BIG TIME! Over 5,000 warblers of 20 species
Weather and time: partly cloudy; 58-67 ºF; winds NW at 8-10 mph; 15% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0703 sunrise; 4.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1 south
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 190
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 29
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 5
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 681
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 14
Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 6
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 18
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 25
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 502
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 9
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 48
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) 18
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) 1
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) 7
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) 5
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 41
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 7
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 307
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 20
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) 4
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 63
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata) 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 92
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 1220
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 2034
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 53
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 1810
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 19
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 26
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 3
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 63
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 1
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) 18
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 6
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 181
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 30
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) 22
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 31
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 40
Morning Flight - 8 October 2014
Weather and time: mostly clear; 61-66 ºF; winds W at 8-10 mph; 5% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0702 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 2 south
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 19
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 249 209 north, 40 south
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 71
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 1
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 15
Seawatch - 11 October 2014
Observation time: 0600 - 1805
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Brant - 3
American Wigeon - 7
American Black Duck - 4
Northern Pintail - 29
Green-winged Teal - 1
White-winged Scoter - 1
Dark-winged Scoter - 4
Common Loon - 1
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 561
Great Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 19
Ring-billed Gull - 13
Herring Gull - 4
Caspian Tern - 4
Forster's Tern - 12
Royal Tern - 2
American Oystercatcher - 2
Dunlin - 16
Semipalmated Plover - 6
Black-bellied Plover - 84
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 5
Calidris sp. - 8
Total: 789
A note from Skye:
Well not too much to report today, driving rain was the morning, a pittance of birds in the afternoon, and mist and fog for the evening. Sadly our several day streak of jaegers was broken, and only a handful of non-waterbirds were seen, though there were a few good(ish for the seawatch..) warblers, namely 3 Blackpolls, a Pine and a Yellow Palm Warbler. But stay tuned, I think things are really going to shake loose soon! I think the bemused patience that this young Laugher is displaying in today's photo really captured the zeitgeist of the day.
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Brant - 3
American Wigeon - 7
American Black Duck - 4
Northern Pintail - 29
Green-winged Teal - 1
White-winged Scoter - 1
Dark-winged Scoter - 4
Common Loon - 1
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 561
Great Cormorant - 2
Laughing Gull - 19
Ring-billed Gull - 13
Herring Gull - 4
Caspian Tern - 4
Forster's Tern - 12
Royal Tern - 2
American Oystercatcher - 2
Dunlin - 16
Semipalmated Plover - 6
Black-bellied Plover - 84
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 5
Calidris sp. - 8
Total: 789
A note from Skye:
Well not too much to report today, driving rain was the morning, a pittance of birds in the afternoon, and mist and fog for the evening. Sadly our several day streak of jaegers was broken, and only a handful of non-waterbirds were seen, though there were a few good(ish for the seawatch..) warblers, namely 3 Blackpolls, a Pine and a Yellow Palm Warbler. But stay tuned, I think things are really going to shake loose soon! I think the bemused patience that this young Laugher is displaying in today's photo really captured the zeitgeist of the day.
