BirdCapeMay.org

I just received an email from Karl and Judy Lukens covering the Friday evening walk at TNC's CMMBR (the first list.) Also a list from this mornings walk at the Beanery (second list)

Karl's reports;

SPECIES SEEN ~ CMBO TRIP

9/7/2007 ~ in Meadow ~ New Jersey Checklist ~ 55 seen

Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 1
Snowy Egret 1
Green Heron 3
Mute Swan 4
Canada Goose 15
American Wigeon 1
Gadwall 6
Green-winged Teal 2
Mallard 25
Blue-winged Teal 5
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 2
Merlin 1
American Oystercatcher 2
Semipalmated Plover 15
Killdeer 1
Short-billed Dowitcher 12
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Sanderling 60
Semipalmated Sandpiper 10
Least Sandpiper 8
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 50
American Herring Gull 10
Laughing Gull 100
Least Tern 1
Black Tern 2
Common Tern 30
Forster's Tern 20
Sandwich Tern 1
Black Skimmer 2
Rock Pigeon 8
Mourning Dove 10
Chimney Swift 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Tree Swallow 50
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Wren 2
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Robin 3
American Crow 5
European Starling 15
House Sparrow 15
American Goldfinch 2
Northern Waterthrush 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 6

Well, the walk today went pretty good. As you can see by the diversity of shorebirds we had a very "birdy" morning. In fact, all five peep were seen from Bunker pond or the Plover ponds. Unfortunately, my group did not see the Baird's sandpiper but I was told that this species is still hanging around. We did not find any Buff-breasted sandpipers either, one was seen on Bunker pond. Just in case you've missed the word, up to 9 Buff-breasted sandpiper have been seen in the Cape May area. Although, I did over hear that there have been good numbers of "Buffies" up at Johnson Sod Farm in Salem County, along with Golden plovers and a few Baird's sandpipers. Anyone heading down to Cape May in the near future, especially those who might be driving around from MD, DE or VA, should keep a stop by Johnson Sod Farm (it's off Rt. 77) in mind.

We did have couple of Caspian terns flyby and I was told that I missed a Black tern. One Least tern was still hanging around as well.

One thing I realized the other day, which I was commenting with the group today as some Bobolink flew over, was how it seemed that these birds flying over seemed to materialize out of thin air. I've commented on the fact that you can hear one Bobolink and then see a hundred flying over. Or, hear a few and it ends up that it's one bird. Well, the other day when I was birding Higbee I had the realization that looking for Bobolink in a blue sky is like looking at one of those 3-D posters that you have to stare at for some time and focus your eyes just right in order to see the image. Well, maybe you don't have to focus just right to see the birds flying over but that was sure what it seemed like that day. Every time I looked for a flock, it would seem to materialize just as I was focusing intently. The birds popped out of the sky just like the 3-D image. Funny how art imitates life.

There was a beautiful adult male Peregrine falcon hanging around and chasing shorebirds around first thing this morning. Gorgeous slate grey/blue back and all. Had a couple of Merlin trying for a few shorebirds as well.

Definitely be paying attention for the next cold front. Especially if NW winds are predicted for a few days, that hawkwatch should be jumping.



Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 9/8/07
Notes: CMBO Birding Optics walk
Number of species: 52

Canada Goose 6
Mute Swan 24
Gadwall 4
Mallard 6
Blue-winged Teal 20
Northern Shoveler 3
Green-winged Teal 8
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Osprey 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Clapper Rail 1
Semipalmated Plover 35
Lesser Yellowlegs 17
Sanderling 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 150
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 63
White-rumped Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Stilt Sandpiper 7
Short-billed Dowitcher 12
Laughing Gull 225
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 18
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Caspian Tern 2
Royal Tern 8
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 25
Least Tern 1
Black Skimmer 12
Mourning Dove 15
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Kingbird 6
American Crow 2
Tree Swallow 350
Barn Swallow 8
Carolina Chickadee 6
Carolina Wren 8
American Robin 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
Prairie Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Northern Cardinal 2
Bobolink 25
Red-winged Blackbird 32
American Goldfinch 4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

So, what is this View from the Field that has been added in with View from the Cape, you may be asking yourself?

