Higbee Beach Bird Walk - Friday, April 17th, 2015

The rain held off for the duration of the walk and we were rewarded by lots of singing birds. A walk to the beach gave us close looks at Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons as well as scoters loafing in the surf.  The fields were alive with bird song including recently returned White-eyed Vireos and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Prairie Warblers and Field Sparrows gave great comparisons in ascending vocalizations. The Brown Thrashers were the hit of the walk with their rich, melodious song. Leaders: David LaPuma, Kathy and Roger Horn, Chris Marks, and Mary Watkins.
45 species (+1 other taxa)

Brant  7
Canada Goose  X     heard only
Mallard  6
Surf Scoter  4
Black Scoter  2
Surf/Black Scoter  12
Red-throated Loon  6
Common Loon  1
Northern Gannet  14
Double-crested Cormorant  24
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  2
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Sanderling  35
Laughing Gull  24
Herring Gull  8
Forster's Tern  6
Mourning Dove  8
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  3
White-eyed Vireo  4
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  4
Tree Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  3
Carolina Wren  10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  6
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Hermit Thrush  2
American Robin  8
Brown Thrasher  5
Common Yellowthroat  4
Prairie Warbler  3
Eastern Towhee  3
Field Sparrow  5
Savannah Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  20
Northern Cardinal  8
Red-winged Blackbird  X     heard only
Common Grackle  2
Brown-headed Cowbird  14

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

Birds of Belleplain - Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Leaders: Bert Hixon, Shaun Bamford, and Karl Lukens.
37 species

Canada Goose  3
American Black Duck  3
Mallard  2
Ring-necked Duck  2
Wild Turkey  17
Common Loon  3
Black Vulture  5
Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Greater Yellowlegs  5
Laughing Gull  2
Herring Gull  25
Mourning Dove  3
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  6
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  2
Tree Swallow  10
Barn Swallow  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  7
American Robin  3
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  5
European Starling  2
Ovenbird  1     heard
Louisiana Waterthrush  1     heard
Pine Warbler  3
Yellow-throated Warbler  6
Chipping Sparrow  5
Savannah Sparrow  4
Northern Cardinal  5
Common Grackle  8
Brown-headed Cowbird  8
American Goldfinch  5

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

Wild Turkey [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Nummy's Island - Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

Tonight's Nummy Island walk was very interesting. First, we had eight Tricolored Herons in beautiful breeding plumage along with a dozen Horned Grebes, most in breeding plumage, and a lone Red-necked Grebe providing a great comparison. Down near the 'pay' bridge we had great looks at a Grey Seal, a rather unusual sighting. While watching the seal, we had a flight of 25 Whimbrel fly in and a pair of Royal Terns fly over.  All in all, another great evening at Nummy Island.  Leaders: Warren Cairo, Gail Dwyer, Shaun Bamford, Michael McCabe, and Bill & Lee Smyth.
32 species

Brant  50
American Black Duck  2
Black Scoter  2
Red-breasted Merganser  16
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  12
Horned Grebe  12  
Red-necked Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  3
Double-crested Cormorant  70
Great Egret  5
Snowy Egret  4
Little Blue Heron  2
Tricolored Heron  8     Showing white plume
Osprey  10
American Oystercatcher  10
Black-bellied Plover  5
Greater Yellowlegs  3
Willet (Eastern)  1
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Whimbrel  25
Short-billed Dowitcher  3
Laughing Gull  200
Herring Gull  6
Great Black-backed Gull  4
Royal Tern  2     Pair fly over
Mourning Dove  4
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  30     Landed on pay bridge
American Robin  1
Red-winged Blackbird  16
Boat-tailed Grackle  20

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

Midweek at The Meadows - Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

After a day of rain yesterday, it was refreshing to be greeted by a sunny morning at The Meadows and a perfectly comfortable temperature for a walk. Early migrants kept us very busy today, as Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers and a singing Common Yellowthroat were in the bushes and a nice collection of swallows and martins fed throughout the reserve. Great and Snowy Egrets were in fine breeding plumage and the scopes came in handy to provide good views of Wilson’s Snipe. Offshore, incoming Northern Gannets and Forster’s Terns mingled with outgoing Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons and American Oystercatchers were on the beach. At the turning point of our walk we actually find some interesting, non-bird, wildlife to study. An Eastern Mud Turtle on the trail gave a great opportunity for us to study this common but not often seen species, while nearby, we found footprints and diggings from a River Otter that had clearly been having fun rolling around in the sand. The tell-tale, fish-scale-filled scat was also located.   Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier and a first-of-season Broad-winged Hawk were all seen in the skies above and skeins of Double-crested Cormorants seemed to be ever-present, snaking their way north overhead. Leaders:  Mike Crewe, Chris Marks, Steve Weiss, Mary Watkins, and Catherine Busch.
57 species

Canada Goose  22
Mute Swan  12
Gadwall  8
Mallard  18
Blue-winged Teal  4
Northern Shoveler  8
Green-winged Teal  10
Ring-necked Duck  14
Surf Scoter  8
Black Scoter  4
Bufflehead  6
Red-throated Loon  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  16
Double-crested Cormorant  650     active migrants crossing the bay
Great Egret  3
Snowy Egret  4
Glossy Ibis  1
Black Vulture  3
Turkey Vulture  6
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  1
Broad-winged Hawk  1
American Coot  6
American Oystercatcher  4
Killdeer  1
Wilson's Snipe  2
Laughing Gull  12
Herring Gull  10
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Forster's Tern  4
Mourning Dove  6
Chimney Swift  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  12
Purple Martin  24
Tree Swallow  32
Barn Swallow  12
Carolina Chickadee  4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
Northern Mockingbird  2
Common Yellowthroat  4
Palm Warbler  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  6
Field Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  3
White-throated Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  34
Common Grackle  8
Boat-tailed Grackle  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  14

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

Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, April 13th 2015

We had a good variety of water fowl including Black and Surf Scoters, Red-throated and Common Loons, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, and a lingering Tundra Swan. Over head, there were Tree and a few Barn Swallows, and several Martins. The Northern Gannet show was really good; they were close and numerous! Leaders: Pete Dunne, Chuck Slugg, Karl Lukens, Steve Weis, Janet Crawford, Carrie Bell, and Hugh Simmons.
55 species

Canada Goose  15
Mute Swan  6
Tundra Swan  1
Gadwall  8
Mallard  18
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  12
Green-winged Teal  15
Ring-necked Duck  6
Surf Scoter  10
Black Scoter  20
Long-tailed Duck  2
Bufflehead  10
Red-throated Loon  8
Common Loon  3
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  250
Double-crested Cormorant  200
Great Egret  2
Snowy Egret  15
Glossy Ibis  30
Osprey  1
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  2
Willet  1     seen by a few
Wilson's Snipe  2
Laughing Gull  30
Ring-billed Gull  3
Herring Gull  15
Great Black-backed Gull  6
Forster's Tern  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  10
Chimney Swift  1
Northern Flicker  2
American Crow  3
Fish Crow  1
Purple Martin  4
Tree Swallow  12
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  2
Carolina Wren  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Field Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Common Grackle  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  8
House Finch  1
House Sparrow  5

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

Great Egret [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Red-throated Loon [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Cox Hall Creek WMA - Sunday, April 12th, 2015

Cox Hall Creek WMA was ringing with the sound of Chipping Sparrows this morning. Though present year- round at CHC, they're now decked out in bright rusty caps. Recent spring arrivals included several Pine Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and a single Palm Warbler. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, Cindy & Shaun Bamford, Janet Crawford, Hugh Simmons, Deb Payson, and Carrie Bell.
42 species

