To sum up.
Tomorrow may be the big day judging from the pick up in birds later on in the day and staying strong for the best of the day.
So to keep it short here is a list of birds seen today.
Brant (Atlantic) 36
Wood Duck 49
American Wigeon 1
American Black Duck 734
Green-winged Teal 201
Greater Scaup 20
Lesser Scaup 3
Common Eider 3
Surf Scoter 2182
White-winged Scoter 22
Black Scoter 8025
dark-winged scoter sp. 9997
Long-tailed Duck 8
Red-breasted Merganser 10
Red-throated Loon 735
Common Loon 46
Northern Gannet 4771
Double-crested Cormorant 590
Great Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 7
Great Egret 18
Snowy Egret 1
Laughing Gull 120
Bonaparte's Gull 6
Ring-billed Gull 59
Herring Gull 33
Great Black-backed Gull 11
Forster's Tern 144
Royal Tern 7
Parasitic Jaegar 7
American Oystercatcher 48
Hawkwatch 11/05/09
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 05, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 12 26 168
Turkey Vulture 51 217 865
Osprey 2 14 2576
Bald Eagle 2 12 423
Northern Harrier 10 97 715
Sharp-shinned Hawk 191 703 12749
Cooper's Hawk 27 127 5357
Northern Goshawk 0 1 4
Red-shouldered Hawk 28 101 179
Broad-winged Hawk 0 13 706
Red-tailed Hawk 99 225 856
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 2 2
American Kestrel 4 49 3939
Merlin 0 10 1881
Peregrine Falcon 0 8 1181
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 426 1605 31603
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:15:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 9.75 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
Light NNE winds for most of the day, switching to slightly stronger NNW/NW
in the afternoon. Mostly clear all day.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Hudsonian Godwit, 2 Cave Swallows, American Bittern, 2 Glossy Ibis,
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, White-winged Scoter, Parasitic Jaeger,
9,000+ American Robins.
Predictions:
Strong (~25 MPH) NW Winds through most of the day, decreasing to ~15 during
the last couple f hours f the count day).
Hawk Watch Thursday November 5, 2009
Digi-binned shot of the Hudsonian Godwit that flew by the platform this morning (copyright Doug Gochfeld)Another interesting day at the Hawkwatch, although the light winds and cloudless sky made for another high raptor flight. Hudsonian Godwit (initially spotted by Michael O'Brien), American Bittern, 2 Glossy Ibis, and 2 Cave Swallows were the non-raptor highlights.
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 11/5/09
Number of species: 78
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler X
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 25
Ring-necked Duck 8
Surf Scoter 150
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 2000
dark-winged scoter sp. 2500
Hooded Merganser 4
Ruddy Duck 35
Red-throated Loon 9
Common Loon 8
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant X
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Glossy Ibis 2
Black Vulture 16
Turkey Vulture 84
Osprey 2
Bald Eagle 2
Northern Harrier 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 191
Cooper's Hawk 27
Red-shouldered Hawk 28
Red-tailed Hawk 99
American Kestrel 4
American Coot 20
Killdeer 10
Hudsonian Godwit 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 150
Royal Tern X
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 25
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 500
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Cave Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 6
Eastern Bluebird 25
American Robin 9500
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
American Pipit 20
Cedar Waxwing X
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 200
Palm Warbler 5
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Field Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird 2000
Eastern Meadowlark 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 15
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 150
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch, Wednesday November 4, 2009
It was another beautiful day at Sea Watch, but still no big day.
We had a moderate day at Sea Watch with ~15,000 birds passing through. We had 41 Long-tailed Ducks today and we had the first Horned Grebe of the season.
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 16
Canada Goose 23
Snow Goose
Wood Duck 4
American Black Duck 70
Mallard 5
Northern Pintail 47
Green-winged Teal 166
Ring-necked Duck 1
Greater Scaup 59
Lesser Scaup 4
Aythya sp. 3
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 1156
White-winged Scoter 29
Black Scoter 6671
dark-winged scoter sp. 3746
Long-tailed Duck 41
Bufflehead 1
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Ruddy Duck 3
Red-throated Loon 188
Common Loon 6
Northern Gannet 1742
Double-crested Cormorant 900
Laughing Gull 119
Ring-billed Gull 221
Herring Gull 43
Great Black-backed Gull 11
Forster's Tern 96
Royal Tern 7
Parasitic Jaegar 2
American Oystercatcher 15
We had a moderate day at Sea Watch with ~15,000 birds passing through. We had 41 Long-tailed Ducks today and we had the first Horned Grebe of the season.
