Field Trip Reports: KICK OFF YOUR YEAR LIST

We had a great time starting off the New Year with a day full of birding. Over 20 hardy souls braved the wind and cold to record 79 species across Cape May County, with stops at Cape May Point State Park, Sunset Ave. Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lake Champlain, Cox Hall Creek WMA, Sunset Lake, Nummy Island, and Stone Harbor Point. There were many highlights, including Summer Tanager and Snowy Owl on the same day, and full scope views of a Virginia Rail. Full list of species below. Thanks to David La Puma, Chris Marks, Karen Thompson, Bill Boyle, Steve Weis and Michael McCabe for ably leading and assisting.

Snow Goose - 3
Brant - 35
Canada Goose - 150+
Mute Swan - 7
Gadwall - 8
American Black Duck - 31
Mallard - 75+
Northern Shoveler - 5
Northern Pintail - 5
Redhead - 6
Ring-necked Duck - 24
Greater Scaup - 2
Black Scoter - 2
Long-tailed Duck - 7
Bufflehead - 41
Common Goldeneye - 1
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 11
Ruddy Duck - 31
Red-throated Loon - 1
Common Loon - 7
Pied-billed Grebe - 2
Double-crested Cormorant - 1
Great Blue Heron - 5
Great Egret - 1
Black Vulture - 3
Turkey Vulture - 20
Bald Eagle - 2
Northern Harrier - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 2
Virginia Rail - 2
American Coot - 1
Black-bellied Plover - 1
Killdeer - 1
American Oystercatcher - 20
Ruddy Turnstone - 1
Sanderling - 6
Purple Sandpiper - 6
Dunlin - 5
American Woodcock - 4
Ring-billed Gull - 32
Herring Gull - 12
Great Black-backed Gull - 2
Snowy Owl - 1
Rock Pigeon - 13
Mourning Dove - 6
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 7
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 2
Northern Flicker - 3
Blue Jay - 8
American Crow - 2
Tree Swallow - 51
Carolina Chickadee - 10
Carolina Wren - 7
Winter Wren - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 12
Hermit Thrush - 3
American Robin - 92
Northern Mockingbird - 9
European Starling - 125+
Cedar Waxwing - 30
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 150+
Field Sparrow - 19
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich) - 7
Fox Sparrow - 2
Song Sparrow - 8
White-throated Sparrow - 23
Dark-eyed Junco - 1
Summer Tanager - 1 male
Northern Cardinal - 6
Red-winged Blackbird - 1
Boat-tailed Grackle - 4
Baltimore Oriole - 1
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 13
House Sparrow - 4