The strong cold front heading this way and scheduled to bring us rain and changing wind on Thursday may bring us some interesting things on Friday or soon thereafter. The couple recent days of mild weather and one day of rain forecast before the front clears late Thursday may well bring us some reverse migrants, a western stray or two, and more swallows. The colder weather and fairly strong west wind forecast for Friday should be good for a late raptor flight and quite possibly for a good push of Cave Swallows at the Cape May hawkwatch. The swallows may be found elsewhere in the state and region as well.

Despite the appearance of several species of winter irruptives this year, so far it has NOT been an especially good late-autumn season for western strays and late and/or reverse migrants. Overall passerine numbers have been largely UNexceptional, most sparrows seems scarce, and there have been very few unusual late warblers, etc., since the end of October. Only a few Baltimore Orioles, a couple Barn Swallows, the only November hummingbird so far is a late Ruby-throated in Cumberland County, etc. Cave Swallows have been in reasonable numbers, however, with up to 10 per day (usually 2-5 birds) for the past two weeks. Maybe this system currently heading our way will improve things!!

--Paul Lehman