BirdCapeMay.org

I just received a report from CMBO's Two Mile Beach walk last Tuesday, which hosted a nice selection of birds, including 8 kinds of ducks, 7 shorebirds, and both loons. The list below is courtesty of Chuck and Mary Jane Slugg:

Location: Two Mile Beach
Observation date: 11/20/07
Number of species: 43
Brant 30
Canada Goose 15
American Black Duck 20
Lesser Scaup 15
Surf Scoter 5
Black Scoter 50
Bufflehead 30
Hooded Merganser 10
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Ruddy Duck 10
Red-throated Loon 15
Common Loon 5
Horned Grebe 2
Northern Gannet 50
Double-crested Cormorant 10
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 35
Snowy Egret 1
Cooper's Hawk 2
Black-bellied Plover 10
Semipalmated Plover 5
Killdeer 1
Ruddy Turnstone 10
Sanderling 50
Western Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 150
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Rock Pigeon 20
Mourning Dove 2
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 10
Tree Swallow 10
American Robin 75
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 35
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 10

I'd just stepped from the truck thanksgiving morning and was wiping the sleep from my eyes when a gray ghost harrier slid by the Hidden Valley parking lot, an auspicious start to the morning.

The hedgerow along the east path was rich with birds: Eastern Meadowlarks, robins, Cedar Waxwings, White-throated Sparrows, etc., but the pearl was a fairly bright and cooperative Orange-crowned Warbler, which I decided to stick with for a while. You don't see Orange-crowneds every day, after all.

Because it called periodically - a distinctive hard "stik" reminiscent, to me, of a scaled-down cardinal chip - it was fairly easy to follow, and I watched it off and on for about 20 minutes. This bird wing-flicked fairly often, perhaps every 2-3 seconds, as it foraged low in the goldenrod and brambles. I was trying to study every detail on the bird, but re-learned that some of the groovier field marks like primary projection past the tertials require ideal views, and though I was within 10 yards of this bird at one point I never got a fix on that particular mark, for example. I did notice that the upper eye-arc on this bird seemed to blend with the supercilium. This individual was yellowish below from chin to undertail coverts, dullest on the rear flanks and brightest on the undertail coverts, not as gray as many Orange-crowneds we see in the east.

The Orange-crowned finally disappeared, and about that time a distant group of Canada Geese settled into a field far to the west, beyond the border of Hidden Valley. Knowing the Barnacle Goose is around, I checked each bird, and the Barnacle was with them! As I told Karl Lukens later, it was just a fit of luck. The Barnacle Goose does really stand out against the Canadas, actually, more I would say than a White-fronted does. It's smaller and with a much paler body and wings, and of course has the white face and dark chest. I wandered over to the west boundary of Hidden Valley and found a spot where I could get through the hedgerow and look across the private property beyond. Sure enough, there in the field fed the Barnacle Goose with the Canadas, unfortunately not in a spot that could be viewed from New England Road. If anyone looks for this bird here, PLEASE be sure not to trespass. Stay on the Hidden Valley property.

Plenty of other birds were at Hidden Valley. A Hairy Woodpecker took it in its head to fly high overhead all the way from the distant woods at Higbee, past Hidden Valley, and over towards the Seashore Road Bridge. Fox Sparrows, Thrashers and Hermit Thrushes spiced the masses of whitethroats, and this was the first day I've seen large numbers of waxwings, 150 or more. Feeling lucky, I checked each for Bohemian, no luck but something to think about considering the numbers of this species being reported to our north. Many Purple Finches and a few siskins flew over, as did some bluebirds and a pipit. A Red-shouldered Hawk called almost continuously from the woods at the back side of Hidden Valley.

It was another strangely warm morning, and the wind didn't come up until I left. A Clouded Sulphur and 3 Common Buckeyes were active, but I suspect they're in for trouble tomorrow based on the weather forecast.

This mornings full list for Hidden Valley is below.

