View from the Cape

Reports From The Meadows, State Park

2009-07-04T17:51:00.002-04:00

[Male Orchard Oriole in the State Park this morning. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Below are two reports from weekly CMBO walks at the Meadows and the State Park. I spent a bit of time at both locations last night, with highlights including approximately 200 Willets migrating south out of Delaware Bay in a 20-minute period around 6:30pm, a brief look at the previously-seen dark Common Tern over the Plover Ponds, and a Northern Gannet offshore of the Meadows at dusk.

The following courtesy of Karl Lukens:

"CMBO Evening walk At the "Meadows", TNC. Usual suspects plus a Black-billed Cuckoo, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Least Bittern seen by a few, and fledgling Piping Plover and Oystercatcher."

- Karl, (Judy,Chuck, Mary Jane, Kathy, Roger, Lynne, Shaun)

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 7/3/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,J,C&MJ,K&RH,LB,SB+14.
Clr,75,W8. Least Bittern seen by a few.
Number of species: 39

Canada Goose 15
Mute Swan 10
Gadwall 1
Mallard 20
Least Bittern 1 seen by a few.
Great Egret 4
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Piping Plover 5
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 6 +fledgling
Greater Yellowlegs 1 heard
Least Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 30
Herring Gull 15
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 25
Least Tern 50
Common Tern 5
Forster's Tern 15
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 2
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 8
Fish Crow 5
Purple Martin 12
Tree Swallow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Carolina Wren 1
Marsh Wren 4
American Robin 10
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 25
Common Yellowthroat 6
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 10
House Sparrow 5

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

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"CMBO Cape May Point Walk. Good birding at the State Park continues. Nice looks at the Chat, Orchard Oriole, and Indigo Buntings. Also an Oystercatcher with a very young chick, as well as several Piping Plovers."

- Karl, (Kathy, Roger, Tom)

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/4/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,K&RH,T,+8.Clr,70,W12.
Number of species: 52

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 10
Great Blue Heron 6
Great Egret 1
Glossy Ibis 10
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 3
Piping Plover 4
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 4 w/chick
Lesser Yellowlegs 2
Laughing Gull 30
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Least Tern 25
Common Tern 10
Forster's Tern 20
Rock Pigeon 3
Mourning Dove 8
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 heard
Chimney Swift 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 1
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 1
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 20
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 20
Cedar Waxwing 5
Common Yellowthroat 5
Yellow-breasted Chat 2
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 6
Blue Grosbeak 1 heard
Indigo Bunting 5
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Common Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 2 /p adult male singing
House Finch 1
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 5

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

Gray Kingbird in South Cape May

2009-07-04T17:05:00.005-04:00

A Gray Kingbird was found at the South Cape May Meadows/Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge this morning by Michael O'Brien. The bird was seen perched atop some of the roping used to close off portions of the beachfront for tern and plover nesting. The bird stayed for a brief period of time before taking off and flying northwest- it has not been relocated since.

Gray Kingbird is a vagrant from the south, most likely to be found during late-spring and early-fall. Cape May has only a handful of records, and today's sighting might represent the first July record for New Jersey.

[Gray Kingbird on the beachfront of the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR this morning. Michael made note of the broad primary tips visible in the bottom photo, indicating a first-year bird.
Photos by Michael O'Brien; click to enlarge.]

CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - July 2, 2009

2009-07-02T17:28:00.001-04:00

An ANHINGA was found soaring over the Beanery/Rea Farm on 6/27, and was seen the next day over the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR. Presumably the same bird was also noted soaring over Sea Grove Avenue in Cape May Point on 7/2.

An adult WHITE IBIS was found along the west path of the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR on 6/28. The same or another was seen near Sunset Lake in Wildwood Crest on 6/29.

An adult BLACK-HEADED GULL was discovered in the 2nd Plover Pond at Cape May Pt. State Park on 6/27, and was re-found at the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR on 6/30. A BONAPARTE'S GULL was seen again at Pond Creek Marsh on 6/26.

The BLACK RAIL continued along the beginning of the west path of the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR through at least 7/1. Other birds at the Meadows this week included 3-4 MISSISSIPPI KITES and a KING RAIL on 6/28, as well as 17 BROWN PELICANS, 2 GULL-BILLED TERNS and a 'WESTERN' WILLET on 6/29.

A CORY'S SHEARWATER was seen from Cape May Point on 6/30, and a GREATER SHEARWATER was noted on 7/2. WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS have been reported in the "rips" off Cape May Point throughout the week. A BRANT was seen flying past Cape May Point on 6/27.

At least 8 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were seen on the beachfront between Cape May Pt. State Park and the Meadows on 6/30. 2 BLACK TERNS were seen between Cape May Pt. State Park and the Meadows on 6/29 and 6/30. 2 SANDWICH TERNS and 1-2 ROSEATE TERNS have also been seen in this area during the past week.

A boat trip to Great Egg Harbor Bay on 6/30 tallied 25 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, a SURF SCOTER and several SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS.