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| A damp Laughing Gull. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
Hawkwatch - 11 October 2014
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 11, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 62 68 Turkey Vulture 0 189 306 Osprey 4 1073 3242 Bald Eagle 2 132 433 Northern Harrier 1 160 336 Sharp-shinned Hawk 14 2884 6132 Cooper's Hawk 1 937 1791 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 8 15 Broad-winged Hawk 1 369 577 Red-tailed Hawk 0 23 133 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 7 967 3205 Merlin 36 426 939 Peregrine Falcon 22 380 693 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: 88 7611 17877 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10 hours Official Counter: Mary Raikes Observers: Weather: Intermittent showers with periods of heavy rain for most of the morning, then mostly cloudy skies for the afternoon. Low visibility and temperatures below 60 all day. Winds N/NE at 5-15mph. Raptor Observations: Slow day with primarily merlins and peregrines in the afternoon. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Widgeon(2), Pied-billed Grebe(2), Wood Duck(1), Ruddy Duck(1), Wilson's Snipe(10). Flock of 64 Great Blue Heron. Predictions: Sunny, winds NE 10-15mph, temps in the low 60's. ======================================================================== Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Seawatch - 10 October 2014
Observation time: 0603 - 1818
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Canada Goose - 42
Brant - 18
Wood Duck - 29
Gadwall - 1
American Wigeon - 25
American Black Duck - 16
Blue-winged Teal - 6
Northern Pintail - 53
Green-winged Teal - 253
Lesser Scaup - 5
Duck sp. - 116
Surf Scoter - 18
Black Scoter - 65
Dark-winged Scoter - 3
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Red-throated Loon - 2
Common Loon - 13
Northern Gannet - 9
Brown Pelican - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 3791
Great Blue Heron - 140
Little Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 592
Ring-billed Gull - 27
Herring Gull - 35
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 484
Royal Tern - 10
Tern sp. - 12
Black Skimmer - 12
Parasitic Jaeger - 2
Jaeger sp. - 1
American Oystercatcher - 93
Semipalmated Plover - 9
Black-bellied Plover - 352
Dowitcher sp. - 4
Sanderling - 52
Dunlin - 3
Redknot - 36
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 4
Calidris sp. - 24
Shorebird sp. - 320
Total: 6,685
A note from Skye:
Now this is more like it! Finally days of hot south winds were at an end and a cold front overnight got the waterbirds all riled up. The count was good right out the starting gates this morning and kept pumping well into the late afternoon until the encroaching rain finally shut things down. It was a great dabbler day, with most of the species being seen, including the first Gadwall of the season. Another duck making its first appearance for the fall was a single Red-breasted Merganser. The early morning light was harsh, and too many ducks were flying out over the ocean into the sun, but by mid-morning, the light was perfect on them and provided some great looks.
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Canada Goose - 42
Brant - 18
Wood Duck - 29
Gadwall - 1
American Wigeon - 25
American Black Duck - 16
Blue-winged Teal - 6
Northern Pintail - 53
Green-winged Teal - 253
Lesser Scaup - 5
Duck sp. - 116
Surf Scoter - 18
Black Scoter - 65
Dark-winged Scoter - 3
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Red-throated Loon - 2
Common Loon - 13
Northern Gannet - 9
Brown Pelican - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 3791
Great Blue Heron - 140
Little Blue Heron - 1
Laughing Gull - 592
Ring-billed Gull - 27
Herring Gull - 35
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 484
Royal Tern - 10
Tern sp. - 12
Black Skimmer - 12
Parasitic Jaeger - 2
Jaeger sp. - 1
American Oystercatcher - 93
Semipalmated Plover - 9
Black-bellied Plover - 352
Dowitcher sp. - 4
Sanderling - 52
Dunlin - 3
Redknot - 36
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 4
Calidris sp. - 24
Shorebird sp. - 320
Total: 6,685
A note from Skye:
Now this is more like it! Finally days of hot south winds were at an end and a cold front overnight got the waterbirds all riled up. The count was good right out the starting gates this morning and kept pumping well into the late afternoon until the encroaching rain finally shut things down. It was a great dabbler day, with most of the species being seen, including the first Gadwall of the season. Another duck making its first appearance for the fall was a single Red-breasted Merganser. The early morning light was harsh, and too many ducks were flying out over the ocean into the sun, but by mid-morning, the light was perfect on them and provided some great looks.
Double-crested Cormorants made a good show, and I was treated to an excellent flight of Great Blue Herons. I've quickly come to appreciate the flights of these ponderous birds, often migrating high and far out over the ocean. Michael O'Brian sent out a message that after dark there was a large lift-off of herons from Cape May Point, and the few minutes I spent in our staff house driveway, I was impressed with the number of squawks and croaks coming down from the misty evening. Interestingly, even though there was a good morning/afternoon flight of herons, I had none in my last few hours of the Seawatch.
