BirdCapeMay.org

CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE January 3, 2008

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of New Jersey Audubon Societys Cape May Bird Observatory. This weeks message was prepared on Thursday January 3, 2008. Highlights this week include sightings of ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, EASTERN PHOEBE, COMMON EIDER, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, HOUSE WREN, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SNOW BUNTING, BARNACLE GOOSE, LAPLAND LONSPUR, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, RED CROSSBILL, CANVASBACK, EVENING GROSBEAK, LITTLE BLUE HERON and REDHEAD

For more up to the minute Cape May sightings information check the View from the Cape section of www.BirdCapeMay.org.

A drake REDHEAD continues, as of 1/1, to be seen on the little pond in front of the abandoned buildings at the Villas WMA.

The previously reported ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER in West Cape May was re-found today 1/3. The bird was located in the area of abandoned farm vehicles at the Beanery.

At least two EASTERN PHOEBES made appearances on 1/1. One bird was located on the back side of the Cape May Point State Park. The other was found at the Beanery.

The BARNACLE GOOSE continues this week in Cape May. The bird was last reported in the Hidden Valley vicinity.

The flock of 5-6 COMMON EIDER which have been frequently seen off Cape May Point, continue as of 1/1.

At least two BALTIMORE ORIOLES were seen in Cape May on 1/1. One bird was seen at the back side of the Cape May Point State Park while one was associating with a flock of European Starlings on Sunset Blvd.

At least three separate HOUSE WRENS were observed in the last week. Birds were found at TNCs Cape Island Preserve, the second tower field at Higbee Beach WMA on 1/1. On 1/2 a third individual was seen along Stevens Street in West Cape May.

The four wintering RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen at the Villas WMA as of 1/1.

On 12/30 at least 30 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Stone Harbor Point. On 12/31 the flock of SNOW BUNTIUNGS frequenting the dunes between the Cape May Point State Park and TNCs CMMBR were joined by one LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

An adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was mixed in with Herring and Great Black-Backed Gulls on 1/1. The bird was located on the dune near the west dune crossover at TNCs CMMBR.

Upwards of 22 RED CROSSBILLS have been frequenting some conifers at the end of Whildin Ave. in Cape May Point. The last sighting reported as of the time of compilation was on 1/2.

A BROAD-WINGED HAWK, originally located and photographed on 12/22, was seen again on 12/28 over Cape May Point.

Three EVENING GROSBEAKS flew over the Cape May Point State Park on 1/1.

The hen CANVASBACK continues in Cape May this week. The bird was seen by several observers on 1/1. This bird is being seen between Lighthouse Pond at the state park and Lake Lily.

A female COMMON GOLDENEYE has been observed at TNC’s CMMBR since at least 1/1. The bird was being seen approximately 75 yards off the east trail about mid way between Sunset Blvd. and the dunes.

Seen both 1/1 and today, 1/3, two imm. LITTLE BLUE HERONS have been observed along Ocean Drive between Cape May and Wildwood Crest.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

CMBO is offering a special to new and upgraded membership renewals. Join CMBO for the first time or upgrade from Individual or Family to The Hundred and receive Charley Harpers Migration Mainline- Cape May lithograph poster, valued at $50. Call either CMBO center to ask an associate about joining today!

******CMBO Bookstore hours are as follows; Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point, will be closed on Tuesdays during the winter. The center will be open Wednesday-Monday for the winter; hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday- Sunday 9:30- 4:30.******

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon Societys Cape May Bird Observatory and details sightings from Cape May, Cumberland, and Atlantic Counties. Updates are made weekly. Please report sightings of rare or unusual birds to CMBO at 609-884-2736. Sponsorship for this hotline comes from the support of CMBO members and business members, and should you not be a member, we cordially invite you to join. Individual membership is $39 per year; $49 for families. You can call either center to become a member or visit. Become a member in person and youll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member discount in the stores).

Good Luck and Good Birding!

The message below was just emailed to me from Michael O'Brien as was the photo above. He has relocated the Ash-throated flycatcher which was first found on 6th Ave. in West Cape May and last seen (before today) on the east side of the Beanery, not too far from where Michael had the bird. What I'd like to know, is where was this bird on New Years day!!! Or, were we moving so quickly that we simply over looked the bird.......

