While overall numbers were certainly down from yesterday, a slight increase in diversity made for a fun flight this morning! Our first American Redstarts of the season zipped through the phrag early on; in just a few weeks these sleek little Warblers will be moving through in the thousands! Both species of Waterthrush flew by at several points throughout the morning, providing a fun ID challenge. Louisiana's won't be around for too much longer, so we'll do our best to savor every one! The Yellow Warbler flight from yesterday continued this morning, with a total of 14 northbound birds.
Non-Warbler migrants were few and far between this morning, but several Orchard Orioles made close passes over the phragmites, and singles of Bobolink and Eastern Kingbird made their way on to the count as well. Shorebirds are continuing to hang out in the small pool atop the dike, mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers with a handful of Spotted Sandpiper and Short-billed Dowitchers. Two calling Whimbrels flew up the canal this morning, certainly one of my favorite waders!
You never know what might fly by on these early season days, so come on up to the Dike and try your luck! These low-density mornings offer a great learning experience as well, allowing plenty of time to study baseline species like Yellow Warbler.
See you in the field!
Jerald Reb
Morning Flight - Thursday, August 1, 2019
Hello everyone, and welcome to the Fall 2019 migration count season! It seems strange to be talking about fall while most people are still enjoying their summer vacations, but birds don't subscribe to our views of the seasons and there are plenty of songbirds already winging their way south.
This morning provided evidence of that fact with a solid flight of Yellow Warblers, a fitting way to kick off the season! Over the course of the morning we tallied over fifty of the bright little Warblers as they redirected and flew north, away from the daunting Delaware Bay crossing.
While the Yellow Warblers were the undisputed highlight of the morning, there were a few other migrant species sprinkled in in smaller numbers. A lone Northern Waterthrush (a prominent feature in early September mornings) was a nice sign of flights to come. Two Orchard Orioles were fun to see; this species is an early season migrant and will be all but gone by the end of August. We'll certainly try to enjoy them while they last!
Local birds (AKA future migrants) also put on a show this morning, with dozens of Swallows zipping by. Indigo Buntings are still singing their hearts out from the Phragmites, and American Goldfinches are zooping around in display flights as this is still the middle of their breeding season.
With one day behind us, we still have an entire season of great things to come! The south winds predicted for the next week may not provide us with any strong movements, but there's always something fun happening on the Dike! You can check out our daily Morning Flight totals on the New Jersey Audubon website at https://njaudubon.org/watches/morning-flight/. Huge thanks to our sponsors: Swarovski Optik and Actions@EBMF, and thank you to Trektellen for our continued partnership.
See you in the field!
Jerald Reb
This morning provided evidence of that fact with a solid flight of Yellow Warblers, a fitting way to kick off the season! Over the course of the morning we tallied over fifty of the bright little Warblers as they redirected and flew north, away from the daunting Delaware Bay crossing.
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| Two of the 50+ Yellow Warblers we counted this morning |
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| Swallows like this Tree Swallow were abundant around the Dike this morning, though most lacked any strong migratory direction |
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| American Goldfinches are still performing display flights on the daily |
See you in the field!
Jerald Reb
Avalon Seawatch - 2018 Season in Review
Hi everyone!
Here's a brief breakdown of some Seawatch totals and highlights for the 2018 season!
Top 5 (south):
Black Scoter - 280,462 [Highest season total ever]
Surf Scoter - 114,909
Red-throated Loon - 59,828
Northern Gannet - 33,812
Double-crested Cormorant - 129,478
Rarities (north + south):
Cackling Goose - 1
Ross's Goose - 1
King Eider - 3
Harlequin Duck - 4
Pacific Loon - 1
Cory's Shearwater - 5
Manx Shearwater - 10
shearwater sp. - 3
Red-necked Grebe - 9
Brown Booby - 1
Piping Plover - 1
Marbled Godwit - 1
Black-legged Kittiwake - 20
Little Gull - 1
Arctic Tern - 1
Pomarine Jaeger - 4
Long-tailed Jaeger - 1
Razorbill - 2530
large alcid sp. - 1259
Other Notable Totals (south):
Northern Pintail - 947 on 10/16 [highest single day total ever]
Common Eider - 266 [third highest season ever]
Long-tailed Duck - 3528 [highest season since 1997]
Red-breasted Merganser - 995 [second lowest season ever]
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 68 on 10/12 [second highest single day total]
American Oystercatcher - 177 on 10/12 [highest single day total ever]
A huge thanks to all the visitors who visited the Seawatch this season, to Swarovski for providing the amazing optics, and to Tom Reed for all his help this season!
