Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 17:08:00
From: Shawneen Finnegan/Paul Lehman
To: NJ Birds Mailing list
Subject: amazing fallout in Cape May
A truly incredible fallout of migrants occurred in Cape May beginning the evening of November 6 and continuing through the day of November 7. The following are some of the highlights:
High Counts:
1,250,000 American Robins (but who really knows!)
75,000 American Goldfinches
2000 Rusty Blackbirds
1500 Eastern Bluebirds
thousands of sparrows (especially juncos)
Rarities:
35+ Cave Swallows (around Cape May area)
Franklin's Gull (adult at Avalon seawatch)
Ross's Goose (fly-by at Avalon seawatch in flock of Snows)
White-winged Crossbill
also: c.20 Red Crossbills, C-c Sparrow, 6 Lapland Longspurs, 2 Common
Redpolls...
Late lingering birds:
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (yes, a Ruby-throat...)
1 Bank Swallow
1 Rough-winged Swallow
1-2 Barn Swallows
weekend total of 12 species of warblers including 2 B-t Green and N.
Waterthrush
1 Wood Thrush and 1 Y-b Cuckoo (yesterday)
Also: c.10 Northern Goshawks, 3 Golden Eagles, and an overall excellent hawk flight
Weather shifted from a warm day Saturday with SW winds, to much cooler and moderate to fairly strong NW winds by early Sunday.
--Paul Lehman