Morning Flight, 26 August 2017

For this morning, in Cape May, many neotropical migrants hit and stuck at certain locations, like throughout the woods and edges of Higbee Beach WMA.  And up on the dike there was a fun and interesting flight to behold. 



Species
Count today
Season total
Season maximum
North
South
North
South
North only
Date(s)
30
0
238
47
37
08/23
28
1
53
16
28
08/26
1
4
45
11
12
08/20
173
18
839
324
386
08/20
6
0
22
3
7
08/24
35
0
237
109
51
08/24
2
0
6
6
2
08/20
5
2
9
4
5
08/26
203
40
275
386
203
08/26
35
0
342
15
135
08/20
2
0
35
9
12
08/20
0
3
54
123
27
08/20
67
0
182
21
67
08/26
2
0
3
0
2
08/26
44
2
192
43
48
08/25
2
0
38
4
9
08/25
37
1
173
16
52
08/25
1
0
3
0
1
08/17
113
0
1618
50
622
08/20
6
1
13
1
6
08/26
1
0
2
0
1
08/16
2
0
19
0
8
08/24
3
1
19
1
5
08/24
1
0
1
0
1
08/26
4
0
21
5
6
08/16
61
11
320
590
67
08/20
46
92
1095
867
316
08/24
21
10
71
44
25
08/22
1
0
10
7
3
08/16
3
2
33
23
11
08/17
4
0
63
5
30
08/20
1
0
9
1
2
08/18
Northern Parula
photo by: Glen Davis

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Morning Flight, 25 August 2017

It was a fun Friday morning with a steady movement of songbirds. Highlights included great views of Black-and-white Warblers (52 counted!), Blackburnian Warblers, and Prairie Warblers, plus a bunch of super cute Blue-grey Gnatcatchers (who doesn't love those guys, right??).




Morning Flight Songbird Count for 8/25/2017
Species Count today Season total Season maximum
North South North South North only Date(s)
Mourning Dove 23 0 208 47 37 23-Aug
Chimney Swift 10 0 25 15 10 25-Aug
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2 0 44 7 12 20-Aug
Red-eyed Vireo 3 0 16 3 7 24-Aug
Purple Martin 3 0 202 109 51 24-Aug
Barn Swallow 18 0 72 346 20 20-Aug
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 42 1 307 15 135 20-Aug
Cedar Waxwing 10 0 115 21 51 24-Aug
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 0 2 0 1 20-Aug
Northern Waterthrush 48 1 148 41 48 25-Aug
Louisiana/Northern Waterthrush 9 0 36 4 9 25-Aug
Blue-winged Warbler 1 0 6 0 3 24-Aug
Black-and-white Warbler 52 2 136 15 52 25-Aug
Tennessee Warbler 1 0 3 0 1 17-Aug
American Redstart 217 9 1505 50 622 20-Aug
Magnolia Warbler 1 0 2 0 1 20-Aug
Blackburnian Warbler 3 0 4 0 3 25-Aug
Chestnut-sided Warbler 4 0 17 0 8 24-Aug
Prairie Warbler 4 0 16 0 5 24-Aug
Blue Grosbeak 2 0 5 1 2 20-Aug
Indigo Bunting 0 1 17 5 6 16-Aug
Bobolink 34 51 259 579 67 20-Aug
Red-winged Blackbird 97 30 1049 775 316 24-Aug
Orchard Oriole 1 0 9 7 3 16-Aug
Baltimore Oriole 4 0 30 21 11 17-Aug


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Morning Flight, 24 August 2017

Yowser!! There occurred a dense, diverse, and diverting flight this morning!  Thanks to all that visited and helped to keep tabs on it!  12 species of warblers including a Hooded, 5 Cape May and 8 Chestnut-sided Warblers were a highlight for sure.

check the totals:
http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170824
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Morning Flight, 23 August 2017