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 16
Canada Goose 23
Snow Goose
Wood Duck 4
American Black Duck 70
Mallard 5
Northern Pintail 47
Green-winged Teal 166
Ring-necked Duck 1
Greater Scaup 59
Lesser Scaup 4
Aythya sp. 3
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 1156
White-winged Scoter 29
Black Scoter 6671
dark-winged scoter sp. 3746
Long-tailed Duck 41
Bufflehead 1
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Ruddy Duck 3
Red-throated Loon 188
Common Loon 6
Northern Gannet 1742
Double-crested Cormorant 900
Laughing Gull 119
Ring-billed Gull 221
Herring Gull 43
Great Black-backed Gull 11
Forster's Tern 96
Royal Tern 7
Parasitic Jaegar 2
American Oystercatcher 15
Hawkwatch 11/04/09
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 04, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 14 14 156
Turkey Vulture 95 166 814
Osprey 6 12 2574
Bald Eagle 6 10 421
Northern Harrier 4 87 705
Sharp-shinned Hawk 103 512 12558
Cooper's Hawk 57 100 5330
Northern Goshawk 1 1 4
Red-shouldered Hawk 34 73 151
Broad-winged Hawk 13 13 706
Red-tailed Hawk 91 126 757
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 1 2 2
American Kestrel 10 45 3935
Merlin 2 10 1881
Peregrine Falcon 1 8 1181
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 438 1179 31177
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Doug Gochfeld
Observers:
Weather:
Raptor Observations:
juvenile Northern Goshawk @ 8:50 AM
juvenile Golden Eagle @ 1:45 PM
Non-raptor Observations:
Dickcissel, 12,000+ American Robins, 100+ Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 2 Barn Swallows.
Hawkwatch 11/03/09
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 03, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 142
Turkey Vulture 62 71 719
Osprey 1 6 2568
Bald Eagle 3 4 415
Northern Harrier 15 83 701
Sharp-shinned Hawk 268 409 12455
Cooper's Hawk 21 43 5273
Northern Goshawk 0 0 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 31 39 117
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 693
Red-tailed Hawk 24 35 666
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 13 35 3925
Merlin 1 8 1879
Peregrine Falcon 3 7 1180
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 442 741 30739
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:15:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 9.75 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Hawkwatch 11/02/09
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 02, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 142
Turkey Vulture 9 9 657
Osprey 4 5 2567
Bald Eagle 1 1 412
Northern Harrier 48 68 686
Sharp-shinned Hawk 113 141 12187
Cooper's Hawk 15 22 5252
Northern Goshawk 0 0 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 5 8 86
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 693
Red-tailed Hawk 7 11 642
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 1 1 1
American Kestrel 17 22 3912
Merlin 5 7 1878
Peregrine Falcon 2 4 1177
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 227 299 30297
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Melissa Roach
Observers:
Weather:
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Hawkwatch Totals 11/01/09
Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 01, 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 142
Turkey Vulture 0 0 648
Osprey 1 1 2563
Bald Eagle 0 0 411
Northern Harrier 20 20 638
Sharp-shinned Hawk 28 28 12063
Cooper's Hawk 7 7 5236
Northern Goshawk 0 0 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 3 3 81
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 693
Red-tailed Hawk 4 4 635
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 5 5 3894
Merlin 2 2 1873
Peregrine Falcon 2 2 1174
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 1
Total: 72 72 30056
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 06:45:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 0 hours
Official Counter: Vince Elia
Weather:
Rain in the afternoon
Hawk Watch Wednesday November 4, 2009
There was a strong push of passerines going north over the State Park this morning, with the majority being American Robins, but with lots of Blackbirds, American Bluebirds, and scattered American Pipits and Brown-headed Cowbirds.
The raptor flight got high early, and it was a decent day for Buteos and Turkey Vultures (there were 86 TVs in view at one time early on). Red-shouldereds were in view for most of the day, and the highlight was a cooperative juvenile Golden Eagle which was soaring in view of the platform for almost 15 minutes before heading over the bay towards Delaware.
Other highlights were a lingering Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 2 Barn Swallows, and a Bald Eagle soaring overhead carrying a Pied-billed Grebe in its talons (It was the highest I've ever seen a Pied-billed Grebe). Pete Riley reported Gray-cheeked Thrush (Red Trail), Field Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole from his mid-day walk on the State Park Trails
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 11/4/09
Notes: N/NNE Winds, shifting South after midday
Number of species: 77
American Black Duck 85
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 30
Northern Pintail 70
Green-winged Teal 8
Ring-necked Duck 8
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Bufflehead 1
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck 35
Common Loon 11
Pied-billed Grebe 7
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 2
Black Vulture 14
Turkey Vulture 95
Osprey 6
Bald Eagle 6
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 103
Cooper's Hawk 57
Northern Goshawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 34
Broad-winged Hawk 13
Red-tailed Hawk 91
Golden Eagle 1
American Kestrel 10
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot 25
Killdeer 12
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Black Skimmer 150
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 15
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 250
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Chickadee X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 75
American Robin 12000
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 150
Palm Warbler 3
Song Sparrow 15
Swamp Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 5
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1200
Common Grackle 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 25
Purple Finch X
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 400
House Sparrow X
The raptor flight got high early, and it was a decent day for Buteos and Turkey Vultures (there were 86 TVs in view at one time early on). Red-shouldereds were in view for most of the day, and the highlight was a cooperative juvenile Golden Eagle which was soaring in view of the platform for almost 15 minutes before heading over the bay towards Delaware.