Location: Cape May - Hidden Valley Ranch
Observation date: 11/22/07
Notes: Also saw clouded sulphur and several Buckeyes. Orange-crowned was fairly bright - male?
Number of species: 62
Barnacle Goose 1
Canada Goose 200
Gadwall 4
American Wigeon 4
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 25
Green-winged Teal 10
Great Blue Heron 1
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 5
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 6
American Woodcock 1
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 10
Red-headed Woodpecker 5
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 5
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 25
Cave Swallow 2
Carolina Chickadee 15
Tufted Titmouse 10
Red-breasted Nuthatch 10
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 15
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10
Eastern Bluebird 10
Hermit Thrush 10
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 5
Brown Thrasher 5
European Starling 10
American Pipit 1
Cedar Waxwing 150
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 25
Eastern Towhee 5
Field Sparrow 15
Savannah Sparrow 2
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 10
White-throated Sparrow 500
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Northern Cardinal 15
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Eastern Meadowlark 20
Common Grackle 100
Purple Finch 30
House Finch 10
Pine Siskin 5
American Goldfinch 10

Paul Lehman reports: "This morning (Weds) I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher in Cape May. It was hanging around and was seen by others as well. It is just north of West Cape May. As one heads north out of West Cape May village on Broadway, which then turns to Seashore Road, look on the right (east) for Wilson Ave., which is just a block long and dead-ends. Park there and continue just a few feet farther east, where the end of Wilson crosses a dirt road, then there's a pedestrian gate, a railroad track, and then Nature Conservancy property ("Cape Island Creek"). The bird was mostly along the dirt road, just south of Wilson, but it also went over to along the railroad track a couple times as well.

"The two Sandhill Cranes were seen again today flying around various spots on Cape Island, but the birds are very difficult to pin down for long. A few (ca. 4) Cave Swallows were seen in the early morning along the Cape May city waterfront and flying over the South Cape May Meadows (could be the same birds). Also a fly-over Common Redpoll."

Meanwhile, I heard of a Cloudless Sulphur in Bill and Edie Schul's yard in Cape May Point today, and here at CMBO in Goshen this afternoon were a Monarch and a Cabbage White. These were seen during a bizarrely warm walk prompted by Dale Rosselet, who urged us outside but told the Monarch to "get it's butterfly butt to Mexico."

I briefly saw an anglewing in Belleplain earlier today, which one I know not, as well as a Green Darner. Colors are still peak; Route 347 has got to be one of the prettiest roads in the state when it comes to leaf-watching. All this on the day before Thanksgiving!

Michael O'Brien sent me a note last evening that a/"the" Barnacle Goose was sitting in the South Cape May Meadows, a.k.a. the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge. Michael hypothesized that the bird might spend the night.

He was right, because Glen Davis just walked into the Center for Research and Education and reported that the Barnacle Goose was found in the meadows early this morning (Paul Lehman apparently had it from 6:15 or so on), and flew out around 7:00 a.m.

In other news, Cave Swallows continue around the point and a Barn Swallow was seen from the hawk watch yesterday.

It's that time of year again, time to begin thinking about CBC's. Three counts occur in the Cape May area:

Cape May CBC - Sunday December 16. Contact compiler Louise Zemaitis by email at swallowtailstudio@comcast.net.

Belleplain CBC - Sunday, December 23. Contact compiler Paul Kosten at (609) 861-5827 .

Cumberland CBC - Sunday, December 30. Contact compiler Mike Fritz at king-fisher@comcast.net or
(609)703-4726.

In the rain yesterday, only 29 raptors were recorded at the hawk watch, but one of them was a goshawk. The Sea Watch, however, had over 27,000 birds! Included in that total were 8 Black-legged Kittewakes and 2 Red-necked Grebes.

Two Sandhill Cranes spent most of the day yesterday at Bunker Pond, and a Cave Swallow and two more goshawks were recorded from the platform. Despite the "questionable origin" crane flock up Cumberland/Salem way, Sandhill Crane is still quite a rarity in NJ. I remember chasing my lifer in the South Cape May Meadows 20 years ago.

George Myers' report from CMBO's Sunday walk (below) indicates that Villas WMA is the place to go to tick your year Red-headed Woodpecker, if you haven't already. Villas WMA's habitat seems appropriate for RHWP nesting, here's hoping!

Another Villas bird of note is George's Yellow-billed Cuckoo, since the record late date in Sibley's The Birds of Cape May is November 8 - this bird was 10 days later than that! Global warming at work, perhaps. Although it is raining steadily in Cape May right now and that may finally put an end to this protracted fall color, Cumberland County yesterday was a stunning palette of red (maples, red oaks and scarlet oaks), yellow (hickories and tulips), and maroon (white oaks).

George's notes follow:

"Highlights from the Villas Walk Sunday 11/18/07: Lots of American Robins, as usual. There are now 4 immature Red-headed Woodpeckers in the area. It would be nice if they decide to winter here.

Also 35+ Rusty Blackbirds
2 Hairy Woodpeckers
1 Virginia Rail (heard calling from the marsh)
1 imm. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 Brown Creeper.
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 very cooperative, imm Red-shouldered Hawk
A Merlin feasting on an unidentified songbird
Several Eastern Bluebirds and American Goldfinches

In the 'Gazebo' pond were 10 Ring-necked Ducks and a female Lesser Scaup."

