Seawatch - 5 October 2014

Time Observed: 0559 - 1840
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Wood Duck - 10
Northern Shoveler - 6
Northern Pintai - 4
Green-winged Teal - 15
Duck sp. - 43
Surf Scoter - 11
White-winged Scoter - 10
Black Scoter - 27
Dark-winged Scoter - 2
Red-throated Loon - 37
Common Loon - 13
Loon sp. - 3
Northern Gannet - 8
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,337
Great Cormorant - 4
Great Blue Heron - 13
Great Egret - 31
Snowy Egret - 12
Laughing Gull - 49
Caspian Tern - 6
Forster's Tern - 162
Royal Tern - 21
Parasitic Jaeger - 2

Total: 1,826


A note from Skye:
What a great day at Avalon! The day started out with a pod of dolphins rolling in the waves in the early morning sunlight. I kid you not, every time they did a blow-spout, the spray caught the light just right to send rainbows up into the air- I felt like I was in some strange 70s sci-fi movie!

The actual primary count was kinda slow today, though Red-throated Loons are gearing into action. I had over all a great bird diversity with lots of passerines flying off the ocean and a great shorebird showing with 13 species recorded including: Black-bellied Plover- 78, Semipalmated Plover- 5, American Oystercatcher- 94, Spotted Sandpiper- 1, Lesser Yellowlegs- 3, MARBLED GODWIT- 1, Ruddy Turnstone- 4, RED KNOT- 48, Sanderling 626, Least Sandpiper- 1, Semipalmated Sandpiper- 1, Western Sandpiper- 1 (peep sp- 18), & Short-billed Dowitcher- 1. 

The non-waterbird flight, while no Higbee's intergalactic flight (Trademark- Tom Johnson), was pretty dang good by Avalon standards with 8 species of warblers making an appearance. Here is what flew off the ocean and/or came down the shoreline today- Turkey Vulture- 10, Osprey- 6, Bald Eagle- 2, Sharp-shinned Hawk-1, Belted Kingfisher- 1, Rock Pigeon- 11, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER -8(!), Northern Flicker- 6, American Kestrel- 3, Merlin- 3, Peregrine Falcon- 5, Tree Swallow- 5000, Northern Rough-winged Swallow- 1, Carolina Wren- 1, American Robin- 2, Northern Mockingbird- 1, European Starling-3, Northern Waterthrush- 1, Common Yellowthroat- 1, American Redstart-1, Northern Parula-1, Cape May Warbler-1, Palm Warbler- 12, Yellow-rumped Warbler- 3, Black-throated Green Warbler- 2, Warbler sp- 12, Indigo Bunting-2, Savannah Sparrow- 3, Red-winged Blackbird- 1, Boat-tailed Grackle- 8, House Finch- 5, House Sparrow- 8, & passerine sp- 6. 

Common Yellowthroat. [Photo by Skye Haas.]

Redknots and a Short-billed Dowitcher. [Photo by Skye Haas.]

Hawkwatch - 5 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                4             45             51
Turkey Vulture              23             82            199
Osprey                     151            520           2689
Bald Eagle                  35             68            369
Northern Harrier            29             70            246
Sharp-shinned Hawk         322           1218           4466
Cooper's Hawk               68            431           1285
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              5             12
Broad-winged Hawk          136            167            375
Red-tailed Hawk              3             13            123
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel           329            491           2729
Merlin                      38            262            775
Peregrine Falcon            14            175            488
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                    1152           3547          13813
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:45:00 
Observation end   time: 16:30:00 
Total observation time: 10.75 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Winds strong WNW in the morning 15-20mph.  Shifting W and then SW in the
afternoon decreasing in strength.  Clear skies with temps only reaching
61F.

Raptor Observations:
Very good flight with high numbers of American Kestrels and Sharp-shinned
Hawks.  Late morning kettles of Broadwings was a treat.  Flight was fairly
low and all over.

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Widgeon(1), Ruddy Duck(1), Northern Shoveler(7), Gadwall, Northern
Pintail, Green and Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Little Blue
Heron(1), Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Common Loons(16).