Quite a few passerines came off the ocean this morning, but between the poor morning light and a heavy duck flight, I was not able to snag too many songbirds before they headed inland. But here is what I got for non-waterbirds:
Turkey Vulture- 4, Bald Eagle- 2, Osprey- 3, Rock Pigeon- 4, Belted Kingfisher- 1, Merlin- 1, Peregrine Falcon- 4, Eastern Phoebe- 1, crow sp- 1, Brown Creeper- 1, Golden-crowned Kinglet- 4, Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 1, American Robin- 3, Northern Mockingbird- 2, American Pipit- 1, Palm Warbler- 8, Yellow-rumped Warbler- 10, Black-throated Green Warbler- 2, warbler sp- 20, Northern Cardinal- 2, Savannah Sparrow- 1, Song Sparrow-1 White-throated Sparrow- 3, sparrow sp- 6, Eastern Meadowlark- 1, House Finch- 14, House Sparrow- 9
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| Great Blue Heron. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
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| A group of migrating Great Blue Herons. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
Hawkwatch - 10 October 2014
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 10, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 62 68 Turkey Vulture 0 189 306 Osprey 16 1069 3238 Bald Eagle 1 130 431 Northern Harrier 13 159 335 Sharp-shinned Hawk 162 2870 6118 Cooper's Hawk 52 936 1790 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 8 15 Broad-winged Hawk 8 368 576 Red-tailed Hawk 0 23 133 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 39 960 3198 Merlin 15 390 903 Peregrine Falcon 8 358 671 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: 315 7523 17789 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:45:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.25 hours Official Counter: Mary Raikes Observers: Weather: Light NE winds(0-5mph) and cooler temperatures in the 50's. Mostly cloudy skies before 1:30EST and then rain in the afternoon. Raptor Observations: Slow day with mainly accipiters high in the sky in the late morning. Flight shut down with the rain showers. Non-raptor Observations: Good variety on Bunker Pond including Eurasian Widgeon(3), Wood Duck(3), Ring-necked Duck(2), Pied-billed Grebe(2), American Coot(9), Gadwall, American Widgeon, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Little Blue Heron(2), Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Common Nighthawk. Noticeable other migrant movements included Great Blue Heron(119), Blue Jays(123), Double-crested Cormorants(885), and Yellow-rumped Warblers(50+). Predictions: Steady rain likely for most of the day with winds North 10-20mph. ======================================================================== Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Hawkwatch – 9 October 2014
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 09, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 11 62 68 Turkey Vulture 57 189 306 Osprey 198 1053 3222 Bald Eagle 18 129 430 Northern Harrier 41 146 322 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1004 2708 5956 Cooper's Hawk 220 884 1738 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 7 14 Broad-winged Hawk 40 360 568 Red-tailed Hawk 5 23 133 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 123 921 3159 Merlin 43 375 888 Peregrine Falcon 48 350 663 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: 1810 7208 17474 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: Seasonably mild; winds 5-10mph NW->W->SW; cloud cover gradually increasing through the day; visibility excellent. Raptor Observations: A strong flight early, tapering and becoming more distant to the N as the day progressed. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Wigeon (3), Pectoral Sandpiper (5), Stilt Sandpiper (4), Pine Siskin (4), Purple Finch (12) Predictions: Cloudy with PM showers possible. High 65ºF, winds calm->NE 5-10mph. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Tom Reed (coturnicops@gmail.com) Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Seawatch - 9 October 2014
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Canada Goose - 2
Brant - 20
Wood Duck - 24
Blue-winged Teal - 5
Northern Pintail - 19
Green-winged Teal - 58
Ring-necked Duck - 6
Dabbler sp. - 6
Duck sp. - 18
Surf Scoter - 2
Black Scoter - 17
Common Loon - 2
Northern Gannet - 5
Double-crested Cormorant - 1705
Great Cormorant - 4
Great Blue Heron - 25
Laughing Gull - 104
Great Black-backed Gull - 26
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 160
Royal Tern - 53
Parasitic Jaeger - 38
Jaeger sp. - 1
American Oystercatcher - 43
Black-bellied Plover - 69
Semipalmated Plover - 10
Sanderling - 45
Western Sandpiper - 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 4
Least Sandpiper - 1
Calidris sp. -12
Ruddy Turnstone - 2
Total: 2,489
A note from Skye:
Today was a mixed bag at the Seawatch; again, our primary count species were somewhat low, though the ducks and comorants began to sneak back up. Also of interest in the waterfowl department, were a few small flocks of Brant were seen in the AM. But overall the waterbirds were not kicking and the afternoon really dragged on with very little moving in the hot southwest winds. However in the last two hours of the count the Royal Terns made quite the push and with them brought a second act to the Jaeger show with 33 Jaegers migrating by in 80 minutes! This brought our overall two day total to 93 Jaegers- a number that is not even reached over the course of entire seasons in some years.