Breeding birds at Cape May Pt. State Park include WILLOW FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

***Both CMBO Centers will be closed for Independence Day on Saturday, July 4th.***

**CMBO’s Center for Research and Education in Goshen re-opened on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009. CRE hours will be Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CMBO's Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point is open Wednesday - Monday, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.**

*CMBO’s Northwood Center will be closed for inventory on July 28th and 29th. CMBO-CRE will be closed for inventory August 27th and 28th.*

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 Harper's Migration Mainline- Cape May lithograph poster, valued at $50. Call either CMBO center to ask an associate about joining today!

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon Society's 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 you'll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member discounts in the stores).

Good luck and good birding!

Anhinga, Greater Shearwater, Black Rail (no) News

2009-07-02T17:10:00.003-04:00

[Male Anhinga, 10:30 a.m. today over Sea Grove Avenue. Photo by Michael O'Brien, click to enlarge.]

A Greater Shearwater fairly close offshore near the Bunker at Cape May Point State Park was present shortly before the Anhinga above was found. The shearwater apparently sat on the water for a while. I wouldn't know, my sunscreen must contain shearwater repellent this year. Anhinga repellent, too. It should be mentioned that Anhingas are darn rare, with 4 records for the county through 1997 per Sibley's The Birds of Cape May. I haven't yet dug through the records to see how many since.

Several Wilson's Storm-petrels danced about in the rips, with a high but uncounted number of terns and plenty of dolphins. The usual good stuff at the State Park continues: several each of chats, Blue Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, and Indigo Buntings. A Killdeer with 4 babies lured Fish Crows with a distraction display near the first plover pond, and all the beach nesters mentioned below were well represented, along with 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The Black Rail at the TNC Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, a.k.a. the meadows, gets mixed reviews - it was reported as heard calling three times shortly before 8 p.m. last night, but people listening for it this morning, as far as I have been told, came up short.

Finally, a Yellow Warbler's flight note over the state park's parking lot represents, at least for me, the first southbound passerine of fall.

Beach Nester Paradise

2009-07-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

[American Oystercatcher chick and parent, Cape May Point State Park tonight. Digiscoped by Don Freiday, click to enlarge.]

The beach off Cape May Point State Park and the meadows is currently a paradise of beach nesting birds. Besides this American Oystercatcher chick and parent, there are Piping Plovers at every turn, including chicks, and dozens of Least Terns on nests. I watched a Common Tern pair take turns making a scrape, and saw others courtship feeding. The group of Black Skimmers in the colony area was only loafing while I watched, but who knows? Then you have the occasional Sandwich, Black and Roseate Tern sightings, Royal Terns now and then, piles of Common and Forster's Terns nesting elsewhere but trading back and forth to the rips, just a marvelous summer spectacle.

I had a chat with our boat captain the other night, and he was telling of the old tradition, which he partook in when a child, of going to the beach when nesting got under way to collect bucketfuls of eggs for omelets. Boy, they were good, he said. . . a simpler time, but one that had to pass, and did. Here's hoping against storm tides and predators this year at Cape May Point.

July Arrives In Cape May- State Park Notes

2009-07-01T16:38:00.005-04:00

[A most cooperative Yellow-breasted Chat showing off at the State Park on this first morning of July. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

"CMBO Cape May Point Walk at the State Park. For this walk there are several target birds and we got all but one. We got several Indigo Buntings, heard and saw fly 2 Willow Flycatchers, heard 3 Chats and got one in the scope, had nice scope views of an adult male Orchard Oriole, but missed the Blue Grosbeak. Good views of the usual terns but no unusual terns or gulls. A little rain shower caught us as we finished."

- Karl, (Steve, Patty, Tom)

In other news, a Sandwich Tern was loafing on the inaccessible walkway over Bunker Pond this afternoon, and a Roseate Tern was seen on the beach between the State Park and the Meadows late this morning.

[Male Orchard Oriole also showing off at the State Park this morning.
Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/1/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,SW,PR,+7.Shwr,70,s2.
Number of species: 48

Canada Goose 5
Mute Swan 4
Mallard 30
Great Egret 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 2
Piping Plover 1
Killdeer 2
Laughing Gull 30
Herring Gull 3
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Least Tern 10
Common Tern 15
Forster's Tern 25
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Willow Flycatcher 2 heard
Eastern Kingbird 1
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 1
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1 after walk
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1 after walk
American Robin 30
Gray Catbird 1 after walk
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 8
Common Yellowthroat 4
Yellow-breasted Chat 2 /p
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 4
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 1 /p
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 5

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

Somer's Point Boat: Herons and Sharp-tailed Sparrows

2009-07-01T06:52:00.003-04:00

We launched our inaugural Somer's Point Boat Trip last night. The herons were fantastic - there are multiple small rookeries in Great Egg Harbor Bay - and the patens marsh back of Margate held several Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. A single Brown Pelican was roosting on a piling in the bay with gulls and cormorants, and a summering female Surf Scoter floated nearby. The full list is below, with notable observations bolded.

