Sunday, September 13, 2009

Not Epic - Just Real Good

Golden-winged Warbler at Higbee, a decent hawk flight plus an occasionally glimpsed American Bittern from the hawk watch, Least Bittern at the meadows, an ever-increasing assortment of ducks including both teal, American Wigeon, Gadwall, and Northern Pintail, and odds and ends migrants all over Cape May summarizes today - though I haven't heard final results from the hawk watch or morning flight yet.

Now, tomorrow. . . September 14, northwest winds overnight, what more could we ask for? Mark Twain said "Predictions are hard, especially concerning the future," but I am excited about the conditions for the start of CMBO's second 3-day Fall Migration Workshop of the year.

I just returned from Stone Harbor Point, where 2 Peregrines and 3 Merlins played with many Semi-palmated Plovers, Western Sandpipers, oystercatchers, gulls, and other assorted birds including a nice count of 25 Caspian Terns. Just a lovely show on a lovely evening. At one point one of the Peregrines, a dark apparent female, blew through crashing waves and a flock of 300 wheeling sanderlings, a scattering of birds and light in the setting sun. At least 10 Piping Plovers linger on the beach at Stone Harbor Point.

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