Predictions:
Mostly sunny, high of 70, winds 15-20mph.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Seawatch - 4 October 2014

Observation time: 0558 - 1856
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
American Black Duck - 10
Northern Pintail - 7
Green-winged Teal - 1
Surf Scoter - 64
White-winged Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 204
Red-throated Loon - 2
Common Loon - 7
Nothern Gannet - 11
Double-crested Cormorant - 898
Great Blue Heron - 37
Black-crowned Night Heron - 4
Laughing Gull - 56
Caspian Tern - 8
Forster's Tern - 87
Royal Tern - 24
Parasitic Jaeger - 7
Jaeger sp. - 3
Calidris sp. - 130

Total: 1,562


A note from Skye:
Like all days at the sea-watch, it was a fun day, though not nearly as hectic as yesterday's big flight. Actually it kind of slow at times, but that was fine with me, there is always something of interest bound to show if you just give it enough time. Cormorants were way down from yesterday and they didn't even barely make an appearance until the 8th hour of the count. All three scoter species were present again, though the majority of them were northbound birds. A little too early in the season for the back and forth there guys! 10 Jaegers came by and our moment of drama on the high seas were when three Parasitics attacked a Forster's Tern, driving it repeatedly into the water- I thought they were going to kill the poor thing, but eventually left it be to continue on their migration. I ended up staying 20 minutes past sundown as a heron flight developed right before sunset. 

Lots of Monarchs, Darners and Wandering Gliders came off the ocean in the afternoon, as did falcons- we ended up having 19 Peregrine Falcons today. At one point there were four terrorizing the jetty shorebirds which included an impressive 1500+ Sanderlings. The first Dunlin of the season was seen today, and 3 probable Purple Sandpipers flew by in the rain early in the day, but did not stop on the jetty for a positive identification. Oh well, more to come with that species. 

This juvenile Peregrine Falcon practiced its hunting skills by chasing a large group of shorebirds in front of the Seawatch. [Photos by Skye Haas.]

Hawkwatch - 4 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             41             47
Turkey Vulture               0             59            176
Osprey                     110            369           2538
Bald Eagle                   5             33            334
Northern Harrier             8             41            217
Sharp-shinned Hawk         158            896           4144
Cooper's Hawk               47            363           1217
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              5             12
Broad-winged Hawk            1             31            239
Red-tailed Hawk              1             10            120
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            70            162           2400
Merlin                     134            224            737
Peregrine Falcon            47            161            474
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     582           2395          12661
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Winds starting from the S switching to the SW early morning and then
finally NW for the afternoon (10-15mph).  Scattered rain showers the first
two hours then clearing and skies remaining mostly cloudy for the day.

Raptor Observations:
Slow in the morning then a nice flight as the clouds broke up and the sun
came out.  Lots of ospreys and a good merlin show for most of the
afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:
Pied-billed Grebe(1), American Widgeon(13), Caspian Tern(2), Little Blue
Heron(1).

Predictions:
Strong northwest winds overnight, then much cooler temperatures tomorrow
(high of 61F) and winds west 10-15mph.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Morning Flight - 3 October 2014

Birds resumed their southward journey through our region. A decent migrant diversity in moderate low numbers was recorded. That adds up to 286 warblers of 13 species. Hopefully the zugunruhe (migratory restlessness) is building and we will have a few large flights to watch this upcoming weekend and next week. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE WEATHER AND RADAR FOR THIS COMING SUNDAY, MONDAY, AND WEDNESDAY-- ALL LOOK VERY PROMISING.

Weather and time: cloudy; 59-63 ºF; winds NE at 5-8 mph; 95% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0657 sunrise; 3.25 hours.
  
