Weather: Partly Cloudy, clearing after a three-day nor’easter with light north to northwest wind; low about 50, high about 60; a more pleasant day would be hard to imagine.
What a day! On the way to Cape May on the Chatsworth Road, we had a scare when a NJ State Highway Patrol trooper pulled Robert over for driving 63 MPH in a 50 MPH zone. Fortunately we got away with a warning and were soon on our way.
Arriving at the hawkwatch about 10:15, we found a moderate flight of accipiters underway, with constant Cooper’s and Sharpshinned Hawks in the air. The two CMBO hawkwatchers pointed out birds of interest, including Peregrines, Kestrels, Osprey, both Bald and Golden Eagles, and (after we left) a Rough-legged Hawk. Small birds around the hawkwatch included an imm. Dickcissel, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a pair of Towhees, but generally landbirds were scarce. A stop at CMBO offered us a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a flock of Myrtle (Yellow-rumped) Warblers. The Bunker Pond held Pintails, Wigeon, and swans. Unfortunately, a Say’s Phoebe which had been seen for five days previously decided to depart and wasn’t seen today.
Alas, the hawks were flying too high overhead for us to photograph. Here is a page where the day’s tally is shown: Hawk Migration Association
Part of the group took a walk around the perimeter of Bunker Pond. They had a close look at the ducks on the water. They also encountered a Black Racer snake “up close and personal.”
Note: If you click on any photo, a larger, more detailed copy will pop up.
At Harrisville Pond south of Chatsworth on our way home we found and identified a couple of interesting caterpillars. The Catalpa caterpillars will become Sphinx moths. The Smartweed caterpillar will transform into a moth called a Smeared Dagger.
Participants: Judy Austermiller, Chris Christianson, Holly Hoffman, Robert Koch, Elizabeth Larose, Laurie Larson, Mary Walter, David Wurster.
Photos: Austermiller, Koch, Larose, Larson, Wurster.
List:
1 Canada Goose
2 Mute Swan
3 American Wigeon
4 Northern Pintail
5 Rock Pigeon
6 Mourning Dove
7 Laughing Gull
8 Herring Gull
9 Great Black-backed Gull
10 Forster’s Tern
11 Double-crested Cormorant
12 Great Blue Heron
13 Great Egret
14 White Ibis
15 Black Vulture
16 Turkey Vulture
17 Osprey
18 Golden Eagle
19 Northern Harrier
20 Sharp-shinned Hawk
21 Cooper’s Hawk
22 Bald Eagle
23 Red-tailed Hawk
24 Red-bellied Woodpecker
25 Northern Flicker
26 American Kestrel
27 Peregrine Falcon
28 Blue Jay
29 American Crow
30 Fish Crow
31 Tree Swallow
32 Carolina Wren
33 Golden-crowned Kinglet
34 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
35 Gray Catbird
36 Northern Mockingbird
37 European Starling
38 House Sparrow
39 House Finch
40 White-crowned Sparrow
41 White-throated Sparrow
42 Eastern Towhee
43 Red-winged Blackbird
44 Yellow-rumped Warbler
45 Palm Warbler
46 Northern Cardinal
47 Dickcissel