Location: Great Egg Harbor Bay & Inlet
Observation date: 6/30/09
Notes: CMBO Boat Trip out of Somer's Point, about 13 miles round trip. With T Geiger, G Dwyer, S Bamford
Number of species: 37

American Black Duck 2
Surf Scoter 1 female
Brown Pelican 1 imm roosting on pilings
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 50
Snowy Egret 25
Little Blue Heron 8
Tricolored Heron 5
Black-crowned Night-Heron 25
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 25
Glossy Ibis 75
Osprey 15
Clapper Rail 15
American Oystercatcher 20 at least 2 chicks
Willet 15
Ruddy Turnstone 4
Laughing Gull 300
Herring Gull 100 a few with downy chicks 1/2 size adults
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Least Tern 10
Common Tern 50
Forster's Tern 50
Black Skimmer 350
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Fish Crow 5
Purple Martin 10
Barn Swallow 20
Common Yellowthroat 1
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow 5 Maybe more, Lone Cedar and Pork Island
Seaside Sparrow 20
Song Sparrow 2
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Boat-tailed Grackle 30
House Sparrow 20

State Park: 2 Sandwich Terns, Black Tern, Cory's Shearwater

2009-06-30T21:39:00.004-04:00

There was both great weather and great birding at the State Park this evening. Highlights included two Sandwich Terns that were picked by Bob Fogg as they flew over us near the 2nd Plover Pond around 6:30pm and continued east over the Meadows. Soon after, I picked up on a distant Cory's Shearwater heading out of the bay. A Wilson's Storm-Petrel appeared around the same time, feeding in the "rips" in the company of a large mixed flock of terns and Laughing Gulls. Other birds noted offshore included a couple of Brown Pelicans and a Northern Gannet.

Closer to sundown, a Black Tern appeared just offshore and eventually landed on the beach with a flock of Common Terns. This bird was an immature, not at all like the adult bird from yesterday. Also on the beach was an increased number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls- at least eight, and quite likely more. There had been, at most, three or four LesserBacks in the area for the past month, so it will be interesting to see if more continue to appear.

In the migrant department, two Semipalmated Plovers made a brief visit, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper stayed for a while longer in the Plover Ponds. I briefly glimpsed a possible White-rumped Sandpiper as it zipped by. Piping Plovers were easy to see and hear this evening.

The beach between the State Park and the Meadows is crawling with Least Terns, and interestingly, a number of Common Terns have taken up residence here, along with a small group of Black Skimmers. While it is a bit late in the breeding season, the Commons were actively engaging in courtship behavior, and a couple of pairs were even copulating. Will they try to nest there? Stay tuned.

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 6/30/09
Number of species: 61

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 9
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 2
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1
Mallard 12
Cory's Shearwater 1
Wilson's Storm-Petrel 1
Northern Gannet 1
Brown Pelican 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 4
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 3
Semipalmated Plover 2
Piping Plover 6
Killdeer 2
American Oystercatcher 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Laughing Gull 300
Ring-billed Gull 4
Herring Gull 50
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 80
Least Tern 130
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 90
Forster's Tern 80
Royal Tern 8
Sandwich Tern 2
Black Skimmer 20
Rock Pigeon 4
Mourning Dove 6
Chimney Swift 5
Willow Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Fish Crow 3
Purple Martin 40
Tree Swallow 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 8
Carolina Wren 1
American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 6
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 2
House Sparrow 6

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

White Ibis near Wildwood; Black Tern at State Park; Back Bay Images

2009-06-30T14:02:00.006-04:00

[This Black Tern appeared amid throngs of Forster's and Common Terns at Bunker Pond at Cape May Point State Park Monday evening. Photo by Don Freiday, click to enlarge. The terns have been roosting and bathing at Bunker Pond as well as the Plover Ponds.]

Captain Dave Githens of the Osprey sent the following report from a back bay boat cruise: "Today (Monday) we sighted an adult white ibis near the Sunset Lake heronry. It was flying away from the rookery toward the west. I can not say that it was in the heron nesting area but it looked like it came from there. "

The Sunset Lake heronry is on a dredge spoil mound covered with shrubs and small trees on the northwest side of Sunset Lake. Sunset Lake is viewed from New Jersey Avenue in Wildwood. Unfortunately the heronry is quite distant for land viewing but this bird (perhaps the same one as was in Cape May over the weekend) could easily appear elsewhere, such as Ocean Drive, Shellbay Landing or Stone Harbor/Nummy Island. The Osprey does regular back-bay trips that cover this area, for more info call David Githens at 609.898.3500.

[Coincidentally, this is the heronry mentioned above. The birds, however, are Herring Gulls, apparently nesting on a tangle at the top of the tree. Photo taken from a kayak on Sunday by Don Freiday, click to enlarge.]

