Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 15th, 2012

Usual waterfowl on the ponds. Spent time looking for the reported King Eider, but found only Black Scoters and 7 Common Eiders. Northern Gannets and Long-tailed Ducks were also seen. More time was spent looking for the Townsend's Warbler, which was seen briefly by others but unfortunately not by our group. We did however see Yellow-rumped and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler. Leaders: Karl Lukens, Kathy & Roger Horn, Catherine Busch, and Carrie Bell.
47 species

Canada Goose  5
Mute Swan  2
Gadwall  40
American Wigeon  40
Mallard  20
Northern Pintail  2
Green-winged Teal  2
Common Eider  7
Black Scoter  8
Long-tailed Duck  8
Bufflehead  1
Red-throated Loon  1
Northern Gannet  10
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Turkey Vulture  8
Cooper's Hawk  1
American Coot  30
Sanderling  2
Bonaparte's Gull  2
Ring-billed Gull  6
Herring Gull  10
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Rock Pigeon  1
Eurasian Collared-Dove  2
Mourning Dove  5
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  5
Carolina Chickadee  5
Red-breasted Nuthatch  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  15
Northern Mockingbird  2
Brown Thrasher  1
European Starling  15
Orange-crowned Warbler  1     seen by a few
Yellow-rumped Warbler  8
Fox Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  20
House Finch  8
Red Crossbill  50     flying & perched
American Goldfinch  10
House Sparrow  30

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Eurasian Collared-Doves [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 8th, 2012

Lots of waterfowl including Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Lesser Scaup, 1 White-winged Scoter, and 1 lingering female Canvasback. Another highlight was a very late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  Leaders: Karl Lukens, Kathy & Roger Horn, Catherine Busch, and Chris Marks.
59 species (+1 other taxa)

Brant  9
Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  10
Gadwall  75
American Wigeon  75
Mallard  30
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  20
Northern Pintail  15
Green-winged Teal  10
Canvasback  1
Ring-necked Duck  3
Lesser Scaup  6
White-winged Scoter  1
Black Scoter  2
scoter sp.  75
Bufflehead  10
Hooded Merganser  15
Ruddy Duck  50
Red-throated Loon  1
Pied-billed Grebe  3
Great Blue Heron  3
Great Egret  2
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  75
Ruddy Turnstone  2
Sanderling  15
Bonaparte's Gull  15
Ring-billed Gull  20
Herring Gull  15
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  20
Rock Pigeon  8
Eurasian Collared-Dove  1
Mourning Dove  30
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1     after walk
Northern Flicker  1     after walk
Blue Jay  10
American Crow  6
Carolina Chickadee  8
Red-breasted Nuthatch  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  30
Northern Mockingbird  5
European Starling  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  10
Dark-eyed Junco  8
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Baltimore Oriole  1     after walk - heard
House Finch  15
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  30

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher [Photo by Karl Lukens]

White-winged Scoter [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Harlequin Romance - Saturday, December 1st, 2012

For a trip description and photos, see Mike Crewe's write-up on View from the Cape. The aggregate bird list is from Barnegat Light State Park, Harvey Cedars Sunset Park, and the Bridge to Nowhere in the Manahawkin WMA. Leaders: Mike Crewe, Janet Crawford, Chuck & Mary Jane Slugg, Bill Smythe, Megan Crewe, Catherine Busch, and Chris Marks.
51 species

Brant                              
Canada Goose 2                              
Mute Swan 12                              
American Black Duck                              
Mallard                              
Common Eider 35                              
Surf Scoter                              
Black Scoter                              
Long-tailed Duck    5            
Bufflehead 100+                          
Red-breasted Merganser                              
Red-throated Loon                              
Common Loon                              
Pied-billed Grebe                              
Northern Gannet                              
Double-cr. Cormorant                              
Brown Pelican 2                              
Great Blue Heron                              
Great Egret                              
Turkey Vulture                              
Northern Harrier      4                  
Peregrine                              
American Oystercatcher  20                            
Marbled Godwit 2                            
Ruddy Turnstone                              
Red Knot 2                          
Sanderling 3                              
Purple Sandpiper 35                    
Dunlin                              
Bonaparte’s Gull 300+                  
Laughing Gull 9                              
Ring-billed Gull                              
Herring Gull                              
Iceland Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1                        
Great Black-backed Gull                          
Forster’s Tern 2                              
Royal Tern 1                              
Rock Pigeon                              
Mourning Dove                              
Belted Kingfisher                              
American Crow                              
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3                              
Carolina Wren                              
European Starling                              
Song Sparrow                              
Northern Cardinal                              
Boat-tailed Grackle                              
House Finch                              
American Goldfinch                              
House Sparrow

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 1st, 2012

Lots of water fowl on Bunker Pond, Lily Lake, Lighthouse Pond, and the Plover Ponds. Highlights were 2 female Red Heads, 1 Female Canvasback, Hooded Mergansers, Northern Pintails, 1 Cackling Goose, 1 Common Eider in the surf, and loads of Ruddy Ducks. Five sightings of Red Crossbill flocks  calling and flying about, and some even perched for scope looks. Leaders: Karl Lukens, Kathy & Roger Horn, Steve Weis, and Warren Cairo.
61 species

Brant  5
Cackling Goose  1     Lily Lake
Canada Goose  75
Mute Swan  12
Gadwall  30
American Wigeon  30
Mallard  10
Northern Shoveler  15
Northern Pintail  6
Green-winged Teal  2
Canvasback  1     Fem. 3rd plover pond
Redhead  2     Fem.
Ring-necked Duck  2
Lesser Scaup  4
Common Eider  1
Bufflehead  2
Hooded Merganser  4
Ruddy Duck  30
Red-throated Loon  5
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Double-crested Cormorant  3
Great Blue Heron  3
Great Egret  7
Turkey Vulture  3
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  40
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Sanderling  8
Ring-billed Gull  5
Herring Gull  15
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  60
Rock Pigeon  2
Eurasian Collared-Dove  1
Mourning Dove  10
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  4
Tree Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  3
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  15
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  15
Cedar Waxwing  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Common Grackle  30
House Finch  10
Red Crossbill  45     Some in scope feeding. 3 sightings group 10-12. 2
sightings group 25-30.
House Sparrow  10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Red Admiral [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Red-breasted Nuthatch [Photo by Karl Lukens]