"The Ash-throated Flycatcher (#3) continues at the Beanery today. I saw it around noon by the junk yard. Also, 2 juvenile Little Blue Herons at Two Mile Landing."


Also of note is that Karl Lukens reported seeing the Barnacle goose at Hidden Valley on an eBird list submission. I am not sure exactly where he saw the bird of if it was flyover but it's good to know that it is still around.

This is a little bit of a belated post but I wanted to share the sightings with anyone who may be looking for a nice birding spectacle. The other reason I wanted to post the info was because I was just speaking with a research associate at the Center for Research and Education (the CMBO center in Goshen) and he was telling me about the large number of scoter he had flying past Barnegat Light on the same day. He was up there counting for the area Christmas Bird Count and had some large numbers of scoter and various other ducks flying south first thing in the morning. I think I may have found where some of those birds decided to land.

Sunday, 12/30, we decided to bird Stone Harbor Point. One, because it's a nice place to birdwatch and we have not actually walked out to the point in some time. Two, because that is Sunday late morning event for the winter. Upon walking the dirt tail out to the "entrance" of the point we started scanning the waters looking for birds. We immediately noticed large numbers of scoters in the waves. The wind was from the ENE-ish which made the ocean very choppy and hard to actually tally individuals. We estimated that there were a few hundred of each surf and black within close range to shore. That being said, out a little farther there were scoter by the multiple hundreds. In actuality I gave the major scoter flock a count of about 1500 dark-winged scoter species on my eBird data entry. There were definitely many more scoter on the water in addition to the birds I estimated. Given that there was a good bit of moving around I felt it best to go with my general estimate rather than spend too much time trying the actually count each bird. An exercise in futility! One nice surprise was a group of three Common eider just off the beach. That coupled with the good numbers of scoter and Long-tailed ducks, with the added bonus of a Peregrine falcon sitting on the beach and about 30 Snow buntings flying around turns into a nice few hours biriding. Funnily enough there we a lack of passerines out at the point. In fact the only one tallied was a lone Yellow-rumped warbler which flew from the dunes inland. not one Ipswich Savannah sparrow to be had.

After Stone Harbor Point we drove over Nummy Island and saw a few species with a last stop at a few places to look over Sunset Lake in Wildwood Crest. Species diversity was not huge but there were good numbers, at least on Sunset Lake.

Moral to the story, get out and look for some ducks. It's that time of year!



Location: Stone Harbor Point
Observation date: 12/30/07
Number of species: 23

Brant 370
American Black Duck 16
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 4
Mallard 12
Lesser Scaup 37
Common Eider 3
Surf Scoter 330
Black Scoter 320
dark-winged scoter sp. 1500
Long-tailed Duck 120
Bufflehead 2
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Red-throated Loon 4
Common Loon 6
Northern Gannet 3
Northern Harrier 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Dunlin 225
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Herring Gull 66
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Snow Bunting 30

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

Location: Nummy Island
Observation date: 12/30/07
Number of species: 12

Gadwall 3
Bufflehead 2
Hooded Merganser 3
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 4
Great Blue Heron 2
Northern Harrier 1
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Dunlin 15
Herring Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 1

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

Location: Sunset Lake
Observation date: 12/30/07
Number of species: 6

Brant 480
Lesser Scaup 63
Bufflehead 150
Red-breasted Merganser 81
Great Egret 2
Great Black-backed Gull 4

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

I just got a report about a White-winged Crossbill at a private feeder in Villas yesterday morning. It did not linger, but certainly makes for one more thing to keep the ears tuned for. This is the first White-winged reported in Cape May this year - perhaps obviously since today's January 3 - and may be the first of the 07-08 season.

For you weisenheimers out there; no, the answer is not 100! Mainly because I am not asking about the actual number of steps it takes to get anywhere in particular. The reason I pose the question is in reference to the number of steps it takes to see 100 species on Cape Island (anything south of the Cape May canal) on the first day of the year........... The answer is approximately 22,500 steps or about 15 miles. This of course does not include the 35+ miles driven from location to location and sometimes back.

I came up with this idea to try a big day a month on Cape Island, after remembering an article I read in an American Birding Association publication. The article was either published in Birding or Winging It and discussed one persons goal to see one hundred species in their CBC section/circle each month of the year. I believe they titled the article the 1200 Club. So at some point in the past year the idea came to mind but I decided to make things a good bit harder. Since I figured that 100 species in Cape May County was not a huge stretch and my WSB team birds the Cape Island division, that I would try for 100 species in a day, per month, looking south of the Cape May canal only.

