Hawkwatch - Monday, November 20, 2017

It was a fairly good movement of mid-November raptors this past Monday with 230 tallied. Two different Golden Eagles were the clear raptor highlight of the day bringing our season total to 13, an impressive number for Cape May. And I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more before the season's end!

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2017
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               32             85             89
Turkey Vulture              59            636           1028
Osprey                       0             49           2723
Bald Eagle                   9             75            402
Northern Harrier            29            213            703
Sharp-shinned Hawk          53           1400          10286
Cooper's Hawk               19            209           1644
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          9            264            352
Broad-winged Hawk            0             11           1131
Red-tailed Hawk             14            353            573
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              4
Golden Eagle                 2             10             13
American Kestrel             1             21           6853
Merlin                       3             74           2033
Peregrine Falcon             0             27           1115
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              1
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              4
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Mississippi Kite             0              0              1
Short-eared Owl              0              2              2
Swainson's Hawk              0              1              1

Total:                     230           3431          28959
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 9.2 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

A stunning male Northern Harrier gracefully glides over the marsh.

A trio of Tundra Swans (only 2 seen here) made a couple of passes through the swarm of Tree Swallows early in the morning...

And then I had a flock of 16 (!) Tundra Swans fly right overhead late in the afternoon (two out of view).

Hawkwatch - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

OLD POST :)

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 14, 2017
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture               53             53             57
Turkey Vulture             110            438            830
Osprey                       0             49           2723
Bald Eagle                   9             59            386
Northern Harrier             9            146            636
Sharp-shinned Hawk          65           1135          10021
Cooper's Hawk               14            175           1610
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk         24            238            326
Broad-winged Hawk            0             11           1131
Red-tailed Hawk             52            306            526
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              4
Golden Eagle                 0              8             11
American Kestrel             0             19           6851
Merlin                       6             52           2011
Peregrine Falcon             0             25           1113
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              1
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              4
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Mississippi Kite             0              0              1
Short-eared Owl              0              2              2
Swainson's Hawk              0              0              0

Total:                     342           2717          28245
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:00:00 
Observation end   time: 17:00:00 
Total observation time: 10.05 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Seawatch - Sunday, November 19, 2017

Strong winds from the southwest kept today warm but gusty.  Some gusts were perhaps up to 30 mph!  Regardless, it was a relatively slow day beyond the 1800 Red-throated Loons that passed by today, primarily in the morning.  The rest of the birds were mostly scoters and gannets, bringing the day up to around 3700 birds.  It was, however, a beautiful day despite the wind, with very clear conditions and excellent visibility out over the water.

Check out the totals here: http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171119

Hawkwatch - Sunday, November 19th, 2017

This morning started out with light drizzle and howling west winds. The strong winds were sustained themselves throughout the day, but the gusts became more tame as the day progressed.  Several gusts peaked around 50mph this morning, and by mid-day a slow but steady trickle of raptors had developed with the milder gusts. Thousands of Tree Swallows fluttered in concentrated flocks along the dunes. When the raptors flew through, they were flying very low to the tree tops as they dodged the oncoming winds.

Tomorrow's follow up of sunny skies and steady-but-not-overwhelming west winds could bring some fun northern birds through. Come to the hawkwatch and see what birds are flying!

Osprey and Tree Swallow

Female Northern Harrier

Snow Goose flying through the Tree Swallows

Lesser Black-backed Gull (smaller one, far left) and Herring Gull (light brown bird, far right)
among the Great Black-backed Gull.

Today's totals. Click the image to see a larger view.

Hawkwatch - Saturday, November 18th, 2017

Today's flight of raptors battled the gusty southwest winds. Tomorrow is calling for even stronger southwest winds. Here's to some more raptors migrating through, and maybe some rarities from the south too!

Eastern Bluebird and a Field Sparrow

A chunky Common Loon flies overhead!

Today's count. Click the image for a larger view.

Seawatch - Saturday, November 18, 2017

Today started off relatively busy, with nearly 1000 birds per hour for the first three hours.  However, only 2000 birds were counted in the remaining seven hours, making for a slow mid-day and afternoon.

Today's most notable push of birds were the non-scoter ducks, mixed in with scoters at much higher proportions then they have been recently, making for some difficult counting, trying to keep track of a Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, teal, scaup, and black duck number all at once.  Over 200 American Black Ducks, 284 Green-winged Teal, 187 scaup, as well as a Common Goldeneye, some Bufflehead, and both Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers were counted today, making for good diversity.

Nearly 800 gannets and 500 Red-throated Loons heading past, keeping up the slow-but-steady push of these late-peaking species.  There is bound to be a big push before the end of the month!