In an effort to bring you the most comprehensive coverage of what the avian action is like here in Cape May, we've added a section where you'll be able to view the days count numbers from the various research projects taking place. I will put out this disclaimer; please do not expect that the count numbers will be posted everyday like clockwork. The counters spend many long hours in the field and after a great flight, there is sometimes little energy in the body for anything more than a shower and dinner. We will be doing our best to keep the coverage as continuous as possible.

Also don't forget about the eBird rare bird Google Gadget, which can be access by the link at the top of the page. This will help you keep abreast of any rare birds which may be found anywhere in the state of New Jersey.

Now, even more than ever, you can sit back and enjoy Cape May birding at your leisure, no matter where you are. One step away from the next best thing to being here.

[Black wolf, September 6, 2007, a member of the Agate Creek pack, Yellowstone National Park. Click to enlarge all photos. Photo by Don Freiday - digiscoped at 20 power.]

The NJAS Greater Yellowstone Ecosytem tour continues - though we have seen no Say's Phoebes, in fact we haven't found a single flycatcher of any description. They all seem to have cleared out of the high country. But other species have been occupying the tour's attention. . .

On Thursday we began our day with a rainy, misty drive east and then north along the shore of Yellowstone Lake. An immature Northern Goshawk emerged from the dense woods in front of us as we drove, perched briefly, and disappeared like the ghosts goshawks are. Remarkably, not a mile farther on an adult goshawk sped across the road, showing gray a little darker than one might expect thanks to the rain. Unfortunately, not all participants were able to glimpse this forest predator.

A Brown Creeper entertained us during our rest stop at Fishing Creek, as did an unfortunately tame Coyote. We drove up the Hayden Valley, pausing at length below LeHardy Rapids to watch a very cooperative American Dipper as well as two adult and one immature Bald Eagles and a flotilla of fishing Common Mergansers. LeHardy's Harlequin Ducks seemed to have left for their wintering grounds on the Pacific Coast.



[This Mountain Bluebird watched us watching 7 of the members of the Agate Creek wolf pack. Photo by Don Freiday.]




After viewing the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from several points, we pressed on to Mount Washburn, scanning for mammals and rewarded by Steller's Jays, western Red-tailed Hawks, and numerous Clark's Nutcrackers. On the south slope of Mount Washburn we hit paydirt in the form of the Agate Creek wolf pack - remarkably, we could see several wolves naked eye, CLOSE in wolf terms. A big black wolf crossed the valley below us, and at least 7 other animals including a white wolf slept under pines across the valley. Bull and cow elk were visible in the distance, as well. This was a true trip highlight.

Tower Falls held no Bighorn Sheep, but a sleeping Mule Deer and a close Steller's Jay were consolations. As we closed in on the Lamar Valley, we watched and photographed a Red Fox hunting in a meadow.


[Huge grizzly, probably a male, foraging in the Lamar Valley, September 7, 2007. Digiscoped at 20 power by Don Freiday.]

The Lamar Valley needed no consolations at all. After pausing to view and photograph a marvelous Pronghorn buck, we paused at an overlook and found a pack of five Coyotes hunting together. We spotted a huge Grizzly and an attending crowd of watchers farther up the valley, and watched this magnificent animal from a respectful distance for quite some time. A rest stop at Pebble Creek yielded two Golden Eagles soaring over the ridge framing the north side of the valley, and farther east we located two Mountain Goats gleaming white on the gray cliffs.

We reached Cooke City a little after 6 p.m. - perhaps "city" should be in quotes since there is only one main street - where we dined at Soda Butte Lodge, where the saying "if you're in cow country, eat cow" was never more apt. I remarked that living in Cape May might spoil one on seafood, but it is fine indeed to enjoy a good steak now and again!

Well it's been an interesting few days. Go figure that the one day I leave Cape May a rarity shows up. So much for trying to get a few errands done on my days off.

So given that there is little time to write up a lengthy summary of the last few days birding (from my point of view), I've included four eBird lists. At the very bottom is from Tuesday morning at the Villas WMA. A pretty quite morning that is evident by the list.