Additionally, the idea was fueled by a New Year's day birding event I used to take part in back home in Florida. I first started attending this New Year's mini-big day in 2000 or maybe 2001. The goal was to see as many species as possible along the causeway to and throughout Mullet Key (Ft. DeSoto) from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 p.m. So, you only get twelve hours to bird which is really about seven hours since owls are few and far between at Ft. DeSoto. Back a few years ago, not having my typical birding partner handy I decided to attempt the event alone and was very happy with the 99 species I tallied (note: it would have been 100 but I forgot to check off Mute swan.) This year though, birding partner was completely in tow and the total we achieved could not have been done without her.

"It can't be done" I told myself many times over the last few weeks. Looking at the species possibilities for January and February, the first two months would be critical for making this a 2008 (calendar year) event. But then the point is to get out and have one day a month that is all day birding. While the goal is to try and see 100 species in a day per month, the world will not come crashing down if it does not happen. After all, Cape Island is a very small place. Much smaller than a CBC circle, so the actuality of getting to 100 in the bird lean months of January and February is a lot to expect.

So, was I sweating bullets when the Weather Channel was calling for 40+ gusts and rain showers on Jan. 1? YES! But as luck would have it, the day turned out beautiful and quite bird filled.

Now you must be asking yourself what was the final tally already. Well, we actually failed in our
attempt to get to 100 species, by about 7 species. While I am somewhat dismayed at the lack of reaching a hundred, I am thankful for the day we had. Had the weather have been as blustery and cold as today, well, we may have had a hard time getting to 75-80. On the bright side, my disappointment is lessened by the fact that given the time I could still try again at some point in the rest of January, which is not likely. Or, we make this an '08-'09 event. "What the heck", I said to myself, "you make up the rules to the game" we always have Jan. '09, that is if we get 100 for the next 11 months! I should point out the best part, we were outside all day and walked about 15 miles, great heath benefits and gets you ready for the return to work!

We had some BIG holes in our list as you may note. For some reason Dark-eyed juncos did not exist yesterday along with Brown-headed cowbirds. Why these two eluded us who knows. But in all my planning, I would not have guessed that we'd be chasing down to relatively easy to find species. Other big hole awards goes to Snow bunting, not that they are easy but I know they are around. Rusty blackbird, Field sparrow, Winter wren, White-breasted nuthatch, Barred owl, Black-crowned night heron, Great Cormorant and Common loon are other huge misses. As you can see the reliance on actually attaining 100 in a day in January, lies with the more common stuff. We did miss the Ash-throated and Least flycatchers, which by reading Don's post seems to have been hit or miss yesterday. It also seems that in looking at Don's post from yesterday, we missed a n umber of other birds, Red-shouldered hawk at Cape Island Preserve, Northern goshawk, and Bald eagle would have all be welcome additions to our list. Would that all these birds had appeared to our eyes!

Though, we did have a nice mix of surprise birds. The top surprise bird would have to have been the House wren in the second tower field at Higbee. Or, maybe the Common yellowthroat at the Beanery. The female Common goldeneye at TNC's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge (CMMBR) would be a contender as well. The Lesser black-backed gull on the beach between TNC's CMMBR and the Cape May Point State Park was a nice find. And, even though we missed the two other flycatchers, two Eastern phoebes was a nice consolation prize. Two Baltimore oriole was a treat, especially since one was seen at the back of the state park in a tree with 22 Eastern meadowlarks. As I think now, I'd have to throw the 50 or so Tree swallows in the mix for the days best. We also did have a flock of about 15 Red crossbills fly over at the state park, at least I know now that people are not playing tricks on me.

So, all in all the day went well. I couldn't have arranged much better weather. Now, when to attempt the next round..........?