Check out the totals here: http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171118

Seawatch - Friday, November 17, 2017

10+ mph northwest winds made for another slow day of around 2600.  Interestingly enough, 900+ Red-throated Loons came through in one single 2-minute push in the afternoon, which accounted for more than half of the total loons and more than a third of the total birds for the day.  A few passerines came off the water throughout the day, including two American Pipits, an American Robin, and three Red-winged Blackbirds.  And a few Monarchs continued to head south, despite being mid-November!

Check out the totals here: http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171117

Hawkwatch - Friday, November 17th, 2017

A few raptors flew through today, with the flight being seen a little to the north as raptors cleared from east to west. The morning flight of thousands of American Robins was swirled with American Pipits, Eastern Bluebirds, 484 Cedar Waxwings, and much more. One of the biggest surprises of the day was a late season American Kestrel!

Female Northern Harrier

Tundra Swans

Cedar Waxwings.

Today's totals. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Hawkwatch -Thursday, November 16th, 2017

Today's flight trickled by to the north of the hawkwatch. Little bursts of Sharp-shinned Hawks swayed through the western winds as Red-tailed Hawks soared high in the sky. A few Red-shouldered Hawks were seen migrating though the eastern horizon, and a Northern Harrier was patrolling over Bunker Pond at sunrise. A flock of thirteen Horned Larks flew over the platform this morning. Keep your eyes out for songbirds from northern landscapes showing up in the days to come, especially tomorrow. A Pine Siskin and Red-breasted Nuthatch were seen this morning, and cold snaps can often bring pushes of songbirds and raptors.

Tomorrow's forecast is strong northwest (favorable) winds, sunny skies, and a considerable temperature drop. Bundle up as there will likely be a sense of windchill. These conditions look promising for a good day of late fall migration! See you at the hawkwatch.

Northern Flicker

Adult Bald Eagle

Osprey working hard to catch some fish.

American Robins taking a breather from migrating all night long.

Barn Swallow migrating by. Most of them have moved through by now.

Mallards and a Gadwall swimming about Bunker Pond.

Today's totals. Click the image to see a larger view.

Seawatch - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Tuesday was another slow day with north winds, with most of the 6000 birds consisting of scoters and nearly 1400 cormorants.  A single flock of 11 Common Eiders heading south was quite a surprise.  Another 460 Red-throated Loons today continued the loon migration; plenty more to come!  Very few gannets, which, again, will increase substantially soon! 

A few late Common Buckeye (butterflies) headed south today as well.

Check out the totals here:

http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171114

Hawkwatch - Wednesday, November 15th, 2017

A gorgeous Swainson's Hawk. It happened today, and it was memorable and amazing. This prairie-nesting buteo is a rare visitor to the east coast, and we've been hoping for one to show up all fall. They are seen almost every year as a rarity in Cape May, but are not expected during most individual visits to the Cape May Hawkwatch platform.

The Swainson's Hawks' structure is unique among North American buteos. Their wings are long, pointed at the tip, and have a graceful curvature when seen in a flap. They hold their wings in a dihedral (V-shape) when soaring, and glide with long "hands" flared back from the mid-wing while streaming through the air. Swainson's Hawks are also quite long-tailed among the buteos, showing off their tails from nearly all angles. Their wingbeats are fluid and pumping, almost like a Northern Harrier but with a different cadence. All-together, it was an exciting experience to witness this bird flapping over The Cape May Meadows heading west, seen for about a minute all together, before exiting out of view.

Every raptor is beautiful and deserves to be savored. That's one of the best things about the Cape May Hawkwatch and hawkwatches near and far. These locations are an opportunity to study the raptors that migrate by. The more we watch them, the better we understand them and the deeper we appreciate their beauty. The Swainson's Hawk that was seen today marks the 5th buteo species at the hawkwatch this fall, and the 19th raptor species (including vultures and owls) that we've tallied since September 1st.

West winds are on the horizon... See you at the hawkwatch!

Swainson's Hawk showing off those lengthy, elongated wings.

Swainson's Hawk taking a moment to glide between flaps.

Red-tailed Hawk. 

This bird may have some abieticola (northern race) lineage within its past, as it is showing golden-orange hues throughout the frontside among robust & bold field marks.

Clay-colored Sparrow, an uncommon late fall visitor in Cape May.

Orange-crowned warbler

Today's totals. Click to view a larger image.

Hawkwatch - Friday - Sunday, November 10-12, 2017

Over the past few days the air was filled with an arctic chill and many raptors. Seasonally-cold temperatures vigorously pushed through the air, starting Friday and Saturday morning's temperature in the 20's with windchill in the teens. Migration was hurried along as strong northern winds gave raptors a tailwind.