Best,
David Weber
Here's a brief breakdown of some Seawatch totals and highlights for the 2018 season!
Top 5 (south):
Black Scoter - 280,462 [Highest season total ever]
Surf Scoter - 114,909
Red-throated Loon - 59,828
Northern Gannet - 33,812
Double-crested Cormorant - 129,478
Rarities (north + south):
Cackling Goose - 1
Ross's Goose - 1
King Eider - 3
Harlequin Duck - 4
Pacific Loon - 1
Cory's Shearwater - 5
Manx Shearwater - 10
shearwater sp. - 3
Red-necked Grebe - 9
Brown Booby - 1
Piping Plover - 1
Marbled Godwit - 1
Black-legged Kittiwake - 20
Little Gull - 1
Arctic Tern - 1
Pomarine Jaeger - 4
Long-tailed Jaeger - 1
Razorbill - 2530
large alcid sp. - 1259
Other Notable Totals (south):
Northern Pintail - 947 on 10/16 [highest single day total ever]
Common Eider - 266 [third highest season ever]
Long-tailed Duck - 3528 [highest season since 1997]
Red-breasted Merganser - 995 [second lowest season ever]
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 68 on 10/12 [second highest single day total]
American Oystercatcher - 177 on 10/12 [highest single day total ever]
A huge thanks to all the visitors who visited the Seawatch this season, to Swarovski for providing the amazing optics, and to Tom Reed for all his help this season!
Best,
David Weber
Seawatch - December 17-22
The final week of the Seawatch! And what a week it was. We had a massive flight of Razorbills; the largest in Seawatch history. We also topped off the season with a few rarities! Here are the totals per day:
December 17: 1610
December 18: 2768
December 19: 2617
December 20: 1695
December 21: 71
December 22: 4369
Tom Reed had some excellent birds on Monday and Tuesday, with a Canvasback, two Harlequin Ducks, a late Laughing Gull, and 6 Black-legged Kittiwakes. There was also an excellent Long-tailed Duck flight on Tuesday the 18th, with 804 southbound birds.
Wednesday had a couple Mute Swan fly north past the jetty, a scarce bird at the Seawatch, a southbound Ruddy Duck, and a Red-necked Grebe. And the last day of the Seawatch, the 22nd, had two jaegers--one a Pomarine and another left unidentified.
But undoubtably the highlight of the week was the massive Razorbill flight that occurred. Here are the numbers of both southbound and northbound birds, adding together both closer definite Razorbills and distant large alcid sp. (which are almost certainly all Razorbill):
Monday the 17th: 9 south, 220 north
Tuesday the 18th: 713 south, 113 northWednesday the 19th: 455 south, 108 northThursday the 20th: 6 south, 59 northFriday the 21st: 0 (fogged in)Saturday the 22nd: 2067(!!!) south, 27 north
I even went back out at sunrise the day after the count ended to see if the movement continued, and Tom Reed the day after that:
Sunday the 23rd: 453 south
Monday the 24th: 298 south
That's an unprecedented total of over 4500 actively migrating alcids in 8 days! (To put that in perspective, the highest season total for Razorbill before this week was 86!) And with over 2000 on the last day of the count, along with 1000 Northern Gannets, the last day was certainly memorable!
That's a wrap on another great season! Stay tuned for a season overview and wrap-up!