Location: Cape Island
Observation date: 1/1/08
Number of species: 93

Snow Goose 46
Brant X
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall X
American Wigeon X
American Black Duck X
Mallard X
Northern Shoveler 4
Northern Pintail X
Green-winged Teal X
Canvasback 1
Ring-necked Duck X
Lesser Scaup X
Common Eider 5
Surf Scoter X
Black Scoter X
Long-tailed Duck X
Bufflehead X
Common Goldeneye 1
Hooded Merganser X
Red-breasted Merganser X
Ruddy Duck X
Red-throated Loon 4
Northern Gannet X
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture X
Turkey Vulture X
Northern Harrier 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Merlin 1
American Coot X
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 7
Sanderling 1
Purple Sandpiper X
Dunlin X
American Woodcock 1
Bonaparte's Gull X
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Eastern Screech-Owl 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker 4
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker X
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow 50
Carolina Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Red-breasted Nuthatch X
Carolina Wren X
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Eastern Bluebird 4
Hermit Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
Brown Thrasher 2
European Starling X
American Pipit X
Cedar Waxwing X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee X
Savannah Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Eastern Meadowlark 22
Common Grackle X
Baltimore Oriole 2
Purple Finch X
House Finch X
Red Crossbill 15
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X

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

[Michael O'Brien took this photo of a female Red Crossbill at the end of Whilden Avenue in Cape May Point yesterday. 16 Red Crossbills were at the state park today, New Year's day, and they were also seen again at Whilden.]

When the 16 Red Crossbills flew into the pines over the Cape May Point State park visitor center today, New Year's, I felt like buying a lottery ticket - CMBO's field trip today had 20 participants plus a half dozen leaders, and we had just been discussing these birds, which have been favoring the dunes especially at the end of Whilden, when they appeared. All sounded like type 4.

These were the only "rare" birds we located, but in a day spent at the state park, Cape Island Preserve, the magnesite plant, and finishing at Jake's Landing, we found about 70 species. Some of the highlights included a first year Bald Eagle flying in from Delaware, the female Canvasback (today on Lighthouse Pond), Merlin, Peregrine, a lovely adult Red-shouldered at Cape Island Preserve, and three Short-eareds at days end at Jake's Landing. Many Tree Swallows are still around, and the selection of ducks in the ponds and off Cape May is nothing to complain about. Complete lists for the day are below. We will definitely make this "Kick off your year list in Cape May" field trip an annual tradition.

We looked for but did not find the Ash-throated Flycatcher, Nashville Warbler, and Least Flycatcher at Cape Island Preserve, but I hear Vince Elia had the two flycatchers this morning. Wilson Avenue, which runs east off Broadway, dead-ends at the preserve. For the Ash-throated, cross the railroad tracks and the hedgerow and walk left (north) to the second field. For the Least, walk right (south) along the path at the end of Wilson about 100 yards. We also failed to locate the Common Eiders at the point, but they were seen near the jetties off St. Mary's yesterday.

I hear there was a Lapland Longspur with the Snow Buntings haunting the dunes off the State Park and the meadows yesterday. The Redhead and Red-headed Woodpeckers continue at Villas WMA, and a Northern Goshawk is wintering around Cape May Point, often seen at the State Park and, presumably the same bird, at the Magnesite Plant. This bird is banded and is likely the individual that was caught on November 30, the last day of the hawk watch.

Bill and Edie Schul had 2 Chipping Sparrows near Bunker Pond and two Baltimore Orioles on the State Park trails today. A Barred Owl appeared at the state park yesterday but apparently was not refound today.

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 1/1/08
Notes: CMBO's kick off your year list field trip. A few species were not seen by whole group - observed during lunch.
Number of species: 54
Mute Swan 6
Gadwall 25
American Wigeon 15
American Black Duck 4
Mallard 10
Northern Pintail 2
Canvasback 1
Ring-necked Duck 2
Greater Scaup 1
Lesser Scaup 1
Surf Scoter 1
Black Scoter 40
Long-tailed Duck 3
Bufflehead 5
Ruddy Duck 3
Red-throated Loon 5
Northern Gannet 30
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Black Vulture 10
Turkey Vulture 10
Bald Eagle 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5
Cooper's Hawk 2
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Purple Sandpiper 5
Bonaparte's Gull 2
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Rock Pigeon 25
Mourning Dove 10
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
American Crow 10
Tree Swallow 35
Carolina Wren 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 200
American Pipit 15
Cedar Waxwing 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 25
Palm Warbler 1
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
House Finch 15
Red Crossbill 16
House Sparrow 10


