Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 30 30 Turkey Vulture 41 139 139 Osprey 121 930 930 Bald Eagle 15 75 75 Northern Harrier 6 84 84 Sharp-shinned Hawk 23 143 143 Cooper's Hawk 9 52 52 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 8 43 43 Red-tailed Hawk 5 34 34 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 327 576 576 Merlin 59 105 105 Peregrine Falcon 0 6 6 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: 614 2218 2218 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:15:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.75 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: Mild and breezy; winds NW 10-20mph throughout. Decreasing cloud cover and humidity throughout the day. Raptor Observations: A slow start, but a nice little flight during the second half of the day. Non-raptor Observations: Long-tailed Jaeger (1, continuing), Upland Sandpiper (1), Dickcissel (4), Bobolink (1800), Blackpoll Warbler (15) Predictions: Sunny and cooler with a NW wind ~10mph.
Hawk Watch - 13 September 2013
Hawk Watch - 12 September 2013
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 12, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 30 30 Turkey Vulture 3 98 98 Osprey 31 809 809 Bald Eagle 0 60 60 Northern Harrier 2 78 78 Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 120 120 Cooper's Hawk 1 43 43 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 35 35 Red-tailed Hawk 0 29 29 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 2 249 249 Merlin 1 46 46 Peregrine Falcon 1 6 6 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: 51 1604 1604 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: Warm and humid; winds from the SW/S 10-20mph throughout. Raptor Observations: Few birds moving ahead of the cold front. Non-raptor Observations: Long-tailed Jaeger (continuing), Parasitic Jaeger, Connecticut Warbler, Pine Siskin, Eurasian Collared-Dove (2)
Morning Flight - 12 September 2013
The only birds moving this morning were Bobolinks that were flying south in a pre-frontal movement. Though not many, this will usher in a cold front overnight that will bring a welcome few days of great migration!! The continual south winds have stopped and held up most migrants so they will be looking forward to pushing forward to points further south.
Must get ready! Hope to see you up there!!
73° F
S @ 5-10 MPH
Muggy conditions
Northern Waterthrush - 1
warbler sp. - 1
Bobolink - 126
Total: 128
Must get ready! Hope to see you up there!!
73° F
S @ 5-10 MPH
Muggy conditions
Northern Waterthrush - 1
warbler sp. - 1
Bobolink - 126
Total: 128
Hawk Watch - 11 September 2013
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 11, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 30 30 Turkey Vulture 0 95 95 Osprey 59 778 778 Bald Eagle 3 60 60 Northern Harrier 3 76 76 Sharp-shinned Hawk 17 110 110 Cooper's Hawk 2 42 42 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 1 35 35 Red-tailed Hawk 0 29 29 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 12 247 247 Merlin 4 45 45 Peregrine Falcon 2 5 5 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: 103 1553 1553 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Weather: Hazy, hot, humid, and cloudless throughout. Winds from the SW during the AM 5-10mph, becoming S 10-20mph during the PM. Raptor Observations: A couple pulses of birds during the midday hours, with OSPR leading the way. Non-raptor Observations: Eurasian Collared-Dove (2), Dickcissel (1), Stilt Sandpiper (1), Brown Pelican (1), Cape May Warbler (1), Least Tern (1), Purple Martin (40+), Cliff Swallow (2)
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15150162
Predictions: Warm, S winds ~10mph ======================================================================== Report submitted by Tom Reed (coturnicops@gmail.com) Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Hawk Watch - 10 September 2013
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Weather:
Moderate SW winds all day, hot with mostly sunny skies.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
More of the same.
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 10, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 30 | 30 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 95 | 95 |
| Osprey | 7 | 719 | 719 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 57 | 57 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 73 | 73 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 93 | 93 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 40 | 40 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 34 | 34 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 29 | 29 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 235 | 235 |
| Merlin | 6 | 41 | 41 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 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: | 14 | 1450 | 1450 |
| Observation start time: | 05:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Tom Magarian |
| Observers: |
Weather:
Moderate SW winds all day, hot with mostly sunny skies.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
More of the same.