David Weber
December 17: 1610
December 18: 2768
December 19: 2617
December 20: 1695
December 21: 71
December 22: 4369
Tom Reed had some excellent birds on Monday and Tuesday, with a Canvasback, two Harlequin Ducks, a late Laughing Gull, and 6 Black-legged Kittiwakes. There was also an excellent Long-tailed Duck flight on Tuesday the 18th, with 804 southbound birds.
Wednesday had a couple Mute Swan fly north past the jetty, a scarce bird at the Seawatch, a southbound Ruddy Duck, and a Red-necked Grebe. And the last day of the Seawatch, the 22nd, had two jaegers--one a Pomarine and another left unidentified.
But undoubtably the highlight of the week was the massive Razorbill flight that occurred. Here are the numbers of both southbound and northbound birds, adding together both closer definite Razorbills and distant large alcid sp. (which are almost certainly all Razorbill):
Monday the 17th: 9 south, 220 north
Tuesday the 18th: 713 south, 113 northWednesday the 19th: 455 south, 108 northThursday the 20th: 6 south, 59 northFriday the 21st: 0 (fogged in)Saturday the 22nd: 2067(!!!) south, 27 north
I even went back out at sunrise the day after the count ended to see if the movement continued, and Tom Reed the day after that:
Sunday the 23rd: 453 south
Monday the 24th: 298 south
That's an unprecedented total of over 4500 actively migrating alcids in 8 days! (To put that in perspective, the highest season total for Razorbill before this week was 86!) And with over 2000 on the last day of the count, along with 1000 Northern Gannets, the last day was certainly memorable!
That's a wrap on another great season! Stay tuned for a season overview and wrap-up!
David Weber
Seawatch - December 10-16
What started off as a good week with good scoter movement and diversity ended as a very slow week with little movement. Here are the totals:
December 10: 4532
December 11: 2675
December 12: 970
December 13: 1584
December 14: 648
December 15: 396
December 16: 606
Tom Reed had a good Monday and Tuesday highlighted by a Razorbill, Cackling Goose, Red-necked Grebe, and a Black-legged Kittiwake, along with a couple thousand scoters. The rest of the week afterward, however, was very slow with very little movement. Check out the individual day totals to see more details!
Stay tuned for our last week of the count! As a little sneak preview, we've had at least a couple Razorbills so far...
David Weber
December 10: 4532
December 11: 2675
December 12: 970
December 13: 1584
December 14: 648
December 15: 396
December 16: 606
Tom Reed had a good Monday and Tuesday highlighted by a Razorbill, Cackling Goose, Red-necked Grebe, and a Black-legged Kittiwake, along with a couple thousand scoters. The rest of the week afterward, however, was very slow with very little movement. Check out the individual day totals to see more details!
Stay tuned for our last week of the count! As a little sneak preview, we've had at least a couple Razorbills so far...
David Weber
Seawatch - December 3-9, 2018
Unlike last week, this week was much more consistent with west and northwesterly winds all week and 2-4 thousand birds. Here're the totals for the week:
December 3: 4904
December 4: 3204
December 5: 2102
December 6: 2690
December 7: 2221
December 8: 3477
December 9: 2372
Tom Reed had very diverse days on the 3rd and 4th, highlighted by a Ross's Goose, Canvasback and Redheads, a Common Merganser, 3 Razorbills, 2 King Eiders, a Harlequin Duck, a Red-necked Grebe, and even a late Least Sandpiper and an American Woodcock coming in off the ocean.
Wednesday the 5th was relatively slow but brought a Humpback Whale and another Harlequin duck. The 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th all brought 100+ Long-tailed Ducks each day. The 8th had another small push of scoters, with 1000+ Black Scoters and 300+ Surf Scoter.
There are some east winds in the forecast, so make sure to keep track of what shows up at the Seawatch!
December 3: 4904
December 4: 3204
December 5: 2102
December 6: 2690
December 7: 2221
December 8: 3477
December 9: 2372
Tom Reed had very diverse days on the 3rd and 4th, highlighted by a Ross's Goose, Canvasback and Redheads, a Common Merganser, 3 Razorbills, 2 King Eiders, a Harlequin Duck, a Red-necked Grebe, and even a late Least Sandpiper and an American Woodcock coming in off the ocean.
