Saw-whet Flight, Reports from Two Mile Landing and the Beanery

I just learned that since October 15 this year, banders have captured about 175 Saw-whet Owls in Cape May at a station only run part-time, and in a different location than the place used in previous years. I always find it amazing that this many owls can pass through the point essentially unnoticed otherwise. Check the archives of Birding Fieldcraft http://www.birdcapemay.org/tigrina/tips_11107.shtml
for an article on finding migrant owls.

Results from this morning's Two Mile Beach walk are below, courtesy of Chuck and Mary Jane Slugg. Single lingering Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons were found by the Sluggs et. al. Both are scarce in winter in south coastal NJ, the Little Blue actually rare, though it is regularly found on the Cape May Christmas Bird Count.

Also below are results from Saturday's Beanery walk. Karl Lukens notes, "Cold, windy, threatening showers, with 3 hardy participants, but a nice walk after all. We even had a pinch of sun at the end. Loads of robins going in all directions, Bluebirds overhead and sitting in trees and farm machinery. A Kestrel at the start and a 1st year Bald Eagle near the end of the walk also made for nice viewing."

Location: Two Mile Beach
Observation date: 11/13/07
Number of species: 42
Brant 20
Canada Goose 15
American Black Duck 50
Black Scoter 75
Long-tailed Duck 2
Red-throated Loon 8
Common Loon 3
Northern Gannet 150
Double-crested Cormorant 60
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 25
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Killdeer 3
Greater Yellowlegs 10
Willet 3
Ruddy Turnstone 10
Sanderling 15
Dunlin 8
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 50
Mourning Dove 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow 10
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 25
Gray Catbird 5
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 50
American Pipit 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler 50
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Northern Cardinal 1
Boat-tailed Grackle 1
House Finch 7
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 10

SPECIES SEEN ~ CMBO TRIP
11/10/2007 ~ in Beanery ~ New Jersey Checklist ~ 42 seen

Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Canada Goose 5
Mallard 8
Bald Eagle 1 - 1st yr.
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
American Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 40
Northern Flicker 3
American Pipit 3
Carolina Wren 5
Winter Wren 2
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 70
American Robin 500
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 50
European Starling 10
House Sparrow 5
Purple Finch 2
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 25
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Eastern Towhee 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Swamp Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Eastern Meadowlark 40
Rusty Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 25
Brown-headed Cowbird 25