Saturday, October 10, 2009

Still Here, More Coming

All those birds flying south yesterday morning wound up on Cape Island and stayed there for this morning's birding, especially in Cape May Point. The highlight passerine wise was the 10+ species of warblers in one tree at the corner of Coral and Cambridge in Cape May Point, and the highlight there was this very drab female Cape May Warbler rigorously defending her part of the tree from the multiple Pine, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Blackpoll, and single Tennesee Warblers. I must have missed a couple. . .oh yeah, Nashville, Northern Parula, and I heard of Magnolia and Black-throated Green. One tree.

The Vesper Sparrow was in the same spot in the west (Stevens Street side) field at the Beanery early in the morning, in the hedgerow adjoining the vineyard.

The hawks that are fliers - falcons, accipiters, Ospreys, and harriers - were flying in the strong northwest wind after the front cleared Cape May this morning. Noon to one was a 22 Peregrine hour, for example. The rips were active, with roughly 4 Parasitic Jaegers and about a dozen Brown Pelicans found among the terns and gulls. Scoters, gannets and a little flock of Purple Sandpipers picked by Tony Leukering were flybys offshore, seen from the hawk watch platform.

Photos of all those warblers will likely be forthcoming here, from me or perhaps Tony Leukering will put up some of his. It was a real confusing fall warbler clinic.

Tonight and tomorrow look very, very interesting - north winds at 10-15 mph overnight, and northwest at 10 tomorrow.

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