Cape May

I took myself off to the coast on Thursday for a visit to Cape May. I left before the first Sparrow's fart at 3am and arrived at the Higbees Beach Morning Flight Songbird location at 6:30 just as it was getting light.

It was absolutely amazing, I've never seen anything like it. Birds were mostly moving left to right just over the trees, in front of the trees and through the trees. There were 5297 Myrtle Warblers counted with 4288 unknown warblers. Just how they managed to precisely count that many is beyond me. I'll just say there were lots of birds that morning.

The official count is here Cape May Songbird Count

After a couple of hours I left for the Hawkwatch at the Lighthouse and spent a few hours there photographing the raptors flying past. The full Hawkwatch count is here Cape May Hawkwatch

Mid afternoon I left to check into the Jetty Motel and went for a walk along the beach to find the Skimmer flock. Then after a bite to eat it was time for sunset and then I was in bed fast asleep in just a few minutes.

Cooper's hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Osprey with lunch

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmers

Laughing Gull

Royal Tern

Cape May Sunset