Seawatch - 16 October 2014

Observation Time: 0710 - 1823
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Northern Pintail - 10
Green-winged Teal - 2
Surf Scoter - 78
Black Scoter - 11
Dark-winged Scoter - 6
Red-throated Loon - 4
Common Loon - 2
Northern Gannet - 14
Brown Pelican - 11
Double-crested Cormorant - 783
Great Cormorant - 1
Snowy Egret - 1
Laughing Gull - 137
Great Black-backed Gull - 8
Caspian Tern - 3
Forster's Tern - 226
Royal Tern - 94
Parasitic Jaeger - 21
Jaeger sp. - 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
American Oystercatcher - 24
Black-bellied Plover - 345
Semipalmated Plover - 17
American Golden Plover - 1
Sanderling - 3,900
Dunlin - 51
Redknot - 11
Ruddy Turnstone - 6
Short-billed Dowitcher - 1
Dowitcher sp. - 7
White-rumped Sandpiper - 1
Calidris sp. - 75

Total: 5,854

A note from Skye:
Good gosh were there a lot of shorebirds flying by the Seawatch today! Sanderling numbers were truly impressive as were Black-bellied Plovers! A few goodies were plucked out as well including White-rumped Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover and some Red Knots. Not as many Jaegers and Royal Terns compared to yesterday, but both species were on the move with 23 and 94 respectively. Actually my very first birds of the day was a flock of four Parasitic Jaegers coursing across the ocean. Coming in as 2nd place in the Hilarity Moments at the Seawatch was a flock of migrating Laughing Gulls with a pair of Jaegers traveling with them. It was an uneasy truce as every time the Jaegers made a slight quick movement the Laughers would panic and and break formation for a moment shooting the Jaegers quite the look that seemed to say "Settle down now!". Again there were barely any ducks, with today scoters being conspicuously absent. In fact it was the only pair of Green-winged Teal seen today that had took first place in the Hilarity Moments as they flew low over the the waves and had the daylights scared out of them when a pair of Dolphins happened to leap right out of a breaker nearly on top of the teal- man those birds had must of had a heart attack and blasted straight up into the sky in opposite directions they were so startled by the leaping cetaceans! And good fun was a close flock of Brown Pelicans overhead in the 3rd hour. Non-waterbird highlights were few, but included eight Peregrine Falcons, and one each of Tennessee and Black-throated Green Warbler. 

Parasitic Jaeger.  [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

Black Bellied Plover, American Golden Plover, and Red Knots. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

Brown Pelican. [Photo by Skye Haas.]

Hawkwatch – 15 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 15, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             66             72
Turkey Vulture               0            218            335
Osprey                       6           1175           3344
Bald Eagle                   0            141            442
Northern Harrier             5            187            363
Sharp-shinned Hawk          11           3542           6790
Cooper's Hawk                1           1147           2001
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0             10             17
Broad-winged Hawk            0            381            589
Red-tailed Hawk              0             26            136
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              2              2
American Kestrel             0           1007           3245
Merlin                       4            458            971
Peregrine Falcon            19            446            759
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:                      46           8806          19072
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 15:30:00 
Total observation time: 9.5 hours

Official Counter:        Tom Reed

Observers:        

Weather:
Mild. Overcast and windy; winds SSE 15-25mph throughout; rain showers
developing during the PM. Visibility fair->poor. Count suspended at 1530EST
due to heavy rain/thunder. 

Raptor Observations:
Zzz...

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Wigeon (3); Double-crested Cormorant (2000+); Parasitic Jaeger
(15+) 

Predictions:
Mostly cloudy; high 71ºF; winds SW 10-15mph. 

Seawatch - 15 October 201486

Observation time: 0609 - 1824
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Brant - 1
Surf Scoter - 499
White-winged Scoter - 1
Black Scoter - 561
Dark-winged Scoter - 4
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 2
Northern Gannet - 9
Double-crested Cormorant - 9
Laughing Gull - 313
Herring Gull - 38
Great Black-backed Gull - 23
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Caspian Tern - 35
Common Tern - 2
Forster's Tern - 237
Royal Tern - 486
Black Skimmer - 1
Parasitic Jaeger - 43
Jaeger sp. - 1
American Oystercatcher - 11
Black-bellied Plover - 76
Semipalmated Plover - 15
Sanderling - 1,246
Dunlin - 86
Dowitcher sp. - 18
Redknot - 12
Ruddy Turnstone - 5
Calidris sp. - 55

Total: 3,791

A note from Skye:
Another interesting day at the Avalon Seawatch, but then again, aren't they all? The day was a bit light on the ducks (other then just over a thousand scoters), but notable was a strong movement of gulls, terns and jaegers. Both Laughing Gull and Forster's Terns saw decent pulses of activity, but the bird of the day was Royal Tern with a robust 486 migrating past the Seawatch. Caspian Terns also had a decent day and the 3rd Lesser Black-backed Gull of the fall was seen. Jaegers continue to be seen in excellent numbers with 44 recorded today. This puts us at over 200 jaegers for the season; already making 2014 the 3rd highest jaeger fall in Seawatch history! It should be interesting to see if this season continues to be good for jaeger sightings or if it fizzles out before coming close to last year's amazing 662 jaegers!