Other highlights were a lingering Northern Rough-winged Swallow, 2 Barn Swallows, and a Bald Eagle soaring overhead carrying a Pied-billed Grebe in its talons (It was the highest I've ever seen a Pied-billed Grebe). Pete Riley reported Gray-cheeked Thrush (Red Trail), Field Sparrow, Blackpoll Warbler, and Baltimore Oriole from his mid-day walk on the State Park Trails
Location: Cape Island--Cape May Point SP--CMBO Hawk Watch
Observation date: 11/4/09
Notes: N/NNE Winds, shifting South after midday
Number of species: 77
American Black Duck 85
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 30
Northern Pintail 70
Green-winged Teal 8
Ring-necked Duck 8
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Bufflehead 1
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck 35
Common Loon 11
Pied-billed Grebe 7
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 2
Black Vulture 14
Turkey Vulture 95
Osprey 6
Bald Eagle 6
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 103
Cooper's Hawk 57
Northern Goshawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 34
Broad-winged Hawk 13
Red-tailed Hawk 91
Golden Eagle 1
American Kestrel 10
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot 25
Killdeer 12
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Black Skimmer 150
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 15
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Fish Crow X
Tree Swallow 250
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Chickadee X
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 75
American Robin 12000
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 150
Palm Warbler 3
Song Sparrow 15
Swamp Sparrow 8
White-throated Sparrow 5
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Dickcissel 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1200
Common Grackle 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 25
Purple Finch X
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 400
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Tuesday November 3, 2009
Today was yet another day of good diversity (gotta love November at the Seawatch) at Avalon. The Hooded Merganser during the first hour was the first of the seawatch season, and 14 Ruddy Ducks were an interesting sight, as they sat on the Ocean briefly before moving on. Black Scoters were also present in their highest numbers of the season so far with Northern Pintails putting in their strongest showing in 3 weeks, and a Hairy Woodpecker flying in off the water was an interesting sight as well. Purple Sandpipers are finally habitating the rocky outcroppings around the inlet, with up to 8 seen together this afternoon.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 11/3/09
Notes: Light NW/WNW Winds.
Number of species: 57
Brant (Atlantic) 68
Canada Goose 1
Wood Duck 50
American Black Duck 84
Mallard 2
Northern Pintail 54
Green-winged Teal 179
Greater Scaup 67
Lesser Scaup 14
Greater/Lesser Scaup 8
Aythya sp. 15
Common Eider 32
Surf Scoter 2312
White-winged Scoter 14
Black Scoter 8035
dark-winged scoter sp. 1590
scoter sp. 99
Long-tailed Duck 4
Bufflehead 12
Hooded Merganser 1
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Ruddy Duck 14
Red-throated Loon 140
Common Loon 16
Northern Gannet 2838
Double-crested Cormorant 2356
Great Cormorant 1
Turkey Vulture 15
Cooper's Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 2
American Oystercatcher 8
Red Knot 1
Sanderling 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Purple Sandpiper 8
Dunlin 30
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Laughing Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull 37
Herring Gull 11
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 300
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 1
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 11/3/09
Notes: Light NW/WNW Winds.
Number of species: 57
Brant (Atlantic) 68
Canada Goose 1
Wood Duck 50
American Black Duck 84
Mallard 2
Northern Pintail 54
Green-winged Teal 179
Greater Scaup 67
Lesser Scaup 14
Greater/Lesser Scaup 8
Aythya sp. 15
Common Eider 32
Surf Scoter 2312
White-winged Scoter 14
Black Scoter 8035
dark-winged scoter sp. 1590
scoter sp. 99
Long-tailed Duck 4
Bufflehead 12
Hooded Merganser 1
Red-breasted Merganser 7
Ruddy Duck 14
Red-throated Loon 140
Common Loon 16
Northern Gannet 2838
Double-crested Cormorant 2356
Great Cormorant 1
Turkey Vulture 15
Cooper's Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 2
American Oystercatcher 8
Red Knot 1
Sanderling 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Purple Sandpiper 8
Dunlin 30
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Laughing Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull 37
Herring Gull 11
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern 300
Royal Tern 8
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 2
Tree Swallow 8
Barn Swallow 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling X
Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
Palm Warbler 1
White-throated Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 1
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Monday November 2, 2009
Another fun day at Avalon, highlighted once again by the diversity of species. The single species highlight was a Pacific Loon which flew by headed south just past the rips shortly before noon, but there were also season firsts of Red-necked Grebe (1), and Bufflehead (12), and the count of 41 Common Eider was very good. Greater Scaup and Ring-billed Gull were also around in interesting numbers, and the morning Scoter flight was good. Here's hoping that tomorrow can match today.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 11/2/09
Notes: NNE Wind, scattered drizzles. Limited afternoon visibility.
