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Every fall, the Cape May Bird Observatory oversees a daily hawk watch at Cape May Point State Park. Thousands of birders take their turns on the platform right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, straining to see the next raptors coming down the coast (Click for daily totals).
The Cape May hawk watch is one of the best known in the country. Official Cape May Bird Observatory hawk watchers Bruce McWhorter and Brennan Mulrooney counted migrating hawks from September 1 to November 30, 2001. Here's their final tally: Species |
|
Nov.
30
|
Total
black
vulture |
|
0
|
104
turkey
vulture |
|
0
|
1,051
osprey |
|
0
|
1,645
bald
eagle |
|
0
|
229
northern
harrier |
|
1
|
1204
sharp-shinned
hawk |
|
0
|
12,927
cooper's
hawk |
|
0
|
1,874
northern
goshawk |
|
0
|
29
red-shouldered
hawk |
|
0
|
343
broad-winged
hawk |
|
0
|
1,229
swainson's
hawk |
|
0
|
1
red-tailed
hawk |
|
0
|
1,049
rough-legged
hawk |
|
|
golden
eagle |
|
|
10
kestrel |
|
0
|
5.188
merlin |
|
0
|
1,380
peregrine |
|
0
|
588
mississippi
kite |
|
|
total |
|
1
|
28,851
|
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