Northwesterly winds behind the cold front pushed birds along their fall migration route last night. Birds are seen taking flight after sunset and continuing into the morning hours. Cape May is likely the best bet this morning and there was a definite NW –> SE trajectory on this push. I can’t wait to hear the reports!
Good Birding
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2 responses to “Migration last night”
Though I can’t speak for Cape May, there definitely was no observable passerine migration at Sandy Hook this morning. Visited for an hour and a half and nothing active or around. hopefully things will be better tomorrow there.
Wendy
Sam Galick
to JerseyBirds
More options 10:41 pm (2½ hours ago)
Today at Cape May there was a very nice flight of raptors. I had the
following numbers in just a couple of hours between the CMPT Hawkwatch and
the Meadows:
7 Bald Eagles- 2 Adult birds, others in various stages 6 from the Meadows
the last one at the hawkwatch.
3 Peregrine Falcons–flying high
46 Merlins- Amazing Merlin flight towards sunset one eating a tree swallow
on the wing.
3 Cooper’s Hawk- spooking some starlings at the Meadows
1 Sharp Shinned Hawk- being chased by a Merlin
39 American Kestrels- Mostly at the hawkwatch, sometimes in close pairs
8 Osprey-Fishing and flying around
Otherwise at the meadows:
9 Northern Shovelers
31 American Wigeons
17 Blue Winged Teal
45 Green Winged Teal
8 American Black Ducks
1 Wood Duck
1 Common Moorhen- oddly placed right in the middle of one of the ponds with
a few Green Winged Teal.
1 Piping Plover- on the beach taking shelter in a depression in the sand
from where I was walking. I was deeply honored to have helped this little
guy survive the sand whipping winds!
800 Black Skimmers- Huge flock!
Hand fulls of Palm Warblers and an American Redstar
Otherwise at CMPT the lighthouse yielded:
4 Royal Terns
1 Parasitic Jeager- birding with Chris Vogel, saw it for a brief time.
80 Great Black Backed Gulls- Their beach roost.
I heard that the trail at the lighthouse was good for warblers by the red
barn, and that Higbees had a nice showing raptors