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Friday, February 29, 2008

Proof of the Brig. Osprey, weekend birding suggestions, Western Grebe at Sandy Hook

I've made more trips to Brig this winter than I'm willing to admit, and still haven't seen the silly Osprey that has been wintering along the entrance road... a bit of a bummer, but this bird is on the brink of accomplishing something that has quite possibly never been documented before- it will have survived an entire winter in New Jersey.


To prove its presence, superb birder, well-known author and highly-regarded Stockton College professor Jack Connor sent me the following picture of the bird last week. JC is author of the classic Season at the Point, which magnificently details an entire fall season in Cape May. I believe it is no longer in print, but the last time I checked there were still a couple copies on the shelves at Northwood...a highly recommended read for anyone who loves Cape May.



[The Elusive Wintering Osprey of Forsythe. Photo by Jack Connor]

If you're in town and looking to get in some birding this weekend, here's a few general suggestions:

  1. Ocean Drive area - Waterfowl numbers should be increasing on the Coast Guard Ponds and Sunset Lake. A walk down the beach at the Two Mile Beach Unit of Cape May NWR can make for productive seawatching, and be sure to check around the jetties for Great Cormorant, eiders, Harlequin Ducks or even an alcid. A Little Blue Heron has been hanging around Two Mile Landing.
  2. Cape May Point- Try Lily Lake for the Barnacle Goose and migrant waterfowl. Seawatching has been fairly good from the various dune crossovers, and from Sunset Beach- keep an eye out for Black-headed Gull. The State Park could still produce Orange-crowned, Nashville, and Palm Warblers, and Yellow-breasted Chat.
  3. Delaware Bayshore- American Woodcock are displaying at Woodcock Trail and Kimble's Beach Road. Hundreds of diving ducks can often be seen from Reed's Beach, and the ibis pond along the road in has been active lately. Bald Eagle chicks JUST hatched at Beaver Swamp WMA this week (thanks Karen), and Jake's Landing is still your best shot for Short-eared Owls late in the day.

Lastly, a Western Grebe was found at Sandy Hook, at the north end of the jersey shore, this morning by Tom Boyle. At least one Bohemian Waxwing and the Townsend's Solitaire also continue at The Hook. Scott Barnes sent the following message to the NJBIRDS listserv:

"Tom Boyle discovered a Western Grebe around 11:30 this morning at Sandy Hook. The bird is present on the ocean between the toll plaza and B-lot. Park at the shrink-wrapped toll plaza and walk out to the beach. The bird was viewed in this area and seemed to be loosely associating with a male Greater Scaup. Bohemian Waxwing and Townsend's Solitaire were both reported from their usual spots north of the scout camp today as well."

Have a great weekend of birding, and let us know what you come up with!

Leap Day '08: Eurasian Wigeon, Golden Eagle, Rough-leg @ Brig; Red-necked Grebe and Short-ears at Jake's Landing

Based on what I saw today, maybe Leap Day should occur more than once every four years...

I made a quick spin around Brig/Forsythe this afternoon. Waterfowl numbers continue to increase, consisting mainly of Black Ducks and Pintails, along with the other usual dabblers. A pair of Common Mergansers were feeding in the NW Pool. The Eurasian Wigeon continues- search for a wigeon flock in the cove at the start of the north dike; this is where the bird has been most often, and where it was today. There were four species of raptors along the north dike, highlighted by a single Golden Eagle that was stirring up the Snow Geese for a brief while, as well as a distant light-morph Rough-legged Hawk. Several Northern Harriers and a Red-tailed Hawk rounded out the list.

Upon arriving at Jake's Landing at 5:00, I found the Queens of Cumberland and company stationed at the end of the road, where they had pulled out a superb find: a Red-necked Grebe on Dennis Creek. After a brief disappearing act, the grebe performed brilliantly in the bend of the creek for the rest of the evening. A single Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Pied-billed Grebes were also in the same vicinity. Other Jake's highlights included 3 Short-eared Owls, a fly-by Peregrine Falcon, and a male Northern Harrier. Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Meadowlarks were in full song.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - February 28, 2008

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, February 28, 2008. Highlights this week include sightings of BARNACLE GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, GREAT EGRET, OSPREY, GOLDEN EAGLE, AMERICAN KESTREL, 'WESTERN' WILLET, MARBLED GODWIT, BLACK-HEADED GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, SHORT-EARED OWL, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, PINE WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, and SNOW BUNTING.