Canada Goose  2
Wood Duck  4
Mallard  3
Common Loon  1
Great Egret  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  2
Laughing Gull  3
Mourning Dove  4
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  4
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  7
Blue Jay  3
American Crow  6
Fish Crow  4
Tree Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  14
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
Palm Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  7
Eastern Towhee  2
Chipping Sparrow  13
Field Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  7
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  2
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  5
Common Grackle  2
American Goldfinch  2

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, April 11th, 2015

The varied habitat at the State Park really makes for interesting birding, perhaps especially during migration. Thirteen species of ducks are present now, along with both Common and Red-throated Loons; if you're lucky, as we were, you can see all three scoter species flying by - Surf, Black and White-winged. Purple Martins are active in the parking lot and at the martin houses there. It's the time of year to carefully look through the darting swallows, today with many Tree Swallows and a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows. We had eight Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and though their so-called "song" was inaudible to some, the Pine Warbler songs were ringing out through the pine forest at the back of the Park.  Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, Carrie Bell, Tom Gleason, Deb Payson, Hugh Simmons, and Steve Weis.
60 species

Canada Goose  12
Mute Swan  12
Gadwall  10
American Wigeon  1
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  6
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  4
Green-winged Teal (American)  18
Ring-necked Duck  2
Surf Scoter  60
White-winged Scoter  2
Black Scoter  18
Bufflehead  5
Ruddy Duck  1
Red-throated Loon  4
Common Loon  1
Northern Gannet  45
Double-crested Cormorant  12
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  3
Snowy Egret  4
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  1
Killdeer  1
Wilson's Snipe  1
Laughing Gull  15
Herring Gull (American)  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
Mourning Dove  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  5
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  3
Fish Crow  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Purple Martin  10
Tree Swallow  18
Carolina Chickadee  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  8
American Robin  6
Brown Thrasher  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  3
Pine Warbler  2
Field Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  3
Swamp Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Common Grackle  5
Boat-tailed Grackle  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  7
American Goldfinch  1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Higbee Beach Bird Walk - Friday, April 10th, 2015

A damp, foggy spring morning did not dampen our spirits or the birds that surrounded us with songs and chip notes as we explored the fields and woods of Higbee Beach. A foray to the canal gave us close looks at Purple Sandpipers, Red-throated Loons, Horned Grebes and two Bonaparte's Gulls at the water's edge. Leaders: David LaPuma, Chris Marks, Roger and Kathy Horn, Mary Watkins, and Catherine Busch.
44 species

Canada Goose  12
Mallard  4
Surf Scoter  8
Black Scoter  6
Bufflehead  4
Red-throated Loon  5
Horned Grebe  2
Northern Gannet  5
Double-crested Cormorant  8
Great Egret  2
Snowy Egret  2
Osprey  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  2
Sanderling  26
Purple Sandpiper  5
Bonaparte's Gull  2
Laughing Gull  8
Herring Gull (American)  14
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2
Tree Swallow  12
Barn Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
Carolina Wren  3
Hermit Thrush  3
Brown Thrasher  4
Northern Mockingbird  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  6
Field Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  3
White-throated Sparrow  6
Dark-eyed Junco  3
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  12
Common Grackle  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  14

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

Midweek at the Meadows - Wednesday, April 8th, 2015

Spring continues to frustrate us, but the rewards are there for those who brave the weather. Today’s walk was breezy and looked like being wet, but the rain stopped just before we started out and it stayed dry throughout. Heading out from the parking lot, we started nicely with a hunting Northern Harrier, before bumping into a Snowy Egret, then working our way through a nice selection of ducks, including incoming Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, and outgoing Buffleheads and Ring-necked Ducks. At least seven American Coots were still present before all chaos broke out when the first of two Bald Eagles that we were to see passed through. Ospreys paid their respects and a good flight line of Tree and Barn Swallows was flowing along the back side of the dunes. The tracks of River Otters and the delights of sniffing Sweetfern followed before we checked out the bay and watched a good passage of Northern Gannets – the gleaming white adults looking particularly sharp against the gray skies. Three Lesser Yellowlegs and a Wilson’s Snipe livened up the final leg of the walk before we all headed for a well-earned coffee! Leaders: Mike Crewe, Chris Marks, Steve Weiss and Mary Watkins.
45 species

Brant  2
Canada Goose  63
Mute Swan  7
Gadwall  14
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  22
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  18
Green-winged Teal  48
Ring-necked Duck  6
Surf Scoter  24
Black Scoter  6
Bufflehead  12
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  12
Snowy Egret  1
Glossy Ibis  6
Black Vulture  4
Turkey Vulture  6
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  2
American Coot  6
American Oystercatcher  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  3
Wilson's Snipe  1
Laughing Gull  6
Ring-billed Gull  8
Herring Gull  12
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Forster's Tern  4
Mourning Dove  4
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  6
Tree Swallow  18
Barn Swallow  24
European Starling  4
Savannah Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  32
Common Grackle  12
Brown-headed Cowbird  8
House Finch  4
House Sparrow  6

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

Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, April 6th, 2015

A beautiful, sunny spring morning yielded a good variety of birds for our walk. Highlights include: lingering and breeding ducks such as Gadwall, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Bufflehead, and Ring-necked Ducks; both Surf and Black Scoters were seen offshore; many Northern Gannets flying over ocean; raptors such as Bald Eagles, numerous Osprey, and Northern Harriers; and a Wilson's Snipe to end our walk. Leaders: Pete Dunne, Chuck Slugg, Steve Weis, and Shaun Bamford.
51 species

Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  5
Tundra Swan  1     Cape May Meadows, vernal scrape toward beach on western trail
Gadwall  10
Mallard  12
Northern Shoveler  16
Green-winged Teal  24
Ring-necked Duck  8
Surf Scoter  15
Black Scoter  3
Bufflehead  2
Common Loon  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  3
Northern Gannet  30
Double-crested Cormorant  28
Snowy
Egret  5
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  8
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle 2
American Coot  8
American Oystercatcher  4
Killdeer  2     heard only
Wilson's Snipe  1
Bonaparte's Gull  4
Laughing Gull  6
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  7
Forster's Tern  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Mourning Dove  4
Northern Flicker  4
American Crow  1
Fish Crow  7
Tree Swallow  7
Barn Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Carolina Wren  1     heard only
American Robin  3
European Starling  5
Pine Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Field Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  16
Common Grackle  7
House Finch  2    heard only
House Sparrow  3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, April 4th, 2015

It's a great time of year for new arrivals and 'haven't-left-yets'. There are a lot of ducks left, as well as loons, Brant, Horned Grebes, Hermit Thrush and at least one lingering Tundra Swan. In the new arrivals category, Purple Martins were waiting for their houses to go up at the beginning of the walk and sitting on their 'front porches' at the end. Northern Rough-winged and Barn Swallows have returned in small numbers and we had our First-of-Season Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the west end of Lighthouse Pond.  Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, Steve Weis, and Tom Gleason.
51 species

Brant (Atlantic)  1
Canada Goose  16
Mute Swan  7
Tundra Swan  1
Gadwall  22
American Wigeon  6
Mallard  14
Northern Shoveler  10
Green-winged Teal (American)  18
Bufflehead  5
Ruddy Duck  1
Red-throated Loon  2
Horned Grebe  2
Great Egret  2
Snowy Egret  1
Black Vulture  2
Turkey Vulture  4
Osprey  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  4
Killdeer  2
Wilson's Snipe  8
Forster's Tern  4
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  4
Eastern Phoebe  9
American Crow  4
Fish Crow  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Purple Martin  3
Tree Swallow  11
Barn Swallow  2
Carolina Chickadee  6
Carolina Wren  6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  9
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  3
Pine Warbler  9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
Field Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  10
Swamp Sparrow  3
White-throated Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  4
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  11
Common Grackle  13
House Sparrow  1

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

Midweek at the Meadows - Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Although a bit cold and windy, our inaugural Wednesday walk through the South Cape May Meadows Preserve gave us good looks at lingering wintering birds and new spring arrivals. Highlights included as many as five Osprey fishing at a time, a skirmish between an adult Bald Eagle and a fishless Osprey, multiple, and close Horned Grebe along the beach. We were pleased to see early spring migrants including Blue-winged Teal, Eastern Phoebe, Barn Swallow, and many singing Red-winged Blackbirds staking out their territories. Leaders: Mike Crewe, Chris Marks, Steve Weis, Catherine Busch, and Mary Watkins.

Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, March 30th, 2015

Due to rain, we birded the parking lot only at the Meadows, then moved to the Concrete Ship at Sunset beach where we could bird under cover. There, we observed a nice movement of scoters and Northern Gannets. Leaders: Pete Dunne, Chuck Slugg, Karl Lukens, and Steve Weis.
13 species

Snow Goose  8     fly over
Canada Goose  3
Mallard  2
Great Blue Heron  2
Osprey  2
Herring Gull  2
Mourning Dove  4
Northern Flicker  3
American Kestrel  1
Fish Crow  1
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  5
House Sparrow  1

Cape Island--Sunset Beach/Concrete Ship
22 species

Snow Goose  15
Brant  6
Mallard  3
Surf Scoter  75
White-winged Scoter  2
Black Scoter  75
Red-breasted Merganser  5
Red-throated Loon  25
Northern Gannet  50
Double-crested Cormorant  15
Black Vulture  4
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  1
American Oystercatcher  4
Bonaparte's Gull  12
Ring-billed Gull  6
Herring Gull  10
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Forster's Tern  8
Mourning Dove  2
Fish Crow  1

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

Herring Gull in the rain [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Sunday Morning at Turkey Point - Sunday, March 29th, 2015

Highlights included eight Bald Eagles and a nice assortment of ducks including Gadwall, Bufflehead and Northern Shoveler. The Bonaparte Gull show is still going on with about 150 gulls feeding in the outgoing tide at the Maple Avenue Impoundments. There were two Black-headed Gulls feeding with the Bonaparte's Gulls. Leaders: Janet Crawford, Chris Marks, and Mary Watkins.
25 species

Canada Goose  6
Mute Swan  2
Gadwall  20
American Black Duck  12
Mallard  8
Northern Shoveler  3
Green-winged Teal  50
Bufflehead  200
Turkey Vulture  5
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  8
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Dunlin  50
Bonaparte's Gull  150
Black-headed Gull  2     Continuing birds
Herring Gull  8
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  4
American Robin  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
Chipping Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1
Swamp Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  30

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, March 28th, 2015

Pine Warblers and Eastern Phoebes were the birds of the day on this morning's CMPSP walk, with 20 and 22 of each respectively. The Pine Warblers were feeding on the ground and it was easy to see the variability in yellow from very bright to very dull, typical of Pine Warblers. The Pine Warbler is one of the earliest spring migrants and the only warbler that eats large quantities of seeds, mainly pine seeds. Like the early-arriving Eastern Phoebe, the Pine Warbler is a short-distance migrant, wintering mainly in the southeastern US; neither have long distances to travel to get to their breeding grounds. Other recent arrivals included a flock of 140 Laughing Gulls flying south, perhaps wondering if they'd journeyed north too soon, based on the morning's cold and blustery weather.  Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, and Barb Bassett.
52 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  20
Mute Swan  10
Tundra Swan  2
Gadwall  28
American Wigeon  8
American Black Duck  6
Mallard  12
Northern Shoveler  20
Green-winged Teal (American)  42
Ring-necked Duck  13
Lesser Scaup  2
Surf Scoter  20
Black Scoter  4
Surf/Black Scoter  24
Bufflehead  11
Hooded Merganser  4
Red-throated Loon  4
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  3
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  1
Northern Harrier  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Oystercatcher  2
Killdeer  2
Wilson's Snipe  4
Laughing Gull  140
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull (American)  6
Mourning Dove  5
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  3
Eastern Phoebe  22
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  6
Tree Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Eastern Bluebird  1
American Robin  18
Northern Mockingbird  2
Pine Warbler  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
Song Sparrow  12
Swamp Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Common Grackle  4
American Goldfinch  1

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

Northwood and Beyond - Wednesday, March 25th, 2015

A merry band of folks met up at the Northwood Center – despite a frosty start to the day. Though we started with a rather quiet Lake Lily, the streets were busy with singing House Finches and Carolina Wrens, while parties of Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings initiated all sorts of discussions about these birds. At Coral Avenue, we were greeted by the sight of a Peregrine Falcon, eating a Horned Grebe right on the beach – quite the Serengeti feel! A handful of waterbirds including courting Black Scoters and good views of Northern Gannet, Long-tailed Duck, many Red-throated Loons and a somewhat more lively Horned Grebe. A male Northern Harrier breezed over the rooftops as the local vultures rode the thermals.

Our return took us via Lighthouse Pond, where a wide array of ducks showed off their various feeding techniques, and a male Downy Woodpecker fed on the ground just a few feet away from us. The finale was provided by a boisterous party of some 40 Fish Crows that tumbled and called overhead in their pre-breeding courtship flights. Leaders:  Mike Crewe, Chris Marks, and Steve Weis.

Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, March 23rd, 2015

It was a very chilly morning, but we had a good variety of ducks on the ponds and along the beach. The latter had fairly close Surf and Black Scoters resting on the water, fly-by Red-breasted Mergansers, as well as Red-throated Loons, and several Horned Grebes. First of year (FOY) for many were Osprey and Blue-winged Teal. Leaders: Pete Dunne, Karl Lukens, Chuck Slugg, Janet Crawford, and Scott Whittle.
50 species

Canada Goose  20
Mute Swan  6
Wood Duck  1
Gadwall  8
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  25
Blue-winged Teal  2
Northern Shoveler  8
Green-winged Teal  12
Canvasback  2
Ring-necked Duck  30
Surf Scoter  15
Black Scoter  15
Bufflehead  6
Hooded Merganser  2
Red-breasted Merganser  4
Ruddy Duck  1
Red-throated Loon  5
Horned Grebe  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Osprey  1     FOY for many
Northern Harrier  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Coot  2
American Oystercatcher  3
Wilson's Snipe  5
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
Mourning Dove  5
Northern Flicker  5
Merlin  1     /p adult male eating a warbler.
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  2
Tree Swallow  2
American Robin  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Common Grackle  1
House Finch  1
House Sparrow  3

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

First-of-the-year (FOY) Osprey! [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Sunday Morning at Turkey Point - Sunday, March 22nd, 2015

We saw 17 Bald Eagles, mostly immatures. We had a lot of Dunlin, Green-winged Teal and Bufflehead, along with two Common Merganser males at Maple Avenue. Also at Maple Avenue was a huge flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, who have been feeding when the tide is running. Leaders: Janet Crawford, Chris Marks, and Mary Watkins.
32 species

Snow Goose  80
Canada Goose  12
Mute Swan  3
American Black Duck  9
Green-winged Teal  250
Bufflehead  150
Common Merganser  2
Great Blue Heron  2
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  8
Northern Harrier  4
Bald Eagle  17
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Greater Yellowlegs  12
Dunlin  200
Bonaparte's Gull  80     The feeding frenzy has begun. Many Bonaparte's observed when the tide is running at the Maple Avenue impoundments.
Ring-billed Gull  5
Herring Gull  35
Mourning Dove  10
Eastern Screech-Owl  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  7
Fish Crow  1
American Robin  10
Northern Mockingbird  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Common Grackle  1
Boat-tailed Grackle  2