[Osprey nest on a duck hunters' shack, Taylor's Sound near Wildwood. Photo by Don Freiday, click to enlarge.]

Black Rail, 3 YB Cuckoos @ Meadows; News of the Back Bays

2009-06-29T10:39:00.002-04:00

Let's put this slightly differently: the Black Rail at the meadows saw a whole bunch of people looking for it again this morning, including a few giving each other high-fives...

CMBO's Monday Meadows walk did not "officially" see the rail, although we certainly heard it well enough from five feet away. I noticed it sometimes trebles its kee's: keekeekeekerr, and somtimes shortens it to just keekerr. Participants who lingered at the spot, which is at the north end of the west path, did see the bird.

Three Yellow-billed Cuckoos showed themselves nicely along the west path, and the Least Bittern, almost an afterthought with all these rare birds around, was glimpsed. Tern numbers were up and included a Gull-billed. We had a Black-bellied Plover and I hear Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, and Lesser Yellowlegs were also detected this morning. An adult male Blue Grosbeak sang from the wires west of the parking lot, and a chat and White-eyed Vireo were singing from the scrub-shrub west of the west path. The full list from this morning is below, and with today's northwest winds I wonder what else will show up. One bird we oddly did NOT detect was Chimney Swift, can't really explain that one.

Yesterday morning I paddled the back bays behind Wildwood in my kayak, primarily near Taylor's Sound. I saw a newly fledged juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron out on its own. Forster's Terns were nesting, or re-nesting after the flood, on piles of wrack up on the marsh, some Laughing Gulls there have chicks that survived the flooding, and in the heron rookery west of Sunset Lake I noticed two Herring Gulls that I believe have found a way to avoid having their nest flooded: they appear to be nesting on top of a tangle of vines and vegetation up in a tree. Bizarre to see them sitting there.

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 6/29/09
Notes: CMBO Monday Meadows Walk. Clicked Common & Forster's; Dave Lord clicked Lagu, Janet Crawford clicked RWBB
Number of species: 58

Canada Goose 50
Mute Swan 30
Gadwall 5
Mallard 50
Least Bittern 1
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 5
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Glossy Ibis 5
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 10
Black Rail 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Piping Plover 5
Killdeer 1
American Oystercatcher 6
Laughing Gull 147
Herring Gull 30
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Least Tern 100
Gull-billed Tern 2
Common Tern 40
Forster's Tern 138
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 1
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 10
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Willow Flycatcher 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
White-eyed Vireo 1
Fish Crow 25
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 25
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1
Marsh Wren 4
American Robin 25
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 5
Common Yellowthroat 6
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Field Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 42
Common Grackle 60
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 20

Some Good Photos of Some Good Birds

2009-06-28T14:00:00.005-04:00

[Sandwich Tern flying over Cape May Point State Park last evening. Photo by Bob Fogg (www.keekeekerr.com).]

[Another photo of the continuing Black Rail at the Meadows, courtesy of Karl Lukens.]

[Black-headed Gull (center, second bird back) at the 2nd Plover Pond in Cape May Point State Park last evening. Photo by Bob Fogg (www.keekeekerr.com).]

[Adult White Ibis along the west path of the Meadows this morning. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Superb June Birding in Cape May: Repeat Anhinga, White Ibis, Black-headed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Black Rail, King Rail

2009-06-28T12:58:00.003-04:00

Who says the birding is slow in June?! You couldn't ask for better birding than there's been around Cape May during the past week, and that trend continued into yesterday evening and this morning-

The Anhinga of yesterday was re-found high over the South Cape May Meadows during the 9:00 hour, and was last seen drifting off toward the north. An adult White Ibis was subsequently found along the west path of the South Cape May Meadows shortly before 11am, and was seen by many observers. A King Rail was heard along the west path, and the Black Rail was again heard (and seen by a lucky few) this morning.

Last evening, the second plover pond at the State Park was hopping, with highlights including a Black-headed Gull, a Sandwich Tern and an unusually dark Common Tern.

Anhinga Over Beanery; Black Rail Continues

2009-06-27T15:17:00.003-04:00

[Believe it: Black Rail crossing the west path at the South Cape May Meadows this morning. Photo by Bob Fogg.]

[Anhinga soaring over the Beanery/Rea Farm at 10:00am today. Note the pale upperwing coverts and long tail; two traits that are helpful in separating this species from similar cormorants. May and June are typically the best months to be on lookout for this southern species that occasionally wanders north. Photo by Bob Fogg.]

Karl Lukens, one of the finders of the Anhinga, reports the following from last night's Meadows walk and this morning's Beanery walk:

"CMBO Evening Walk at the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, i.e., "The Meadows". Brief look by Chuck at a Least Bittern, a good look at a fledgling Oystercatcher, and after the walk, the Black Rail was calling."