Number of species: 37
Brant (Atlantic) 53
Wood Duck 43
Gadwall 1
American Black Duck 1
Green-winged Teal 81
Greater Scaup 71
Lesser Scaup 9
Common Eider 41
Surf Scoter 9658
White-winged Scoter 28
Black Scoter 2877
dark-winged scoter sp. 1484
Long-tailed Duck 3
Bufflehead 12
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Red-throated Loon 206
Pacific Loon 1
Common Loon 13
Red-necked Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 1151
Double-crested Cormorant 2495
Great Cormorant 7
American Coot 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
American Oystercatcher 17
Sanderling 20
Dunlin 145
Laughing Gull 6
Ring-billed Gull 189
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 9
Royal Tern 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 5
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
House Sparrow X
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 11/2/09
Notes: NNE Wind, scattered drizzles. Limited afternoon visibility.
Number of species: 37
Brant (Atlantic) 53
Wood Duck 43
Gadwall 1
American Black Duck 1
Green-winged Teal 81
Greater Scaup 71
Lesser Scaup 9
Common Eider 41
Surf Scoter 9658
White-winged Scoter 28
Black Scoter 2877
dark-winged scoter sp. 1484
Long-tailed Duck 3
Bufflehead 12
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Red-throated Loon 206
Pacific Loon 1
Common Loon 13
Red-necked Grebe 1
Northern Gannet 1151
Double-crested Cormorant 2495
Great Cormorant 7
American Coot 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
American Oystercatcher 17
Sanderling 20
Dunlin 145
Laughing Gull 6
Ring-billed Gull 189
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 9
Royal Tern 4
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 5
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal X
House Sparrow X
Sea Watch Sunday, November 1, 2009
To elaborate. A not as a slow day, but it was still pretty unexciting.
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 22
American Black Duck 26
Green-winged Teal 13
American Wigeon 5
Wood Duck 25
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 449
Black Scoter 192
White-winged Scoter 14
dark-winged scoter 89
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Red-throated Loon 117
Common Loon 6
Northern Gannet 3729
Double-crested Cormorant 607
American Oystercatcher 11
Laughing Gull 30
Herring Gull 51
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Ring-billed Gull 17
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 11
Parasitic Jaegar 1
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 22
American Black Duck 26
Green-winged Teal 13
American Wigeon 5
Wood Duck 25
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 449
Black Scoter 192
White-winged Scoter 14
dark-winged scoter 89
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Red-throated Loon 117
Common Loon 6
Northern Gannet 3729
Double-crested Cormorant 607
American Oystercatcher 11
Laughing Gull 30
Herring Gull 51
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Ring-billed Gull 17
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 11
Parasitic Jaegar 1
Sea Watch, Halloween 2009
To be brief. It was a SLOW day.
Higlights:
King Eider, Common Tern, Bonaparte's Gull, Brown Pelican, and big Parasitic Jaegar day.
List of birds seen:
Brant (Atlantic) 22
American Black Duck 12
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 3
King Eider 1
Common Eider 2
Surf Scoter 432
Black Scoter 138
dark-winged scoter 9
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Red-throated Loon 44
Common Loon 11
Northern Gannet 582
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 0
Great Cormorant 1
American Oystercatcher 6
Laughing Gull 122
Herring Gull 13
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 9
Forster's Tern 140
Royal Tern 16
Parasitic Jaegar 9
Happy Halloween!
Higlights:
King Eider, Common Tern, Bonaparte's Gull, Brown Pelican, and big Parasitic Jaegar day.
List of birds seen:
Brant (Atlantic) 22
American Black Duck 12
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 3
King Eider 1
Common Eider 2
Surf Scoter 432
Black Scoter 138
dark-winged scoter 9
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Red-throated Loon 44
Common Loon 11
Northern Gannet 582
Brown Pelican 5
Double-crested Cormorant 0
Great Cormorant 1
American Oystercatcher 6
Laughing Gull 122
Herring Gull 13
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 9
Forster's Tern 140
Royal Tern 16
Parasitic Jaegar 9
Happy Halloween!
Sea Watch Friday, October 30, 2009
Today started out as though it could have developed into the big day with huge flocks of cormorants flying by in the first hour and a seemingly good diversity of other birds moving through, but alas it turned out to be another day at Avalon Sea Watch with the total number of birds at 11,629.
We set new day highs for Red-breasted Mergansers (RBME) and White-winged Scoters (WWSC) with 29 RBME and 43 WWSC. And today we continue to smash past Brown Pelican records with yet another additional sighting today for a total of 626. We are now also starting to get Scaup in greater numbers with 18 Greater Scaup and 4 Lesser Scaup seen today (14 of the Greater with 4 of the Lesser in a flock with a Common Eider).
And for a few disappointed visitors wanting to see a Parasitic Jaegar, I saw 5 in the last 2 and 1/2 hours of the day. Josh, you missed yours by less than 15 minutes, and it was a pretty good look.
Here is a list of birds seen today.