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

Loons and Shorebirds Cruise - Saturday, March 21st, 2015

Today was the first Loons & Shorebirds Cruise on The Osprey!  It was a beautiful day for a boat trip through the back bays. Our local Osprey were not seen, but we had great looks at everything else. A Bald Eagle provided a great photo opportunity as did Common Loons, Great Cormorants and American Oystercatchers.  Leaders; Chuck & Mary Jane Slugg and Warren Cairo.
24 species

Brant  300
Canada Goose  7
American Black Duck  20
Long-tailed Duck  40
Bufflehead  150
Red-breasted Merganser  50
Common Loon  12
Horned Grebe  20
Red-necked Grebe  2
Double-crested Cormorant  5
Great Cormorant  8
Great Egret  1
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  4
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  10
Ring-billed Gull  20
Herring Gull  30
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  8
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  16
Boat-tailed Grackle  20

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, March 21st, 2015

While migrants are starting to trickle in - today we had Osprey and Eastern Phoebe - perhaps the birds to enjoy now are the ones that will be leaving soon, most notably the ducks. Very few ducks breed in Cape May County. Most travel far north and west of here to breed in the Prairie Pothole region of the U.S. and Canada or shallow wetland areas of the northern North American boreal forest; some travel even farther to the Arctic tundra. But now's the time to enjoy their pre-nuptial antics as they practice their displays and vocalize on our ponds and coast.  Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, Steve Weis, and Tom Gleason.
52 species

Canada Goose  15
Mute Swan  9
Tundra Swan  3
Gadwall  18
American Wigeon  15
Mallard  10
Northern Shoveler  18
Green-winged Teal (American)  25
Lesser Scaup  1
Surf Scoter  28
Black Scoter  12
Long-tailed Duck  12
Bufflehead  8
Red-breasted Merganser  6
Ruddy Duck  2
Red-throated Loon  2
Common Loon  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Osprey  1
Northern Harrier  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  4
Killdeer  2
Bonaparte's Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  8
Herring Gull (American)  10
Mourning Dove  14
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  5
Carolina Chickadee  7
Tufted Titmouse  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  6
American Robin  25
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  15
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  5
Song Sparrow  14
Swamp Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  9
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  11
Northern Cardinal  7
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Common Grackle  6
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  6

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

Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunne - Monday, March 16th, 2015

A cold morning with a good variety of ducks, including scoters along the beach as well as Red-throated Loons and one very close Red-necked Grebe. Leaders: Chuck Slugg, Karl Lukens, Janet Crawford, Marc & Lynne Breslow.
41 species

Canada Goose  15
Mute Swan  4
Tundra Swan  4
Gadwall  6
American Wigeon  2
American Black Duck  3
Mallard  25
Northern Shoveler  6
Green-winged Teal  4
Canvasback  1
Ring-necked Duck  26
Surf Scoter  15
Black Scoter  20
Bufflehead  10
Red-breasted Merganser  8
Ruddy Duck  1
Red-throated Loon  10
Red-necked Grebe  1
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Great Blue Heron  1     seen by a few
Black Vulture  1     seen by leader
Turkey Vulture  1
Northern Harrier  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
American Coot  1
American Oystercatcher  11
Herring Gull  2
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  6
Northern Flicker  1
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  4
Carolina Wren  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  4
Savannah Sparrow  12
Song Sparrow  3
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
House Sparrow  2

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

Tundra Swan [Photo by Karl Lukens]

Sunday Morning at Turkey Point - Sunday, March 15th, 2015

Spring was in the air, although it was cold and windy. We had 24 Bald Eagles, including several pairs who were flying together and tumbling. The Wild Turkeys were displaying and the Red-winged Blackbirds were "conkareeing". We also had a nice selection of ducks, including Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Bufflehead and Green-winged Teal. Leaders: Janet Crawford, Chris Marks and Mary Watkins.
34 species

Snow Goose  250
Canada Goose  50
Mute Swan  3
Gadwall  32
American Black Duck  12
Mallard  6
Northern Pintail  7
Green-winged Teal  15
Ring-necked Duck  1
Bufflehead  70
Common Merganser  2
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Wild Turkey  4
Great Blue Heron  3
Turkey Vulture  4
Northern Harrier  14
Bald Eagle  24
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Clapper Rail  1
Killdeer  1
Dunlin  35
Ring-billed Gull  6
Herring Gull  20
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Mourning Dove  2
Blue Jay  3
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  1
Tufted Titmouse  4
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  12
Northern Mockingbird  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  50

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

Winter Evenings at the Meadows - Friday, March 13th, 2015

Finally a nice, but chilly, spring evening for a walk! We had a nice variety of ducks including Northern Shovelers, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, and, on the ocean, a Long-tailed Duck. A Tricolored Heron circled over us twice and then landed to feed in the marsh. We also saw Sanderlings and Tundra Swans. We ended our walk with a Great Horned Owl land on a post about 10 feet away from us. As we reached the parking lot we had displaying Woodcock "peenting" away. Leaders: Chuck Slugg and Kathy Horn.
26 species

Canada Goose  65
Mute Swan  5
Tundra Swan  3
Gadwall  15
American
Black Duck  1
Mallard  10
Northern Shoveler  8
Green-winged Teal 20
Ring-necked Duck  10
Long-tailed Duck  1
Bufflehead  10
Hooded Merganser  1
Tricolored Heron  1     Seen clearly by both leaders; flew over twice; belly white all the way to tail; one has been seen off and on nearby
Cooper's Hawk 1
Sanderling  2
American Woodcock  5
Herring Gull  6
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Great Horned Owl  1
American Crow  1     heard only
American Robin  10  
heard only
European Starling  3
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  9
Northern
Cardinal  5     heard only
Red-winged Blackbird  10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Northwood and Beyond - Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Despite some annoying sea fog that played havoc with visibility, our inaugural Northwood & Beyond walk turned up some interesting birds, and some interesting discussions. Despite the pea-souper, there was clearly bird movements taking place, as little trips of American Oystercatchers trickled along the tideline and frantic groups of Sanderling played Canute in the surf. Perhaps our best surprise was the first Piping Plover of the season, first found for us moments before by the ever diligent Tom Reed. And it was perhaps very fitting that, by the time we saw the bird, Chris Davis of Fish & Wildlife’s shorebird team was already on site and studying the bird. From Chris, we learned that pink markers have been put on a few birds during the winter in The Bahamas, so we encourage everyone to keep an eye out for those and report them should you find any – it will help us have a better understanding of where the various wintering grounds are for the various breeding populations.

Somewhat sadder, but still eliciting much discussion, was the discovery of a dead Red-necked Grebe and a Horned Grebe on the beach. A number of other waterbird species have been found washed up in the area in recent days and it is possible that we are seeing some of those that simply didn’t make it through the worst of the winter weather.

A great walk, with some good birds, good discussion, and good coffee afterwards. Leaders:  Mike Crewe, Chris Marks, and Catherine Busch.