- Karl, (Chuck, Mary Jane, Kathy, Roger)

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 6/26/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,C&MJ,R&KH,+23.Cldy,74,SW9.
Number of species: 43

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 12
Least Bittern 1 seen by Chuck
Great Egret 4
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Glossy Ibis 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 3
Black Rail 1 after walk-heard well 50 yds out on east side main(west) path from lot
Piping Plover 2
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 4 1 fledgling
Laughing Gull 20
Herring Gull 15 possible Nelson's
Great Black-backed Gull 1 45
Least Tern 25
Common Tern 3
Forster's Tern 20
Black Skimmer 4
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 3
Chimney Swift 3
Downy Woodpecker 1 psrking lot before walk
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 5
Purple Martin 5
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Wren 2 heard
House Wren 1 heard
Marsh Wren 4 heard
American Robin 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 8
Common Yellowthroat 4 heard
Song Sparrow 1 heard
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Sparrow 8

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

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"...Again the parking lot was great for birding with good scope views of Blue Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting before we started! The last of the "Blues Brothers", the Eastern Bluebird, was added to the list at the vineyard in the back field. Also heard Yellow-billed Cuckoo, saw several Great-crested Flycatchers, and a couple of Hairy Woodpeckers. Finally the "piece-de-resistance" was the Anhinga that soared over the parking lot as we finished the walk. A lifer and a state bird for many."

- Karl (Kathy, Roger)

Location: The Beanery
Observation date: 6/27/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,R&KH,+8.Cldy,75,NW8.
Number of species: 47

Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 6
Anhinga 1 male, bob fogg photo-soaring over parking lot. New State Bird for me
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 10
Green Heron 2
Glossy Ibis 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 3
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 2
Laughing Gull 10
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2 heard
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 heard
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 8
Fish Crow 2 heard
Purple Martin 2
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 4 heard
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 12
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 15
Cedar Waxwing 1
Common Yellowthroat 4
Northern Cardinal 6
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 4
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 5

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

CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - June 25, 2009

2009-06-25T16:51:00.002-04:00

Hotline: Cape May Birding Hotline
To Report: (609) 884-2736, sightings@birdcapemay.org
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties, NJ
Compiler: Tom Reed, Cape May Bird Observatory
URL: http://www.njaudubon.org ; http://www.birdcapemay.org

This is the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. This week's message was prepared on Thursday, June 25th, 2009.

Highlights this week include reports of BRANT, LESSER SCAUP, COMMON EIDER, BLACK SCOTER, CORY'S SHEARWATER, GREATER SHEARWATER, WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, NORTHERN GANNET, BROWN PELICAN, LEAST BITTERN, BLACK RAIL, KING RAIL, COMMON MOORHEN, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WHIMBREL, LEAST SANDPIPER, GULL-BILLED TERN, ROSEATE TERN, PARASITIC JAEGER, BONAPARTE'S GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, WILLOW FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. Also, an announcement regarding the re-opening of CMBO's Center for Research and Education in Goshen.

- For more up-to-the-minute Cape May sightings information and a download-able birding map of Cape May, visit www.BirdCapeMay.org. Also follow us on Twitter at CMBObirds (www.twitter.com/cmbobirds - review list/rarities or spectacles only) -

A BLACK RAIL was discovered in the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR on 6/23, and continued through 6/25. The bird has been calling at regular intervals toward the beginning of the west path. Black Rail is an endangered species in New Jersey: please do not leave the path in search of the bird, and do not play tapes or iPod recordings.

Other birds in the Meadows this week included a KING RAIL along the west path on 6/23, COMMON MOORHEN and LEAST BITTERN along the east path throughout the week, ROSEATE TERN and GULL-BILLED TERN on the east path's "gull island" on 6/21, and at least 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS throughout the week. 2 PARASITIC JAEGERS and a NORTHERN GANNET were seen offshore of the Meadows on 6/24. The first migrant shorebirds of the season included 2 LEAST SANDPIPERS and a LESSER YELLOWLEGS on 6/21, along with an early WHIMBREL on 6/22.

Seawatching from St. Peter's in Cape May Point on 6/20 produced 12 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, a ROSEATE TERN, a BLACK SCOTER and a NORTHERN GANNET. A BRANT was noted from Cape May Point on 6/22, and a BONAPARTE'S GULL was seen at Davie's Lake on 6/25.

15 GREATER SHEARWATERS and several CORY'S SHEARWATERS were noted from St. Mary's in Cape May Point on 6/18.

A back-bay boat trip on 6/20 yielded a COMMON EIDER in Richardson's Sound, as well as a LESSER SCAUP near the toll bridge at Nummy Island.

17 BROWN PELICANS were tallied from Cape May Point State Park on 6/25. WILLOW FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were noted there on 6/24.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
**CMBO’s Center for Research and Education in Goshen will re-open Tuesday, June 30, 2009. CRE hours will be Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CMBO's Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point is open Wednesday - Monday, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.**

*Both CMBO centers will be closed for the July 4th holiday. CMBO’s Northwood Center will be closed for inventory July 28 and 29. CMBO-CRE will be closed for inventory August 27 and 28.*

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 Harper's Migration Mainline- Cape May lithograph poster, valued at $50. Call either CMBO center to ask an associate about joining today!