Location: Cape Island Preserve
Observation date: 1/1/08
Notes: CMBO's kick off your year list field trip.
Number of species: 23
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 15
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 3
American Crow 5
Carolina Chickadee 5
Carolina Wren 5
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Palm Warbler 1
Field Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 3
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Eastern Meadowlark 10
House Finch 20
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 40

Location: Higbee Beach
Observation date: 1/1/08
Notes: Magnesite plant & pond creek. CMBO kick off your year list field trip.
Number of species: 22
Mute Swan 1
American Black Duck 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 10
Northern Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 35
Wilson's Snipe 1
Rock Pigeon 10
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 10
Carolina Wren 3
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Song Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 20


Location: Jake's Landing
Observation date: 1/1/08
Notes: CMBO kick off your year list field trip.
Number of species: 15
American Black Duck 5
Northern Pintail 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Black Vulture 20
Turkey Vulture 30
Northern Harrier 10
Red-tailed Hawk 5
Clapper Rail 1
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 5
Short-eared Owl 3
Northern Flicker 2
Song Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 20


[Another image of the crossbills, by Michael O'Brien. Both red and green birds are in this flock. Best bet for finding them is probably to start at the state park, checking the edge of the parking lot, and then follow the road side of the dunes around Cape May Point, listening carefully.]

Bill Boyle gave me a call yesterday (Sunday) to report having just seen, with Bob and Stephanie Brown, who discovered the bird, a White-winged Dove at Villas WMA, a.k.a. the old Ponderlodge golf course. This may be the first winter record for Cape May, and is very likely the same bird that was reported there on and off during the fall. The bird was apparently more or less in the center of the WMA.

Yesterday was also the Cumberland Christmas Bird Count, and among the highlights was an adult Northern Shrike at Turkey Point, at the end of Turkey Point Road, in the rain around 4:00 p.m. The bird went to roost while we were there. Other count highlights included White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Great Egret, Short-eared Owls, Sedge Wrens and many raptors. Clay and Pat Sutton had Red Crossbills, but I don't know the details at present. If other highlights emerge, we'll report them here.

For many years I've done the Cumberland Count with Pete Dunne and a varying cast of characters, often including Linda Dunne, in an absolute peach of a territory: Dividing Creek and surrounds, focusing on Turkey Point and the Natural Lands Trust's Glades preserve. If you've never been, make the trip - the area is treated in Bill Boyle's Birdfinding in New Jersey, 2nd edition, beginning page 398. Or, join Karen Johnson and Janet Crawford for some of CMBO's Sunday morning birding field trips there, which begin January 20 and run through March 23. these field trips meet at the end of Turkey Point Road, and run from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. No pre-registration is necessary.

Just as dawn broke I nearly enticed a Short-eared Owl to perch on my head by squeaking at it from the edge of Turkey Point Road. Pete and Linda found two Sedge Wrens along the road, near the dog leg with the interpretive signs and pull-offs. In the marsh at the end of the road, across the footbridge, we squeaked up 1 Salt-marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, two Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, and a number of Seaside Sparrows. Standing on the tower, Pete picked a very distant male Yellow-headed Blackbird from a flock of Red-wingeds.

Another rarity highlight was a White-eyed Vireo, which we found along Turkey Point Road about midway between Maple Street and Hickman Avenue - more on this bird below.

Turkey Point is justly famous for raptors. In a single 360 degree scan from the tower shortly before the rain began, we had an actual count, as opposed to an estimate, of 45 (!) Northern Harriers, not to mention 4 Bald Eagles, 2 Peregrines, and several Red-tailed Hawks. Apparently the birds knew weather was coming and were getting in a last feeding effort. During the day we encountered multiple Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, and we had a second Short-eared Owl during the day, and several Screech Owls, 8 Great-horned Owls, and single Barn and Saw-whet Owls at night.

The Great Egrets were seen via scanning from Turkey Point Road. There's also been a Great Egret in a marsh south of Goshen along Route 47 several days during the past week.

The Turkey Point area is thick with land birds generally - lots of Hermit Thrushes, Towhees, Thrashers, Fox Sparrows, and so forth. Our full list for just our territory is below.

About the vireo, here's an exercise to try. Without looking at a field guide, either sketch a White-eyed Vireo or write down a complete description of one. Perhaps you'll have the same experience I did when I first saw the vireo yesterday - it's amazing how often I will realize I don't really know what a common bird looks like, and the vireo was a case in point, probably because I've seen hundreds, normally heard them before I've seen them, and never had to think about trying to prove I'd seen one.