Nightfall at Jake's Landing - Sunday, March 8th, 2015

Highlights included a Rough-legged Hawk, good looks at an otter, several Bald Eagles, lots of Northern Harriers and a nice selection of ducks. (Note: We moved this program from the Corbin City Impoundments due to the condition of the dikes.) Leaders: Karen Johnson, Janet Crawford, Chris Marks, and Mary Watkins.
15 species

Snow Goose  300
Gadwall  4
American Black Duck  40
Mallard  4
Northern Pintail  6
Green-winged Teal  40
Hooded Merganser  5
Northern Harrier  5
Bald Eagle  3
Red-tailed Hawk  4
Rough-legged Hawk  1     Light morph
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  14
Great Horned Owl  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20

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Sunday Morning at Turkey Point - Sunday, March 8th, 2015

Highlights included ten Bald Eagles, including one carrying an eel, displaying Wild Turkeys, a calling Great Horned Owl, a Red-throated Loon, and a variety of ducks including Common Merganser, Green-winged Teal and Gadwall. Leaders: Karen Johnson, Janet Crawford, Chris Marks, and Mary Watkins.
29 species

Snow Goose  300
Canada Goose  35
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  1
American Black Duck  25
Green-winged Teal  35
Bufflehead  20
Common Merganser  6
Wild Turkey  12
Turkey Vulture  8
Northern Harrier  10
Bald Eagle  10
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Ring-billed Gull  40
Herring Gull  4
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Great Horned Owl  1
Northern Flicker  3
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  6
Tufted Titmouse  1
Hermit Thrush  3
American Robin  50
Northern Mockingbird  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  8
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  35
Common Grackle  10

Newport Landing, Cumberland
3 species

American Black Duck  3
Red-throated Loon  1
Turkey Vulture  2

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Sunday Morning at Turkey Point - Sunday, March 1st, 2015

Highlights included seven Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, including two immature males molting into adult plumage, and a Red-tailed Hawk. We managed to find a few spots of open water which held nice comparisons of female Hooded Mergansers and Common Mergansers. Leaders: Janet Crawford, Chris Marks, and Michael McCabe.
24 species

Canada Goose  50
Mute Swan  5
American Black Duck  6
Mallard  2
Bufflehead  9
Hooded Merganser  6
Common Merganser  4
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Ruddy Duck  1
American Bittern  1
Northern Harrier  5
Bald Eagle  7
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  8
Herring Gull  6
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  2
American Robin  12
Northern Mockingbird  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Song Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20

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

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, February 25th, 2015

There's significant snow cover and little open water in the county right now so we set out for open water views this week. The inlets on either side of Nummy Island are always good at this time of year, as are open waterways through Stone Harbor. Our car trek got us great looks at the velvety heads of Brant, Horned Grebes which seemed to be warming up to each other (!), calling overhead American Oystercatchers and many very fancy looking Red-breasted Mergansers. Common Loons are plentiful now in these waters and exhibit quite a variation in plumage. We scanned a lot of rooftops in Stone Harbor for Snowy Owls, where they do sometimes show up, but, alas, had no success there. Leader: Kathy Horn.
38 species

Brant (Atlantic)  250
Canada Goose  24
American Black Duck  24
Ring-necked Duck  4
Greater Scaup  4
Surf Scoter  2
Long-tailed Duck  1
Bufflehead  75
Hooded Merganser  38
Red-breasted Merganser  50
Common Loon  14
Horned Grebe  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Black Vulture  6
Turkey Vulture  3
Northern Harrier  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Oystercatcher  15
Dunlin  40
Ring-billed Gull  15
Herring Gull (American)  X
Great Black-backed Gull  14
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5
Mourning Dove  2
American Crow  6
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  25
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  35
Fox Sparrow (Red)  3
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  6
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  10
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  240
Boat-tailed Grackle  11
Brown-headed Cowbird  18
House Finch  2

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

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

Despite icy cold conditions, our regular Wednesday walk provided us with some great local birding and it was certainly interesting to see how birds were coping with the current weather. Flocks of American Robins with a few Cedar Waxwings in tow were making short work of any remaining holly berries – much to the annoyance of the local mockingbirds. Small patches of water that were ice-free on Lake Lily thanks to the bubbler system were brimming with parties of ducks, including American Wigeon, Mallard, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead. Further round we also added a female Common Merganser to our list, but a male Canvasback that had been seen earlier in the day had sadly succumbed on the ice. A look at the bay at Coral Avenue was truly awesome – it was like being in Barrow, Alaska! Ice floes packed the water surface as far as the eye could see but we did spot a Ruddy Turnstone and a couple of Purple Sandpipers on the stone jetties. A single male Lesser Scaup was with a small gathering of ducks on Lighthouse Pond and we pondered on just how any of these birds survive the night at this time of year, as we watched two Ruby-crowned Kinglets gleaning whatever they could from a maple tree. Leader: Mike Crewe.

Bird Walk for All People - Monday, February 16th, 2015

Due to the very low temperatures and windy conditions, our President's Day walk turned into a "car-birding" trip. We toured bird feeding stations in Cape May Point, surveyed the beach and ocean at several dune crossovers, and surveyed the Northwood Center and open water on Lake Lily. Finally, we went over to the ferry park to look for gulls and shorebirds. Feeders were very active and appear to be keeping some of our wintering birds going in this snowy winter. We had good looks at White-throated and Fox Sparrows, Purple Finch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, and Red-bellied Woodpecker along with the usual winter feeder birds. The highlight of our trip was being able to watch an American Woodcock feeding close to us in front of the Northwood Center. Waterfowl were congregated in the open water on Lake Lily including Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and American Wigeon. The ice-overed ocean and bay was quite a sight to see, and the ice floes going by with the tide looked like the Arctic in miniature. Upon our return to the Cape May Point State Park, we saw one Killdeer and an American Pipit feeding in the central, grassy area. Leaders: Chuck Slugg and Catherine Busch.

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, February 14th, 2015

It was fairly 'birdie' for a cold winter's day on Saturday. Lake Lily still has open water around one of the bubblers so we had a good variety of ducks. A nice surprise was a flurry of birds across from Lighthouse Pond. No less than four Golden-crowned Kinglets and two Red-breasted Nuthatches were feeding in a holly tree and calling periodically. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, and Steve Weis.
41 species

Mute Swan  2
Gadwall  9
American Wigeon  6
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  20
Northern Shoveler  16
Northern Pintail  1
Green-winged Teal (American)  4
Ring-necked Duck  6
Bufflehead  2
Ruddy Duck  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Ring-billed Gull  8
Herring Gull (American)  7
Mourning Dove  14
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Blue Jay  3
American Crow  5
Carolina Chickadee  6
Tufted Titmouse  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  18
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  9
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  3
Song Sparrow  2
Swamp Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  9
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  16
Northern Cardinal  5
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Common Grackle  5
House Finch  8
Purple Finch  1
American Goldfinch  7
House Sparrow  14

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Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, February 11th, 2015

Wander we did today, from Avalon to Stone Harbor to a large pond outside of Cape May Court House. Most of the birds we saw were ducks and not your everyday ducks; they ranged from sea ducks to divers to dabblers. We had all three mergansers - Hooded, Red-breasted and Common - in good numbers and close. The Surf Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks were fairly close also but the waves were so rough at Avalon's 8th Street jetty, you could only get brief glimpses and, while there was an eider present, we couldn't get a good enough look to tell if it was the King Eider that's been seen there recently. We had Redheads at two locations and they're always a treat to see. Leaders: Kathy Horn & Karl Lukens.