Morning Flight Count totals:  
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  3
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  25     16 north, 6 south
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  13     south
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  23
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  113
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  3
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  5
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  8
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  30
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  42
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata)  3
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  10
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  85
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  27
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  4
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  46
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  3
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  10
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  18
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  33
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  2
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  3

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20018727

Seawatch - 3 October 2014

Observation time: 0557 - 1839
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Canada Goose - 1
American Black Duck - 16
Northern Shoveler - 2
Northern Pintail - 20
Green-winged Teal - 38
Ring-necked Duck - 10
Aythya sp. - 15
Duck sp. - 24
Surf Scoter - 238
White-winged Scoter - 9
Black Scoter - 1469
Dark-winged Scoter - 126
Red-throated Loon - 22
Common Loon - 10
Northern Gannet - 3
Brown Pelican - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 21,682
Great Cormorant - 5
Great Blue Heron - 152
Laughing Gull - 175
Herring Gull - 10
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Caspian Tern - 6
Forster's Tern - 184
Royal Tern - 20
Black Skimmer - 2
Parasitic Jaeger - 1
Jaeger sp. - 2
American Oystercatcher - 3
Semipalmated Plover - 9

Total: 24,261


A note from Skye:
Woo-wee! The Avalon Seawatch officially woke up today! Over 24,000 waterbirds were recorded today, most notably a really huge Double-crested Cormorant count. For a little while I wondered if we were going to break the 2008 single day total of 24,637, but the Corms stopped flying the last couple hours of the day. Midday the Scoters that had been trickling by really ramped it up and we ended the day with 1469 Black Scoters; the previous high count for the season had been 32.

Lets see here what else happened... First Red-throated Loon flocks, decent dabbler showing including first of season Northern Shovelors, A strong Great Blue Heron flight was in the first few hours of the count with all the herons being found quite a ways out over the ocean. There were a good couple looks at Great Cormorants including a nice trio of adults that showed their white chins rather well. At least 5 Jaegers were seen and down the beach 250 Black-bellied Plovers were taking refuge from the excessively high water in the salt marshes. I couldn't record too many non-waterbird sightings today due to the high volume of flight, but 4 Peregrine Falcons were seen. 

[Black Scoters. Photo by Skye Haas.]

[Great Blue Heron. Photo by Skye Haas.]

Hawkwatch - 3 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 03, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             41             47
Turkey Vulture               0             59            176
Osprey                     135            259           2428
Bald Eagle                  10             28            329
Northern Harrier             9             33            209
Sharp-shinned Hawk         125            738           3986
Cooper's Hawk               55            316           1170
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              4             11
Broad-winged Hawk            5             30            238
Red-tailed Hawk              1              9            119
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            22             92           2330
Merlin                      60             90            603
Peregrine Falcon            86            114            427
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     509           1813          12079
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Mostly cloudy in the am with winds from the NE, then skies clearing in the
afternoon with winds from the E and SE (5-10mph). High temp of 70F.

Raptor Observations:
A nice falcon day with peregrines taking a high westerly flight north of
the platform and merlins low over the treeline in the afternoon.  A good
osprey line as well mid-day heading west high and to the north of the
platform.

Non-raptor Observations:
A good diversity with large flocks of Blue Jays(100+), Great Blue
Herons(75), and Double-crested Cormorant(1,980).
Also, Common Nighthawk(1), Wood duck(1), American Widgeon, Gadwall,
Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Pied-billed Grebe(1), American
Bittern(1), Little Blue Heron(2), Snowy Egret(1), Downy Woodpecker(1),
Greater Yellowlegs(6), Stilt Sandpiper(1), Caspian Tern(2).

Predictions:
Showers in the am becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon. Winds south, then
becoming northwest 15-20mph.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Morning Flight - 2 October 2014

Birds did fly north by Morning Flight today. It was a small flight by all accounts but held a satisfying variety and birds could be viewed well this morning. 75 warblers of 11 species, including Nashville, Chestnut-sided, and Connecticut Warblers. Blue Jays seemed to be doing a clockwise circuit through southern most NJ.

Weather and time: mostly clear with clouds developing; 60-62 ºF; winds N to NE at 8-10 mph; 5-35% building cloud cover; every good visibility; 0656 sunrise; 3.25 hours.
 