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon Society's 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 you'll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member discounts in the stores).

Good luck and good birding!

Speaking of Rail Envy. . .

2009-06-25T11:15:00.003-04:00

[Bob Fogg photographed this King Rail crossing the path at the Cape May Meadows a.k.a. TNC's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge on June 23. Click to enlarge. These recent rail appearances are almost certainly related to recent extreme high tide events.]

Black Rail SEEN!!!!!! & 17 Brown Pelicans

2009-06-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

So Michael O'Brien and his CMBO workshop group walked up to us as we were finishing the Bird Walk for All People, and said "Guess what we saw [his emphasis] at the meadows."

I knew right away, but it still seems impossible. They had the Black Rail calling on the west side of the west path (it had been on the east side). Michael told me he thought, hmmm, how'd it get over there. . . .he told everyone there was an almost 0% chance of seeing it. . . and it walked across the path 30 feet in front of them. Some people have all the luck. Important: DO NOT do anything to harass the Black Rail. Stay on the path, listen, hope, and enjoy.

We got a dose of luck on our walk as it ended, when a flock of 17 Brown Pelicans sailed over the parking lot at the Cape May Point State Park, which is more by about a dozen than I have seen together at once since I moved to Cape May in 2007. The full list from our walk is below (note to the participants: some species were heard only), with more interesting observations bolded:

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 6/25/09
Notes: CMBO Bird Walk for All People.
Number of species: 55

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 15
Mallard 40
Brown Pelican 17
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 15
Osprey 5
Piping Plover 2
Killdeer 1
American Oystercatcher 1
Laughing Gull 50
Herring Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Least Tern 20
Common Tern 2
Forster's Tern 40
Black Skimmer 1
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 10
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
Willow Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 5
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 10
Purple Martin 30
Tree Swallow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 8
Carolina Wren 10
American Robin 20
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 15
Common Yellowthroat 5
Yellow-breasted Chat 3
Northern Cardinal 8
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 40
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 10
House Sparrow 15

Meadows: Black Rail, Least Bittern, Parasitic Jaeger, Gannet

2009-06-24T20:15:00.002-04:00

The Black Rail was calling obviously and frequently from the South Cape May Meadows, a.k.a. the TNC Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, today and tonight, heard most recently by Tom Reed at about 8:00 p.m. SPECIAL NOTE: Black Rail is an NJ Endangered Species protected by state law, and in no circumstances can be harassed by any means.

Other Meadows birds tonight included two Yellow-billed Cuckoos, at least one of the Least Bitterns, two Parasitic Jaegers and a Northern Gannet offshore, one near-adult-plumage Lesser Black-backed Gull in the the gull flock that likes to sit on the beach, and more than the normal handful of Black Skimmers. The skimmers, the Black Rail, and Bob's recent King Rail (which he photographed as it crossed the west path) are certainly related to the recent extreme high tides in the coastal marshes of south Jersey, as birds get pushed to find drier ground.

Great Summer Birding In The State Park

2009-06-24T18:39:00.003-04:00

"CMBO Cape May Point Walk. Nice assortment of birds in the State Park this morning including the target birds which were 3 Yellow-breasted Chats (2 scoped), 2 Blue Grosbeaks in scope, and 5 Indigo Buntings several in the scope. Finally a singing and quite visible Willow Flycatcher."

- Karl, (Chuck, Steve)

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 6/24/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,CS,SW,+7.Ptly Cldy,68,N5.
Number of species: 48

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 5
Mallard 30
Great Egret 2
Glossy Ibis 10
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 5
Piping Plover 1
Killdeer 1
American Oystercatcher 3
Willet 3
Laughing Gull 25
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Least Tern 50
Forster's Tern 60
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Willow Flycatcher 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 10
Purple Martin 50
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 10
Carolina Wren 5
American Robin 35
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 10
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Yellow-breasted Chat 3
Northern Cardinal 6
Blue Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 5
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Common Grackle 20
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 3
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 5

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

FSSS

2009-06-24T10:51:00.002-04:00

First Southbound Shorebird (of) Summer, that is. Michael O'Brien let me know that he and Vince Elia had two Least Sandpipers and a Lesser Yellowlegs at the Meadows on June 21. Michael notes, "There had apparently been a Least around recently that was probably a lingerer from the spring, but Vince said that bird had some sort of growth on its head. These Leasts were different, and the yellowlegs was new - so I would call those the first southbound migrants. The wind was out of the north that day."

So there you have it, Tom Reed's Whimbrel is beaten by a day and the coveted FSSS award goes to Vince and Michael.

Nummy Island & Environs: Herons, Terns, Pelicans + thoughts on Whimbrel

2009-06-24T07:04:00.007-04:00

[Laughing Gull pair with two chicks, near Nummy Island on Tuesday night, June 23. Photo by Don Freiday, click to enlarge.]

