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     140           3709           3709
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.25 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Observers:        

Weather:
The day started with light Northeast winds that soon became light to
moderate East winds for the majority of the day.  Mostly to completely
cloudy skies throughout the day with light scattered showers in the
afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
Fairly good movement of birds for the first half of the day but migration
almost completely shut down in the afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:

========================================================================
Report submitted by Melissa Roach (roach.mc1@gmail.com)
Cape May Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

21 September 2011 - Morning Flight

Morning flight at Higbee Beach was slow again today; observations from Michael O'Brien and others at Cape May Point (~2 miles south of the Higbee dike) suggested a slightly stronger flight lasting later into the morning there, but it did not extend north through Higbee. Approximately 30-40 warblers "flew out" of the woods; these were dominated by Northern Waterthrush and Blackpoll Warbler (notice the trend away from the early season flights dominated by Yellow Warbler and American Redstart?), but also included a Bay-breasted Warbler and a Pine Warbler. Most exciting to me were the two Wild Turkeys that popped up over the woods before dawn and landed on the road next to my car! While there are breeding turkeys on the island, they are not numerous and typically not in Higbee Beach proper, but a bit further east along New England Rd.

20 September 2011 - Morning Flight

There was virtually no visible songbird movement this morning at Higbee Beach in Cape May. One Northern Parula thought it a good idea to fly north out of the woods; the little warbler was promptly dissuaded by a hunting Merlin, and the "morning flight" for the day was officially over. South winds are on deck for the near future, so I don't anticipate a significant flight for several days, though some birds might be moving if the wind is light enough.


In other news, I saw a Violet-green Swallow yesterday afternoon along the dune ponds between Cape May Point State Park and the Meadows. The bird was feeding with a Barn Swallow and disappeared to the north shortly after I got close looks and some photos. This is the third Violet-green Swallow in Cape May after one in November 1992 and another in October 1997. New Jersey's third record was from East Point, Cumberland County, in November 1999. Given the extreme rarity of this species in the east, it seems very strange to me that NJ now has 4 records.
The Violet-green Swallow might have been seen from a boat in Cape May harbor today, but it was unconfirmed as far as I know. Since the other two Cape May birds stuck around for several days, I wouldn't be surprised if this one reappears soon. Good luck!