Morning Flight Count totals:  
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  11
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  285     north starting ~0800; a similar number seen heading south far to the east 30-45 min before
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  25     south at dawn
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  8
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  222
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  1
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  1
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  3
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  11
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  19
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata)  1
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  3
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  12
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  4
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  9
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  4
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  22
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  6
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20008112

How far did this Blue Jay travel to get to Cape May? (Photo by: Glen Davis)

Seawatch - 2 October 2014

Observation time: 0556 - 1840
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
American Black Duck - 3
American Black Duck/Mallard - 1
Green-winged Teal - 11
Surf Scoter - 7
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 32
Dark-winged Scoter - 6
Northern Gannet - 1
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 3499
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 99
Herring Gull - 13
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Caspian Tern - 5
Forster's Tern - 196
Royal Tern - 5
Black Skimmer - 14
Parasitic Jaeger - 1

Total: 3,899

A note from Skye:
Avalon started out pretty slow today, but midday, the winds switched to a northerly with a touch of rain being spitted out and a lot of Double-crested Cormorants came riding the tailwind. Also notable was the first White-winged Scoter of the season first spotted and quickly photographed by Tom Johnson. While no American Oystercatchers were seen migrating today, 61 birds were seen resting on the beach near Townsend's Inlet later in the day, along with a large flock of Black-bellied Plovers. Only a couple of Parasitic Jaeger sightings today, but even more Forster's Terns were observed. Both Golden-crowned Kinglet and Brown Creeper gave an October feel to the passerines. Other non-waterbird highlights included a Cape May Warbler and the third Red-bellied Woodpecker sighting of the season. 

White-winged Scoter. [Photo by Tom Johnson.]

Hawkwatch - 2 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               40             41             47
Turkey Vulture              35             59            176
Osprey                      48            124           2293
Bald Eagle                   9             18            319
Northern Harrier            13             24            200
Sharp-shinned Hawk         154            613           3861
Cooper's Hawk              174            261           1115
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          2              3             10
Broad-winged Hawk            9             25            233
Red-tailed Hawk              6              8            118
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            20             70           2308
Merlin                       7             30            543
Peregrine Falcon            10             28            341
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     527           1304          11570
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 11 hours

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Calm (0-5mph) with clear skies in the morning, then winds(5-10mph) from the
N/NW in the afternoon with low clouds and nearly 100% coverage.

Raptor Observations:
Good flight of accipiters in the morning, but as clouds moved in the flight
decreased dramatically in the afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:
Most notable: Wilson's Snipe.  Caspian Tern(1), American Widgeon, Northern
Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Pied-billed Grebe(1), Little Blue Heron, Green
Heron, Pectoral Sandpipers(11), Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Predictions:
Most sunny skies with winds northeast then east 5-15mph.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Hawkwatch – 1 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 01, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                1              1              7
Turkey Vulture              24             24            141
Osprey                      76             76           2245
Bald Eagle                   9              9            310
Northern Harrier            11             11            187
Sharp-shinned Hawk         459            459           3707
Cooper's Hawk               87             87            941
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              1              8
Broad-winged Hawk           16             16            224
Red-tailed Hawk              2              2            112
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            50             50           2288
Merlin                      23             23            536
Peregrine Falcon            18             18            331
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              0              1

Total:                     777            777          11043
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Mild and pleasant. Winds NE/N 5–10mph; high temp 73F; variable
cloudiness; visibility good. 

Raptor Observations:
A few decent pulses of accipiters during the late-AM; small numbers of most
everything else throughout the day. 

Non-raptor Observations:
COMMON RAVEN (1, first at Cape May since 1997), Black-capped Chickadee (1,
long-staying local rarity); Pectoral Sandpiper (25+), Parasitic Jaeger (2),
Common Nighthawk (2), Cape May Warbler (1)

Predictions:
Partly sunny, 73F, winds N 10–15mph
========================================================================
Report submitted by Tom Reed (coturnicops@gmail.com)
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Morning Flight - 1 October 2014

T'was another tranquil morning atop the Higbee dike. Today is hence a good day to review what's happened so far since August 16, 2014. Below the normal daily summary is a table of the data collected through today for the Morning Flight Project.