Morning Flight - 11 September 2013
A small movement of birds this morning with Bobolinks in good numbers! The dull morning was highlighted by the lingering juv. Long-tailed Jaeger out over the bay heading south. It was later seen in the morning foraging in the rips with a Parasitic Jaeger. Still waiting on a good day- soon!
73° F
S @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
Cedar Waxwing - 12
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 1
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 7
Northern Waterthrush - 8
warbler sp. - 2
Bobolink - 116
Total: 152
73° F
S @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
Cedar Waxwing - 12
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 1
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 1
American Redstart - 7
Northern Waterthrush - 8
warbler sp. - 2
Bobolink - 116
Total: 152
Morning Flight - 10 September 2013
Hey guess what?! More south winds! :-) Only two American Redstarts were brave enough this morning to fly north of the canal past the dike.
72° F
S @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
American Redstart - 2
Total: 2
72° F
S @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
American Redstart - 2
Total: 2
Hawk Watch- 9 September 2013
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Weather:
Easterly winds all day, starting NE and ending SSE. Partly sunny all day, cool overall in the mid 70's.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
Hot and winds from the south.
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 09, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 2 | 30 | 30 |
| Turkey Vulture | 16 | 95 | 95 |
| Osprey | 40 | 712 | 712 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 57 | 57 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 73 | 73 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 26 | 93 | 93 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 4 | 40 | 40 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 1 | 34 | 34 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 5 | 29 | 29 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 7 | 234 | 234 |
| Merlin | 6 | 35 | 35 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 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: | 116 | 1436 | 1436 |
| Observation start time: | 05:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Tom Magarian |
| Observers: |
Weather:
Easterly winds all day, starting NE and ending SSE. Partly sunny all day, cool overall in the mid 70's.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Predictions:
Hot and winds from the south.
Morning Flight - 9 September 2013
North winds baby! Somehow they slipped in with all of the southerlies and BAM! We were hit with a nice manageable slug of Morning Flight birds, highlighted by a distant Lark Sparrow landing at the north end of the dike. Some walked through the brush up there and were rewarded with good looks of the bird.
55° F
N @ 5-10 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 2
Red-eyed Vireo -2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4
Cedar Waxwing - 122
Northern Parula - 13
Yellow Warbler - 8
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 2
Blackpoll Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 5
American Redstart - 65
Northern Waterthrush - 4
warbler sp. - 19
Bobolink - 84
Lark Sparrow - 1
Catharus Thrush - 1
Total: 337
55° F
N @ 5-10 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 2
Red-eyed Vireo -2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4
Cedar Waxwing - 122
Northern Parula - 13
Yellow Warbler - 8
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 2
Blackpoll Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 5
American Redstart - 65
Northern Waterthrush - 4
warbler sp. - 19
Bobolink - 84
Lark Sparrow - 1
Catharus Thrush - 1
Total: 337
Hawk Watch - 8 September 2013
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 08, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 28 28 Turkey Vulture 11 79 79 Osprey 74 672 672 Bald Eagle 2 50 50 Northern Harrier 4 72 72 Sharp-shinned Hawk 16 67 67 Cooper's Hawk 8 36 36 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 5 33 33 Red-tailed Hawk 0 24 24 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 4 227 227 Merlin 7 29 29 Peregrine Falcon 1 2 2 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: 132 1320 1320 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: A warm day from start to finish, with light westerly winds throughout. Cloud cover <20% for most of the day. Raptor Observations: A quiet day overall. Another trickle of OSPR and a handful of accipiters during the PM hours. Non-raptor Observations: Long-tailed Jaeger (1, continuing); Parasitic Jaeger (2); Lark Sparrow (1); Stilt Sandpiper (1); Pectoral Sandpiper (12) Predictions: Sunny, 75ºF, light E winds ======================================================================== Report submitted by Tom Reed (coturnicops@gmail.com) Cape May information may be found at: http://www.njaudubon.org/Centers/CMBO/
Hawk Watch - 7 September 2013
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 07, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 23 | 28 | 28 |
| Turkey Vulture | 9 | 68 | 68 |
| Osprey | 32 | 598 | 598 |
| Bald Eagle | 10 | 48 | 48 |
| Northern Harrier | 4 | 68 | 68 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 10 | 51 | 51 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 6 | 28 | 28 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | 28 | 28 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 11 | 24 | 24 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 15 | 223 | 223 |
| Merlin | 5 | 22 | 22 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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: | 127 | 1188 | 1188 |
| Observation start time: | 05:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Tom Magarian |
| Observers: |
Weather:
light variable winds until mid afternoon, then becoming moderate and from the SSW. Hot with good visibility and mostly sunny skies.