Wednesday the 5th was relatively slow but brought a Humpback Whale and another Harlequin duck. The 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th all brought 100+ Long-tailed Ducks each day. The 8th had another small push of scoters, with 1000+ Black Scoters and 300+ Surf Scoter.
There are some east winds in the forecast, so make sure to keep track of what shows up at the Seawatch!
Seawatch - November 26 - December 2, 2018
The days are becoming much more hit and miss as we enter December. The difference between east wind and west wind days is more noticeable, but there's always something moving here at the Seawatch! Check out our totals from this past week:
November 26: 6140
November 27: 3177
November 28: 976
November 29: 3572
November 30: 12,024
December 1: 9093
December 2: 373
The most exciting news from this week is that we have officially broken the record for the highest season count of Black Scoter!!! Those who were following along last year know that last year was the record high count of Black Scoter as well, with around 264,000. Well, at the end of this week, we already have 270,000! How many will we end the season with? Keep checking in to the blog to find out!
Rare birds of the week include Little Gull, 5 Razorbill, and a Pomarine Jaeger. The highlight of the week was definitely the flight of November 30th, with 12,000 total birds! I had 4500 Black Scoter that day, which officially put us over last year's single season record of Black Scoter, along with nearly 1400 Surf Scoter and 1100 Surf/Black Scoters. Not to mention 2300 Red-throated Loons and 100 Long-tailed Ducks! For a late November day, there were certainly lots of scoter!
There weren't too many other standout days, so be sure to check out each day's count to see what I'm not mentioning!
Good birding!
November 26: 6140
November 27: 3177
November 28: 976
November 29: 3572
November 30: 12,024
December 1: 9093
December 2: 373
The most exciting news from this week is that we have officially broken the record for the highest season count of Black Scoter!!! Those who were following along last year know that last year was the record high count of Black Scoter as well, with around 264,000. Well, at the end of this week, we already have 270,000! How many will we end the season with? Keep checking in to the blog to find out!
Rare birds of the week include Little Gull, 5 Razorbill, and a Pomarine Jaeger. The highlight of the week was definitely the flight of November 30th, with 12,000 total birds! I had 4500 Black Scoter that day, which officially put us over last year's single season record of Black Scoter, along with nearly 1400 Surf Scoter and 1100 Surf/Black Scoters. Not to mention 2300 Red-throated Loons and 100 Long-tailed Ducks! For a late November day, there were certainly lots of scoter!
There weren't too many other standout days, so be sure to check out each day's count to see what I'm not mentioning!
Good birding!
Hawkwatch - End of Season Summary - 53,399 Raptors & More!!
Text and photos by Erik
Bruhnke
2018 Cape May Hawkwatch
Counter
Cape May Bird
Observatory
The 2018 Cape May
Hawkwatch enjoyed many highlights throughout the season. Quieter moments took
place earlier on in September, with record-breaking highlights throughout the
middle portion of migration, and solid late-season flights continuing through
the closing day.
September was filled
with a smattering of unseasonably hot days. The warm temperatures mixed with
east and southeast winds to create lulls in the numbers of raptors detected
daily. There was one catch to the less-than-favorable conditions... while these
winds often keep many soaring raptors to the north (farther away from Cape May
Point) they also bring raptors that might be migrating over the ocean into view
from the hawkwatch. Despite these challenging winds, this season racked up the
second highest seasonal Osprey count (6064 individuals) and second highest
seasonal Peregrine Falcon count (1520 individuals) in the history of the Cape
May Hawkwatch! Both of these raptors are known for migrating over both land and
bodies of water. These species are sometimes seen at first light hauling across
Delaware Bay, and they can also be seen midday soaring high overhead with the
other raptors. A total of 11,986 raptors were counted throughout September.
Early morning songbird flights of warblers and other long-distance songbird
migrants wowed visitors all month long.
