Friday, January 15, 2010

Short-eared Owls, Snowy Egret, Kestrel, Cranes

It's a bit depressing that American Kestrel makes a headline that also includes cranes and a wintering Snowy Egret, but they're so scarce anymore that the one Mike Crewe found at the Beanery along Bayshore Road was pretty noteworthy.

So were the two Sandhill Cranes seen by Will Kerling along Broadway near the church/cemetary, in a field on the right hand side if you are heading south. Tom Reed had the Snowy Egret, with the Little Blue Heron in the same general area as before, on Ocean Drive between the toll bridge and Two Mile Landing.

A Short-eared Owl got up for a bit around 4:45 p.m. tonight at Jake's Landing, and it plus another were seen by Dave LaPuma, Tom Reed et. al. later on. I'd reckon a 5:00 p.m. arrival at Jake's would be the right timing to maximize your short-eared chances. A Great-horned Owl also hooted in the woods along the road.

The Redhead and Eurasian Wigeons are still around today - check Lighthouse Pond and Lily Lake. With the slightly warmer weather, more open water is appearing, so include Bunker Pond and the plover ponds in your rounds, and TNC's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, too.

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