However the big news from the seawatch was a bird that took me by surprise for its rarity. Many passerines were flying off the ocean in the morning and one of the bird that came flying past me was a Meadowlark. As it passed it made a couple of low-pitched "tuck" calls. Cool I think, a Western Meadowlark... Well as it turns out, this is the first time a Western Meadowlark has been documented for Cape May County with less than ten records for New Jersey! Shocking for place that that has THREE Whiskered Tern records, Yellow-nosed Albatross, Black Swift and the Zone-tailed Hawk from just last week, but that's the wonderful, wacky world of birding! Everything is rare somewhere. Except for Spoon-billed Sandpipers- they are rare everywhere.
Here is a list of the non-waterbirds from today:
Turkey Vulture- 11, Bald Eagle- 1, Rock Pigeon- 14, Mourning Dove- 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker- 2, Northern Flicker- 6, Peregrine Falcon- 2, Northern Rough-winged Swallow- 3, Tree Swallow- 1200, Red-breasted Nuthatch- 1, Carolina Wren- 1, American Robin- 3, Northern Mockingbird- 4, European Starling- 8, Common Yellowthroat- 2, Palm Warbler- 11, Yellow-rumped Warbler- 6, warbler sp- 9, Northern Cardinal- 2, Eastern Towhee- 1 (seen flying off the ocean midday, a very odd sight!), Chipping Sparrow- 1, Savannah Sparrow- 3, Song Sparrow- 1, Swamp Sparrow- 1, White-throated Sparrow- 7, WESTERN MEADOWLARK- 1, meadowlark sp- 3, Red-winged Blackbird- 64, Boat-tailed Grackle- 6, House Finch- 4, House Sparrow- 8
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| Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Royal Tern. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.] |
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| Western Meadowlark. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
Seawatch - 8 October 2014
Observation time: 0702 - 1844
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Wood Duck - 4
American Wigeon - 1
Northern Pintail - 8
Green-winged Teal - 3
Dabbler sp. - 3
Duck sp. - 14
Surf Scoter - 6
Black Scoter - 20
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 6
Northern Gannet - 11
Brown Pelican - 2
Double-crested Cormorant - 366
Great Blue Heron - 29
Snowy Egret - 3
Laughing Gull - 97
Herring Gull - 19
Great Black-backed Gull - 51
Caspian Tern - 6
Common Tern - 4
Forster's Tern - 686
Royal Tern - 34
Parasitic Jaeger - 48
Jaeger sp. - 6
Semipalmated Plover - 15
Sanderling - 1852
Ruddy Turnstone - 4
Western Sandpiper - 1
Black-bellied Plover - 274
Dowitcher sp. - 6
Calidrid sp. - 30
American Oystercatcher - 55
Redknot - 59
Dunlin - 5
Purple Sandpiper - 1
American Golden Plover - 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Least Sandpiper - 1
Total: 3,735
A note from Skye:
While I have read such things were possible on the Avalon Seawatch, I must admit to being pretty blown away by the number of jaegers I saw migrating past me today. A whopping total of 54 birds, 48 of which could be identified as Parasitic Jaegers, of which nearly all were adult birds! Of the remaining six birds that couldn't be ID'd to species, there is one that sticks in my craw a little, as it sure had the feel and several of the field marks of a Pomarine Jaeger. But jaegers are tricksey birds and better birders then I have misidentified many a jaeger. I am hopeful with the strong jaeger season we have been having to get a solid look at a Pom sometime in the weeks to come.
