BirdCapeMay.org

Q: Do Black Skimmers winter in flocks on the east coast?

A: During September and October, postbreeding adult and juvenile Black Skimmers congregate in flocks on the Cape May beaches. Many of the skimmers that we see roosting by day at Second Avenue Jetty are from the Stone Harbor Point colony.

During the winter, skimmers in the northern part of their breeding range will migrate south. A good place to view skimmers during the winter is on the coast of Florida.

"There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends."
- Shel Silverstein

Q: Where are the best spots to go birding in Cape May during the fall?

A: Glad you asked! Check out the BirdCapeMay.org "How-to Guides" by Tom Reed.

A Young Birder's How to Guide: Autumn in Cape May

Q: Are Cattle Egrets native to North America?

A: Cattle Egrets are native to Africa but have expanded to other areas around the world. The first Cattle Egrets arrived in North America in the 1950s and the second and third NA records occurred in Cape May! In 1952 two Cattle Egrets appeared in Cape May at the McPherson's Farm on New England Road. By 1958, Cattle Egrets were breeding near Cape May.

The image below shows a Cattle Egret in the South Cape May Meadows in the 1970s, when cows were pastured there.


Reference: Birds and Birding at Cape May: What to See, When and Where to Go by Clay & Pat Sutton.

Q: What is a Wild Turkey's beard made out of - is it feathers?

A: A Wild Turkey's breast "beard" consists of modified, hair-like feathers that are made up of horny filaments.