Also notable today was the first decent shorebird movement in a week, with several Red Knots being seen and surprising 18 Dowitchers. 

Forster's Tern. [Photo bye Skye Haas.]

Royal Tern. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

Hawkwatch – 14 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 14, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             66             72
Turkey Vulture               0            218            335
Osprey                       6           1169           3338
Bald Eagle                   0            141            442
Northern Harrier             2            182            358
Sharp-shinned Hawk          48           3531           6779
Cooper's Hawk               17           1146           2000
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1             10             17
Broad-winged Hawk            1            381            589
Red-tailed Hawk              1             26            136
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              2              2
American Kestrel             9           1007           3245
Merlin                       4            454            967
Peregrine Falcon            12            427            740
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:                     101           8760          19026
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Southeast winds 10-15 mph, warm temps with a high of 75F, and clear skies
in the morning and partly cloudy in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
Majority of flight was accipiters in the morning.  A very slow afternoon
with a few falcons.

Non-raptor Observations:
Eurasian Widgeon(4), American Widgeon, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Northern
Shoveler, Ringed-necked Duck, American Coot, Green-winged Teal, Pied-billed
Grebe, Pectoral Sandpiper.

Predictions:
Rain likely in the afternoon, with southeast winds 15-20mph and gusts up to
30mph.

Seawatch - 14 October 2014

Observation time: 0608 -1723
Observer: Tom Reed

Species counted:
Green-winged Teal - 7
Lesser Scaup - 1
Scaup sp. - 10
Common Eider - 1
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 708
Black Scoter - 3,190
Dark-winged Scoter - 57
Red-throated Loon - 2
Common Loon - 8
Northern Gannet - 76
Brown Pelican - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 1,583
Great Cormorant - 1
Laughing Gull - 441
Ring-billed Gull - 1
Forster's Tern - 295
Royal Tern - 85
Parasitic Jaeger - 9

Total: 6,477

A mixed flock of Surf Scoters and Black Scoters with one Common Eider. [Photo by Skye Haas.]

Hawkwatch - 13 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 13, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0             66             72
Turkey Vulture               0            218            335
Osprey                       1           1163           3332
Bald Eagle                   0            141            442
Northern Harrier             3            180            356
Sharp-shinned Hawk          34           3483           6731
Cooper's Hawk                8           1129           1983
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              9             16
Broad-winged Hawk            0            380            588
Red-tailed Hawk              0             25            135
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              2              2
American Kestrel             3            998           3236
Merlin                       7            450            963
Peregrine Falcon             8            415            728
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:                      64           8659          18925
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
Mostly cloudy with rain/sprinkles/mist/fog/low visibility starting at
0800EST.  Southeast winds from 5-10mph.

Raptor Observations:
Accipiters moving in the am, but flight stopped with rain and low clouds. 
A handful of falcons passed by low in the afternoon.

Non-raptor Observations:
Great Cormorant(1). Lots of activity on the pond including Eurasian
Widgeon(3), American Widgeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler,
Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, American Coot,
Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule.

Predictions:
Partly sunny, southeast winds 10-20mph. High of 73F.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Seawatch - 13 October 2014

Observation time: 0607 - 1724
Observer: Tom Reed

Species counted:
Brant - 5
American Wigeon - 1
American Black Duck - 8
Blue-winged Teal - 1
Northern Pintail - 3
Green-winged Teal - 252
Greater Scaup - 1
Lesser Scaup - 2
Surf Scoter - 1,099
White-winged Scoter - 5
Black Scoter - 6,110
Dark-winged Scoter - 36
Red-throated Loon - 28
Common Loon - 17
Northern Gannet - 35
Brown Pelican - 39
Double-crested Cormorant - 440
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 4
Laughing Gull - 313
Great Black-backed Gull - 10
Caspian Tern - 1
Common Tern - 1
Forster's Tern - 99
Royal Tern - 35
Parasitic Jaeger - 3
Pacific Loon - 1

Total: 8,550

Seawatch - 12 October 2014

Observation time: 0605 -. 1845
Observer: Skye Haas

Species counted:
Dabbler sp. - 7
Wood Duck - 1
Gadwall - 18
American Wigeon - 17
American Black Duck - 41
Mallard - 6
Blue-winged Teal - 1
Northern Pintail - 29
Green-winged Teal - 409
Scaup sp. - 12
Aythya sp. - 27
Common Eider - 3
Duck sp. - 63
Surf Scoter - 737
White-winged Scoter - 4
Black Scoter - 2,045
Dark-winged Scoter - 90
Scoter sp. - 25
Long-tailed Duck - 1
Ruddy Duck - 1
Red-throated Loon - 19
Common Loon - 16
Loon sp. - 4
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Northern Gannet - 7
Brown Pelican - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 6,369
Great Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 28
Great Egret - 72
Snowy Egret - 43
Laughing Gull - 257
Ring-billed Gull - 2
Herring Gull - 5
Great Black-backed Gull - 9
Caspian Tern - 8
Forster's Tern - 159
Royal Tern - 26
Parasitic Jaeger - 5
Jaeger sp. - 4
American Oystercatcher - 38
Dunlin - 135
Black-bellied Plover - 85
Semipalmated Plover - 1
Calidris sp. - 40

Total: 10,875

A note from Skye:
What a great day at the Seawatch! A lot of birds migrated past Avalon today, and along with some large numbers, the species diversity was excellent with 40 species of waterbirds. Several season "firsts" were seen including Mallard, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Ruddy Duck and Red-necked Grebe. 