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Juvenile
Peregrine Falcon
|
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Sharp-shinned
Hawk
|
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| This rare Manx Shearwater showed up on September 9th. It is being chased by a Parasitic Jaeger in this photo. |
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| One of seven Hudsonian Godwits counted from the hawkwatch platform. |
October was filled with
many cool days supported by north and northwest winds. On October 12th, the
largest American Kestrel count ever documented in Cape May took place. These
beautiful falcons were already aloft by twilight, migrating through the early morning
skies of violet and black. By day's end, 5,406 American Kestrels had been
tallied. Watching them was mesmerizing. Counting them was exhilarating.
Witnessing that day's migration felt like a dream. Fourteen of the 15 Golden
Eagles observed this fall were also seen in October, part of the month’s total
of 35,305 raptors. Winter finches also begun moving through the area.
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American
Kestrel
|
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Immature
Golden Eagle
|
Like October, November
was filled with many cool days and northwest winds. We experienced numerous
exciting flights of Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks. Northern Goshawk
numbers increased as the month progressed. All of the 17 Northern Goshawk documented
this fall were seen in November. A strong Bald Eagle flight continued from the
previous two months, tallying 921 individuals for the season. This is the
highest Bald Eagle total ever compiled in Cape May hawkcounting history. A
total of 6,205 raptors were counted in November. A grand total of 15 species of
raptors were documented throughout the three months.
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Juvenile
Red-tailed Hawk
|
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Juvenile
Northern Goshawk
|
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Adult
Red-shouldered Hawk
|
Hawkwatches are great
places to study raptors and non-raptors alike. One of the pleasures of the Cape
May Hawkwatch is its proximity to the ocean as well as its placement at the end
of a prominent peninsula. Forests and marshes to our north offer shelter and
food for a rich variety of birds migrating through the area. Beyond the tip of
Cape May Point is the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, which bring many offshore-dwelling
birds into view. Just beyond the hawkwatch platform is Bunker Pond, an
important source of food and fresh water to many waterfowl and shorebirds
making their way through. The adjacent habitats of Cape May Point State Park
are home to many year-round and migrating bird species. The overall bird migration
this season lived up to its claim to fame! The annual "inundation" of
Yellow-rumped Warblers and high-flying American Robins took place. Swirling
murmurations of Tree Swallows took our breath away as they flocked together for
safety or merely took a break from eating the rich supply of bayberries. It is
a great challenge putting this spectacle into words. These flights of birds
will change the way you see the outdoors.
Winter finches were also
a noteworthy part of this fall's highlights. Busy flocks of Purple Finches
poured through the skies earlier on, followed by several Red Crossbills,
Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins, and thousands of American
Goldfinches. Throughout the season we also witnessed Sandhill Cranes flying by,
a rare but annual treat for the area. A Little Gull was documented in November,
only to be followed by a Black-headed Gull!
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Sandhill
Cranes
|
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Juvenile
Black-headed Gull
|
Every fall is different,
and the world around us is ever-changing. This year marked the 43rd season
of the Cape May Hawkwatch. Us hawk counters do what we do for the love of bird
migration and for the love of contributing to a better understanding of birds.
A special shout out goes to Count Coordinator Tom Reed for his using his
expertise and skills as a relief counter. The 53,495 raptors counted this fall
will take their place in the long-term analysis of population trends. This
season total represents the highest raptor count since 1999. The camaraderie of
everyone coming together has again made this such a special place. Birds bring
us together, and it has been a pleasure experiencing this migration with
everyone who reads the blog and visits the hawkwatch.
Wishing you all good
birding,
Erik Bruhnke
Hawkwatch - Sunday-Tuesday November 25-29, 2018
The past few days have been filled with a mix of weather conditions. Earlier in the week we had southeast winds and rainy conditions. The more-recent past few days have been filled with strong winds out of the west and northwest. These winds can really funnel birds into the area. Today, November 29th, there were 178 birds tallied from the hawkwatch... a solid raptor count for a late November day. It will be interesting to see what raptors show up tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the last day of the 2018 Cape May Hawk Watch. Stop by and bring your binoculars for a fun time to enjoy the migration, natural beauty of the area, and to reminisce about the many fun times earlier in the fall. It would be great to see you tomorrow!
