Field Trip Reports: Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Birds were on the move overnight and the State Park was hoppin'! Golden-crowned Kinglets seemed to be everywhere, with little groups of them feeding in budding trees, calling and flitting close to us. An American Woodcock was seen briefly before it walked out of sight behind a shrub and we scared up three Wilson's Snipe along the boardwalk. A Merlin, perhaps having recently crossed the bay, rested on the beach long enough to give good scope views, then took off in typical merlin fashion to harass the pigeons. Last night's favorable conditions also brought us Pine Warblers and they could be both seen and heard throughout the park. The Northern Gannet show was pretty good, with several close birds wheeling over the water in the morning light. Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Karl Lukens, Kyle Chelius, and Michael McCabe.
Number of Taxa: 52

11 Canada Goose
3 Mute Swan
6 Gadwall
6 American Wigeon
2 American Black Duck
10 Mallard
4 Northern Shoveler
1 Northern Pintail
9 Green-winged Teal (American)
7 Surf Scoter
9 Black Scoter
8 Northern Gannet
37 Double-crested Cormorant
3 Great Blue Heron (Blue form)
1 Great Egret
2 Black Vulture
3 Turkey Vulture
1 Bald Eagle
3 Killdeer
3 Wilson's Snipe
1 American Woodcock
3 Herring Gull (American)
7 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
4 Mourning Dove
1 Belted Kingfisher
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)
5 Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
1 Merlin
4 Eastern Phoebe
2 Blue Jay
7 American Crow
1 Tree Swallow
4 Carolina Chickadee
1 Tufted Titmouse
8 Carolina Wren
13 Golden-crowned Kinglet
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (heard)
1 Hermit Thrush
17 American Robin
1 Northern Mockingbird
3 European Starling
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
7 Pine Warbler
18 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)
1 Chipping Sparrow
4 White-throated Sparrow
3 Song Sparrow
7 Northern Cardinal
10 Red-winged Blackbird
2 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 House Finch