Avalon--8th St. Jetty
9 species

Surf Scoter  55
Black Scoter  8
Long-tailed Duck  24
Red-breasted Merganser  8
Common Loon  1
Sanderling  1
Dunlin  1
Herring Gull (American)  3
Great Black-backed Gull  2

Stone Harbor, 319 81st Street
3 species

Redhead  4
Lesser Scaup  14
Horned Grebe  4

Davies Sports Complex, Cape May Court House
6 species

Redhead  4
Ring-necked Duck  60
Hooded Merganser  2
Common Merganser  3  
Turkey Vulture  1
Carolina Chickadee  1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Avalon - 8th Street jetty [Photo by Kathy Horn]

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

If you ever want a good view of a Cooper's Hawk, we can tell you where to go! We often check the bird feeders close to the CMP State Park on these walks and had been wondering for some time now why very few birds have been feeding at one particularly well-stocked feeder. It's become obvious that it's because a large, probably adult female, Cooper's Hawk spends so much time there, seeming to consider it her own private feeder yard. She sits in a large leafless tree and preens, showing off all her ID points - the long barred tail, the large flat head, the rufous breast. This week it took only a minute though, after she flew off, for a female Purple Finch to come back and start to feed again. Leaders: Kathy Horn, Lynn & Marc Breslow.
38 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  21
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  9
Mallard  8
Surf Scoter  9
Black Scoter  2
Surf/Black Scoter  12
Red-throated Loon  1
Black Vulture  16
Turkey Vulture  3
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull (American)  5
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Mourning Dove  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Peregrine Falcon  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  5
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Carolina Wren  6
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Eastern Bluebird  9
American Robin  16
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  7
Fox Sparrow (Red)  1
Song Sparrow  5
White-throated Sparrow  4
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  6
Northern Cardinal  4
Common Grackle  3
Purple Finch  1
House Sparrow  2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, January 31st, 2015

If you're ever wondering if a walk will be cancelled due to the weather, you can bet we'll be there unless the roads are unsafe or there's a lightning storm. On today's walk, despite fierce winds and biting cold, we had birders and we had good birds. Fox Sparrows, with their rufous streaks looking unusually bright in the morning light, busily fed in a protected area in the State Park and were 'lifers' for one of our walkers. A hawk perched on a porch rail, which we initially identified as a Red-tail, gave us pause as we noticed the Cooper's Hawk-like streaking on the flanks. Hawks are often more difficult to identify when perched than in flight, but the relatively short, straight-edged tail and long wings, along with the head shape and white on the back, all helped confirm that we were looking at a young Red-tailed Hawk. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn.
33 species

Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  8
Ring-necked Duck  2
Great Blue Heron  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull (American)  3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  4
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
American Crow  3
Carolina Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  25
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  9
Fox Sparrow (Red)  2
White-throated Sparrow  15
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  12
Northern Cardinal  5
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  5

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

Red-tailed Hawk [Photo by Roger Horn]

Brigantine and Mott's Creek - Saturday, January 25th

Our January trip to Edwin B. Forsythe NWR and Motts Creek had a number of great birds. It was a beautiful day, mild for January, and we had a plethora of duck species including:  Common, Hooded, and Red-breasted Mergansers; Gadwall; Bufflehead; Northern Pintails; American Wigeon; Mallards; and scaup (sp). There were great looks at Tundra Swans, Snow Geese (with a few Blue Geese in the mix), and a Snowy Owl that was dive-bombed by a Northern Harrier. We had a perched Rough-legged Hawk in all the scopes, distant looks at a Golden Eagle, the usual pair of Peregrine Falcons perched on the hacking tower, and Bald Eagles spooking large flocks of Snow Geese.

While Forsythe was spectacular, Motts Creek was breathtaking! Thanks to the generosity of the bar/restaurant we were able to set up scopes on their deck. Close Short-eared Owls were in abundance with three in the air simultaneously, and at least six different owls in total. There were several Rough-legged Hawks-- one perched on a post about 40 yards away from us. The magic moment came near dusk when a Peregrine Falcon streaked across the marsh almost in the grass right in front of us. It kicked up a flock of Black Ducks and picked off the trailing duck. They tumbled down into the spartina grass. We watched the death struggle as they fought in the grass. Moments after the Peregrine had dispatched the duck a Rough-legged Hawk swooped in and stole the Peregrine's dinner. The disgruntled Peregrine made several passes at the hawk and then perched on a sign in the marsh glaring at his rival.  As the hawk ripped into the duck, a Bald Eagle began to dive at it. The Rough-legged Hawk prevailed and the eagle flew off. What a grand end to a special day! Leaders: Karen Johnson, Chuck & Mary Jane Slugg, Chris Marks, Mary Watkins, and Barb Bassett.

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Wildlife Drive
37 species (+1 other taxa)

Snow Goose  2000
Canada Goose  150
Mute Swan  6
Tundra Swan  100     conservative estimate
Gadwall  30
American Wigeon  10
American Black Duck  250
Mallard  60
Blue-winged Teal  1     Continuing
Northern Shoveler  5
Northern Pintail  85
Canvasback  20
Ring-necked Duck  10
Greater/Lesser Scaup  20
Bufflehead  40
Hooded Merganser  45
Common Merganser  10
Red-breasted Merganser  2
Great Blue Heron  3
Turkey Vulture  6
Golden Eagle  1     sub-adult  Found by Tom Reed
Northern Harrier  5
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Rough-legged Hawk  1
Dunlin  30
Herring Gull (American)  75
Great Black-backed Gull  8
Mourning Dove  1
Snowy Owl  1     continuing female
Peregrine Falcon  2
Blue Jay  1
Carolina Wren  1
American Tree Sparrow  1
Seaside Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Common Grackle  1

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Motts Creek
14 species

Canada Goose  30
Mute Swan  2
Tundra Swan  4
American Black Duck  6
Great Blue Heron  2
Northern Harrier  6
Bald Eagle  1
Rough-legged Hawk  2
Herring Gull (American)  4
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Mourning Dove  6
Short-eared Owl  5     not unusual for this location
Peregrine Falcon  1
European Starling  25

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Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Today's walk demonstrated just what winter can be like at Cape May Point. We missed the "Blizzard of the Century" having only gotten a dusting of snow earlier in the week but we did get the wind and it continued today. When we started the walk, the 'feels like' temperature was in the single digits largely due to a steady 20 mph wind. Lake Lily was the largest fresh water open area, and it had the usual birds plus a lone Snow Goose which brought back memories of last year's Ross' Goose.  But after a close examination it remained a Snow goose. The highlight was at the parking lot at the entrance to the State Park where there was a very close (about 50') Red-shouldered Hawk perched about three feet off the ground in a nice sheltered spot. Then the Yellow-breasted Chat hopped up in the vegetation between us and the hawk, and he stayed in view until the resident Northern Mockingbird decided to chase him off. Most of the ponds in the state park were frozen over but each had a pair of Mute Swans in the very small patches of water. The third plover pond had more open water and the five Tundra Swan were still there. All in all it was a pleasant walkabout so the next time it's cold like this, dress warm and come on out and join me. Leader: Warren Cairo.
53 species

Snow Goose  1
Canada Goose  40
Mute Swan  12
Tundra Swan  5
Gadwall  20
American Wigeon  8
American Black Duck  8
Mallard  12
Northern Shoveler  4
Ring-necked Duck  2
Surf Scoter  12
Black Scoter  6
Long-tailed Duck  2
Bufflehead  8
Hooded Merganser  2
Ruddy Duck  1
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Black Vulture  4
Turkey Vulture  2
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Coot  1
Ruddy Turnstone  2
Purple Sandpiper  4
Bonaparte's Gull  1
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  20
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5
Mourning Dove  8
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  4
Tree Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  6
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  1
American Robin  20
Northern Mockingbird  4
European Starling  15
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Yellow-breasted Chat  1
Fox Sparrow (Red)  4
White-throated Sparrow  12
Dark-eyed Junco  2
Northern Cardinal  8
Common Grackle  5
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
House Finch  2
House Sparrow  10

