NJ - Cape May - Day 3 October 12th

American Kestrel (in migration) - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 
The CMBO counters tallied over 5400 for the day.

We met at 06:45 hours and headed over towards Higbee Beach for another attempt at the Morning Flight. Severe thunderstorms had awoken some of our party during the night but hadn't disturbed others, including me! On arrival at Higbee Beach dike we didn't even bother getting out vehicle as the whole area was being pounded by near gale force WNW winds. Instead we headed for the sheltered hedgerows and fields of Higbee Beach WMA but only found a single Eastern Phoebe. Having seen Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed and Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Osprey on the move before sunrise we decided to head for the dedicated CMBO Hawkwatch Platform at Cape May Point State Park. Even though it was still relatively early, raptors were scattered all over the sky with flurries of American Kestrels, Merlins and Cooper's Hawks setting the theme for the rest of the day. Indeed, the day belonged to the small falcons and we had difficulty tearing ourselves away for brunch though we needn't have worried as raptors poured through at an even heavier rate in early afternoon. The end result, according to CMBO staff, was a new one day record for American Kestrel with over 5400 recorded but I think I was secretly more impressed with the Merlins that peppered the sky throughout the day sometimes playfully (and not so playfully) stooping at the thousands of Tree Swallows gathering over the dunes and bunker pond. Apparently the CMBO staff tallied almost 500 Merlins for the day!

Merlin  - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Migrant of the day for my money.

Osprey - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Great Blue Herons (in migration) - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Snow Geese with Canada Geese - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

The specks all over this shot are Tree Swallows.

Snow Geese - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Tree Swallows - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Absolutely mesmerizing numbers of Tree Swallows passing through Cape May.

Eastern Phoebe - Higbee Beach WMA, Cape May Island, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

Cape May Warbler - Cape May Point State Park, NJ. October 12th, 2018. 

This isn't to say that we weren't too overwhelmed to look at other birds during the course of the day and with a great selection of waterfowl on view at bunker pond that included Snow and Cackling Geese, Eurasian and American Wigeons, and Blue-winged and Green-winged Teals, we didn't have to go too far. Indeed, the state park was the place to be with Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, and Blackpoll, Yellow-rumped, Nashville and Cape May Warblers all putting on a fantastic show and seemingly oblivious to the hordes of admiring birders.

MA - Northfield shorebirds, kestrels and Cape May Warblers

Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 26th, 2018.

Another volatile weather system brought heavy rain for the whole of the 25th followed by warm, muggy, south-westerlies the next day. Storm related birds appeared to be very few on the 25th but I did find a 'pocket' of shorebirds at Caldwell Road fields in Northfield late in the day. A modest haul of 2 Pectoral, 2 Semi-palmated and 2 Least Sandpipers plus Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer wasn't bad compared to most other sites that I checked which seemed to be bereft of birds. American Pipits though, appeared in numbers for the first time this fall with 11 visible on the sod fields.

American Pipits - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 26th, 2018.

The following day, the 26th, was a very different story. A return to the Caldwell Road fields had me captivated for three hours! The place was hopping and it was clear that a major songbird fall-out had taken place. The very first warbler that I saw and identified was a first-winter Cape May setting the theme for the morning as Cape May Warblers (12 in total) lifted out of the corn fields to filter through the trees and bushes along the roadside. Again, I was struck by the relative abundance of this species in northern Franklin County compared to previous years. Other warbler species included Yellow-rumped (10), Tennessee (5), Magnolia (2), American Redstart (3), Common Yellowthroat (9), Northern Parula (5) and plenty of unidentified birds that were just too quick or high for me to be sure of. Red-eyed (5) and Blue-headed Vireos were both included in the mix and I'm pretty sure I had a Philadelphia Vireo leaf gleaning but just couldn't clinch it.

Cape May Warbler (first-winter) - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 26th, 2018.

American Redstart (first-winter) - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 26th, 2018.

Red-eyed Vireo - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. September 26th, 2018.

Down on the sod fields, some shorebirds remained and had even increased from the previous evening, surprising given the clearing weather conditions - 5 Least, 2 Pectoral, and 3 Solitary Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer, and an increase to 35 American Pipits.

Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 26th, 2018.

In terms of spectacles, well 14 American Kestrels on wires along a stretch of dirt road no more than 300 meters would take some beating and certainly the closest I've come to a fall-out of that species in our area.

American Kestrel (5 of the 14 birds in view here) - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 26th, 2018.

Northern Harrier (juvenile) - Caldwell Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 26th, 2018.

Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs - Pine Meadow Road fields, Northfield, Franklin Co., MA. 

September 27th, 2018.