But today despite being yet another slow day for the "primary" count birds (ducks, loons, gannets and corms), was rocking with lots of terns and shorebirds. Being frequently harassed by the jaegers, the season saw its high count to date for Forster's Terns with 686 recorded. A few Common Terns and several Royal Terns passed by when the tern flocks really got rolling in the last hour of the count.
Also impressive were the numbers of Black-bellied Plovers that came migrating off the ocean today with a total of 274. Also seen in its season's high count so far were 1852 Sanderlings. Often these flocks held little surprises and two American Golden Plovers and the season's first Purple Sandpiper came flying past the count site. Not too many non-passerines of note today, but a decent total of 10 Peregrines were recorded.
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| One of the many Parasitic Jaegers seen at the Avalon Seawatch on 10/08/14. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
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| A closeup of a Parasitic Jaeger flying over Lake Superior on 09/01/2013. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
Hawkwatch - 8 October 2014
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 08, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 6 51 57 Turkey Vulture 34 132 249 Osprey 243 855 3024 Bald Eagle 36 111 412 Northern Harrier 30 105 281 Sharp-shinned Hawk 354 1704 4952 Cooper's Hawk 193 664 1518 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 12 Broad-winged Hawk 104 320 528 Red-tailed Hawk 3 18 128 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 1 1 1 American Kestrel 275 798 3036 Merlin 56 332 845 Peregrine Falcon 87 302 615 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: 1422 5398 15664 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10 hours Official Counter: Mary Raikes Observers: Steve Bauer Visitors: Count by Steve Bauer Weather: Winds West/Northwest from 10-15mph, with a few hours at 8 and 9mph. Overall, clear skies with temps reaching a high of 75F. Raptor Observations: First Golden Eagle of the season! High numbers of ospreys and accipiters. Good falcon flight with many kestrels over the dunes. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Widgeon(3). Predictions: Winds NW overnight. Sunny, high of 70F, West winds 5-10mph. ======================================================================== Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Seawatch - 7 October 2014
Time observed: 0700 - 1830
Observer: Sam Galick
Species observed:
Green-winged Teal - 5
Surf Scoter - 6
Black Scoter - 1
Common Loon - 3
Northern Gannet - 6
Double-crested Cormorant - 147
Great Egret - 15
Snowy Egret - 6
Laughing Gull - 4
Bonaparte's Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 64
Forster's Tern - 277
Parasitic Jaeger - 8
Jaeger sp. - 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Great Shearwater - 1
Total: 548
A note from Skye:
I took a much needed day off, and am very grateful that local birder Sam Galick was able to cover for me today (Tom Reed is busy gallivanting this week up in Barrow, Alaska with Ross's Gulls...). Sam got to deal with a second day of strong south winds and little migration, but the lucky guy sure did get a good one for sticking it out all day- in the last 15 minutes of the count a GREAT SHEARWATER flew by. As near as I can tell, this is only the 2nd or 3rd record for Avalon for this species- pretty cool!
Observer: Sam Galick
Species observed:
Green-winged Teal - 5
Surf Scoter - 6
Black Scoter - 1
Common Loon - 3
Northern Gannet - 6
Double-crested Cormorant - 147
Great Egret - 15
Snowy Egret - 6
Laughing Gull - 4
Bonaparte's Gull - 1
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 64
Forster's Tern - 277
Parasitic Jaeger - 8
Jaeger sp. - 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Great Shearwater - 1
Total: 548
A note from Skye:
I took a much needed day off, and am very grateful that local birder Sam Galick was able to cover for me today (Tom Reed is busy gallivanting this week up in Barrow, Alaska with Ross's Gulls...). Sam got to deal with a second day of strong south winds and little migration, but the lucky guy sure did get a good one for sticking it out all day- in the last 15 minutes of the count a GREAT SHEARWATER flew by. As near as I can tell, this is only the 2nd or 3rd record for Avalon for this species- pretty cool!