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Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, January 24th, 2015

We saw a lot of 'every day' winter birds on this morning's walk. But one of our walkers was from Washington State and he helped us re-see the beauty of the Northern Cardinal and the Blue Jay, both of which are largely absent in the American West. We also had stunning looks at a Northern Gannet that was close enough to see its yellowish nape and pale blue bill. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn.
41 species

Canada Goose  28
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  11
American Wigeon  22
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  10
Ring-necked Duck  4
Surf Scoter  16
Hooded Merganser  2
Red-throated Loon  2
Northern Gannet  1
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  1
Black Vulture  2
Turkey Vulture  3
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Herring Gull (American)  2
Forster's Tern  2
Mourning Dove  15
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  4
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  3
Carolina Chickadee  8
Tufted Titmouse  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Carolina Wren  5
American Robin  30
Northern Mockingbird  4
European Starling  40
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  4
Fox Sparrow (Red)  1
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  21
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  12
Northern Cardinal  6
Common Grackle  3
House Finch  7
House Sparrow  16

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, January 21st, 2014

This week's Winter Wednesday Wanderings walk was another successful adventure.  One of our participants had four life birds on this walk and the Black-headed Gull at the concrete ship (Sunset Beach) just prior to the walk. Today we visited three sites beginning and ending at the Northwood’s Center and traveling to the concrete ship and Two Mile beach. We missed the Black-headed Gull but more than made up for that miss at Two Mile beach. The highlights were good looks at the Harlequin Ducks, Great Cormorants and a close look at a flock of Red Knots.  Leader:  Warren Cairo.

Cape Island--Sunset Beach/Concrete Ship
19 species

Surf Scoter  20
Black Scoter  8
Long-tailed Duck  6
Bufflehead  4
Red-throated Loon  10
Horned Grebe  3
Turkey Vulture  3
Ruddy Turnstone  4
Sanderling  8
Bonaparte's Gull  6
Ring-billed Gull  8
Herring Gull  12
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Forster's Tern  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5
Mourning Dove  2
Northern Flicker  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  6

Cape May NWR--Two Mile Unit
30 species

Harlequin Duck  2     both females
Surf Scoter  40
Black Scoter  20
Long-tailed Duck  20
Bufflehead  8
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Ruddy Duck  4
Red-throated Loon  12
Common Loon  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Horned Grebe  2
Great Cormorant  5
Turkey Vulture  2
American Oystercatcher  5
Black-bellied Plover  2
Ruddy Turnstone  6
Red Knot  40    
Sanderling  20
Dunlin  120
Bonaparte's Gull  2
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull  6
Great Black-backed Gull  12
Mourning Dove  2
American Crow  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  1

CMBO Northwood Center
17 species

Mute Swan  2
Mallard  4
Ruddy Duck  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  8
Downy Woodpecker  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
American Robin  12
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  8
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  6
Northern Cardinal  6
House Finch  10
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Bird Walk for All People - Monday, January 19th, 2015

The weather was partly sunny, a little breezy, but not too cold for our holiday family walk which included an activity for children after the first hour while adults could continue the walk. The start of the walk was slow since Bunker Pond was frozen over but we did spot Tundra Swans. From the top of the dune we saw Great Black-backed, Ring-billed, and Herring Gulls and a line of scoter. Lighthouse Pond East had more open water so we added American Wigeon, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, and Ring-billed Ducks. Small birds were scarce in the state park, but we did spot Carolina Chickadees and Yellow-rumped Warblers. As we continued through the Point we added Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, and numerous Northern Cardinals. Leaders: Chuck & Mary Jane Slugg, Kathy Horn, Marc & Lynne Breslow.
40 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  35
Mute Swan  3
Tundra Swan  3
Gadwall  4
American Wigeon  8
Mallard  6
Northern Shoveler  4
Ring-necked Duck  4
scoter sp.  25
Hooded Merganser  6
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Wilson's Snipe  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull  25
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4
Mourning Dove  5
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1     heard only
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  3     heard only
American Crow  4
Tree Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  10
Tufted Titmouse  3
Carolina Wren  2     heard only
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  10
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5     heard only
White-throated Sparrow  5
Dark-eyed Junco  4
Northern Cardinal  7
Red-winged Blackbird  6
Common Grackle  30
House Finch  2
House Sparrow  6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, January 17th, 2015

It was a beautiful, sunny, and cold morning. The ponds were mostly frozen but the open water held seasonal waterfowl. The ocean, jetties, and streets of the Point, including several feeders, yielded many species. The highlights were a flock of 25 Common Redpolls at the dunes near Whildin Ave., a brief look at a Yellow-breasted Chat, and both kinglets showing their colors. A large kettle formed with Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, and three Bald Eagles (two adults and one immature). The hot coffee at the warm Northwood Center helped all thaw out while reviewing the list. Come on out and enjoy the winter fun next Saturday! Leaders: Warren Cairo, Steve Weis, Chris Marks, Michael McCabe, Catherine Busch, and Barb Bassett.
51 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  20
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  2
American Wigeon  2
Mallard  6
Northern Shoveler  2
Ring-necked Duck  5
Surf Scoter  1
Black Scoter  20
Surf/Black Scoter  200
Ruddy Duck  2
Black Vulture  10
Turkey Vulture  12
Northern Harrier  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Purple Sandpiper  3
Herring Gull  20
Great Black-backed Gull  6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  8
Mourning Dove  14
Downy Woodpecker  1     male
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  5
Tree Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  10
Tufted Titmouse  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Brown Creeper  1
Carolina Wren  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  30
Northern Mockingbird  4
European Starling  30
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Yellow-breasted Chat  1     seen briefly near state park entrance
Fox Sparrow (Red)  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  10
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  10
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  40
House Finch  10
Common Redpoll  25
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  20

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

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, January 14th, 2014

Today's Winter Wednesday's Wanderings really looked wintery with a fresh coating of snow.  Most of the ponds were frozen but a number of feeders gave us plenty of birds to study. The highlights were back at the Northwood Center with the Common Redpoll at the feeders and a great cup of hot coffee to go with it!  Come on out and enjoy the winter fun next week.
47 species

Canada Goose  12
Mute Swan  5
Gadwall  2
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  5
Northern Shoveler  6
Ring-necked Duck  8
Surf Scoter  10
Black Scoter  6
Ruddy Duck  3
Red-throated Loon  3
Horned Grebe  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Turkey Vulture  3
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Sanderling  7
Bonaparte's Gull  10
Ring-billed Gull  6
Herring Gull  12
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5
Mourning Dove  12
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Blue Jay  2
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  12
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  30
Yellow-rumped Warbler  5
Field Sparrow  7
Fox Sparrow  4
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  10
Dark-eyed Junco  16
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Common Grackle  20
House Finch  10
Purple Finch  8
Common Redpoll  1
American Goldfinch  4
House Sparrow  12

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, January 10th, 2015

Today’s walk was a little on the brisk side, nonetheless, those of us who braved the wind and cold were rewarded with some nice birds. Most of the ponds were frozen over to the point there were people playing hockey on Lighthouse Pond. We had a Brown Thrasher feeding near us and it seems that because of the cold, his focus was more on food than us. We had good looks at an Orange-crowned Warbler near the entrance to the State Park.  All in all, a good morning of birding. Leaders: Warren Cairo, Steve Weis, and Michael McCabe.
40 species

