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MONTCLAIR HAWKWATCH UPDATE – Late Season Summary
The second half of this unique 2020 season had its share of challenges but was also a boon of amazing observations. Bad weather continued through the last two weeks of…
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Birding Cape May Point – December 5, 2020
Leaders: Kathy Horn Temp: 42° F Winds: NW 30-35 mph Weather Conditions: Rain – Light to Heavy 44 species Species Count Canada Goose 18 Mute Swan 65 Tundra Swan…
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Monarch Quilt Silent Auction
SILENT AUCTION! This handmade quilt with a monarch butterfly motif has been donated to the Cape May Bird Observatory’s Monarch Monitoring Project to help raise funds for the project. The…
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Brigantine and Mott’s Creek Special Field Trip 11/28/20
Leaders: Chris Marks, Barb Bassett, and Mary Watkins Temp: 54° F – 58° F Winds: West 2-10 mph Weather Conditions: partly cloudy 44 species Species Count Brant 2500 Canada…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – Nov 20th to 30th
That’s all she wrote. The 2020 Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik, is officially finished and in the books. Stayed tuned to the end of this post for the…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – Nov. 11th to Nov. 24th
This period started off slow but ramped up into quite a busy two weeks! Wednesday the 11th was overall slow, with a little over 1000 gannets and over 150 Laughing…
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MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE – Winter Finch Invasion
With late-November upon us and the 2020 morning flight count in the books, I’ve been meaning to post about the last few weeks of the season. An incredible early season…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – November 13th to19th
Wind was the name of the game this week at the Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Almost every day saw sustained winds at 20mph and even up to…
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Reflecting on Successful Advocacy: NJ’s Comprehensive Plastics Law
By Dini Checko, Project Director, ANJEC; Sandra Meola, Director, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed; and Alex Ambrose, Policy Associate, ANJEC It’s official. New Jersey is now home to the…
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Building a Trans-Inclusive Workplace
By Olivia Le Warn, Engagement Coordinator, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed November 13th-19th is Transgender Awareness Week, followed by Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th. Transgender Awareness Week…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – November 4th to 10th
While we have passed our scoter peak, this week still brought plenty of scoter and increasing numbers of gannets and loons. The 4th was dominated by gannets, with 4716 southbound…
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Stewardship and Community Engagement in Cape May
Cape May is a place with many titles, a community known for its pristine beaches, history, beautiful architecture, and diverse offerings of food and drink. To others, the Cape May…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – November 6th to 12th
This week felt more like September than November at the Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Every day this week we saw above average temperatures with dew points in…
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The 2020 Women in Conservation Leadership Summit: An Intentional Shift to Racial Equity & Justice
By Rita Yelda, Outreach & Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Despite COVID-19 preventing an in-person Women in Conservation Leadership Summit this year, the National Wildlife Federation’s team…
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MONARCH MONITORING PROJECT – November Monarchs
Our field season runs from September 1 to October 31, and in some years, we see very few monarchs after about October 20. Big numbers of migrating monarchs arrive to…
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MONARCH MONITORING PROJECT – Results of the 2020 Census
Perhaps the most important parts of the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project is the census that we conduct. Our census is modification of a technique known as a “Pollard Transect,”…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 30th to November 5th
The Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik, is two-thirds finished and the final month of the autumn season is now underway. More on that later. October, as a whole,…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – October 28th to November 3rd
Our peak scoter movement continues from last week! Read on to see the day-by-day breakdown, but Halloween was especially notable, with over 68,000 birds, the largest day I have counted…
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MONARCH MONITORING PROJECT – Season Wrap Up
The 2020 Field Season for the Monarch Monitoring Project wrapped up on Saturday, October 31 — our field season runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 each year. We have…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – October 21st to 27th
The scoters have arrived! Massive scoter movement dominated this week, culminating in a 20,000+ bird day, a 35,000 bird day, two 40,000+ bird days, and a 50,000 bird day; back-to-back,…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 23rd to 29th
Yet another week of unsettled weather at the Cape May Hawkwatch sponsored by Swarovski Optik. It seemed like each day produced a unique suite of weather conditions ranging from rainy…
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MONTCLAIR HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 13th to 16th
The weather was tough this week with Monday and Friday being washed out and Tuesday’s count being delayed; however, migration continued and our cast of characters shifted a bit to…
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MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE – October 18th
It’s really looking like fall in Cape May with leaves changing, temps dropping, and winter species arriving. The overall trend this fall continued as consistent cold fronts brought northwest winds…
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MONTCLAIR HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 5th to 11th
The morning of October 5th was dominated by songbirds as noisy flocks of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches bounced past the watch, a sure sign of the season. As the…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – October 7th to 20th
These past two weeks saw a noticeable uptick in movement, with our first 10,000+ bird days. Double-crested Cormorants continued in good numbers daily, Black Scoters arrived in force, and a…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 16th to 22nd
Unfortunately, migration was mostly at a standstill this week at the Cape May Hawkwatch sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Up until this week, migration was more or less nonstop minus a…
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MONARCH MONITORING PROJECT – Final Events
The last of our originally scheduled educational programs occurred on October 17th. With the continuation of mild weather and presence of good numbers of monarchs around Cape May, we are…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – OCTOBER 9th – 15th
October continues to roll on with exceptional hawk migrations at the Cape May Hawkwatch sponsored by Swarovski Optik. The NW winds continued to blow throughout the region. And as we…
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MONTCLAIR HAWKWATCH UPDATE – OCTOBER 9TH
Saying Goodbye to September and Remembering a Montclair Icon As we round out the month of September, we reluctantly say goodbye to peak season for Broad-winged Hawks. This week’s total…
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AVALON SEAWATCH UPDATE – OCTOBER 6TH
Hi everyone! This is David Weber, and I’m back for my 4th year counting the Avalon Seawatch! Time sure does fly by! I’ll be posting weekly updates from here on…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – October 1st – 8th
October started out with a bang at the Cape May Hawkwatch sponsored by Swarovski Optik. We saw a healthy amount of NW winds, allowing the floodgates to open, and migrants…
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MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE – OCTOBER 4th (another mega flight!)