Good hawkwatching,
Erik Bruhnke
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| Adult Bald Eagle flushing the ducks on Bunker Pond. |
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| Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk |
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| Juvenile Black-headed Gull |
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| Big flock of blackbirds! Most of them are Common Grackles. Look closely for the Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds. |
Good hawkwatching,
Erik Bruhnke
Seawatch - November 19-25, 2018
The past week had several good days with 10,000+ birds, consisting of a lot of Red-throated Loons and scoters! Here's the weekly breakdown (including northbound birds):
November 19: 18,923
November 20: 15,627
November 21: 4,548
November 22: 3,517
November 23: 14,618
November 24: 10,071
November 25: 5,005
Rarities this week included a King Eider, a Black-legged Kittiwake, and a Pomarine Jaeger, as well as some Common Mergansers and two Canvasbacks, which are unusual past the Seawatch. Also very interesting were a Common Redpoll north past the Seawatch on the 19th and an American Woodcock coming in off the ocean on the 22nd. The 19th and 20th had big Red-throated Loons days, with 6400 and 8200 respectively. The 23rd and 24th had over 5000 and 6000 scoters respectively.
Check out the links above to see the exact totals!
November 19: 18,923
November 20: 15,627
November 21: 4,548
November 22: 3,517
November 23: 14,618
November 24: 10,071
November 25: 5,005
Rarities this week included a King Eider, a Black-legged Kittiwake, and a Pomarine Jaeger, as well as some Common Mergansers and two Canvasbacks, which are unusual past the Seawatch. Also very interesting were a Common Redpoll north past the Seawatch on the 19th and an American Woodcock coming in off the ocean on the 22nd. The 19th and 20th had big Red-throated Loons days, with 6400 and 8200 respectively. The 23rd and 24th had over 5000 and 6000 scoters respectively.
Check out the links above to see the exact totals!
Hawkwatch - Saturday, November 24, 2018
Blustery east winds kept many raptors at bay, both figuratively and literally. East winds slow down the rate of raptors approaching the southernmost tip of New Jersey, and keep them a little north of us where they attempt to cross the Delaware Bay. Several Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks made an appearance, as did a greater number of Sharp-shinned Hawks. It was a slower day overall for migration. The hawkwatch ended up closing at 2:30pm today due to rain.
Tomorrow's forecast is sunny skies and northwest winds. These conditions are really good for migrating raptors to pass through the Cape May area. Hope to see you at the hawkwatch!
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| Today's sightings. |
Good hawkwatching,
Erik Bruhnke
Hawkwatch - November 20-23, 2018
Recent northwest winds and a strong cold front have brought many raptors our way. Kettles of Red-shouldered Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks are continuing to push through. Solid Bald Eagle numbers are expanding our Bald Eagle season totals; the highest Bald Eagle count in the history of the Cape May Hawk Watch. Two Northern Goshawk made an appearance this morning; one of them perching within 50 feet of the hawkwatching platform! Bunker Pond almost froze over entirely last night. It's been a brisk and bird-filled past few days.
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| Sunrise behind the hawkwatch platform, full moon on the horizon. |
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| Sandhill Cranes. |
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| Juvenile Northern Harrier. |
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| Juvenile Northern Goshawk perched nearby! |
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| Great Cormorant (upper left) and Double-crested Cormorant (bottom right). |
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| Today's totals. |
See you at the hawkwatch,
Erik Bruhnke
Seawatch - November 12-18, 2018
Sorry for the delay in getting out the blogs! Here are the numbers for last week:
November 12: 31,943
November 13: 9,440
November 14: 6,750
November 15: 13,145
November 16: 6,518
November 17: 7,612
November 18: 16,016
Tom Reed had an excellent day on Monday the 12th, with over 1000 Green-winged Teal, over 10,000 scoters, over 4000 Red-throated Loons, and a good gull movement consisting of over 600 Laughing Gulls and over 1000 Ring-billed Gulls. There was also an excellent diversity of ducks, with 21 species! Tuesday the 13th was quite a bit slower for Tom, but was headlined by a Red-necked Grebe, a Razorbill, and even a Gray Seal! The 2116 southbound Black Scoters made up the majority of Tuesday's flight.