The BARNACLE GOOSE continues to be seen around Cape Island, with reports from the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR and Lily Lake on 2/25.

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen at the Ferry Terminal in North Cape May on 2/25.

An OSPREY continues to overwinter around the entrance road ponds at Brig/Forsythe NWR, with the latest report on 2/24. Also at Brig this week were 7 TUNDRA SWANS and a EURASIAN WIGEON in the West Pool 2/24-/25, a PINE WARBLER on 2/24, EASTERN PHOEBE, 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS and 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS on 2/23.

18 'WESTERN' WILLETS and 2 MARBLED GODWITS were found at Brigantine Island on 2/24.

SNOW BUNTINGS continue to be seen along the beach between the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR and Cape May Point State Park. 3 PALM WARBLERS were found along the State Park trails on 2/25; 1 was seen near the Hawk Watch Platform on 2/26.

A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen from Sunset Beach on 2/26.

A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen from Hansey Creek Road in Cumberland County on 2/21. AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen this week at The Beanery, Hansey Creek Road, and along Railroad Avenue south of Rio Grande.

6 TREE SWALLOWS, 5 GREAT EGRETS and TUNDRA SWAN were seen at Corbin City/Tuckahoe WMA on 2/24.

SHORT-EARED OWLS continue to be reliable at Jake's Landing, Turkey Point and Mott's Creek this week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CMBO's Northwood Center will be CLOSED (in addition to its regular Tues. closing) from WEDESDAY 2/27 through FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. CMBO's Center for Research & Education will be CLOSED on THURSDAY 2/28 and FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. Both centers will re-open at 9:30AM on SATURDAY, MARCH 1.

See Life Paulagics will be running a pelagic trip out of Cape May on SUNDAY, MARCH 16 for winter seabirds. The boat is scheduled to leave at 6:00 AM and return around 6:00 PM. For more information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or go to their web site at www.paulagics.com.

CMBO will be hosting its 13TH ANNUAL OPTICS SALE on Saturday, MARCH 15 and Sunday, MARCH 16 at the Center for Research & Education in Goshen. The sale runs from 9:00am to 5:00pm both days. You must be a member of CMBO or NJAS to purchase at the sale.

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!

******CMBO Bookstore hours are as follows: Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point will be closed on Tuesdays until April 1. The center will be open Wednesday-Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday - Sunday, 9:30- 4:30.******

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 discount in the stores).

Good Luck and Good Birding!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Tues. 2/26: Lesser Black-backed Gull and Palm Warbler...birding in the wind on Cape Island

With a little time to spare this afternoon, I made a quick tour around West Cape May and Cape May Point. The weather today has a decidedly March feel to it- a low overcast sky accompanied by a stiff breeze and the occasional rain shower. Tough weather to find passerines in, so I mainly stuck to seawatching.

My first stop was the fishermens' parking lot at the north end of Higbee Beach WMA... I'm still searching for that Black-headed Gull, which by the way, was seen yesterday at the Ferry Terminal, on the other side of the canal from the fishermens' lot. There was a ferry loading at the dock, but the only gulls I could find behind the boat were Ring-billed...not even a single Bonaparte's. And believe it or not, I wouldn't see a single Bonaparte's Gull for the entire hour I spent searching the sea this afternoon.

Driving past the Beanery, I noticed two perched Black Vultures, as well as the continuing American Kestrel. Sunset Beach was next, and it wasn't exactly hopping- a handful of Red-throated Loons here and there, as well as several fly-bys of Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead and Black Scoter. The highlight of the afternoon came from here in the form of an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flying south out of the bay.

