Our annual barrier islands trip to view wintering ducks was a great success despite less-than-optimal weather. And even the afternoon "wintry mix" did not deter the ducks from putting on a fine display for our group. We started at the Avalon 8th Street jetty and worked our way through Stone Harbor, Nummy Island, Wildwood Crest, Cape May Harbor, and ended our day at Cape May Point State Park. Highlights included Long-tailed Duck, Horned Grebe, and Great Cormorant. Leaders: Chuck and Mary Jane Slugg, Patty Rourke, Catherine Busch, and Janet Crawford.
48 species
Brant 54
Canada Goose 16
Mute Swan 4
Gadwall 33
American Wigeon 10
American Black Duck 32
Mallard 5
Northern Shoveler 12
Northern Pintail 32
Lesser Scaup 12
Surf Scoter 6
Black Scoter 12
Long-tailed Duck 24
Bufflehead 25
Hooded Merganser 9
Red-breasted Merganser 11
Ruddy Duck 21
Red-throated Loon 5
Common Loon 16
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 4
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Cormorant 1 On channel maker at Nummy Island
Great Blue Heron 3
Bald Eagle 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
American Oystercatcher 10
Ruddy Turnstone 9
Sanderling 14
Purple Sandpiper 6
Dunlin 412
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 76
Great Black-back Gull 9
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Carolina Wren 1
American Robin 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 4
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 2
Boat-tailed Grackle 6
House Finch 2