The second to last is from Wednesday morning at Higbee. The birding was not spectacular but there were bids around. We had two Philadelphia vireos and 15 Red-breasted nuthatches. All in all a good morning but you had to search out the little flocks of feeding warblers. It was another of those mornings that I probably should have headed up on the dike since I did hear good numbers of birds over head. I figured that I'd have a good chance of getting some good birding in the wood instead. I wasn't disappointed with the morning; it's been slower.

The second list is from our short trip to TNC's CMMBR to look for the Say's phoebe. We did not have any luck. Nor did we find the Lark sparrow that was reported (after we were there.) The first list posted is from last night's CMBO Twilight Watch walk. This walk is aimed at getting out and enjoying the unveiling of the evening. We watched gulls going to roost, bats coming out to hunt and as time moves along we'll anticipate the possibility of seeing some owls get up to hunt or head out on migration.

So for the time being, enjoy the following photos of the Says phoebe provided by Karl Lukens and Michael O'Brien. Two of the lucky few who got to see this beautiful bird.


(Photo by Karl Lukens) (Photo by Michael O'Brien)


Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 9/5/07
Notes: CMBO Twilight Watch walk @ TNC's CMMBR
Number of species: 44

Canada Goose 183
Mute Swan 4
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 12
American Wigeon 1
Mallard 8
Blue-winged Teal 3
Green-winged Teal 16
Hooded Merganser 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 1
Osprey 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Sanderling 45
Semipalmated Sandpiper 8
Least Sandpiper 20
White-rumped Sandpiper 2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 4
Short-billed Dowitcher 11
American Woodcock 1
Laughing Gull 475
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 185
Royal Tern 8
Sandwich Tern 2
Common Tern 37
Forster's Tern 8
Black Skimmer 6
Mourning Dove 12
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Tree Swallow 3000
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Palm Warbler 3
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Song Sparrow 1
American Goldfinch 3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 9/5/07
Notes: Searching for the Say's Phoebe
Number of species: 16

Mute Swan 6
Green-winged Teal 6
Tricolored Heron 1
Osprey 4
American Kestrel 4
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 175
Black Skimmer 1
Carolina Wren 1
Yellow Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


Location: Higbee Beach
Observation date: 9/5/07
Number of species: 52

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
American Kestrel 2
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Willow/Alder Flycatcher (Traill's) 1
Least Flycatcher 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 4
White-eyed Vireo 4
Philadelphia Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 25
Blue Jay 2
Fish Crow 3
Tree Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 4
Carolina Chickadee 8
Tufted Titmouse 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 15
Carolina Wren 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Veery 2
American Robin 6
Gray Catbird 4
Cedar Waxwing 10
Tennessee Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
Northern Parula 2
Yellow Warbler 6
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Blackburnian Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 18
American Redstart 27
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Northern Cardinal 9
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 3
Bobolink 87
Red-winged Blackbird 35
Common Grackle 4
Baltimore Oriole 15
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)


Location: Villas WMA
Observation date: 9/4/07
Number of species: 20

Mourning Dove 4
Red-headed Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Eastern Kingbird 5
Blue Jay 1
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 4
American Robin 8
Palm Warbler 1
American Redstart 1
Northern Waterthrush 3
Chipping Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 5
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 8

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

The NJAS tour of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem continues. I still miss Cape May. . . honest! But also note that we will offer this tour again in 2008.

Had a tough time deciding where to bird this morning. Southwest winds, not the best for migration but something good could be around! I did hear birds going over the house last night.

So, we basically flipped a coin and went to the State Park; it's the best bet since you get sea, shore and land birding all in one, 1.5 mile walk. Sure there may have been a good bird or two to be found at Higbee or the Villas WMA but we figured it was best to hedge our bets. And, I am glad we did. We had some pretty good birding this morning. Who says that Cape May is not the place to be on southerly winds (in the fall at least)?

Found a Bird's sandpiper right off the bat, right out in front of the hawkwatch platform. After all that searching I did, today I look up and right there in plain view on the grassy spot in the SE corner of Bunker Pond. It was hard to convince myself at first but it was definitely baird's.