Was it a typical early fall flight with not-so-conducive conditions? Sure, but the company was excellent and we enjoyed the few birds we did see. Morning Flight was slightly noticeable today and a Yellow-breasted Chat joined the cast of migrants today.
one of three southbound Belted Kingfishers
photo by Glen Davis
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Morning Flight, 22 August 2017

The southwest wind, muggy feel of today may've kept the flight down but it just felt really nice with the great lighting and good studies to be had at most of the birds counted, plus how can you complain with Worm-eating, Blue-winged, and Yellow-throated Warblers?!

list:
http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170822
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Morning Flight, 21 August 2017

A pleasant lackluster day, but what day in Cape May is completely lackluster when a Dickcissel comes zipping by? I think their was a lot of instinctual assortment going on with the behaviors of the birds this morning--  a light south breeze made for a more predominating southbound flight, for an interesting change in August, this 2017 season.

 el bird listerino:
http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170821
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Morning Flight, 20 August 2017

Lark Sparrow, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush were really fun highlights from today's very strong flight. 622 American Redstart, with 56 Yellow and 40 Black-and-white Warbler, was a very good showing.  Other neotropical highlights included Scarlet Tanager and less common warblers such as Nashville, Blackburnian, Pine, and Canada. 135 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and 386 Eastern Kingbird were also impressive to see. 

 Let's go back to weblink format for now:
http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170820

backlit Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
photo by: Glen Davis

Scarlet Tanager
photo by Glen Davis

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Morning Flight, 19 August 2017

Hello Morning Flighters,
Saturday weather was a continuation of Friday's andvthe migration volume was low. Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-winged Warbler, and Dickcissel were the uncommon birds for the time of season.

Here's the data table:


UUUUUUUURRRPP!!  Hold up. Did we forget to tell you that two days ago was a phenomenal flight for Northern Mockingbird??  Uh yes apparently that happened. There were 15 Northern Mockingbird, all juveniles, in one flock!

photo by: Glen Davis

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Morning Flight, 18 August 2017

Happy Friday and happy birding, everyone! Although I've spent many a morning atop the dirt mound we call the Higbee Dike, today was my first time as the official counter. For those who don't yet know, I will be the Migration Count Coordinator this season, and one of the primary duties is to serve as the Swing Counter to give primary counters much needed days off.


With the South winds overnight and this morning, there was but a trickle of migrants today, but it's hard NOT to be excited just to be out birding in Cape May.




Click below to see today's count:
http://104.131.62.63/cgi/migration02.cgi?watch=MF&whn=2017-08-18&header=yes
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Morning Flight, 17 August 2017

Today, a little team of us morning flight aficionados spent the first three daylight hours observing what was new at Higbee.

Non-songbird highlights were a high, calling, southbound Baird's Sandpiper, up to 11 Willets of likely the "Western" variety, and a Gull-billed Tern heading Northeast.

Perhaps the last remnants of a weak inland cold-front met with some mild coastal air to create the cool and humid feel this morning.  Winds quickly shifted after daybreak from west to northeast but were always very weak in intensity.

Decent numbers of American Redstart and Yellow Warbler mixed with some variety like Prothonotary and Tennessee made for an enjoyable time.  Some rarer birds like Dickcissel, and especially the funky detection of a Horned Lark flying north, high overhead were a cool distraction.

I'll try posting todays list as an image for ease of viewing:


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Morning Flight, 16 August 2017

CMBO's 2017 Morning Flight Project began today to mark the start of the 15th full-season for observing and counting migrating songbirds in Cape May, at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area. 

 We saw a few nice neotropical migrants with good looks at Cape May Warbler and Orchard Oriole.

 here's today's tally:
http://104.131.62.63/cgi/migration02.cgi?watch=MF&whn=2017-08-16&header=yes

 I share your joy in this commencement day, and so I refer to this feeling with you in the form of a happy selfie that was shot by the counter this morning:

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