Hawkwatch - Monday, September 18, 2017

Yay, falcons!

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 18, 2017
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             55             55
Osprey                      52           1082           1082
Bald Eagle                   1             77             77
Northern Harrier             2             41             41
Sharp-shinned Hawk          37            188            188
Cooper's Hawk                4            140            140
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            1            158            158
Red-tailed Hawk              0             35             35
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            44            953            953
Merlin                      44            323            323
Peregrine Falcon             3             53             53
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Mississippi Kite             0              1              1

Total:                     188           3107           3107
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.27 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach








We saw lots of Merlin zipping by with prey in tow. This one had a large dragonfly...yum!








A (banded) Peregrine Falcon.








The same banded Peregrine as above. What a big beauty.






Full eBird checklist here









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Morning Flight - Friday, September 15, 2017








































 
 
 
 


  Morning Flight Songbird Count for 9/15/2017
 



  Species
  Count today
  Season total
  Season maximum
 



  
  North
  South
  North
  South
  North only
  Date(s)
 



  Mourning Dove
  6
  0
  418
  90
  37
  8/23
 



  Chimney Swift
  0
  2
  208
  45
  52
  8/28
 



  Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  2
  0
  71
  26
  12
  8/20
 



  Belted Kingfisher
  0
  1
  5
  9
  2
  9/4
 



  Red-bellied Woodpecker
  1
  0
  4
  0
  1
  8/17
 



  Northern Flicker
  4
  4
  5
  4
  4
  9/15
 



  Eastern Kingbird
  0
  1
  1179
  429
  386
  8/20
 



  Red-eyed Vireo
  3
  0
  206
  12
  121
  9/9
 



  Tree Swallow
  40
  0
  392
  43
  101
  8/30
 



  Barn Swallow
  2
  0
  706
  828
  203
  8/26
 



  Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
  1
  0
  523
  31
  135
  8/20
 



  American Robin
  4
  0
  43
  9
  12
  8/20
 



  Cedar Waxwing
  1
  2
  1931
  84
  607
  9/10
 



  Northern Waterthrush
  14
  2
  578
  88
  48
  8/25
 



  Black-and-white Warbler
  5
  0
  833
  32
  326
  9/8
 



  Connecticut Warbler
  1
  0
  5
  1
  3
  9/8
 



  Common Yellowthroat
  1
  2
  6
  2
  3
  9/9
 



  American Redstart
  112
  8
  18065
  212
  12244
  9/8
 



  Cape May Warbler
  3
  0
  107
  3
  40
  9/9
 



  Northern Parula
  42
  2
  724
  11
  481
  9/8
 



  Magnolia Warbler
  2
  0
  121
  5
  63
  9/8
 



  Yellow Warbler
  2
  0
  542
  45
  68
  8/25
 



  Chestnut-sided Warbler
  1
  0
  178
  2
  83
  9/8
 



  Blackpoll Warbler
  3
  0
  55
  0
  23
  9/8
 



  Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler
  1
  0
  22
  0
  5
  9/9
 



  Black-throated Blue Warbler
  9
  0
  134
  5
  40
  9/9
 



  Palm Warbler
  2
  13
  10
  14
  8
  9/8
 



  Prairie Warbler
  1
  0
  48
  1
  6
  9/8
 



  Black-throated Green Warbler
  1
  0
  42
  0
  25
  9/9
 



  Blue Grosbeak
  2
  0
  20
  4
  4
  9/10
 



  Indigo Bunting
  1
  0
  52
  10
  6
  8/16
 



  Dickcissel
  1
  1
  7
  9
  2
  9/1
 



  Bobolink
  5
  0
  2491
  5059
  507
  9/9
 



  Red-winged Blackbird
  1
  2
  1940
  1491
  316
  8/24
 



  Baltimore Oriole
  2
  0
  187
  46
  70
  9/1
 



  American Goldfinch
  11
  2
  25
  7
  11
  9/15
 















Connecticut Warbler going away.










Northern Parula








Palm Warbler













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Hawkwatch - Sunday September 17, 2017












Steady east winds and warm temps kept the raptors sky high today. It was a day of good diversity with Red-tailed Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks mingling together. In addition to the fast-flying Merlins and American Kestrels there were numerous side-by-side comparisons of Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks. Stop on by the hawkwatch and see what migration is taking place!












Cooper's Hawk (left) and Sharp-shinned Hawk (right). What differences do you see?










Merlin enjoying a snack on the go! 
Merlins and American Kestrels eat many dragonflies while migrating.