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| Caspian Tern. [Photo by Sam Galick.] |
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| Pine Warbler. [Photo by Sam Galick.] |
Hawkwatch - 7 October 2014
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 07, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 45 51 Turkey Vulture 0 98 215 Osprey 21 612 2781 Bald Eagle 2 75 376 Northern Harrier 1 75 251 Sharp-shinned Hawk 43 1350 4598 Cooper's Hawk 8 471 1325 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 12 Broad-winged Hawk 16 216 424 Red-tailed Hawk 0 15 125 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 9 523 2761 Merlin 4 276 789 Peregrine Falcon 31 215 528 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: 135 3976 14242 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10 hours Official Counter: Mary Raikes Observers: Weather: Partly Cloudy skies with strong S winds 10-20 mph. Raptor Observations: Fairly slow day with most of flight to the northwest. Accipiters, ospreys, and peregrines most visible. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Widgeon(3), Gadwall(11), American Widgeon(48), Northern Pintail(42), Norther Shoveler(28), Green-winged Teal(6), Blue-winged Teal(16), Pied-billed Grebe(2), American coot(1), Little Blue Heron(2). Predictions: Mostly sunny with temps in the mid-70's and winds from the West 15-20mph. ======================================================================== Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Morning Flight - 7 October 2014
It was a very slow morning for songbirds but we are LOOKING GOOD FOR THURSDAY.
Weather and time: cloudy; 64-67 ºF; winds SW at 8-10 mph; 0% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0701 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 3
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 14 south
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 7 south
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 4 1 north, 3 south
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1
Weather and time: cloudy; 64-67 ºF; winds SW at 8-10 mph; 0% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0701 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 3
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 14 south
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 7 south
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 2
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 4 1 north, 3 south
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1
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| There seems to be a fish and carrion theme to today's shots. Stay back Great Blue Heron, Osprey, and juvenile and adult Turkey Vultures! The Swarovski Optik 2014 Morning Flight season isn't face down in the mud yet! (Photos by: Glen Davis) |
Seawatch - 6 October 2014
Observation time: 0600 - 1834
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Wood Duck - 1
Northern Shoveler - 1
Northern Pintail - 7
Green-winged Teal - 2
Surf Scoter - 2
Dark-winged Scoter - 13
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 63
Great Blue Heron - 3
Laughing Gull - 8
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 14
Royal Tern - 4
Parasitic Jaeger - 2
Semipalmated Plover - 10
Total: 134
A note from Skye:
Well it was a slow one today. With strong south winds and sunny skies, very little was in the mood to migrate. Still you never know what will unfold and I had a few sightings that perked my interest. The first bird of the day was certainly an odd one to see on the open ocean, but there was Pied-billed Grebe sitting on the water in front of the count site! I rarely even see them on the Great Lakes and have certainly never seen them on the ocean before! Two different Parasitic Jaegers cruised by in the morning, providing good looks- this species has been seen consistently for a week now. And shorebirds continue to be interesting with another large flock of Red Knots seen and a rareish visitor to the East Coast in the form of a Baird's Sandpiper. Finally in the last two hours of the count, there were good numbers of Forster's and Royal Terns feeding in the rips not too far from shore. They certainly were delightful to look at in the evening light.