Friday was the opening day of the cold front. Often times the leading edge of the cold fronts cause birds to come through in concentrated movements. A total of 64 Cave Swallows, 6 Golden Eagles, 94 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and SO MUCH MORE was tallied on Friday. Saturday's buteo flight was really exciting with numerous Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks, and we had a Black-necked Stilt fly by throughout the afternoon hours. A mid-morning Short-eared Owl was icing on the cake. Sunday's raptor flight was a little slower but good and steady. In the afternoon we had an Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Palm Warbler, Indigo Bunting, and Bobert the Northern Bobwhite just beyond the end of the hawkwatch platform. Throughout the cold front came Tundra Swans, as well as the hawkwatch's first Purple Finch and Snow Bunting of the season.

Uncommon late-season migrants like Northern Goshawk and Rough-legged Hawks are possible through the end of the season, especially when significant cold fronts push through. Hope to see you at the hawkwatch!

Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk (upper left) and juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk (bottom right).

Golden Eagle

Short-eared Owl

Bobert the Northern Bobwhite, doing well this November!

Black-necked Stilt, a rarity for the Cape May Hawkwatch!

Northern Harrier cutting low over the dunes.

Cave Swallow flying over the Cape May Lighthouse

Iceland Gull (top center). Look at those frosty light-tan wings.

Adult Northern Gannet over the ocean.

Northern Mockingbird and Brown Thrasher

Tundra Swans

Savannah Sparrow on the platform.

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin and Red-throated Loon, digiscoped from the hawkwatch platform.

Friday's totals. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Saturday's totals. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Sunday's totals. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Seawatch - Monday, November 13, 2017

Today was a slow and rainy day.  A few small pushes of loons made for a few busy minutes on occasion, but overall the flocks of scoters and loons were few and far between today.  Gannets were present but overall quite minimal in comparison to the past few days, and Red-throated Loons only tallied about a thousand, which is still a good count given the conditions.

Check out today's totals: http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171113

Hawkwatch - Monday, November 13th, 2017

It was a cold and wet November day, and needless to say, there weren't a lot of hawks around for me to count. I started the count late and probably should have ended early since the mist picked back up in the last hour. Not a whole lot of bird action to report. There was a late Barn Swallow still hanging around and the Glossy/White-faced Ibis landed in Bunker Pond but quickly walked out of view soooo that was fun (kindof).

Cape May
Cape May Point, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 13, 2017
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              4
Turkey Vulture               0            328            720
Osprey                       0             49           2723
Bald Eagle                   1             50            377
Northern Harrier             3            137            627
Sharp-shinned Hawk          12           1070           9956
Cooper's Hawk                1            161           1596
Northern Goshawk             0              1              1
Red-shouldered Hawk          0            214            302
Broad-winged Hawk            0             11           1131
Red-tailed Hawk              0            254            474
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              4
Golden Eagle                 0              8             11
American Kestrel             0             19           6851
Merlin                       1             46           2005
Peregrine Falcon             0             25           1113
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              1
Unknown Buteo                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              4
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Raptor               0              0              0
Mississippi Kite             0              0              1
Short-eared Owl              0              2              2

Total:                      18           2375          27903
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 09:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 7 hours

Official Counter:        Melissa Roach

Can't have a blog without at least one photo...even a bad one.

Seawatch - Sunday, Nov 12, 2017

Today was a great day, with over 15,000 birds tallied.  The first big push of Red-throated Loons and Northern Gannets occurred, with 3742 and 1668 respectively.  A nice smattering of  dabbling ducks, mostly American Black Ducks and Green-winged Teal, were mixed in with a few thousand scoters (mostly Black).  Unfortunately many birds were far out and left unidentified.

Check out the totals here: http://trektellen.org/count/view/1747/20171112

Seawatch - Wednesday & Thursday, Nov. 8-9, 2017

This past Wednesday and Thursday were great days at the Avalon Seawatch, especially Thursday! Wednesday was a slow and steady day with just over 13,000 birds while Thursday was rocking with around 27,600 birds counted!! We saw big pushes of Red-throated Loons, Northern Gannets, Black Scoters, and Common Eiders. It's definitely getting colder at the Seawatch but that doesn't stop the seabirds from migrating so bundle up and come check out the action!

Wednesday's totals: http://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/1747/20171108

Thursday's totals: http://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/1747/20171109

A Peregrine Falcon looks for potential food in the early morning.

Black Scoters

Well you don't see this every day. A Northern Harrier just cruising along the jetty and making its way gracefully through the crashing waves.

These Black Scoters didn't seem phased by the rough seas on Wednesday either.

A squadron of Red-throated Loons.

Northern Gannets heading south.