Brant (Atlantic) 20
Wood Duck 4
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 1
Green-winged Teal 312
Greater Scaup 18
Lesser Scaup 8
Scaup sp. 1
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 1952
White-winged Scoter 43
Black Scoter 1449
dark-winged scoter 17
Red-breasted Merganser 29
Red-throated Loon 109
Common Loon 21
Northern Gannet 3080
Brown Pelican 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3868
Great Cormorant 2
American Oystercatcher 9
Laughing Gull 330
Herring Gull 32
Great Black-backed Gull 66
Ring-billed Gull 65
Forster's Tern 68
Royal Tern 68
Parasitic Jaegar 5
And one last note that I forgot to mention last post, as of yesterday we broke 300,000 birds we have thus far counted migrating south this season.
We set new day highs for Red-breasted Mergansers (RBME) and White-winged Scoters (WWSC) with 29 RBME and 43 WWSC. And today we continue to smash past Brown Pelican records with yet another additional sighting today for a total of 626. We are now also starting to get Scaup in greater numbers with 18 Greater Scaup and 4 Lesser Scaup seen today (14 of the Greater with 4 of the Lesser in a flock with a Common Eider).
And for a few disappointed visitors wanting to see a Parasitic Jaegar, I saw 5 in the last 2 and 1/2 hours of the day. Josh, you missed yours by less than 15 minutes, and it was a pretty good look.
Here is a list of birds seen today.
Brant (Atlantic) 20
Wood Duck 4
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 1
Green-winged Teal 312
Greater Scaup 18
Lesser Scaup 8
Scaup sp. 1
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter 1952
White-winged Scoter 43
Black Scoter 1449
dark-winged scoter 17
Red-breasted Merganser 29
Red-throated Loon 109
Common Loon 21
Northern Gannet 3080
Brown Pelican 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3868
Great Cormorant 2
American Oystercatcher 9
Laughing Gull 330
Herring Gull 32
Great Black-backed Gull 66
Ring-billed Gull 65
Forster's Tern 68
Royal Tern 68
Parasitic Jaegar 5
And one last note that I forgot to mention last post, as of yesterday we broke 300,000 birds we have thus far counted migrating south this season.
Morning Flight Friday October 30, 2009
My last morning counting up on the dike this season was an extremely slow one, although there were a couple of interesting birds around, including singles of Red-headed Woodpecker and White-crowned Sparrow (both juveniles). Shorebirds up on the dike were highlighted by 27 White-rumped Sandpipers and a high count of 59 Dunlin, although they were cycling in and out. There was also another large early morning movement of Cormorants which died off after the first hour and change.
eBird list:
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/30/09
Notes: N-S flight line. East winds.
Number of species: 49
Brant (Atlantic) 7
Wood Duck 2
Northern Pintail 1
Surf Scoter 250
Black Scoter 600
Double-crested Cormorant 7000
Great Blue Heron 2
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Semipalmated Plover 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5
Least Sandpiper 20
White-rumped Sandpiper 27
Dunlin 59
Laughing Gull 150
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 21
Mourning Dove 2
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 55
Tree Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
American Robin 335
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 78
Palm Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 15
Swamp Sparrow 10
White-throated Sparrow 8
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 3000
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 45
eBird list:
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/30/09
Notes: N-S flight line. East winds.
Number of species: 49
Brant (Atlantic) 7
Wood Duck 2
Northern Pintail 1
Surf Scoter 250
Black Scoter 600
Double-crested Cormorant 7000
Great Blue Heron 2
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Semipalmated Plover 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5
Least Sandpiper 20
White-rumped Sandpiper 27
Dunlin 59
Laughing Gull 150
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 21
Mourning Dove 2
Red-headed Woodpecker 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 55
Tree Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
American Robin 335
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling X
American Pipit 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 78
Palm Warbler 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 15
Swamp Sparrow 10
White-throated Sparrow 8
White-crowned Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 3000
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Common Grackle 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 45
Sea Watch Thursday, October 29, 2009
Well today was a little warm-up to the "big day" with over 27,000 birds. It was a big Surf Scoter day, followed by Cormorants, and Black Scoter.
There is the potential that tomorrow maybe the "big day," because it has to happen some time.
Other than a lot of bird movement nothing new showed up. We had two more Long-tailed ducks today, and today has been the biggest Red-throated Loon day at 160 individuals.
One more item of interest, we still have the flock of 11 Common Eider hanging around the jetty.
Here is a lost of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 121
Wood Duck 3
American Black Duck 12
Mallard 1
Green-winged Teal 88
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 2
Common Eider 7
Surf Scoter 12540
White-winged Scoter 17
Black Scoter 3904
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Red-throated Loon 160
Common Loon 14
Northern Gannet 581
Brown Pelican 10
Double-crested Cormorant 5541
Great Blue Heron 16
American Oystercatcher 12
Laughing Gull 7
Herring Gull 4
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 36
Forster's Tern 45
Royal Tern 9
There is the potential that tomorrow maybe the "big day," because it has to happen some time.
Other than a lot of bird movement nothing new showed up. We had two more Long-tailed ducks today, and today has been the biggest Red-throated Loon day at 160 individuals.