Flights this week were consistently good with a few days that really stood out. Strong diversity continued as well with multiple mornings having over 20 species of warblers. As a…
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Imagine a #DayWithoutTheDelaware
By Rita Yelda, Outreach & Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Organizations within the Delaware River Basin come together every year on October 18 for a social media…
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MONTCLAIR HAWKWATCH UPDATE – September 30
As we round out the fourth week of the 2020 fall season, it’s clear that we have reached the beginning of the end for Broad-winged Hawk migration. We’ve had a…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – September 25th – 30th
Hard to believe the first month of the Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik, is officially behind us. Despite a slow start to the last week of the month,…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – September 24
An explosion of migration occurred throughout week 3 of the Cape May Hawkwatch sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Conditions were conducive to migration nearly every day this week with the culmination…
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MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE – September 27
It was a surprisingly productive week given the number of days with south and southwesterly winds. Flights were consistent with excellent diversity throughout. Tuesday and Wednesday had nice northwesterly winds…
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CAPE MAY HAWKWATCH UPDATE – September 17
Week 2 of the Cape May Hawkwatch, sponsored by Swarovski Optik, is in the books and was headlined by a massive American Kestrel flight on September 14th. A light northerly…
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MORNING FLIGHT UPDATE – September 13 (Pileated Woodpecker!)
A relatively slow week compared to the last. However, we did have a couple productive days and some notable highlights. The week started with east winds, high humidity and high…
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Cape May Hawkwatch Update – September 10
Greetings! Jesse Amesbury here, back for my second stint as the Cape May Hawk Counter. I am really looking forward to getting back up on the platform again and soaking…
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What Makes New Jersey a Better Place for People and Wildlife? Our Volunteers!
New Jersey Audubon owes so much to the great group of volunteers that donate their most valuable resource to help make New Jersey a better place for people and wildlife.…
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Where the Wild Things Are: Seed Collections Jumpstart Reforestation at Cape May Point State Park
By Brittany Dobrzynski, Stewardship Project Coordinator – South Conservation work continues along Seagrove Avenue at Cape May Point State Park, where New Jersey Audubon has been removing non-native invasive…
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Plans for 2020 Monarch Migration Season
Sorry we haven’t published anything in a long time, it’s taken us a while to figure out how we will run our project this year in the midst of the…
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A “Blueprint” for Recovery – Nest Boxes and the Eastern Bluebird
The brilliant blue of an Eastern Bluebird is a common sight in New Jersey, but that was not always the case. From the mid-1930s to the 1970s, Eastern Bluebird populations…
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ENDANGERED GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER FOUND IN A MANAGED SITE ON SPARTA MOUNTAIN!
