Cape May day 2 - 29th September

Today has been a relatively quiet day for smaller passerines with generally a complete clear out of yesterday's birds.  Two species were notable though in a good visible migration.  Around 125 Blue Jays, mostly in flocks of 20+,  and a decent passage of at least 40 Northern Flickers were seen between at Higbees and the Point.  Monarch butterflies continued to move through but numbers were well down on yesterday.  Offshore, terns seemed to be moving south in their hundreds. Forster's was the main player accompanied by Royal and Caspian.

Local birder Tom Reed puts in a daily shift counting raptors from the viewing platform.  Today he counted the following: Osprey 61, Bald Eagle 3,  Northern Harrier 2,  Sharp-shinned Hawk 100, Cooper's Hawk 17, Broad-winged Hawk 1, American Kestrel 8, Merlin 7  and Peregrine Falcon 87.  Not a bad haul but apparently still quiet! Tom Reed link

Other species of interest that I saw included a Clapper Rail at Stone Harbor and Black-crowned Night Heron at the Wetland Center.  21 Greater Yellowlegs in a flock were also a surprise.  Five Pectoral Sandpipers, four Lesser Yellowlegs, one Solitary Sandpiper and one Least Sandpiper were present at the NC pools though we missed the adult Green Heron.

Tomorrow the wind changes to northerly instead of the hot southerlies of late.  Apparently this means new birds...The images below were taken today in and around the area:

Monarch numbers were reduced today

Mockingbird - fairly common in the area

Yellow-rumped Warbler - the only one seen today

Caspian Tern - about twenty seen  today

Forster's Tern - hundreds moving south today including this obliging bird

Greater Yellowlegs - part of a flock of 21 birds.