I really enjoyed the pacing of the flight today and how it progressed. The morning started with a strong dabbler flight; Green-winged Teal had their best flight this season, and nearly every other dabbler except for Shovelors made an appearance. All the while Double-crested Cormorants flocks were flying by, and by mid-morning as the ducks slowed down, the corms really picked up with nearly two thousands by in one hour midday. Then in the late afternoon, the comorants started to slow down just as the scoters really started moving in big numbers. The combined scoter total for the day ended up being 2,897. While there are even bigger days to come, it is good to see this staple of the Avalon count finally get going. Very entertaining was the large pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins that started doing vigorous back-flips in the waves as the scoters skimmed above them. It was in the scoter flocks that we started picking out the little cool nuggets, the hen Ruddy and Long-tailed Ducks, the Red-necked Grebe and late in the final hour three female Common Eiders came by. Particularly cool was down at the Hawk Deck, the CMBO "Big Sit" team was busy working on breaking the North American record for a Sit. I would contact Tom Reed after getting a good bird past Avalon and then about 25-30 minutes later they actually picked up a couple of them! In fact their final bird of the day was the Red-necked Grebe winging its way past the Cape! But there was a final push of a few new birds late in the count; a little helping of Jaegers started to move through, but particularly enchanting in the pink and purple evening clouds were flocks of Great and Snowy Egrets migrating far over the ocean, truly a beautiful sight to behold!

Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, and the Red-necked Grebe that was the 150th species for the Big Sit. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

Hawkwatch - 12 October 2014

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 12, 2014
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                4             66             72
Turkey Vulture              29            218            335
Osprey                      89           1162           3331
Bald Eagle                   9            141            442
Northern Harrier            17            177            353
Sharp-shinned Hawk         565           3449           6697
Cooper's Hawk              184           1121           1975
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              9             16
Broad-winged Hawk           11            380            588
Red-tailed Hawk              2             25            135
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 1              2              2
American Kestrel            28            995           3233
Merlin                      17            443            956
Peregrine Falcon            27            407            720
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:                     984           8595          18861
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Official Counter:        Mary Raikes

Observers:        

Weather:
North, Northeast, and then East winds today from 5-10mph.  Mainly clear
skies, with late afternoon cloud coverage.  Cool temperatures in the
morning with a low of 48.

Raptor Observations:
Quite a high flight with lots of accipiters starting at daybreak and
continuing through most of day. 

Non-raptor Observations:
The "Big Sit" day with 150 species identified from midnight to 1830. 
Common Gallinule(1) on back of pond, American Bittern(1), Ruddy Ducks(14),
Wood Duck(1), Pied-billed Grebe(2), Little Blue Heron(1), Eurasian
Widgeon(3).

Predictions:
Slight chance of showers, winds southeast 10-20, and temps in the high
60's.
========================================================================
Cape May information may be found at:
http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/

Morning Flight - 11 October 2014

Alright Morning Flight Afficionados, we need to have a serious talk about the last three days (9-11 October 2014). It has been great!-- huge numbers and diversity were tallied. This is the crux of the season just on the cusp when the flights will be dominated by Yellow-rumped Warbler and a little later, American Robin. The magic began just after dawn on Thursday, October 9th. That first hour saw Palm Warbler as the dominant species identified, but after that the harbinger of late fall, YRWA (aka: the Butterbutt) took command. I will be posting a review of this fantastic migration event this week.

Weather and time: light drizzle for 1st hour, then discontinued due to rain; 58 ºF; winds NE at 5-15 mph; 100% cloud cover; good visibility; 0705 sunrise; 1.25 hours.

Morning Flight Count totals:  
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  2
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  8
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  6
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  20
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina)  9
Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla)  3
Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)  1
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  1
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  34
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  3
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  1
Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)  23
Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga castanea/striata)  4
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  36
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)  64
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  279
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  3
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  290
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)  2
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)  1
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  7
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  3
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)  1

Morning Flight - 9 October 2014

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. 

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. 

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

Great Blue Heron. [Photo by Skye Haas.]

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

Observation time: 0558 - 1839

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

Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Royal Tern. [Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

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. 

One of the many Parasitic Jaegers seen at the Avalon Seawatch on 10/08/14. [Photo by
 Skye Haas.]

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!

Caspian Tern. [Photo by Sam Galick.]

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

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. 

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

The second day with good hawk action up at the dike. Pictured is a juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Captain, the happy-go-lucky border collie, contemplates his decision to wade in the impoundment.

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