Then we had (on the little sand bar in Bunker pond) White-rumped, Stilt, Least, Western, Semi-palmated all in view at once. A great study opportunity, that is until a Peregrine came darting through looking for a 8:00 a.m. snack. Peregrines hunting over the hawkwatch will become more and more routine as the season progresses. If you desire a good look at a Peregrine falcon make a trek to the hawkwatch platform some time between the last week of September and the second week of October. Peak time being around the 5th of October. In fact it was on 10/5/02 that I had a record count of Peregrines- 298. I'm still kicking myself for not staying until I couldn't see anymore just to try and break 300. Look for a cold front in the first week of October, peregrines like to move just a head of the front.

Once we left the beach I figured that we'd have little luck in the woods, but, we hit a little pocket of birds and actually came up with a Palm warbler. A first of the fall for me. Other than that, the land biridng was a little slow.

All in all it was a good morning of birding. We're going to try and hit the CMMBR this evening to scout for Laura's "Twilight Watch..." walk which will be on Wednesday evenings at TNC's CMMBR. The walk starts at 6:00 in September. I'll be looking for the Baird's sandpiper that I just read (on the sightings sheets here in the Northwood Center) was seen there this morning on the CMBO walk. I wonder if it was a second Baird's sandpiper or the one we had at the state park that flew over to the CMMBR after the peregrine blew through? I guess we'll see.

As always, the list of species is below.


Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 9/3/07
Notes: Hundreds of Gulls and Terns feeding over the rips!
Number of species: 56

Mute Swan 20
Mallard 18
Blue-winged Teal 1
Northern Shoveler 3
Green-winged Teal 25
Double-crested Cormorant 8
Great Blue Heron 1
Osprey 2
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Semipalmated Plover 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Solitary Sandpiper 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Sanderling 46
Semipalmated Sandpiper 20
Western Sandpiper 6
Least Sandpiper 40
White-rumped Sandpiper 4
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Stilt Sandpiper 4
Short-billed Dowitcher 12
Laughing Gull 150
Herring Gull 35
Great Black-backed Gull 80
Royal Tern 2
Common Tern 35
Forster's Tern 20
Least Tern 6
Rock Pigeon 35
Mourning Dove 8
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Eastern Kingbird 3
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Tree Swallow 15
Barn Swallow 10
Carolina Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 8
Yellow Warbler 3
Magnolia Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 2
American Redstart 2
Northern Waterthrush 2
Common Yellowthroat 3
Northern Cardinal 2
Blue Grosbeak 1
Bobolink 40
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

I was surprised when I turned on the t.v. this morning and the winds were listed a N @ 2 mph. Though, all other locations surrounding Cape May/Atlantic City were reporting NNE. Still as long as there is a primary northerly component to the wind we still should see some birds. Also, I find there always seems to be at least a trickle of birds the day after a good flight.

As for the birding, it was better than I expected. Plenty of Redstarts and red-eyed vireos. I do think it might have been a better day to be at Morning Flight since there were numerous birds flying over head all morning. The funny part was that the movement through the trees seemed to just stop, for the most part, about 8:20-8:30. Once I arrived back at the parking lot, there were still birds around but not many. Lots of Bobolink heared but not many counted due to the fact that I couldn't see them against the powder blue sky. in fact it was that way with many of the zeets and zips over head.

A highlight for me would be the number of Veeries calling in the woods. My count of 13 is conservative in my opinion. Birds not seen by me but reported via personal communication; Cape May warbler, 2 Golden-wined warbler, Philadelphia vireo, Nashville warbler, Blackburnian, Blue-wined warbler, Magnolia warbler, Black-throated blue warbler and Black-billed cuckoo. So all in all it seems that there are still a good number of birds to be found in the woods.


Location: Higbee Beach
Observation date: 9/2/07
Number of species: 41

Northern Harrier 1
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
Willow/Alder Flycatcher (Traill's) 3
Least Flycatcher 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 4
Eastern Kingbird 12
White-eyed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 45
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 6
Tree Swallow 10
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 12
Carolina Wren 8
Veery 13
American Robin 18
Gray Catbird 3
Northern Mockingbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 45
Tennessee Warbler 1
Northern Parula 3
Yellow Warbler 6
Prairie Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 4
American Redstart 35
Northern Waterthrush 5
Common Yellowthroat 4
Eastern Towhee 2
Northern Cardinal 6
Indigo Bunting 4
Bobolink 60
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 2
Baltimore Oriole 8
House Finch 4

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)