Merlins are built for stealth and speed.












Today's totals.













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Hawkwatch - Saturday September 16, 2017












This morning started out in dense fog and it took a while for the fog to lift. Once the breeze and sun dissipated the fog, American Kestrels and a few Merlin began soaring by. The excitement of migration took place quite late in the morning but the thrill kept constant all afternoon long.







As a hawk counter, it was a thrilling day to count the count. Raptors were pooling in from the west, the east, and the north. The migratory chaos is fantastic to experience as raptors meander and mingle upon each other.



Today was a great day to study raptor flight and behavior as these birds flew near and far. American Kestrels put on an exciting show, at times pestering early season Sharp-shinned Hawks and at times being pestered by Merlins.  The rare Wood Stork made five different appearances today, with each pass becoming closer than the last. Our day ended with a two Peregrine Falcons spiraling high in the sky as a close American Bittern fed along the closest shores of Bunker Pond. See you at the hawkwatch!














Wood Stork seen extra close today!








Merlin stirring up the birds like they often do! 

Keep your eyes out for these fast-flying falcons in the week to come.












American Bittern. Can you find it?










Released balloons are litter, and are dangerous to many animals. 

This balloon was documented from the hawkwatch today. Balloons blow, please do not let them go!










Today's totals. We had a fun day of falcons!

























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Hawkwatch - Friday September 15, 2017










A rehabbed Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle was released. Several rare-for-the-area Wood Storks were seen. Over three hundred American Kestrels migrated through. It was a fantastic day to be at the Cape May Hawkwatch! A grand total of 542 raptors were seen today. Light north winds are expected tomorrow morning. It will be interesting to see if there is an early push of falcons following today's late afternoon flight. See you at the hawkwatch!








Wood Stork!










Wood Stork flying past the lighthouse












Merlin chasing an American Kestrel










Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle










Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle














Monarch that recently emerged. Brought to the platform by Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis!














Today's totals.





























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Hawkwatch -  Thursday September 14, 2017












Sustained south winds made for a slower day of raptor migration. As raptors migrated into the headwinds they flew by slower than normal, giving all of the visitors great views and opportunities to study the profile and behavior. 







Although tomorrow afternoon is expected to have south-based winds, the first half of the day will consist of light winds blowing in from the northwest (a preferred wind direction for raptor migration in Cape May). It will be interesting to see how these winds play into the game of raptor migration. See you at the hawkwatch!


















This juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk soared quite close to us today!
















Cicada Killer carrying off a katydid
















Pied-billed Grebe taking off!










Today's totals.















































































































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Hawkwatch - Wednesday, September 13, 2017












A beautiful
sunrise greeted Ospreys and Merlin looking to depart the Cape May Hawkwatch. An
early morning flight of raptors took place before the mid-morning rains came through. With a little bit of scanning, a distant adult light morph Parasitic Jaeger was seen flying over the ocean, well
beyond the beach. Visitors were treated to outstanding views of an American
Bittern as well as Green Herons throughout the afternoon. See you at the hawkwatch!














American Bittern










Cicada










Merlin carrying off a pair of mating dragonflies










Today's sightings















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Morning Flight, Tuesday, 12 September 2017










Perhaps a little heavier wind than the paltry 2-3, gusts to 4 mph from today would've pumped up the visible morning flight behvior in the form of, you know... more flight!  Yet still there was a good number a nice assortment of birds around and feeding, and occasionally flying in spurts. Two Gray Catbirds cavorted and vocalized variably, and with many sounds, in the phrags just in front of the counting post, and were putative migrants.





The record of a slower morning but a good morning:










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Morning Flight, Monday, 11 September 2017










It's September 11th and we remember and honor those lost today. So, taking a more solemn tone, it was humbling to see there was still a lot of reserve in the migration tank to allow for pretty fine small flight this AM. It was a third day of northeast winds after a really awesome northwest wind cold front. 16 species of warblers were flying through the sky and the cool breeze and great company made it feel good.... to feel.



for your review, interest and/or enjoyment:

http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170911








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Morning Flight, Sunday, 10 September 2017










Since the "Big One" two days ago, it's now cool to see the numbers decay while the conducive weather conditions continued. The wind was a bit more from the northeast since yesterday. That decay from 2,500 today to 3,400 yesterday back to 15,000 on Friday is just how the numbers seem to work quite often, following what the weather is doing, especially after an initial big push. Many scenarios can and do play out, however. The diversity was lower by 10 species today versus the one before. Most numbers were a bit lower too with Cedar Waxwing and Bobolink being the main exceptions to this with 607 and 401 northbound respectively. A Clay-colored Sparrow flew out of the mud impoundment and exited stage north, right over our heads! Thanks to Tom Johnson for that! And just before Kevin Graff found us a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on this incredible dike.



check this out!

http://www.trektellen.org/count/view/1746/20170910








Clay-colored Sparrow













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Hawkwatch - Tuesday, September 12, 2017










A beautiful, calm day on the platform treated us to a moderate movement of raptors, loads of songbirds bee-bopping all around the state park, and great company.




Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 12, 2017
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0             44             44
Osprey                      66            826            826
Bald Eagle                   2             44             44
Northern Harrier             2             28             28
Sharp-shinned Hawk          19             62             62
Cooper's Hawk                6             69             69
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          0              1              1
Broad-winged Hawk            0            147            147
Red-tailed Hawk              0             20             20
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel            55            375            375
Merlin                      22            133            133
Peregrine Falcon             1             18             18
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              0
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Mississippi Kite             0              1              1

Total:                     173           1768           1768
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 05:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.37 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach








We had a few close (and fast!) flybys from Merlins.










An uncommon visitor to the Hawkwatch platform, 2 Tricolored Herons.










Although they tried to land in Bunker Pond, they had a hard time finding a suitable spot 
(but perhaps landed somewhere out of site).










This hatch year Northern Mockingbird doesn't seem to mind visitors at all. 
Don't you think his spots are super cute??




Full eBird checklist here :)









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Hawkwatch - Monday, September 11, 2017










Happy Monday, everyone. The raptor flight was on the slower side today and most movement was high overhead or far over the treeline. We were lucky to see a few close(ish) views of all three falcons, a Bald Eagle successfully harassing an Osprey for its fish, and a trio of Glossy Ibis that took a rest on Bunker Pond.



-Melissa






Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 11, 2017


SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total


Black Vulture000


Turkey Vulture04444


Osprey51760760


Bald Eagle84242


Northern Harrier12626


Sharp-shinned Hawk124343


Cooper's Hawk126363


Northern Goshawk000


Red-shouldered Hawk011


Broad-winged Hawk2147147


Red-tailed Hawk42020


Rough-legged Hawk000


Golden Eagle000


American Kestrel36320320


Merlin11111111


Peregrine Falcon11717


Unknown Accipiter000


Unknown Buteo000


Unknown Falcon000


Unknown Eagle000


Unknown Raptor000


Mississippi Kite011


Total:13815951595










Osprey












Glossy Ibis flying away after hanging out on Bunker Pond.












A Tree Swallow going after a little morsel.












Not a bird! This White-tailed Deer was feeding right in front of the platform early this morning.
















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Hawkwatch - Sunday, September 10, 2017










The morning started off with American Kestrels showing off their banana peel-like wingbeats. Merlins zipped over the dunes.  Raptor migration progressed throughout the day. American Kestrel numbers surpassed Osprey numbers today. It was an exciting day to be at the hawkwatch!








American Kestrels starting the day off with an early migration!








Juvenile Cooper's Hawk carrying a recently-caught Mourning Dove!








Northern Flicker flying past the hawkwatch










Merlin snacking on a dragonfly for breakfast.












One of two balloons seen drifting over the hawkwatch. 
This litter travels beyond our reach and can cause great harm to animals.










Second balloon of the day. Please don't let them go.














Today's totals.













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Morning Flight, Saturday, 9 September 2017










Often the best thing a day after a really large and awesome flight like the 15,000 show of yesterday is ANOTHER wonderful flight! Today was only a fraction of that magnitude but that's ok, that means there's still a really prominent and impressive flight to talk about.

One tenth the American Redstarts today meant there were still over 1,200 of them! Great numbers of Eastern Wood-Pewee (30) and Scarlet Tanager (35) were seen. Whereas yesterday Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, and Magnolia were really hitting high numbers (but still with 22, 31, and 26 respectively), today was marked with good peaks of Ovenbird (16), Cape May (40) and Black-throated Green Warblers (25). There were Alder Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireos, and even TWO Golden-winged Warblers!!



Click here for the list.



Thanks to all who helped, and again to Tom Johnson for the beautiful images presented...








Cedar Waxwings were moving north in larger flocks today.










It was a flycatcher bonanza! Here, Eastern Wood-Pewee.










And also impressive for how many Scarlet Tanagers flew.










Ovenbird doesn't fly so much normally so to see 16 is a big treat!










The real excitement bird--Golden-wing!










And 'our warbler' the Cape May













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