I kayaked the vicinity of the free bridge to Nummy Island yesterday evening, checking the Laughing Gull colony after recent flooding, and the heron rookery on the shrub island west of Stone Harbor, which is visible if you look north from the free bridge and also from a couple of the back streets that run out to Great Channel from Stone Harbor.

Many of the gulls have been flooded out, but the ones on the higher creek banks are doing fine. I saw one nest with 4 downy young, most had 2 (the published average clutch is 3), and many adults still sat on nests, either covering eggs or downy young. The din from the colony is extraordinary.

The heron rookery mentioned above seems to have all the expected species except perhaps Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, although even circling the island with a kayak I could only see two nests, both of Great Egret. Up to 10 Snowy Egrets sat in trees, and at least 3 Little Blue Herons and 1 Tri-colored Heron were in the area, although these I did not see actually in the trees, only flying past nearby. Nest construction is still underway, with ibis and Great Egrets bringing in nesting material. There was the usual evening changing of the guard, with day herons flying in and night-herons flying out (I counted about 15 Black-crowned). It was reminiscent of the good old days with the rookery between 2nd and 3rd Avenue in Stone Harbor, though the numbers of birds are much lower.

[Glossy Ibis carrying nesting material to rookery near Stone Harbor Tuesday night, June 23. Photo by Don Freiday, click to enlarge.]

I encountered about 5 Royal Terns, and three Brown Pelicans came sailing in off the ocean, quite high, and continued north, an interesting observation given Tom Reed's report of 3 pelicans in Cape May earlier in the day.

Tom's Whimbrel Monday (June 22) gets my vote as a southbound migrant, even though the earliest record in Sibley's The Birds of Cape May is June 28. If true, it is the first bona fide southbound bird of the summer I've heard about.

Conditions in the eastern arctic are apparently abysmal, with a very late spring and extensive snow cover well into June from James Bay northward, which is going to mean a very poor nesting year for shorebirds and Arctic geese. This may also send some of these species south even earlier than normal. After a relatively good spring on the bayshore, horseshoe crab egg-wise, this is a darn shame, it seems unlikely birds like Red Knots and Sanderlings will nest successfully this year.

King Rail in The Meadows

2009-06-23T20:54:00.002-04:00

In addition to the Black Rail, I received word that a large rail was briefly seen crossing the west path this evening, which was determined to be a King Rail. Quite a day for rails in the Meadows.

Black Rail in The Meadows

2009-06-23T19:46:00.003-04:00

Steve Rodan discovered a calling Black Rail at the beginning of the west path in the South Cape May Meadows around 5:00pm this afternoon. The bird continued to vocalize sporadically for the next two hours.

Its appearance here is likely a result of the recent flooding in the Mid-Atlantic (rain and tidal) that has quite likely pushed numerous birds out of their normal breeding territories. Likewise, all the recent rains have made the normally dry upland habitat at the Meadows much wetter than usual, and in turn have temporarily provided somewhat suitable habitat for species such as Black Rail.

If you go for this bird, please do not stray from the path or otherwise disturb the bird, and bear in mind that it is illegal to play tape recordings of Black Rail in New Jersey.

Other birds in the Meadows this evening included 3 Brown Pelicans offshore, and at least two Least Bitterns along the east path.

Sit-and-Wait Birding at The Meadows

2009-06-22T22:50:00.004-04:00

I spent the evening at the Meadows, without too much of a purpose other than to just hang out for a while and see what would come by. "Sit-and-wait" birding is probably something that birders as a whole should do more of...it seems that so often we rush through birding spots, making sure we have enough time to "hit" all the spots we "need" to on a given day. You'd be surprised just how many interesting observations you can make just by birding more slowly. The Meadows are a great place to employ this strategy, as birds move into and out of it with some regularity, and it provides a number of different habitats to work.

However, before I could get in a whole lot of birding this evening, a dark bundle of clouds quickly approached from the north, and sent me running for the car for the better part of 30 minutes...not exactly the kind of weather that jives well with sitting around in one place, particularly when that place is at the top of a dune crossover.

But, surprise thunderstorms aside, there were a few interesting observations to be had in the Meadows this evening, beginning with a Whimbrel that flew over shortly after the storm passed. This species isn't one that commonly "summers over" in the area, and it still seems a touch early for southbound migrants, so who knows what its intentions were...regardless, it was definitely a surprise to see one on June 22nd. A basic-plumaged Black-bellied Plover passed by a few minutes later and proceeded to lounge on the beach.

The beach was also host to a large flock of large gulls, numbering about 200 in all, and dominated by Great Black-backs. What was perhaps the same 3rd-summer Lesser Black-backed Gull was also in amongst the flock. At least 13 American Oystercatchers were on the beach- an awfully high count for this time of year, and a sure indicator of birds that have failed in their nesting attempts.