Observer: Skye Haas
Species counted:
Wood Duck - 1
Northern Shoveler - 1
Northern Pintail - 7
Green-winged Teal - 2
Surf Scoter - 2
Dark-winged Scoter - 13
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 63
Great Blue Heron - 3
Laughing Gull - 8
Caspian Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 14
Royal Tern - 4
Parasitic Jaeger - 2
Semipalmated Plover - 10
Total: 134
A note from Skye:
Well it was a slow one today. With strong south winds and sunny skies, very little was in the mood to migrate. Still you never know what will unfold and I had a few sightings that perked my interest. The first bird of the day was certainly an odd one to see on the open ocean, but there was Pied-billed Grebe sitting on the water in front of the count site! I rarely even see them on the Great Lakes and have certainly never seen them on the ocean before! Two different Parasitic Jaegers cruised by in the morning, providing good looks- this species has been seen consistently for a week now. And shorebirds continue to be interesting with another large flock of Red Knots seen and a rareish visitor to the East Coast in the form of a Baird's Sandpiper. Finally in the last two hours of the count, there were good numbers of Forster's and Royal Terns feeding in the rips not too far from shore. They certainly were delightful to look at in the evening light.
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| Royal Tern. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
Hawkwatch - 6 October 2014
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 45 51 Turkey Vulture 16 98 215 Osprey 71 591 2760 Bald Eagle 5 73 374 Northern Harrier 4 74 250 Sharp-shinned Hawk 89 1307 4555 Cooper's Hawk 32 463 1317 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 12 Broad-winged Hawk 33 200 408 Red-tailed Hawk 2 15 125 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 23 514 2752 Merlin 10 272 785 Peregrine Falcon 9 184 497 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: 294 3841 14107 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10 hours Official Counter: Mary Raikes Observers: Weather: Very clear skies with strong winds from the S, and slightly SW, all day; a steady 20 mph with gusts up to 29. High temperature of 70F. Raptor Observations: Ospreys in the skies all day, but otherwise a fairly distant accipiter flight in the morning and then a very slow afternoon. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Widgeon(2), American Coot(1), Pied-billed Grebe(1), Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Blue and green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, Little Blue Heron(1). Blue jay flocks(100+) Predictions: Partly sunny, temps in the mid-70's, winds SSW 15-20mph. ======================================================================== Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Morning Flight - 6 October 2014
Weather and time: cloudy; 57-64 ºF; winds SSW at 10 mph; 0% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0700 sunrise; 2.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 6
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 3
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 52
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 21 south
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 6
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 27 22 south
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 2
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 10
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) 2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 18
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 4
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 31
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 5
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 12
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 14
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 92
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 1 south
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 44
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 3
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 66
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 1
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 1
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 22
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 2
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) 11
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 1 south
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 3
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 4
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=S20050530
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| The second day with good hawk action up at the dike. Pictured is a juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk. |
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| Captain, the happy-go-lucky border collie, contemplates his decision to wade in the impoundment. |
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| Pine Warbler! (Photos by: Glen Davis) |
Morning Flight - 5 October 2014
It was a big morning for Northern Flicker. There was a fairly low diversity considering the cold front but the numbers were big! tbc.
Weather and time: cloudy; 51-53 ºF; winds WNW at 18-25 mph; 2% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0659 sunrise; 4.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 513
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 9
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 6
Catharus sp. (Catharus sp.) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 79
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 3
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 13
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) 2
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) 3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 22
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 130
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 4
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 106
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata) 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 27
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 179
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 83
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 20
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 283
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 5
Today's full list can be viewed at:http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20038144
Weather and time: cloudy; 51-53 ºF; winds WNW at 18-25 mph; 2% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0659 sunrise; 4.25 hours.
Morning Flight Count totals:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 513
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 9
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 6
Catharus sp. (Catharus sp.) 1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 3
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 79
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 3
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 13
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) 2
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) 3
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 22
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 130
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) 4
Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica) 1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata) 106
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata) 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) 27
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) 179
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 83
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) 1
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens) 20
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 283
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 5
Today's full list can be viewed at:http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S20038144
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!
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.
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| Common Yellowthroat. [Photo by Skye Haas.] |
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| 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.
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.
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| 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
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.
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.
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| [Black Scoters. Photo by Skye Haas.] |
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| [Great Blue Heron. Photo by Skye Haas.] |