I took a spin around Lily Lake, and couldn't locate a single Canada Goose, let alone Barnacle Bill. In all honesty, the only birds I saw on the lake were a handful of American Coots and Ruddy Ducks, and a couple pairs of Mallards. A check of the area around the Hawk Watch Platform at Cape May Pt. State Park produced a couple dozen Yellow-rumps and a single Palm Warbler, but the Yellow-breasted Chat once again eluded me...I think I might have to give up on this bird, it obviously has something against me.

Lastly, another session of seawatching from Coral Avenue didn't produce all that much, but there was a nice pair of Black Scoters sitting just offshore, and a few fly-bys of Gannet, Red-throated Loon and Surf Scoter to spice things up a bit.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Sun. 2/24: View from the Hook: Townsend's Solitaire and more

View from the North Beach Observation Deck at Sandy Hook- looking north across Raritan Bay toward New York City. [Photo by Steve Mason]

Steve Mason joined me on a trip up to Sandy Hook today. The Hook is roughly 2.5 hours from the Cape May area, but is rather easy to get to. It's a straight shot up the Garden State Parkway to Exit 105, followed by a short drive east to the coast on Route 36, and then up Ocean Boulevard/Rte 36 North straight into Sandy Hook. NJ Audubon's Sandy Hook Bird Observatory is located here and is manned by a wonderful group of staff and volunteers, headed up by Pete Bacinski and Scott Barnes. You can stop in and say hello, pick up a birding map, and check the sightings sheet at their center on the north end of the hook.

Our mission today had two objectives: to see the long-staying Townsend's Solitaire, as well as the Bohemian Waxwings that have been present for the past month. We went one-for-two, with success coming by way of the Solitaire making an appearance around 2:00pm at the end of Randolph Road (assist goes to my good friend and talented North Jersey birder, Rob Fanning). We poured over flock after flock of Cedar Waxwings all day, which provided excellent looks...but try as we might, we could find none that were of the Bohemian variety.

Other highlights at the Hook included a HUGE raft of at least 10,000 scaup (mainly Greater to my eye) across from the visitor center/Parking Lot D, numerous Long-tailed Ducks and Red-throated Loons offshore, 75 Tree Swallows, 45 Snow Buntings and a Horned Lark at North Beach, and a fair mix of other more-expected winter passerines throughout. We also came across 3 Black-capped Chickadees, a species that reaches the southern limit of its range at Sandy Hook, and a species that has no fully documented records in Cape May County!


Steve's pictures of the Solitaire and a full list from Sandy Hook are included. You can view all of Steve's Sandy Hook pictures by clicking on the title of this blog posting.

















[Photos by Steve Mason]

Location: Sandy Hook
Observation date: 2/24/08
Number of species: 51
Brant 4
Canada Goose 12
American Black Duck 9
Mallard 6
Greater Scaup 10000
Surf Scoter 4
Long-tailed Duck 80
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Red-throated Loon 25
Common Loon 3
Horned Grebe 2
Northern Gannet 6
Great Cormorant 4
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Kestrel 1
Sanderling 1
Bonaparte's Gull 2
Ring-billed Gull 45
Herring Gull 350
Great Black-backed Gull 75
Rock Pigeon 3
Mourning Dove 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 6
Horned Lark 1
Tree Swallow 75
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Carolina Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Townsend's Solitaire 1
American Robin 275
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 500
Cedar Waxwing 175
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 15
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 20
Dark-eyed Junco 9
Snow Bunting 45
Northern Cardinal 6
Red-winged Blackbird 9
Rusty Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 3
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 1

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

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Summary of CMBO Trip to Brig/Forsythe NWR, Barnegat Lt.

Today marked CMBO's trip to Forsythe NWR and Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, led by Karen Johnson, Janet Crawford, Dave Lord and yours truly. The weather wasn't exactly superb- cool and damp with occasional mist and poor visibility throughout the day. However, as you'll read, the trip produced some superb birding.

The definitive highlight from Brig/Forsythe came in the form of 4 Short-eared Owls hunting in the middle of the day around the vegetated islands in the east pool. Two different birds posed for excellent looks, including a male seen from the east dike that sat no more than 20 yards from the group for a while. Other good finds included at least 6 Horned Grebes in Reed's Bay (thanks go out to Jack Connor for reminding me of the name of this bay), at least 176 Bufflehead (including 166 seen from the north dike in a single scan), an Eastern Phoebe toward the end of the driving loop, and a Peregrine perched at almost point-blank range along the north dike. This Peregrine was one of three seen here- we racked up an impressive total of 5 for the entire trip, after adding birds perched on water towers in the towns of Surf City and Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island.