Back behind the dunes, at least 2 Least Bitterns were audible from the back end of the east path, with a third bird seen closer to the beginning of the path. A stealthy Common Moorhen called briefly along the east path but went unseen, and the gull island was dominated by Forster's Terns and not a whole lot of anything else for the duration of the evening.

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 6/22/09
Number of species: 54

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 10
Gadwall 1
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1
Mallard 9
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Least Bittern 3
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 2
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 4
Glossy Ibis 6
Osprey 4
Common Moorhen 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Piping Plover 3
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 13
Willet (Eastern) 2
Whimbrel 1
Laughing Gull 40
Herring Gull 50
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 100
Least Tern 40
Common Tern 18
Forster's Tern 50
Black Skimmer 5
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 12
Fish Crow 3
Purple Martin 15
Tree Swallow 6
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 6
Carolina Wren 2
Marsh Wren 2
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 6
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 4
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 8

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

Boat Trip Photo Salon

2009-06-22T16:33:00.004-04:00

Birding has been spectacular on recent CMBO boat trips. We've added a weekly trip from Somer's Point to our slate, which will run every Tuesday evening June 30-September, sailing at 6 p.m. What might be seen? Take a look:

[Scanning the Black Skimmer colony at Malibu Beach last Tuesday from the pontoon boat Duke O' Fluke out of Somer's Point. Photo by Tony Geiger.]

[Tri-colored and Little Blue Herons side-by-side on Bird Island, behind Ocean City, on the Somer's Point trip. Photo by Tony Geiger, click to enlarge.]

[American Oystercatcher with chick, Pork Island on the trip from Somer's Point. Photo by Tony Geiger, click to enlarge.]

[Boats are a great way to sharpen your tern i.d. skills. Note the dark outer webs on the outer tail feathers of this Common Tern. The outer tail is white on Forster's. Photo by Tony Geiger, click to enlarge.]

[Different day, different boat: the high-tide-flooded tern and skimmer colony in Grassy Sound last Saturday, from the Osprey. Photo by Michael O'Brien, click to enlarge.]

[One of the 96 Clapper Rails we saw on Saturday. Scroll down to June 20 for the tale of that trip. Photo by Michael O'Brien, click to enlarge.]

[This Common Eider could very well be the same one that summered in the Hereford Inlet area last year. June Common Eiders are not normal. Photo by Michael O'Brien on Saturday, Richardson's Sound. Click to enlarge.]

Check out all our boat trips.

Meadows: Moorhen, Least Bittern, Gull-billed Tern

2009-06-22T13:36:00.003-04:00

Since Least Bittern is becoming a given (we haven't missed it on the Meadows walk in some time), I guess Common Moorhen won bird-of-the-walk honors when it appeared at the east side of the east pool, behind the tern island, on this morning's South Cape May Meadows/TNC Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge walk. Come to think of it, the Gull-billed Tern flyby was pretty nice, too.

Six American Oystercatchers conversed on the beach, two more than the most I've seen at the meadows this year. Very interestingly, the Willets that have been hanging around the meadows flew up together to mob a passing Turkey Vulture. Why would they do that, I asked, if they are not nesting or thinking about it? Willets have nested at the Meadows in the past, but Eastern Willets are tied to Spartina (salt marsh cord grass) and there is no Spartina at the meadows now. It's probably too late to initiate nesting, but it is something to watch.

Two Black-bellied Plover and three Ruddy Turnstones flew west over the beach, presumably birds summering locally, but it is "any day now" for the first certifiable southbound shorebird migrant.

I notice some birds by their absence, notably Green Heron, which seemed to be nesting but perhaps they have moved over to the Beanery. Few Least Terns were on the beach off the meadows proper, but there were plenty down towards the state park. It's hard to know if that is just where they were today or whether that is where the bulk of the colony is nesting.

The full list from today is below.

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 6/22/09
Number of species: 58

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 29 clicked by Dave Lord
Gadwall 5
Mallard 10
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Least Bittern 1 flew around meadows wound up in east pool near road
Great Egret 5
Snowy Egret 5
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 5
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 7
Common Moorhen 1 behind tern island east pool
Black-bellied Plover 2 flyby
Piping Plover 3
Killdeer 1
American Oystercatcher 6
Willet (Eastern) 2 flew up at a passing TV to drive off, evidently nesting?
Ruddy Turnstone 3 flyby
Laughing Gull 171 clicked by df
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 30
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 3rd cycle
Great Black-backed Gull 30
Least Tern 70 hardly any in in meadows portion of colony, more towards state park
Gull-billed Tern 1
Common Tern 2
Forster's Tern 43
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 2
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 8
Chimney Swift 15
Willow Flycatcher 1 heard twice
Blue Jay 2
Fish Crow 15
Purple Martin 20
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 10
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1
Marsh Wren 2
American Robin 5
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 5
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Blue Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird 33 clicked by C Slugg
Common Grackle 60
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 10
House Sparrow 25