One more item of interest, we still have the flock of 11 Common Eider hanging around the jetty.
Here is a lost of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 121
Wood Duck 3
American Black Duck 12
Mallard 1
Green-winged Teal 88
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 2
Common Eider 7
Surf Scoter 12540
White-winged Scoter 17
Black Scoter 3904
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Red-throated Loon 160
Common Loon 14
Northern Gannet 581
Brown Pelican 10
Double-crested Cormorant 5541
Great Blue Heron 16
American Oystercatcher 12
Laughing Gull 7
Herring Gull 4
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Ring-billed Gull 36
Forster's Tern 45
Royal Tern 9
Morning Flight Thursday October 29
Today was quite slow but was salvaged by the sudden appearance of a Yellow-headed Blackbird. It flew right over my head with two Red-winged Blackbirds and rapidly disappeared. After that we went on a bit a roll with new species for the dike for this season. In rapid succession we had White-winged Scoter, Red-throated Loon, and Ruddy Duck, all new for the season. Otherwise we had a trickle of Yellow-rumpeds and not much else.
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/29/09
Number of species: 62
Mallard 6
Green-winged Teal 2
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 40
dark-winged scoter sp. 80
Ruddy Duck 1
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 4
Northern Gannet 15
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 15
Lesser Yellowlegs 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 4
Least Sandpiper 12
White-rumped Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 25
Laughing Gull 85
Ring-billed Gull 25
Herring Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 65
Forster's Tern 12
Royal Tern 3
Rock Pigeon 15
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 12
Fish Crow 8
Tree Swallow 200
Carolina Chickadee 5
Carolina Wren 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Hermit Thrush 2
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 12
American Pipit 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 213
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Northern Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 95
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 45
Location: Cape Island--Higbees Beach SWA--Dike
Observation date: 10/29/09
Number of species: 62
Mallard 6
Green-winged Teal 2
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 40
dark-winged scoter sp. 80
Ruddy Duck 1
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 4
Northern Gannet 15
Double-crested Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 15
Lesser Yellowlegs 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 4
Least Sandpiper 12
White-rumped Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 25
Laughing Gull 85
Ring-billed Gull 25
Herring Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 65
Forster's Tern 12
Royal Tern 3
Rock Pigeon 15
Mourning Dove 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 15
American Crow 12
Fish Crow 8
Tree Swallow 200
Carolina Chickadee 5
Carolina Wren 6
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Hermit Thrush 2
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 12
American Pipit 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 213
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 3
Northern Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 95
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 45
Sea Watch Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Well the big day still has not happened; if anything today was a rather "small" day with less than 4,000 birds moving through. The first five hours were especially hard, having counted less than five-hundred birds as I went into the sixth hour.
Today we set a new high for the number of Parasitic Jaegars seen in a day for this season, and that number is 5. This brings us up to 32 PAJA for the season. My goal is not to be the counter with the lowest Jaegar record.
The highlight of the day was the Common Eider flock that stuck around the jetty all day allowing any visitors a good view of them.
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 7
Wood Duck 4
American Black Duck 37
Northern Pintail 25
Green-winged Teal 10
Greater Scaup 12
Lesser Scaup 4
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 1841
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 556
dark-winged scoter sp. 340
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 5
Common Loon 5
Northern Gannet 255
Brown Pelican 6
Double-crested Cormorant 236
American Oystercatcher 2
Laughing Gull 15
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 8
Ring-billed Gull 78
Common Tern 1
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 132
Royal Tern 36
Parasitic Jaegar 5
Today we set a new high for the number of Parasitic Jaegars seen in a day for this season, and that number is 5. This brings us up to 32 PAJA for the season. My goal is not to be the counter with the lowest Jaegar record.
The highlight of the day was the Common Eider flock that stuck around the jetty all day allowing any visitors a good view of them.
Here is a list of birds seen today:
Brant (Atlantic) 7
Wood Duck 4
American Black Duck 37
Northern Pintail 25
Green-winged Teal 10
Greater Scaup 12
Lesser Scaup 4
Common Eider 1
Surf Scoter 1841
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 556
dark-winged scoter sp. 340
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Red-throated Loon 5
Common Loon 5
Northern Gannet 255
Brown Pelican 6
Double-crested Cormorant 236
American Oystercatcher 2
Laughing Gull 15
Herring Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 8
Ring-billed Gull 78
Common Tern 1
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 132
Royal Tern 36
Parasitic Jaegar 5
Monarch Migration Project - Week 7 & Week 8
Greetings All!
This post will be a longer one, since I will be combining Week 7 and Week 8's posts. Hopefully I haven't kept folks waiting anxiously for too long, but as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder right?
