Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Whales, Jaegers, Notes in the Night, and FRIDAY

Tony Leukering was out on a boat this morning and encountered 2 Humpback Whales off Atlantic City, possibly viewable from shore. Perhaps they'll head down to the Avalon Seawatch, where Doug Gochfeld had an adult Pomarine Jaeger flying south this morning. Whales from shore aren't exactly everyday events, and neither are pom's - Parasitic Jaeger is much the expected from-shore jaeger, and I have seen exactly one whale from shore since I've lived in Cape May, that being a Fin Whale off the meadows in June, I think 2007.

The crepuscular Tom Johnson found a high rate of nocturnal flight notes in Cape May City this early morning, including Yellow-rumped Warblers and House Finches, the latter not often heard at night. I heard a number of Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes in the predawn flying over the Delaware Bayshore north of Cape May, heading north as they often do right before dawn. Thrushes seem to engage in "morning flight" before morning comes.

One of a minor influx of Cattle Egrets lately is the bird currently at the corner of Bayshore Road and Stevens Street in Cape May.

And yes, Friday.  We've had fairly steady migration for several days, but a fairly massive high is supposed to build in behind a passing cold front towards the end of the week, and it seems like Friday will be a really good day to take off from work. . .

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