Canada Goose  45
Mute Swan  7
Gadwall  2
Mallard  6
Ring-necked Duck  12
Black Vulture  8
Turkey Vulture  4
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  1
American Woodcock  1
Ring-billed Gull  10
Herring Gull  4
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Eurasian Collared-Dove  1     Perched
Mourning Dove  8
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Blue Jay  5
Tree Swallow  8
Carolina Chickadee  4
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Carolina Wren  2
American Robin  4
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  20
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  6
Fox Sparrow  6
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  15
Northern Cardinal  8
Red-winged Blackbird  100
Common Grackle  200
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
House Finch  5
House Sparrow  14

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

Winter Wednesday Wanderings - Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

Today was the initial Wednesday’s Winter Wanderings which begins at CMBO’s Northwood Center! We were greeted warmly by the CMBO staff members, Mike, Jessica and Brian, very good hot coffee and very much appreciated on this blustery day. When we started it was 27 degrees with about 20 mph winds. When we finished the wind was still blowing, but the temperature had dropped to 24 degrees. But our band of hardy souls ventured out into the wilds of Cape May Point and were rewarded with 50 species of birds. The highlight was an American Pipit that was walking down the middle of Harvard Avenue and continued to move down the road in front of us for probably five minutes.  All in all it was a fun morning!  Come out next week and join in the fun!
50 species

Snow Goose  25
Brant  1
Canada Goose  30
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  20
American Wigeon  10
American Black Duck  4
Mallard  6
Northern Shoveler  4
Northern Pintail  6
Ring-necked Duck  4
Black Scoter  1
Bufflehead  4
Hooded Merganser  6
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Turkey Vulture  1
American Coot  12
Purple Sandpiper  2
American Woodcock  1
Ring-billed Gull  6
Herring Gull  8
Great Black-backed Gull  8
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  1
Mourning Dove  6
Belted Kingfisher  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  6
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  8
American Pipit  1
Fox Sparrow  4
Song Sparrow  3
Swamp Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  8
Dark-eyed Junco  2
Northern Cardinal  3
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Common Grackle  X
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  10

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, January 4th, 2015

Now’s the time of year to look at seaducks and the Point is a great place to do it. A Common Eider has been working the waters off St. Mary’s and it’s long, sloping bill makes it easy to distinguish from nearby scoters. The scoters, too - Black and Surf - can be distinguished from each other by their bill shapes, with the relatively small bill of the Black Scoter and the heavy triangular bill of the Surf Scoter. A small flock of Purple Sandpipers flew in as we we're watching the sea ducks, too...always a nice winter treat. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, Steve Weis, and Chris Marks.
50 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  2
Mute Swan  2
Gadwall  22
American Wigeon  15
Mallard  15
Northern Shoveler  2
Ring-necked Duck  8
Common Eider  1
Surf Scoter  8
Black Scoter  20
Surf/Black Scoter  20
Long-tailed Duck  3
Bufflehead  9
Ruddy Duck  9
Red-throated Loon  2
Pied-billed Grebe  2
Northern Gannet  6
Great Blue Heron  1
Osprey (American)  1     Lingering late bird
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
American Coot  30
Purple Sandpiper  2
Herring Gull (American)  36
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Eurasian Collared-Dove  1
Mourning Dove  25
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  4
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  1
Red-breasted Nuthatch  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  4
American Robin  15
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  26
Fox Sparrow (Red)  1
Song Sparrow  1
White-throated Sparrow  9
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  3
Northern Cardinal  7
Red-winged Blackbird  7
House Finch  5
House Sparrow  5

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

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 20th, 2014

It’s not every day, even in Cape May, that you can see Tree Swallows and Purple Sandpipers in the same morning. While most of the Tree Swallows have left already, there are still quite a few flying over open ponds and resting occasionally on the beach. It’s always good to sort through them and look for wandering western swallow species, though we couldn’t find any this morning. Purple Sandpipers are one of our winter-only sandpipers, seen occasionally on rock jetties and distinctive in their purplish-hued plumage and yellow-orange legs. Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, and Steve Weis.
60 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  28
Mute Swan  4
Gadwall  65
American Wigeon  65
American Black Duck  12
Mallard  132
Northern Shoveler  18
Northern Pintail  22
Green-winged Teal (American)  18
Ring-necked Duck  12
Surf Scoter  30
Black Scoter  45
Surf/Black Scoter  50
Bufflehead  10
Hooded Merganser  10
Ruddy Duck  23
Double-crested Cormorant  8
Great Blue Heron  6
Black Vulture  4
Turkey Vulture  5
Osprey  1     Continues near Lighthouse Pond
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
American Coot  26
Purple Sandpiper  7
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull (American)  14
Great Black-backed Gull  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  12
Mourning Dove  14
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Blue Jay  6
American Crow  5
Tree Swallow  23     Resting on beach  and flying low over partially ice - covered Bunker Pond
Carolina Chickadee  8
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
Carolina Wren  3
Eastern Bluebird  8
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  14
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  180
Cedar Waxwing  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  6
Fox Sparrow (Red)  2
Song Sparrow  5
White-throated Sparrow  12
Dark-eyed Junco  11
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Brown-headed Cowbird  75
House Finch  8
Purple Finch  7
American Goldfinch  5
House Sparrow  30

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 13th, 2014

The Osprey that showed up about a week ago is still hanging around Lighthouse Pond. It’s been several weeks since most of our Osprey left, heading for points much further south - like México and South America, for instance. But all the ponds are still open so there’s still easy access to Osprey food.  The real highlight of the morning though was the four Red-shouldered Hawks that wheeled overhead, showing off their bright chests, pale primary crescents and broad white tailbands.   Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, and Steve Weis.
51 species

Snow Goose  23
Mute Swan  3
Gadwall  8
Mallard  12
Ring-necked Duck  1
Common Eider  1
Surf Scoter  8
Black Scoter  25
Bufflehead  4
Ruddy Duck  10
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Northern Gannet  2
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Black Vulture  4
Turkey Vulture  14
Osprey  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  4
American Coot  15
Killdeer  1
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull (American)  5
Mourning Dove  6
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  4
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  6
Tree Swallow  3
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  40
Northern Mockingbird  4
European Starling  50
Cedar Waxwing  6
Fox Sparrow (Red)  4
Song Sparrow  4
White-throated Sparrow  16
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  15
Northern Cardinal  4
Red-winged Blackbird  200
Common Grackle  100
Brown-headed Cowbird  60
House Finch  6
Purple Finch  1
American Goldfinch  120
House Sparrow  25

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 6th, 2014

Feeders, dunes, the bay and Lily Lake provide great potential variety for winter birding. Today's walk at the Point was the first of the season and the first to start (and end) at CMBO’s Northwood Center, having always launched previously from the State Park. A very late Osprey, first seen earlier in the week, was still present over Bunker Pond and there is a good variety of ducks on the pond. Two of this year’s irruptive species, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Purple Finch, were hanging out around feeders. We also had three Yellow-bellied Sapsucker one of which kept giving it's soft, nasal call. Leaders: Kathy and Roger Horn.
52 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  15
Gadwall  20
American Wigeon  28
Mallard  36
Northern Shoveler  11
Ring-necked Duck  6
Surf Scoter  5
Black Scoter  10
Surf/Black Scoter  10
Bufflehead  6
Hooded Merganser  4
Ruddy Duck  20
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull (American)  6
Great Black-backed Gull  4
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  7
Mourning Dove  7
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  2
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  3
Tree Swallow  3
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Carolina Wren  4
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
American Robin  28
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  1
Fox Sparrow (Red)  2
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  7
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  6
Northern Cardinal  6
Red-winged Blackbird  23
House Finch  2
Purple Finch  4
American Goldfinch  11
House Sparrow  1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)