Well, the walk today went pretty good. As you can see by the diversity of shorebirds we had a very "birdy" morning. In fact, all five peep were seen from Bunker pond or the Plover ponds. Unfortunately, my group did not see the Baird's sandpiper but I was told that this species is still hanging around. We did not find any Buff-breasted sandpipers either, one was seen on Bunker pond. Just in case you've missed the word, up to 9 Buff-breasted sandpiper have been seen in the Cape May area. Although, I did over hear that there have been good numbers of "Buffies" up at Johnson Sod Farm in Salem County, along with Golden plovers and a few Baird's sandpipers. Anyone heading down to Cape May in the near future, especially those who might be driving around from MD, DE or VA, should keep a stop by Johnson Sod Farm (it's off Rt. 77) in mind.
We did have couple of Caspian terns flyby and I was told that I missed a Black tern. One Least tern was still hanging around as well.
One thing I realized the other day, which I was commenting with the group today as some Bobolink flew over, was how it seemed that these birds flying over seemed to materialize out of thin air. I've commented on the fact that you can hear one Bobolink and then see a hundred flying over. Or, hear a few and it ends up that it's one bird. Well, the other day when I was birding Higbee I had the realization that looking for Bobolink in a blue sky is like looking at one of those 3-D posters that you have to stare at for some time and focus your eyes just right in order to see the image. Well, maybe you don't have to focus just right to see the birds flying over but that was sure what it seemed like that day. Every time I looked for a flock, it would seem to materialize just as I was focusing intently. The birds popped out of the sky just like the 3-D image. Funny how art imitates life.
There was a beautiful adult male Peregrine falcon hanging around and chasing shorebirds around first thing this morning. Gorgeous slate grey/blue back and all. Had a couple of Merlin trying for a few shorebirds as well.
Definitely be paying attention for the next cold front. Especially if NW winds are predicted for a few days, that hawkwatch should be jumping.
Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 9/8/07
Notes: CMBO Birding Optics walk
Number of species: 52
Canada Goose 6
Mute Swan 24
Gadwall 4
Mallard 6
Blue-winged Teal 20
Northern Shoveler 3
Green-winged Teal 8
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 2
Osprey 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
Clapper Rail 1
Semipalmated Plover 35
Lesser Yellowlegs 17
Sanderling 8
Semipalmated Sandpiper 150
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 63
White-rumped Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Stilt Sandpiper 7
Short-billed Dowitcher 12
Laughing Gull 225
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 18
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Caspian Tern 2
Royal Tern 8
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 25
Least Tern 1
Black Skimmer 12
Mourning Dove 15
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Kingbird 6
American Crow 2
Tree Swallow 350
Barn Swallow 8
Carolina Chickadee 6
Carolina Wren 8
American Robin 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
Prairie Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Northern Cardinal 2
Bobolink 25
Red-winged Blackbird 32
American Goldfinch 4
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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