The vireo sighting began with me seeing a warbler flash across the road, and after the briefest of binocular views I called out, "Orange-crowned!" Pete and Linda never got on it, and we never relocated it, so that was one that got away - all I know is mainly that I thought I recognized it as Orange-crowned, that it was green backed, lacked wing bars, and had yellow under the tail.

While we were trying to track down the Orange-crowned, pishing softly, the vireo popped into my view and again I had something to blurt out: "Hey! White-eyed Vireo!" Pete and Linda said, "Your kidding!" in about the same breath, and justifiably - the nearest White-eyed Vireo regularly winters is coastal North Carolina, and I'm pretty sure it's new for the Cumberland count, though it has been found on the Cape May count before.

I saw this bird perfectly well, though briefly, then it disappeared into a tangle before anyone else saw it. I really wanted someone else to see this bird. One thing you don't want to have happen is find a rare bird that no one else sees, let alone two back to back - can you say, "stringer"?

Luckily the bird did reappear - for me. And I began second guessing. It had a dark eye, which is fine, because of course young White-eyeds do and you'd expect a bird where it wasn't supposed to be to be a young one. It had a vireo bill, with the slight hook at the tip that recalls the apparently close genetic relationship vireos have with shrikes. But is a White-eyed Vireo's head supposed to be mostly gray? Can the spectacles be whitish-yellow rather than bright yellow? How much yellow can they have below - this one had a lot, and it was lemony-bright. Are their backs really that green? Is that thick dark line from eye to bill normal? I thought the answers to all those questions were yes, but I didn't really remember.

All this points out something that has been said before - experienced birders don't identify birds, they recognize them. Once I had to mess with field marks on the vireo, I didn't feel so awful experienced, even though I saw my first White-eyed Vireo at Brigantine sometime in the early 80's!

Pete finally got on it and said simply, with a touch of surprise, "White-eyed Vireo." Thank goodness. Here's a New Year's resolution - learn your common birds well. Not that we don't all already know that. Perhaps we'll make that a theme for tomorrow's CMBO field trip, Kick Off Your Year List in Cape May.

Location: Turkey Point
Observation date: 12/30/07
Notes: Cumberland CBC. With Pete and Linda. Calm, clear but damp in early morning, cloud during day, rain beginning at 3:00ish.
Number of species: 92
Snow Goose 1000
Canada Goose 100
Mute Swan 25
Gadwall 45
American Black Duck 150
Mallard 40
Green-winged Teal 800
Bufflehead 30
Hooded Merganser 20
Common Merganser 1
Red-breasted Merganser 14
Ruddy Duck 8
Wild Turkey 14
Great Blue Heron 18
Great Egret 6
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Bald Eagle 10
Northern Harrier 55
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Cooper's Hawk 7
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 12
American Kestrel 1
Peregrine Falcon 3
Clapper Rail 10
Virginia Rail 10
Greater Yellowlegs 30
Western Sandpiper 8
Dunlin 1000
Wilson's Snipe 3
American Woodcock 2
Ring-billed Gull 30
Herring Gull 300
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Mourning Dove 35
Barn Owl 1
Eastern Screech-Owl 6
Great Horned Owl 8
Short-eared Owl 2
Northern Saw-whet Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 10
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 15
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 8
Northern Shrike 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 20
American Crow 25
Fish Crow 3
Carolina Chickadee 75
Tufted Titmouse 10
Red-breasted Nuthatch 5
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 25
Winter Wren 2
Sedge Wren 2
Marsh Wren 12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Hermit Thrush 30
American Robin 600
Gray Catbird 8
Northern Mockingbird 12
Brown Thrasher 20
European Starling 20
Cedar Waxwing 70
Yellow-rumped Warbler 80
Common Yellowthroat 1
Eastern Towhee 35
American Tree Sparrow 3
Field Sparrow 18
Savannah Sparrow 12
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow 2
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow 1
Seaside Sparrow 15
Fox Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 20
Swamp Sparrow 30
White-throated Sparrow 40
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Northern Cardinal 24
Red-winged Blackbird 350
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Yellow-headed Blackbird 1
Rusty Blackbird 40
Boat-tailed Grackle 72
Purple Finch 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow 6