After Brig and a mandatory Wawa stop, the group stopped at the municipal park in Harvey Cedars. The back bay here produced 9 Common Goldeneye and a dozen more Red-breasted Mergansers. The little league field here provided some interesting birding as well, in the form of 7 Killdeer manning the outfield, and a Horned Lark playing shortstop.

Upon arriving at Barnegat Light, we searched the back bay and came up with 30+ Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Common Loons, and some picture-perfect close-ups of Red-breasted Mergansers (I naturally forgot my camera today). Proceeding into the state park, we continued to find the three previously-mentioned species in the inlet around the lighthouse. It took a little searching, but we eventually came across and had fantastic looks at Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers. 6 Great Cormorants were sitting atop the inlet-marker.

Afterward, we made a trip to Cedar Run Dock Road in hope of more Short-eared Owls (yeah, we're greedy), but didn't come up with much. However, a perched Grey Ghost (aka male Northern Harrier) was a nice find. Most of our group departed at this point, minus a hardy two who joined us at Mott's Creek (just north of Brig) for some dusk owl-watching. Highlights here included 3-4 more Short-eared Owls, a fly-by Black-crowned Night-Heron, and a Lesser Yellowlegs.

Not too bad for a cold, damp, foggy, misty day... wouldn't you say?


Lists from Brig, Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light included-

Location: E B Forsythe NWR--Autoloop
Observation date: 2/23/08
Number of species: 50
Snow Goose 1500

Brant 450
Canada Goose 35
Mute Swan 17
Gadwall 27
American Wigeon 46
American Black Duck 519
Mallard 63
Northern Shoveler 43
Northern Pintail 275
Green-winged Teal 139
Bufflehead 176
Hooded Merganser 23
Common Merganser 3
Red-breasted Merganser 13
Horned Grebe 6
Great Blue Heron 6
Northern Harrier 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Peregrine Falcon 3
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 4
Dunlin 16
Ring-billed Gull 18
Herring Gull 37
Great Black-backed Gull 12
Mourning Dove 1
Short-eared Owl 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 4
Hermit Thrush 3
American Robin 35
European Starling 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Savannah Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 9
Northern Cardinal 3
Red-winged Blackbird 38
Rusty Blackbird 1
Common Grackle 3
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 14

Location: Harvey Cedars Park
Observation date: 2/23/08
Number of species: 14
Brant 45

Mallard 2
Bufflehead 25
Common Goldeneye 9
Red-breasted Merganser 12
Killdeer 7
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 35
Great Black-backed Gull 6
Rock Pigeon 6
Mourning Dove 2
Horned Lark 1
European Starling 1
Song Sparrow 1

Location: Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Observation date: 2/23/08
Number of species: 26
Brant 45

American Black Duck 12
Harlequin Duck 12
Surf Scoter 5
Long-tailed Duck 70
Red-breasted Merganser 45
Red-throated Loon 1
Common Loon 13
Horned Grebe 2
Northern Gannet 3
Great Cormorant 6
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 4
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Purple Sandpiper 12
Dunlin 20
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 150
Great Black-backed Gull 45
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 3
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 1
American Robin 12
European Starling 6
House Sparrow 6

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

Report: CMBO Cape May Pt. Walk, 2/23

The following message is from Karl and Judy Lukens, regarding this morning's CMBO walk at Cape May Point:

"We encountered the usual suspects this morning on the CMBO Cape May Point Walk. Ducks on Lily Lake were scarce, but the Ruddys and Coots were there with a couple of Wigeon, and the Ocean view from St Peters produced Long-tails, Black Scoter, RT Loons, and a Gannet.. Around the lake we had nice views of 3 Brown Thrashers and 2 Mockingbirds at the same time as well as an earlier Catbird to sweep the local Mimids."