Wednesday the 14th was even slower than the previous day, but was highlighted by a flock of 31 Tundra Swans, another Red-necked Grebe, a few late Black Skimmers and a late Osprey, and a close Common Goldeneye. The day was dominated, as most days this week were, by Red-throated Loons, with 1762 throughout the day.
Thursday the 15th had strong easterly winds, which produced 3560 Surf Scoter and 4683 Black Scoter. Not to be forgotten, 2073 Red-throated Loons were in the mix as well. Also of note was a nice movement of over 300 scaup, 771 Green-winged Teal, and a Razorbill.
Friday the 16th was quite different, with only a few hundred loons and scoters each, but with a late push of 1770 Double-crested Cormorants and 1224 Laughing Gulls! A late Brown Pelican was seen heading north toward Sea Isle and 10 Common Eider were seen going south.
Saturday the 17th was dominated by Red-throated Loons, with 3436 tallied. Nearly 1000 Black Scoter and over 400 Surf Scoter were counted along with a smattering of gulls and ducks in small numbers. A diverse but low number day overall.
Sunday the 18th had straight north winds and was quite cold in the morning (37 degrees), causing a good movement of scoters and loons. 5174 Black Scoter, 3175 Surf Scoter, and 38 White-winged Scoters kept the day very busy, while a solid 3648 Red-throated Loons made the day hectic at time! It's often hard to keep track of everything when a wave of loons totaling upwards of 500 birds comes through all in a few minutes! (Not to mention how tired my clicker hand gets!) A big shoutout to Chris Payne, previous Montclair Hawkwatcher and fresh off a season at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, for helping count scoters while I was busy with loons.
That's all for last week! I encourage you to take a look at the individual numbers for each day, and stay tuned for this week's summary!
Good birding,
David Weber
November 12: 31,943
November 13: 9,440
November 14: 6,750
November 15: 13,145
November 16: 6,518
November 17: 7,612
November 18: 16,016
Tom Reed had an excellent day on Monday the 12th, with over 1000 Green-winged Teal, over 10,000 scoters, over 4000 Red-throated Loons, and a good gull movement consisting of over 600 Laughing Gulls and over 1000 Ring-billed Gulls. There was also an excellent diversity of ducks, with 21 species! Tuesday the 13th was quite a bit slower for Tom, but was headlined by a Red-necked Grebe, a Razorbill, and even a Gray Seal! The 2116 southbound Black Scoters made up the majority of Tuesday's flight.
Wednesday the 14th was even slower than the previous day, but was highlighted by a flock of 31 Tundra Swans, another Red-necked Grebe, a few late Black Skimmers and a late Osprey, and a close Common Goldeneye. The day was dominated, as most days this week were, by Red-throated Loons, with 1762 throughout the day.
Thursday the 15th had strong easterly winds, which produced 3560 Surf Scoter and 4683 Black Scoter. Not to be forgotten, 2073 Red-throated Loons were in the mix as well. Also of note was a nice movement of over 300 scaup, 771 Green-winged Teal, and a Razorbill.
Friday the 16th was quite different, with only a few hundred loons and scoters each, but with a late push of 1770 Double-crested Cormorants and 1224 Laughing Gulls! A late Brown Pelican was seen heading north toward Sea Isle and 10 Common Eider were seen going south.
Saturday the 17th was dominated by Red-throated Loons, with 3436 tallied. Nearly 1000 Black Scoter and over 400 Surf Scoter were counted along with a smattering of gulls and ducks in small numbers. A diverse but low number day overall.