Morning Flight - 8 September 2013
Continued components of south winds completely halted anything from flying this morning- there was no detectable Morning Flight from the dike. :-/
Here's to better days!
66° F
WSW @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
Total: 0
Here's to better days!
66° F
WSW @ 0-5 MPH
Muggy conditions
Total: 0
Meet the 2013 Team
With the 2013 fall season now well under way, it's time we introduced you to this year's migration counters and Interpretive Naturalists. We'll add in staff as they join the team, so check back from time to time and you'll meet them all here. Do stop in at the count sites at Cape May Point State Park, Higbee Dike and the north end of Avalon, and don't forget our mini-workshops at Avalon and the state park - they are fun and free!!
Jeremy Clothier
George Myers Field Naturalist
Jeremy graduated from Tennessee Tech
University in December 2012 with a degree in Environmental Biology. He spent
the last six months working at the “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in
Sanibel, Florida as an Environmental Education Intern. He also worked on Fripp
Island, SC in the summer of 2012 as a Naturalist Intern. Learning about the
natural world has always been a passion for Jeremy, but he believes knowledge
is meant to be shared. He loves teaching people about anything and everything
that is happening around them, with a focus on birds. To be a part of something
as spectacular as a fall season in Cape May is a dream come true for him.
Jeremy ultimately wants to work in environmental education, but for now he
hopes to do his best to honor the name George Myers.
Sam Galick
Morning Flight Counter
Tom Magarian
Swing Counter
Emily Martin
Interpretive Naturalist
Emily grew up in the small town of Cortland, NY and just
graduated in May of 2013 with her degree in environmental science from the State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY
ESF), in Syracuse. She has worked many
summers as a camp coordinator/counselor for a local nature camp in Cortland and is
excited to be working on the Hawkwatch and continuing to educate people about
the natural world. While she loved to
birdwatch with her family growing up, her real interest in birding began when
she took a field ornithology course while in college at ESF's biological field
station in the Adirondacks. In addition
to birding, Emily enjoys running, tennis, and singing among many other
interests. In the future she hopes to
attend graduate school in the watershed field, and eventually work with wetland
and freshwater resource management.
Tom Reed
Hawkwatch Counter
Tom Reed returns for a second season as primary hawk counter. Born and raised
in Cape May County, he started birding at the age of ten and is a longtime CMBO
naturalist. Tom is a 2011 graduate of Rutgers University and holds a B.S. in
Environmental Policy, Institutions & Behavior. He currently serves on the
New Jersey Bird Records Committee, is a Regional Editor for North American
Birds, and acts as a statewide reviewer for the eBird project. Tom also owns
the New Jersey “big year” record (362), which he set in 2011. TR has traveled to
various portions of the continent and most recently visited Whitefish Point,
Michigan, where he conducted a waterbird migration count during spring 2013.
Emily Wilmoth
Interpretive Naturalist
Emily graduated in May of 2013 from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. She earned her degree
in Conservation Biology with a Certificate in Environmental Studies. Before coming to Cape May, Emily was conducting
bird point-count surveys in Southern Illinois.
This is her first time in New Jersey and she is thrilled to have the
opportunity to work with CMBO. As much
as she loves working with wildlife she loves communicating with people, and as
an Interpretive Naturalist she gets to do both!
She hopes to return to graduate school some day and pursue a career in
educating others about conservation.
Emily’s other hobbies include playing the piano and practicing yoga.
Samm Wehman
Monarch Project Field Naturalist
We are also extremely grateful to Glen Davis and Michael O'Brien for volunteering their time to cover Morning Flight so that Sam can get his well-earned days off.