Location: Cape May Point
Observation date: 2/23/08
Number of species: 43
Canada Goose 2
Mute Swan 2
American Wigeon 2
Mallard 10
Black Scoter 25
Long-tailed Duck 5
Ruddy Duck 12
Red-throated Loon 20
Northern Gannet 1
Turkey Vulture 1
American Coot 20
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 15
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 5
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 30
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
Brown Thrasher 3
European Starling 15
Cedar Waxwing 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 20
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 20
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 30
Purple Finch 4
House Finch 10
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 15

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

Thursday, February 21, 2008

A few neat pictures from Brig, Lunar Eclipse

Here's a few picture highlights from a trip around the dikes at Brig/Forsythe this morning with Steve Mason and Katie Montagnaro, as well as a few pictures of the lunar eclipse last night.




We found an immature Peregrine Falcon sitting atop an Osprey platform along the south dike. As we watched, an adult Peregrine seemingly appeared out of thin air, and we witnessed this extremely entertaining battle. Interestingly, the immature won the battle and the adult flew off, rather agitated. [Photo by Katie Montagnaro]











Just a few of the many, many American Black Ducks that winter at Forsythe.

[Photo by Katie Montagnaro]















There were about 25 Common Mergansers in the NW Pool at the end of the North Dike, in one of the few patches of open water.
[Photo by Steve Mason]











This Fox Sparrow showed nicely along Jen's Trail.

[Photo by Steve Mason]













Here are some pictures from the eclipse...before clouds ended the show early. [Photos by Tom Reed]














CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - February 21, 2008

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, February 21, 2008. Highlights this week include sightings of BARNACLE GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, NORTHERN GANNET, LITTLE BLUE HERON, OSPREY, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, RED KNOT, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, DOVEKIE, SHORT-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, EASTERN PHOEBE, PALM WARBLER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 'IPSWICH' SAVANNAH SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SNOW BUNTING, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

The BARNACLE GOOSE continues on Cape Island, last reported from Lily Lake during the afternoon of 2/19.

A road-killed DOVEKIE was found on Landis Ave. between Sea Isle City and Strathmere on 2/16. Observers are encouraged to continue searching Atlantic Coast inlets and near jetties for this species.

A LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen at Two Mile Landing near Ocean Drive on 2/16. About 60 RED KNOTS continue this week in Hereford Inlet; 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were here on 2/20.

An OSPREY continues to overwinter at Brig/Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, last reported from the entrance road ponds on 2/19. 3 TUNDRA SWANS, 2 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK were seen here on 2/18.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen again at Cape May Point State Park on 2/15. A PALM WARBLER was seen here on 2/20. Several 'IPSWICH' SAVANNAH SPARROWS and up to 80 SNOW BUNTINGS have been seen on the beachfront between the South Cape May Meadows and the State Park throughout the week. 4 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at the South Cape May Meadows on 2/16. An EASTERN PHOEBE was seen at The Beanery on 2/16.

3 REDHEADS and 2 CANVASBACKS were seen at Ponderlodge/Villas WMA on 2/16. 2 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were here on 2/15. 45 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were found at Hidden Valley on 2/16. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen this week at Villas WMA, Hidden Valley and The Beanery. NORTHERN GANNETS are increasing; 203 were seen from Cape May Point on 2/17, and many have been seen feeding behind the Cape May-Lewes Ferry this week. A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen along Route 9 in Lower Township on 2/18.

SHORT-EARED OWLS continue to be seen. Up to 5 remain at Jake's Landing; 2 were at Stipson Island and another was at Reed's Beach on 2/15. 4 were seen at Brig/Forsythe NWR on 2/14.


ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CMBO's Northwood Center will be CLOSED (in addition to its regular Tues. closing) from WEDESDAY 2/27 through FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. CMBO's Center for Research & Education will be CLOSED on THURSDAY 2/28 and FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. Both centers will re-open at 9:30AM on SATURDAY, MARCH 1.

See Life Paulagics will be running a pelagic trip out of Cape May on SUNDAY, MARCH 16 for winter seabirds. The boat is scheduled to leave at 6:00 AM and return around 6:00 PM. For more information, contact them at 215-234-6805 or go to their web site at www.paulagics.com.

