View From The Cape

Final Cape May Hawkwatch Update: November 19th – 30th

After ninety-one consecutive days of counting migrating birds of prey, the 2021 autumn season has officially ended. Keep reading to find out the grand total of raptors counted this season! First, I need to cover the final leg of the season.  After a slow start to the beginning of November,…...

Read more

Montclair Hawk Lookout Update: Nov 3rd – 30th, 2021

As is typical at Montclair, November was the slowest month this season, with the bulk of migrants composed of Turkey Vultures and Red-shouldered Hawks. The latter did not seem to accompany the former as they frequently did in October, but instead, often appeared to materialize suddenly out of thin air,…...

Read more

Birding Cape May Point – December 4, 2021

Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Bernie Hodgdon Temp: 50° F Winds:  NE 5 mph Weather Conditions: mostly cloudy The State Park ponds are currently hosting a large variety and number of ducks and they all looked beautiful in this morning’s warm sunlight. The male Eurasian Wigeon is still on Lighthouse Pond. Two…...

Read more

Cape May Hawkwatch Update: November 5th – 18th

Just like every hawkwatch in the northeastern US, the daily totals follow a bell curve throughout the fall season. They start out low in September and slowly increase until they peak in October and then slowly decrease throughout November. Unfortunately, the totals seem to be dropping rapidly during the first…...

Read more

Morning Flight Season Recap

Sunrise over the back of the Dike. Photo by Jerald Reb November 15th was the final day of the 2021 Morning Flight season, so it’s time to take a look back at the highlights of this fall! We ended the count with over 335,000 individual birds counted and over 220…...

Read more

Sunset Beach: A Place for all Seasons – November 14, 2021

Leaders: Mary Watkins, Ruth Bergstrom, Bernie Hodgdon Temp: Winds:  WNW 15 mph Weather Conditions: 27 species Species Count Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Laughing Gull 1 Herring Gull 12 Great Black-backed Gull 25 Northern Gannet 3 Double-crested Cormorant 14 Black Vulture 1 Turkey Vulture 6 Cooper’s Hawk…...

Read more

Rarity Roundup Special Field Trip – November 13, 2021

Leaders: Brett Ewald Temp: 55° F Winds:  SW 5-10 mph Weather Conditions: sunny 37 species – Cape May Point State Park – 8:38am Species Count Canada Goose 4 Mute Swan 43 Blue-winged Teal 11 Northern Shoveler 7 Gadwall 75 Eurasian Wigeon 1 American Wigeon 75 Mallard 60 American Black Duck…...

Read more

Fall Migrants at the Rea Farm – November 13, 2021

Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Bernie Hodgdon Temp: 58° F Winds:  E 10 mph Weather Conditions: sunny It’s a very good day when you can say, “this wet wood is home to Rusty Blackbirds in winter”, and they show up! Such was the case this morning when a small flock…...

Read more

Birding the Barrier Islands Special Field Trip – November 12, 2021

Leaders: Dave Pollard, Lynn Pollard Temp: Winds: Weather Conditions: 14 species – Stone Harbor Point 1:00pm Species Count Brant 20 Black Scoter 60 Sanderling 75 Herring Gull 15 Great Black-backed Gull 10 Red-throated Loon 1 Northern Gannet 50 Double-crested Cormorant 30 Brown Pelican 5 Northern Harrier 1 Northern Mockingbird 1…...

Read more