Monarch Project Field Naturalist
Samm is a Jersey girl from Marlton, but has been living in Cape May County since early spring. She has had a
love for insects, especially butterflies, since a young age and is really
enthusiastic to be working
hands on with monarchs for the next two months. Recently graduated from Rutgers
with an animal science degree with a minor in ecology & evolution, she hopes to
pursue work in the field of wildlife conservation; she has just finished her first
field job with NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife monitoring NJ's endangered
beach nesting shorebirds. Samm says " I love nature and animals of
all kinds and just hope to always contribute in some way to make our world a
better place".
We are also extremely grateful to Glen Davis and Michael O'Brien for volunteering their time to cover Morning Flight so that Sam can get his well-earned days off.
Morning Flight - 7 September 2013
Friday night's radar indicated that a fair number of birds were leaving our general locality and cruising south on calm weather. Also, a group of birders were cruising east that same evening to arrive for dawn at the closest offshore, underwater canyons from our port. They had a great pelagic experience. Anyway, back to Morning Flight. There were small numbers of birds around the dike and flying by but enough to be totally fun! This was certainly enhanced by the trio of new folks to the dike who spent the whole morning with me. Thanks for the good company Pennsylvania birders Stanley, Kathy (or Cathy?), and Patrick! A slower day at the dike means you can pour over the details of each sighting and talk about them for a while without diluting your focus on bird movement and vocalizations very much. That's a geeky way of saying "Hanging out at Morning Flight, whether at the dike or the observation platform is SUPER COOL!!!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcacther - 6
American Robin - 3
Northern Mockingbird - 2
Cedar Waxwing - 34
Blue-winged Warbler - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 1
Yellow Warbler - 4
Cape May Warbler - 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 3
American Redstart - 22
Northern Waterthrush - 10
Wilson's Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 2
Dickcissel - 1
Bobolink - 13
Total: 116
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Eastern Kingbird - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcacther - 6
American Robin - 3
Northern Mockingbird - 2
Cedar Waxwing - 34
Blue-winged Warbler - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 1
Yellow Warbler - 4
Cape May Warbler - 3
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 3
American Redstart - 22
Northern Waterthrush - 10
Wilson's Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 2
Dickcissel - 1
Bobolink - 13
Total: 116
Hawk Watch - 6 September 2013
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 06, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 5 5 Turkey Vulture 9 59 59 Osprey 171 566 566 Bald Eagle 17 38 38 Northern Harrier 8 64 64 Sharp-shinned Hawk 8 41 41 Cooper's Hawk 3 22 22 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 4 26 26 Red-tailed Hawk 5 13 13 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 36 208 208 Merlin 6 17 17 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 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 1 1 1 Total: 268 1061 1061 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: Mostly sunny and cool to start. Winds N->E Raptor Observations: Another nice Osprey flight, with Bald Eagles throughout. A Mississippi Kite was briefly visible to the north at 1:20pm. Non-raptor Observations: Yellow-headed Blackbird (1), Dickcissel (1), Tricolored Heron (1), Cliff Swallow (15) Predictions: Sunny, 75F, calm winds becoming SW 5-10mph.
Morning Flight - 6 September 2013
Today's flight was not big on numbers, but the birds that flew did so beautifully and were quite diverse! The highlight was Scott Whittle calling out a Lark Sparrow that went right by us, briefly landing on the dike. A close second was a Yellow-throated Vireo that swung by quickly, we were only able to get fuzzy out of focus shots of it. The flight was very manageable and was a joy to photograph and count at the same time.
A reminder that conditions look great for the Minotaur V rocket to launch it's payload bound for the moon from the Virginia coast and will be visible from Cape May shortly after it's launch at 11:27PM tonight. Many of us on the boat are looking forward to being two hours offshore the jersey coast in the dark of the night witnessing the rocket fly pretty much overhead heading out over the Atlantic Ocean- it should be a treat! Glen Davis will be filling in for me at the dike tomorrow morning! Thanks buddy!