Weather and time: light rain at sunrise and afterwards cloudy; 62-61 ºF; winds SE at 3 mph; 85% cloud cover; excellent visibility; 0654 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
 
Morning Flight Count totals:  
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  15     south
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  6

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19997058

16 AUG-1 OCT 2014 (listed in a previous taxonomic order)

	Total	Max	Max Date
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	153	33	17-Aug
Belted Kingfisher	13	3	13-Sep
Red-headed Woodpecker	1	1	27-Sep
Red-bellied Woodpecker	58	20	27-Sep
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	6	4	28-Sep
Downy Woodpecker	19	3	18-Aug
Hairy Woodpecker	0	0	16-Aug
Northern Flicker	992	451	23-Sep
Eastern Wood-Pewee	31	5	17-Sep
Alder Flycatcher	2	1	6-Sep
Least Flycatcher	1	1	15-Sep
Empidonax sp.	4	1	24-Aug
Eastern Phoebe	18	12	23-Sep
Great-crested Flycatcher	40	36	12-Sep
Western Kingbird	0	0	16-Aug
Eastern Kingbird	1,758	346	29-Aug
Warbling Vireo	3	1	4-Sep
Philadelphia Vireo	7	2	23-Sep
Red-eyed Vireo	176	41	27-Sep
Horned Lark	0	0	16-Aug
Red-breasted Nuthatch	32	20	27-Sep
White-breasted Nuthatch	0	0	16-Aug
Golden-crowned Kinglet	0	0	16-Aug
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	10	4	23-Sep
kinglet sp.	1	1	23-Sep
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	267	57	18-Aug
Catharus sp.	3	3	15-Sep
American Robin	86	19	26-Sep
Northern Mockingbird	15	6	3-Sep
American Pipit	9	5	27-Sep
Cedar Waxwing	3,253	381	23-Sep
Blue-winged Warbler	10	2	12-Sep
Tennessee Warbler	65	22	15-Sep
Orange-crowned Warbler	0	0	16-Aug
Nashville Warbler	18	3	14-Sep
Northern Parula	1,505	391	15-Sep
Yellow Warbler	472	85	15-Sep
Chestnut-sided Warbler	54	11	29-Aug
Magnolia Warbler	91	20	12-Sep
Cape May Warbler	94	19	23-Sep
Black-throated Blue Warbler	307	58	15-Sep
Yellow-rumped Warbler	77	35	27-Sep
Black-throated Gray Warbler	1	1	29-Aug
Black-throated Green Warbler	47	13	27-Sep
Blackburnian Warbler	25	5	15-Sep
Pine Warbler	5	1	24-Aug
Prairie Warbler	29	3	18-Aug
Palm Warbler	893	259	27-Sep
Bay-breasted Warbler	15	5	23-Sep
Blackpoll Warbler	416	138	26-Sep
"Baypoll" warbler	91	27	26-Sep
Cerulean Warbler	0	0	16-Aug
Black-and-white Warbler	582	177	15-Sep
American Redstart	5,569	2,631	15-Sep
Prothonotary Warbler	9	1	16-Aug
Worm-eating Warbler	11	4	16-Aug
Ovenbird	17	3	15-Sep
Northern Waterthrush	824	147	10-Sep
Louisiana Waterthrush	3	1	17-Aug
Connecticut Warbler	8	2	15-Sep
Common Yellowthroat	16	14	15-Sep
Hooded Warbler	1	1	15-Sep
Wilson's Warbler	8	2	4-Sep
Canada Warbler	3	2	29-Aug
warbler sp.	2,460	1,006	15-Sep
Summer Tanager	4	1	29-Aug
Scarlet Tanager	70	17	23-Sep
Chipping Sparrow	5	2	27-Sep
Clay-colored Sparrow	0	0	16-Aug
Vesper Sparrow	0	0	16-Aug
Lark Sparrow	0	0	16-Aug
Savannah Sparrow	16	11	27-Sep
White-crowned Sparrow	0	0	16-Aug
Dark-eyed Junco	0	0	16-Aug
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	39	11	23-Sep
Blue Grosbeak	25	3	29-Aug
Indigo Bunting	114	16	27-Sep
Dickcissel	16	8	29-Sep
Bobolink	5,063	1,724	4-Sep
Eastern Meadowlark	0	0	16-Aug
Rusty Blackbird	0	0	16-Aug
Orchard Oriole	3	2	16-Aug
Baltimore Oriole	282	130	29-Aug
Purple Finch	20	9	27-Sep
Pine Siskin	6	3	27-Sep
House Finch	570	77	18-Aug
American Goldfinch	96	39	4-Sep
House Sparrow	71	16	21-Aug