Sunday the 18th had straight north winds and was quite cold in the morning (37 degrees), causing a good movement of scoters and loons. 5174 Black Scoter, 3175 Surf Scoter, and 38 White-winged Scoters kept the day very busy, while a solid 3648 Red-throated Loons made the day hectic at time! It's often hard to keep track of everything when a wave of loons totaling upwards of 500 birds comes through all in a few minutes! (Not to mention how tired my clicker hand gets!) A big shoutout to Chris Payne, previous Montclair Hawkwatcher and fresh off a season at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, for helping count scoters while I was busy with loons.
That's all for last week! I encourage you to take a look at the individual numbers for each day, and stay tuned for this week's summary!
Good birding,
David Weber
Hawkwatch - Monday, November 19, 2018
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| Adult female Northern Harrier |
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| Juvenile Cooper's Hawk keeping watch from the hawkwatching platform |
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| Pied-billed Grebe |
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| Today's totals |
Hawkwatch - Sunday, November 18, 2018
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| Handsome male Eastern Bluebird. |
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| A late-season Peregrine Falcon. |
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| American Pipit. |
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| Juvenile Cooper's Hawk carrying a American Goldfinch. |
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| A late-season Broad-winged Hawk. |
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| Today's totals. |
Hawkwatch - Friday & Saturday, November 16 & 17, 2018
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| Adult Female Northern Harrier |
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| This flock of Sandhill Cranes flew right over the hawkwatch! |
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| Monarch |
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| The second of three Northern Goshawk seen today. |
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| Redhead |
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| Adult Red-shouldered Hawk |
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| Black-headed Gull walking around the parking lot on Friday morning! |
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| American Pipit |
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| Today's sightings from the hawkwatch. |
Hawkwatch - Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday, November 14, 15, 16, 2018
Howling east winds mixed with sleet and rain have put a damper on the day's migration. A few hardy raptors pushed through before the elements took hold.
Yesterday, Wednesday, was a thrilling late-fall day to scan the skies at the Cape May Hawk Watch. A steady stream of buteos moved throughout the entire day. An incredible movement of 15,683 American Robins and 5,404 American Goldfinches flooded the air with their presence. Within the first hour after daybreak a Common Redpoll and Lapland Longspur flew over the hawkwatch. Lines of Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons streamed by over the Delaware Bay. Birds were all over the place. By the end of the day, 475 raptors were tallied from the hawkwatch.
Northern Goshawk are a late-season treat to witness in Cape May. Often times you have to put in the hours to see them, as they are very uncommon. This is the time of the fall when they can show up, especially after strong and forceful cold fronts move through.
Tomorrow's forecast is blustery northwest winds and clearing skies. The heavy snowfall that took place well north of us could spark an interesting flow of migration in the days to come.
See you at the hawkwatch!
Erik Bruhnke
Yesterday, Wednesday, was a thrilling late-fall day to scan the skies at the Cape May Hawk Watch. A steady stream of buteos moved throughout the entire day. An incredible movement of 15,683 American Robins and 5,404 American Goldfinches flooded the air with their presence. Within the first hour after daybreak a Common Redpoll and Lapland Longspur flew over the hawkwatch. Lines of Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons streamed by over the Delaware Bay. Birds were all over the place. By the end of the day, 475 raptors were tallied from the hawkwatch.
Northern Goshawk are a late-season treat to witness in Cape May. Often times you have to put in the hours to see them, as they are very uncommon. This is the time of the fall when they can show up, especially after strong and forceful cold fronts move through.
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| Hooded Mergansers |
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| Bald Eagle |
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| Merlin carrying a Tree Swallow |
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| Adult Red-shouldered Hawk (bottom left) and juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (upper right). Two different buteo species. What differences do you see? |
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| Adult Peregrine Falcon |
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| One of the spectacular stars of the day... a Juvenile Northern Goshawk! |
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| Wednesday's totals. |
Tomorrow's forecast is blustery northwest winds and clearing skies. The heavy snowfall that took place well north of us could spark an interesting flow of migration in the days to come.
See you at the hawkwatch!
Erik Bruhnke