57° F
NNE @ 5-10 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 2
Northern Flicker - 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 10
Red-eyed Vireo - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 14
Cedar Waxwing - 99
Tennessee Warbler - 3
Nashville Warbler - 1
Northern Parula - 4
Yellow Warbler - 14
Magnolia Warbler - 1
Cape May Warbler - 6
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 2
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 1
Black-and-white Warbler - 8
American Redstart - 60
Worm-eating Warbler - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 7
warbler sp. - 10
Bobolink - 50
Baltimore Oriole - 4
Lark Sparrow - 1
Yellow-throated Vireo - 1
Orchard Oriole - 1
Total: 305
 |
| Lark Sparrow!!! |
 |
| Adult male American Redstart flight calling, or opening wide for the dentist! |
 |
| American Redstart |
 |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler |
 |
| Baltimore Oriole |
 |
| Cape May Warbler |
 |
| Cape May Warbler |
 |
| Nashville Warbler |
 |
| A very pale Northern Waterthrush! |
 |
| Probably one of the last Worm-eating Warblers of the year, they're migration here is just about to end to points further south. |
 |
| And lastly a good bird but a fuzzy photo- a Yellow-throated Vireo! They fly every once in a while at the dike, generally one a fall. |
Hawk Watch - 5 September 2013
Cape May Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 05, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 5 5 Turkey Vulture 11 50 50 Osprey 207 395 395 Bald Eagle 6 21 21 Northern Harrier 26 56 56 Sharp-shinned Hawk 13 33 33 Cooper's Hawk 9 19 19 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 8 22 22 Red-tailed Hawk 2 8 8 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 48 172 172 Merlin 4 11 11 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 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 Total: 334 793 793 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 05:30:00 Observation end time: 16:15:00 Total observation time: 10.75 hours Official Counter: Tom Reed Observers: Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy and mild; winds 5-15mph and shifting from WSW to NW over the course of the day. Raptor Observations: A nice flight of OSPR throughout, with a peak hour of 36. Non-raptor Observations: LONG-TAILED JAEGER (1, juvenile, ph.); Connecticut Warbler (1); Bobolink (1800); Barn Swallow (2000); Cliff Swallow (40); Chimney Swift (250) Predictions: Sunny, 71ºF, winds N around 10mph.
Morning Flight - 5 September 2013
65° F
W @ 0-5 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 5
Eastern Kingbird - 26
Red-eyed Vireo - 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4
Cedar Waxwing - 415
Tennessee Warbler - 4
Northern Parula - 14
Yellow Warbler - 24
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 2
Prairie Warbler - 2
Black-and-white Warbler - 17
American Redstart - 221
Northern Waterthrush - 34
warbler sp. - 39
Scarlet Tanager - 3
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Baltimore Oriole - 13
Total: 834
W @ 0-5 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 5
Eastern Kingbird - 26
Red-eyed Vireo - 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 4
Cedar Waxwing - 415
Tennessee Warbler - 4
Northern Parula - 14
Yellow Warbler - 24
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Cape May Warbler - 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 2
Prairie Warbler - 2
Black-and-white Warbler - 17
American Redstart - 221
Northern Waterthrush - 34
warbler sp. - 39
Scarlet Tanager - 3
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Baltimore Oriole - 13
Total: 834
 |
| Red-eyed Vireo |
 |
| Magnolia Warbler |
 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
Hawk Watch - 4 September 2013
Light westerly winds brought a nice little hawk flight to Cape May today. Ospreys were on the move throughout the day, though they were a bit difficult to find at times against a deep blue and cloudless sky. Kestrels were evident early on, but an afternoon push never materialized.
Bald Eagles were a definite highlight for many of our visitors today, and while most eagles were quite high and sailing off toward Delaware, some lingered for a few minutes to be admired by the unusually large Wednesday crowd.
The day's total of 318 raptors was the largest to date, but could easily be beaten tomorrow...stay tuned!
A complete eBird list is available here: http://ebird.org/ebird/nj/view/checklist?subID=S15097204
Bald Eagles were a definite highlight for many of our visitors today, and while most eagles were quite high and sailing off toward Delaware, some lingered for a few minutes to be admired by the unusually large Wednesday crowd.
The day's total of 318 raptors was the largest to date, but could easily be beaten tomorrow...stay tuned!
A complete eBird list is available here: http://ebird.org/ebird/nj/view/checklist?subID=S15097204
Morning Flight - 4 September 2013
The passage of the cold front yesterday brought thousands of migrants to Cape May- we had an excellent morning with 20 species of warblers the highlight being a Connecticut Warbler flying out! American Redstarts took over the show once again finally breaking the 1,000 barrier for the day. A photographed Louisiana Waterthrush is getting late in the season but was certainly nice to pick up on. The numbers and some photos are published below.