Seawatch - 1 October 2014

Observation time: 0553 - 1752
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Northern Pintail - 6
Aythya sp. - 6
Surf Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 22
Dark-winged Scoter - 3
Scoter sp. - 4
Red-throated Loon - 1
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 2647
Laughing Gull - 73
Herring Gull - 3
Great Black-backed Gull - 13
Caspian Tern - 4
Forster's Tern - 133
Royal Tern - 15
Parasitic Jaeger - 6
American Oystercatcher - 30

Total: 2,969


A note from Skye:
It was a good day at Avalon. It was moderately busy most of the day with Double-crested Cormorants flying for several hours with over 2600 counted. This now pushes this species past the 10,000 mark! Not bad for only 10 days of counting so far. Also notable today were several Parasitic Jaeger sightings. The official tally was 6 birds, but there were at least 10 sightings of this feisty bird due to the many Laughing Gulls and terns feeding on small fish relatively close to the shore in the afternoon. However what I found to be most interesting was this odd American Oystercatcher thing that was going on. I had a couple of flocks pass by me, flying in these tight high flocks. Later in the day (and not recorded in the migration count) were 12 birds sitting on the beach by the Townsend's Inlet. Ducks continue to be slow to arrive, with the majority of ducks seen today to be all northbound birds including a handful of very early Lesser Scaup. Peregrine Falcons continue to be daily sightings, and today there were a couple of Northern Harriers seen far offshore.

[American Oystercatchers. Photo by Skye Haas.] 

Seawatch - 30 September 2014

Observation time: 0555 - 1744
Observer: Tom Reed

Species Counted:
Canada Goose - 2
American Black Duck - 4
Northern Pintail - 214
Green-winged Teal - 17
Surf Scoter - 5
Black Scoter - 24
Common Loon - 1
Northern Gannet - 6
Brown Pelican - 20
Double-crested Cormorant - 2,672
Great Blue Heron - 3
Laughing Gull - 306
Great Black-backed Gull - 8
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 86
Royal Tern - 10
Black Skimmer - 10
Parasitic Jaeger - 3

Total: 3,392

[Brown Pelicans. Photo by Tom Reed.]

Morning Flight - 30 September 2014

As radar indicated, last night a small push of migrants were on the move. The Cape May Point State Park had a decent dawn showing of warblers with 150-200 estimated by Tom Johnson. The Higbee dike, however, did not have this number of moving or recently arrived songbirds. Perhaps it's that the majority of the birds moving were accomplishing their feats of mass relocation with great success. It's possible that only the birds in the more open habitats near the beaches were spurred on to a Morning Flight activity. The southwest tip of the Cape May peninsula lies by the State Park. It marks the end of the road if crossing water, especially in the daytime, isn't your thing. Higbee Beach WMA lies a couple miles to the north of this tip. How can songbird behavior at sunrise be so different at the same time in two only closely separated locations. We have a lot to explore on this topic!


Weather and time: light rain at sunrise and afterwards cloudy; 62-61 ºF; winds SE at 3 mph; 85% cloud cover; excellent visibility; 0654 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
 
Morning Flight Count totals:  
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  169     south
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  7
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  23
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  7
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  1

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19992000

Hawkwatch - 30 September 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              6              6
Turkey Vulture               0            117            117
Osprey                      42           2169           2169
Bald Eagle                   5            301            301
Northern Harrier             8            176            176
Sharp-shinned Hawk         199           3248           3248
Cooper's Hawk               91            854            854
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          3              7              7
Broad-winged Hawk           21            208            208
Red-tailed Hawk              3            110            110
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            43           2238           2238
Merlin                       8            513            513
Peregrine Falcon            38            313            313
Unknown Accipiter            0              3              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              1              1
Zone-tailed Hawk             0              1              1

Total:                     461          10266          10266
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Light rain before sunrise and very calm for the first two hours.  Clouds
slowly cleared throughout day with winds at 5-10mph from the E/NE with
temperatures in the low 70's.

Raptor Observations:
Very slow first two hours of the day then as clouds cleared and winds
increased, large kettles of accipiters formed with a good diversity of
buteos as well.  A small, but steady flow of falcons in the late afternoon,
high and to the north of the platform.