In these past two weeks, as predicted, our Monarch numbers tapered off significantly. There were some days I was scouring the point and occasionally sprinting up and down Coral Avenue after a single Monarch to take to one of the demos. Well, the results speak for themselves:
Week 7: 3.88 monarchs/hr
Week 8: 20.23 monarchs/hr
The storms really worked their magic on Week 7, leading the Monarch Team to cancel two of our weekend demos due to inclement weather and a general lack of butterflies. Week 8 picked up a bit with the arrival of a cold front and northwest winds though, for the most part, our Monarch friends have gotten out of Dodge. Most of us have instead been witnessing migrations from a different sort, leading us to Week 7 and Week 8's Butterflies of the Week(s)!
Week 7's Butterfly of the Week: the Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
ID Points: Medium-sized orange butterfly, with a silver colored question mark (though some would argue the Question Mark spotting appears more like a semi-colon or slightly misshapen bass clef symbol) spotting pattern on the underside of the hindwing. The perimeters of the wings appear bright blue. Distinguishable from the Eastern Comma by an additional horizontal black spot found on the subapical region of the forewing. The Question Marks currently found around the point are a part of the fall/winter brood.
Food plant: Members of the Elm Family, Nettles, and Hackberry
Range: Widespread throughout this region, and as far north as Southern Canada, and west as North Dakota.
Interesting Facts: The Question Mark is another migratory species that, in the past week or so, has been seen on the move across the Delaware Bay to the more southern regions of the coastal U.S. Currently, we are witnessing the fall-winter broods, which are significantly more orange than their spring counterparts that appear blacker in color at the base of their hindwings. It is the spring brood that is ultimately responsible for repopulating the Cape May region each season; though their arrival in the late spring is considerably less dramatic than the movement we are seeing currently.
Week 8's Butterfly of the Week: the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
ID Points: Generally appears smaller in size and lacks the subapical spot on the forewing like the Question Mark. The underside of the hindwing possesses the characteristic silver "comma" that, through binoculars, can be easily missed or mistaken as its' close relative. This species also has spring-summer and fall-winter broods with the same general black to orange hindwing patterning.
Food plant: Elms and Nettles
Range: Also widespread throughout this region, with similar distribution throughout the U.S. as the Question Mark, though less commonly found any further north of Maine.
Interesting Facts: Behaviorally speaking, they are strikingly similar to the Question Mark and it is common to find both species together in the same place. Such an example can be seen below in a fruit feeder set out on a lawn in West Cape May.
As Halloween approaches I'm finding myself wanting to stay longer here in Cape May. This town and all the wonderful people in it have truely worked their magic on me. I've been blessed to live in two countries outside the U.S. for work and school and had some wonderful job opportunities, but nothing in my life has been truely as rewarding as my experience here. I know that I will never forget the people that I have met here who have treated me like part of the big family that is the Cape May Bird Observatory/N.J. Audubon. Thank you all for the Wednesday night poker games, all of the amazing goodies at the potlucks, and for the guidance and patience many of you have given me as I've delved into the world of birding for the very first time this fall. A very special thanks goes to the members of Team Monarch: Dick Walton, Patsy Eickelberg, Louise Zemaitis, Michael O'Brien (thank you for all the pictures), Mark Garland and Paige Cunningham, Bill and Edie Schul, Cameron Cox, and Laura (thank you thank you thank you for your help on the dead-heading around the Point): I couldn't have had a better group of amazing people to work with if I tried.
Most importantly, thank you. Yes you, the readers of this blog, the individuals who came to our tagging demos, the individuals whose curiosity led them to come out and hear about our project's work, the individuals who refused to limit themselves to what they already knew - your support has been invaluable.
Though this year was a slower season, as most of us say, there's always another year and there's always tomorrow. May you all have a very safe and relaxing fall filled with life birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and everything else in between.
Cheers,
Claire
P.S. If anyone would like to reach me or keep in contact my e-mail is: ceiseton@gmail.com
This post will be a longer one, since I will be combining Week 7 and Week 8's posts. Hopefully I haven't kept folks waiting anxiously for too long, but as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder right?
In these past two weeks, as predicted, our Monarch numbers tapered off significantly. There were some days I was scouring the point and occasionally sprinting up and down Coral Avenue after a single Monarch to take to one of the demos. Well, the results speak for themselves:
Week 7: 3.88 monarchs/hr
Week 8: 20.23 monarchs/hr
The storms really worked their magic on Week 7, leading the Monarch Team to cancel two of our weekend demos due to inclement weather and a general lack of butterflies. Week 8 picked up a bit with the arrival of a cold front and northwest winds though, for the most part, our Monarch friends have gotten out of Dodge. Most of us have instead been witnessing migrations from a different sort, leading us to Week 7 and Week 8's Butterflies of the Week(s)!
Week 7's Butterfly of the Week: the Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
ID Points: Medium-sized orange butterfly, with a silver colored question mark (though some would argue the Question Mark spotting appears more like a semi-colon or slightly misshapen bass clef symbol) spotting pattern on the underside of the hindwing. The perimeters of the wings appear bright blue. Distinguishable from the Eastern Comma by an additional horizontal black spot found on the subapical region of the forewing. The Question Marks currently found around the point are a part of the fall/winter brood.