On May 20, 2020 a rare Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) was found using a patch of young forest on Sparta Mountain where the mature trees had previously been harvested to…
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Restoration Efforts Continue at Cape May Point State Park
By Steven Garcia, Stewardship Technician New Jersey Audubon continues to restore and create habitat throughout New Jersey. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have adapted new approaches and strict…
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NJA Helps Farmer to Become First Cranberry Producer to be Approved for USDA Funded Bobwhite Quail Habitat Restoration Program
Joseph J. White, Inc (which markets through Pine Barrens Native Fruits, LLC), a 390-acre cranberry farm at Whitesbog, NJ that is owned and operated by fifth-generation cranberry growers Joe Darlington…
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Conservation Work Continues Even in Uncertain Times
Although the world is a lot different now, what has not changed is the need to conserve and protect our natural resources for a healthier planet. Donned in facemasks and…
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Restoring Lake Lily at Cape May Point
Amid the Covid-19 crisis, New Jersey Audubon continues its commitment to conserve wildlife and habitat through the active management, restoration and enhancement of public and private lands throughout the state.…
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Avalon Seawatch – Season Wrap-up
A snowy morning on December 11th. And that’s a wrap on another good season! I’ll briefly go over the last few weeks of the season and then present you with…
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NJ Audubon Wattles Stewardship Center Recognized as a NJ Sustainable Business
New Jersey has its share of environmental issues, however, more and more businesses across New Jersey are implementing sustainable environmentally friendly business practices in an effort to reduce or mitigate these…
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Birding Cape May Point – Saturday, December 7, 2019
Winter is the time for ducks in Cape May since our only locally breeding ducks are mallards, black ducks, wood ducks and, recently, gadwall. We had 13 duck species on…
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Cape May Hawkwatch End of Season Update – November 30th
Where did the season go? Hard to believe that the 2019 fall season is already over. Those three months flew by! Stay tuned to the end of this post for…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- November 21st
This past week started out on a high note, with 12 migrating Black Vultures passing overhead on the 15th. Although local individuals of both vulture species still appear frequently around…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – November 17th
As usual, Tom started the week off with excellent numbers and diversity in light to moderate southwest winds. Monday had brought an excellent flight of Red-throated Loons (2120) and Northern…
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No Till November
New Jersey Audubon and our partners are asking farmers throughout New Jersey to “keep the stubble” on their land following the harvest of commodity crops (i.e. corn, soybeans, etc). It’s…
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SECOND ANNUAL NORTHWOOD CENTER BIOBLITZ
By Adehl Schwaderer George Myers Naturalist All of us have the ability to make our outdoor spaces more suitable for wildlife in many different ways. Hanging bird feeders, providing…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – November 10
This week got off to an exceptional start, with a whopping 38,000 birds on Monday thanks to northeast winds shifting to southeast over the course of the day. Easterly or…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- November 14th
This week at the hawkwatch was notable in regard to non-raptor species. On the 8th, following the previous week’s trend, large numbers of Brants migrated overhead, with the day’s count…
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Cape May Hawkwatch – November 12th
The standout day this week was without a doubt Friday November 8th. It was a classic fall day in Cape May; brisk northerly winds and cool temperatures. The kind of…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- November 7th
Strong North winds arrived on the first day of November, clearing away evidence of the fog and drizzle that had persisted the previous week. With these winds came a strong…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – November 2nd
This update covers October 14th through November 2nd and is to catch us up to the current week! The last three weeks have been quite excellent in diversity, but…
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Cape May Hawkwatch – November 7th
Hard to believe two-thirds of the season is in the books! Unfortunately, October ended on a slow note. We were plagued with less than ideal weather conditions; many days of…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- October 31st
The weather on the majority of the days this week has not been conducive to raptor migration observation. From Tuesday the 29th through Thursday the 31st, slow winds from the…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- October 24th
This week, Turkey Vultures continued to be the most numerous raptor migrant. Notable days for this species were the 21st and 23rd, during which 73 and 43 individuals passed over,…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – October 13th
The week of October 7th through the 13th was dominated by a nor’easter, with four days of strong generally northeastern winds with some flooding around Avalon. Despite this seemingly good…
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Cape May Hawkwatch Update – October 23rd
This week produced a dramatic mix of flights depending on the weather. Friday October 18th saw our biggest flight of the week. After tropical storm strength wind gusts on Thursday…
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- October 17th
As the season continues to progress with changing weather and shorter days at the Montclair Hawkwatch, the assemblage of migrants and local birds has also shifted. Temperature has stayed consistently…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – October 6th
The week of September 30th through October 6th got off to a great start, with Tom Reed having an excellent flight of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (19), Parasitic Jaegers (43), and…
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Cape May Hawkwatch Update – October 16
Another week in the books for this fall season. The standout flight this week was Thursday October 10th. Although the forecast of seasonably warm temperatures coupled with a light northerly…
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Avalon Seawatch Update – September 29th
Sorry for the delay in posting Seawatch updates! I’ll be posting each week separately until we catch up to the current week! The Avalon Seawatch is off to another season! …
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Montclair Hawkwatch Update- October 10th
The past week at Montclair Hawkwatch has been cool and breezy overall, bringing the season’s first consistent fall weather. On Friday, October 4th, steady northwestern winds and regular gusts helped…
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Cape May Hawkwatch Update – October 8th
Another exciting week at the Cape May Hawkwatch. Every hawkwatcher in the northeast region was salivating at the forecast for Friday October 4th. It was the perfect set up for…
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Morning Flight Update – October 7, 2019
This week on the Dike was fairly quiet in terms of large movements, but the slower days allowed us to really appreciate the newer arrivals! Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, those…
New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey’s citizens; protects New Jersey’s birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey’s valuable natural habitats.