Non-raptor Observations:
Pied-billed Grebe(1), American Widgeon, Little Blue Heron(2), Green Heron,
large flocks of Blue Jays(150+), Caspian Tern(2), Red-breasted Nuthatch(1),
Indigo Bunting(1)

Predictions:
Slight chance of showers, winds NNE 10-15mph, temps in the low 70's.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Morning Flight - 29 September 2014

With light south to west winds overnight it seems like a small amount was occurring but there was very little evidence of this, today at the Higbee dike.

Weather and time: cloudy; 64–67 ºF; winds W at 3 mph; 85% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0653 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
 
       Morning Flight Count totals: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  5
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  2
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  22
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  6
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  6
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  4
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  2
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  2
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  8   south

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19980232

Morning Flight - 28 September 2014

For a morning lacking any real migration vibe it was still quite a decent and fun to watch flight. The largest tally of southbound Blue Jays for the year was reached with 101.

Weather and time: mostly clear; 59–68 ºF; winds ENE to ESE at 2-3 mph; 25% cloud cover; good visibility; 0652 sunrise; 3.25 hours. 

Morning Flight Count totals: Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1     south
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  16     plus 7 south
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)  4
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  3
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  33
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  14
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  144     43 north, 101 south
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  25     south predawn
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  3
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  13
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  14
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  6
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  4
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  1
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)  1     took off from reeds below and went south
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  4
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  3
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  4
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  2
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  22
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata)  3
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  8
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  7
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  3
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  5
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  4
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  3
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  2
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  2
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  3
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  1

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19974278

Is this a Peach- and Marigold-shafted Flicker???

Is this a pigment aberration? I'm not sure, but it sure is pretty! (Photos by: Glen Davis) 

And now for the smooth photographic stylings of Tom Johnson

Most Blue Jays have been heading south at Morning Flight.

Dull the blue and add some yellow to color up a Magnolia Warbler

Lookout little mutant/abberrent flicker, a giant Monarch is bearing down on you!
(Photos by: Tom Johnson)

Morning Flight - 27 September 2014

Photo by: Glen Davis

Today was a surprisingly, spectacular flight with 48 species counted for Morning Flight. It was also extra especially challenging to stay grounded with. Birds carried on their movements in a great variety of flightlines and with erratic pacing. On the warbler front Palm Warbler (259), Northern Parula (155), American Redstart (108), and Black-and-white Warbler (82) led the charge. Northern Flicker had it's second biggest flight of the year (highest so far is 451 on Sept 23) with 235.The first three Pine Siskins of the year also now indicate that this year will see a notable influx of both this species and Purple Finch (season high of 9 today) this fall. A count of 20 Red-breasted Nuthatches bodes well for them too.

Weather and time: clear; 61–75 ºF; winds NNW at 5 mph; 0% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0652 sunrise; 4.25 hours.
 
       Morning Flight Count totals:  
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  2
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  20
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  235
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  3
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  41
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)  40     south
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  20
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  6
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  24
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)  5
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  353
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  25
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  82
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  2
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  108
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  3
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  155
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  6
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)  1
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  4
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  43
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata)  8
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  37
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  259
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  38
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)  1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  13
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  403
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  2
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)  11
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  9
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  16
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  97
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  4
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  19
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  9
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  3
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  22
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  12

Seawatch - 29 September 2014

Observation time: 0539 - 1746
Observer; Tom Reed

Species counted:
American Black Duck - 1
Green-winged Teal - 11
Surf Scoter - 12
Black Scoter - 26
Dark-winged Scoter - 1
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 4
Northern Gannet - 6
Brown Pelican - 9
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,074
Great Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 144
Herring Gull - 9
Great Black-backed Gull - 39
Caspian Tern - 2
Common Tern - 22
Forster's Tern - 202
Royal Tern - 27
Parasitic Jaeger - 2

Total: 1,593

Other sightings:
Monarch Butterfly - 94
Painted Lady - 2
Red Admiral - 1
Common Green Darner - 30
Wandering Glider - 3
Bottlenose Dolphin - 50

[A Peregrine Falcon seen at the Seawatch. Photo by Tom Reed.]