Food plant: Members of the Elm Family, Nettles, and Hackberry
Range: Widespread throughout this region, and as far north as Southern Canada, and west as North Dakota.
Interesting Facts: The Question Mark is another migratory species that, in the past week or so, has been seen on the move across the Delaware Bay to the more southern regions of the coastal U.S. Currently, we are witnessing the fall-winter broods, which are significantly more orange than their spring counterparts that appear blacker in color at the base of their hindwings. It is the spring brood that is ultimately responsible for repopulating the Cape May region each season; though their arrival in the late spring is considerably less dramatic than the movement we are seeing currently.
Week 8's Butterfly of the Week: the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
ID Points: Generally appears smaller in size and lacks the subapical spot on the forewing like the Question Mark. The underside of the hindwing possesses the characteristic silver "comma" that, through binoculars, can be easily missed or mistaken as its' close relative. This species also has spring-summer and fall-winter broods with the same general black to orange hindwing patterning.
Food plant: Elms and Nettles
Range: Also widespread throughout this region, with similar distribution throughout the U.S. as the Question Mark, though less commonly found any further north of Maine.
Interesting Facts: Behaviorally speaking, they are strikingly similar to the Question Mark and it is common to find both species together in the same place. Such an example can be seen below in a fruit feeder set out on a lawn in West Cape May.
As Halloween approaches I'm finding myself wanting to stay longer here in Cape May. This town and all the wonderful people in it have truely worked their magic on me. I've been blessed to live in two countries outside the U.S. for work and school and had some wonderful job opportunities, but nothing in my life has been truely as rewarding as my experience here. I know that I will never forget the people that I have met here who have treated me like part of the big family that is the Cape May Bird Observatory/N.J. Audubon. Thank you all for the Wednesday night poker games, all of the amazing goodies at the potlucks, and for the guidance and patience many of you have given me as I've delved into the world of birding for the very first time this fall. A very special thanks goes to the members of Team Monarch: Dick Walton, Patsy Eickelberg, Louise Zemaitis, Michael O'Brien (thank you for all the pictures), Mark Garland and Paige Cunningham, Bill and Edie Schul, Cameron Cox, and Laura (thank you thank you thank you for your help on the dead-heading around the Point): I couldn't have had a better group of amazing people to work with if I tried.
Most importantly, thank you. Yes you, the readers of this blog, the individuals who came to our tagging demos, the individuals whose curiosity led them to come out and hear about our project's work, the individuals who refused to limit themselves to what they already knew - your support has been invaluable.
Though this year was a slower season, as most of us say, there's always another year and there's always tomorrow. May you all have a very safe and relaxing fall filled with life birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and everything else in between.
Cheers,
Claire
P.S. If anyone would like to reach me or keep in contact my e-mail is: ceiseton@gmail.com
Sea Watch Tuesday October 27, 2009
The first couple of hours at the Seawatch today were difficult to say the least. The rain and winds made the condition of the optics less than favorable and the visibility was very bad. However, after the rain stopped the visibility rapidly improved, and despite the salt spray it became rather pleasant. Common Eiders continue to put on a good showing, with a flock that built to 11 individuals by the end of the day sitting just of the main jetty. The early morning Gannet spectacle in the rain was a great show, and the day was finished off with a Dickcissel mixed in with the local House Sparrow flock next to the parking lot.
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/27/09
Notes: NE Winds, rain for the first 3 hours.
Number of species: 41
Brant (Atlantic) 14
Wood Duck 11
American Wigeon 5
American Black Duck 11
Northern Pintail 32
Green-winged Teal 142
Greater Scaup 10
Lesser Scaup 1
Common Eider 14
Surf Scoter 3403
White-winged Scoter 2
Black Scoter 2534
dark-winged scoter sp. 652
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Red-throated Loon 45
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 574
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant 147
Great Cormorant 1
Osprey 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 9
Sanderling 45
Dunlin 50
Laughing Gull 61
Herring Gull 17
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Forster's Tern 28
Royal Tern 55
Rock Pigeon X
Carolina Chickadee 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 1
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 1
Dickcissel 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 55
Location: Avalon Seawatch
Observation date: 10/27/09
Notes: NE Winds, rain for the first 3 hours.
Number of species: 41
Brant (Atlantic) 14
Wood Duck 11
American Wigeon 5
American Black Duck 11
Northern Pintail 32
Green-winged Teal 142
Greater Scaup 10
Lesser Scaup 1
Common Eider 14
Surf Scoter 3403
White-winged Scoter 2
Black Scoter 2534
dark-winged scoter sp. 652
Red-breasted Merganser 9
Red-throated Loon 45
Common Loon 1
Northern Gannet 574
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant 147
Great Cormorant 1
Osprey 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 2
Semipalmated Plover 9
Sanderling 45
Dunlin 50
Laughing Gull 61
Herring Gull 17
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Forster's Tern 28
Royal Tern 55
Rock Pigeon X
Carolina Chickadee 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 1
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
White-throated Sparrow 1
Dickcissel 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 55