The next couple of days should still be interesting, though will likely have smaller numbers compared to today. I was very excited to post today's list, but have gotten distracted with the great birds in the yard- just sitting on my porch there's Veeries, Ovenbird, Black-and-white, Redstart, Parula, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, and Pine Warblers flitting around in the trees! Not to mention the raptors overhead, Ospreys, Cooper's, Northern Harrier, four Bald Eagles, Broad-winged, Red-tailed and I just got my yard Caspian Tern with young in tow.
I'm personally excited about a scheduled launch of a rocket bound for the moon from the NASA Wallops Center on Chincoteague Island in VA on Friday night at 11:27 PM. If it's a clear night one could perch themselves up on one of the dune crossings at the state park or the meadows and see a great show of the rocket blasting off and head in the direction of the ocean. I'll be two hours into a pelagic going offshore NJ out of Wildwood but I'll surely be on the top deck looking up hoping to see this lesser-celebrated human accomplishment.
You can find out more information about the first launch to the moon from the Virginia coast here:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index
70° F
N @ 5-10 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Empidonax Flycatcher - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 114
Red-eyed Vireo - 37
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 19
American Robin - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 271
Blue-winged Warbler - 2
Tennessee Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 53
Yellow Warbler - 50
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 23
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Cape May Warbler - 10
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 28
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - 2
Blackburnian Warbler - 9
Prairie Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 5
Black-and-white Warbler - 46
American Redstart - 1,037
Worm-eating Warbler - 1
Ovenbird - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 45
Connecticut Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 1,018
Scarlet Tanager - 10
Indigo Bunting - 1
Dickcissel - 1
Bobolink - 128
Baltimore Oriole - 53
Louisiana Waterthrush - 1
Total: 2,981
The next couple of days should still be interesting, though will likely have smaller numbers compared to today. I was very excited to post today's list, but have gotten distracted with the great birds in the yard- just sitting on my porch there's Veeries, Ovenbird, Black-and-white, Redstart, Parula, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, and Pine Warblers flitting around in the trees! Not to mention the raptors overhead, Ospreys, Cooper's, Northern Harrier, four Bald Eagles, Broad-winged, Red-tailed and I just got my yard Caspian Tern with young in tow.
I'm personally excited about a scheduled launch of a rocket bound for the moon from the NASA Wallops Center on Chincoteague Island in VA on Friday night at 11:27 PM. If it's a clear night one could perch themselves up on one of the dune crossings at the state park or the meadows and see a great show of the rocket blasting off and head in the direction of the ocean. I'll be two hours into a pelagic going offshore NJ out of Wildwood but I'll surely be on the top deck looking up hoping to see this lesser-celebrated human accomplishment.
You can find out more information about the first launch to the moon from the Virginia coast here:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index
70° F
N @ 5-10 MPH
Clear conditions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 4
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Empidonax Flycatcher - 1
Eastern Kingbird - 114
Red-eyed Vireo - 37
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 19
American Robin - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 271
Blue-winged Warbler - 2
Tennessee Warbler - 2
Northern Parula - 53
Yellow Warbler - 50
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 23
Magnolia Warbler - 2
Cape May Warbler - 10
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 28
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1
Black-throated Green Warbler - 2
Blackburnian Warbler - 9
Prairie Warbler - 2
Palm Warbler - 1
Blackpoll Warbler - 5
Black-and-white Warbler - 46
American Redstart - 1,037
Worm-eating Warbler - 1
Ovenbird - 1
Northern Waterthrush - 45
Connecticut Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 1,018
Scarlet Tanager - 10
Indigo Bunting - 1
Dickcissel - 1
Bobolink - 128
Baltimore Oriole - 53
Louisiana Waterthrush - 1
Total: 2,981
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| Black-throated Blue Warbler |
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| Connecticut Warbler in flight! |
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| Magnolia Warbler |
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| Louisiana Waterthrush |
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| Cape May Warbler |
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| Cape May Warbler |