I spent the day birding Cumberland on a CMBO trip co-led by Associate Naturalists Karen Johnson (a.k.a. the Queen of Cumberland County) and Janet Crawford. Rain threatened all day, but never materialized, and the birding proved to be excellent. We found roughly 75 species, including some quality stuff: Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Fox Sparrow, American Pipit, all amidst glorious scenery. Cumberland seems to still be lingering at peak fall foliage.

We started at East Point on Delaware Bay. The Bay was almost devoid of birds, other than gulls and a smattering of Black Ducks, but raptors quickly made their presence known, always the case in Cumberland: a Sharp-shinned dogged a redtail, and two Cooper's Hawks appeared. There's a good reason why CMBO offers a 3-day Raptor Workshop in winter - Cape May and Cumberland County host plenty! This year, the "Winter Hawks, Eagles and Owls" workshop will happen from Friday February 8 through Sunday, Feb 10, 2008. Pete Dunne and I will be leading it; thirteen diurnal raptors and all eight New Jersey owls are possible on this workshop, thanks to southern New Jersey’s mosaic of prey-rich habitats. Check http://www.birdcapemay.org/school.php for more info.

Heislerville WMA held many birds (a full day list is below), including the expected duck mix for this time of year, featuring many Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaup (punctuated by one female Greater), Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, and Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers. The raptor list grew, thanks to an adult Peregrine settled on an Osprey platform feeding on a recent kill, and a 3rd year Bald Eagle, the first of roughly 7 Bald Eagles on the day.

I so well remember the days when, if you saw a Bald Eagle, you watched it from the first glimpse until it finally sailed out of view - you didn't know when you might see another one. In the late 70's, NJ was down to a last lingering Bald Eagle nest in Bear Swamp, Cumberland County. Now, rebounded thanks to the ban of DDT and an intensive re-introduction effort by the state, more than 60 pairs breed here, and well over 100 are recorded on CMBO's mid-winter eagle census.

Egrets continue to linger, and Heislerville held two Snowy Egrets (one with a bad leg that, sadly, most likely won't live to see the new year) and 3 Greats, along with at least 6 Great Blue Herons, some of which likely will weather the entire winter here, switching to mice for food if all water freezes over. 6 Forster's Terns foraged at the Heislerville Impoundments, as did 20 Lesser and 25 Greater Yellowlegs.

We visited the Natural Lands Trust's Peek Preserve at lunchtime (this preserve is off Route 47 north of it's intersection with Route 55), where we saw adult Bald Eagle,Wood Ducks, and a flock of goldfinches feeding on the wild rice growing along the Maurice River. Later we crossed the river and explored The Nature Conservancy's Maurice River Bluffs preserve, where two adult Bald Eagles (one of which likely was the same bird as the one we saw at Peek) and one first year thrilled the group, and where my first Fox Sparrow of the fall "seeep'd", higher pitched and more rising than the seep note of white-throats and song sparrows. A pish or two and the Fox Sparrow posed for us, this species being particularly susceptible to pishing. The Purple Finches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Cedar Waxwings set me to listening hard (and negatively) for Evening Grosbeaks - but the grosbeaks have been detected at Cape May, so keep the sunflower feeders full and your ears alert. We all enjoyed a magnificent, open-grown Chestnut Oak, limbs spreading in all directions and trunk 4' plus across.

Our final stop was Bay Point Road near Cedarville, where 10 American Pipits joined 50+ Horned larks in the fields. Karen says the Horned Lark flock lately has included as many as 300 birds. I heard a Snow Bunting, but we never located it. The day finished with the Bald Eagle pair that nests along Bay Point Road.

The list for Heislerville WMA is below.

Location: Heislerville WMA
Observation date: 11/18/07
Notes: CMBO Birding Cumberland Field Trip
Number of species: 49
Mute Swan 4
American Black Duck 75
Northern Pintail 2
Green-winged Teal 5
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 25
Bufflehead 75
Hooded Merganser 3
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Ruddy Duck 35
Double-crested Cormorant 10
Great Blue Heron 6
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 2
Turkey Vulture 25
Bald Eagle 1
Northern Harrier 7
Cooper's Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 25
Lesser Yellowlegs 20
Dunlin 30
Laughing Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Forster's Tern 6
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 5
Belted Kingfisher 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin X
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 75
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Boat-tailed Grackle 5
House Finch 10
American Goldfinch 5