CMBO will be hosting its 13TH ANNUAL OPTICS SALE on Saturday, MARCH 15 and Sunday, MARCH 16 at the Center for Research & Education in Goshen. The sale runs from 9:00am to 5:00pm both days. You must be a member of CMBO or NJAS to purchase at the sale.

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!

******CMBO Bookstore hours are as follows; Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point, starting December 1, will be closed on Tuesdays. The center will be open Wednesday-Monday for the winter. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday- Sunday 9:30- 4:30.******

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 discount in the stores).

Good Luck and Good Birding!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Wed. 2/20: Plenty of snow, but few birds on either side of the Cape

The snow is currently coming down at a pretty good clip here, with about half an inch covering non-paved surfaces. One to two inches of the white stuff could fall on the Cape by midnight. It was only flurries when I got back from class this afternoon, so I decided to give it a try at a few spots, but the birds apparently had more sense than I did...not the first time that's ever happened.

Stone Harbor Point produced about 30 Long-tailed Ducks, 7 Surf Scoters, and one each of both loons off the southern-most groin. At least 500 scoters were sitting about a mile offshore. A few Northern Gannets flew by, and there were 24 Sanderlings on the beach. No sign of the female Common Eider that has been here.

Nummy Island was almost completely birdless, minus a handful of Herring Gulls, a couple pairs of Am. Black Ducks, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Brant under the free bridge, and a Common Loon under the toll bridge.

Cook's Beach (located between Kimble's Beach and Reed's Beach along the bayshore) was likewise quiet. 2 Song Sparrows and 2 Northern Cardinals were the only birds that made themselves known along the road, and about 45 Ruddy Ducks were huddled together on the bay.

The ibis pond along Reed's Beach Road hosted a total of four birds, consisting of two pairs of Northern Shovelers.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a recap of every single bird I saw this evening. As Karl Lukens would say, "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you." However, I'll gladly trade a bird-filled trip for a rare snowy evening in Cape May.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Mon. 2/18: Tundra Swans and Rough-leg at Brig/Forsythe; wacky weather continues

I took a spin around Brig/Forsythe NWR this morning. The temperature was a mild 55 degrees, but the winds were out of the south at a sustained 20-25mph, which made scoping distant birds a challenge- to say the least. Highlights included 3 Tundra Swans in the SW Pool, 838 Greater Scaup in the bay as one looks toward Atlantic City (whatever it's called, I never can remember), a lone Rough-legged Hawk perched in a tree near the end of the north dike, and 2 American Tree Sparrows along Jen's Trail.

While perusing the infamous "book of lies" (aka Brig's sighting sheet), I saw an interesting report of -either- an Orange-crowned Warbler or a Painted Bunting on February 7 near "the office"- not sure if that means the actual Refuge HQ on the south side of the entrance road (where I believe there are feeders), or if it means the area behind the restrooms. The bird was noted to be more green than olive...definitely something to keep in mind if you visit Brig in the near future.

The strange weather of this winter continued today, as our 60+ degree warmth was squashed by a strong cold front, accompanied by some very dramatic clouds and, later on, some strong thunderstorms which featured quite a bit of lightning...not your typical February weather by any means. Pictures of the front approaching Reed's Beach are included, as is this morning's list from Brig.

























Location: E B Forsythe NWR--Autoloop
Observation date: 2/18/08
Number of species: 44
Snow Goose 915
Brant 1500
Canada Goose 37
Mute Swan 6
Tundra Swan 3
Gadwall 11
American Wigeon 47
American Black Duck 730
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1
Mallard 86
Northern Shoveler 54
Northern Pintail 283
Green-winged Teal 31
Greater Scaup 838
Bufflehead 19
Hooded Merganser 31
Red-breasted Merganser 12
Great Blue Heron 3
Northern Harrier 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Rough-legged Hawk 1
Dunlin 21
Ring-billed Gull 62
Herring Gull 110
Great Black-backed Gull 18
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 6
European Starling 6
Cedar Waxwing 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 6
American Tree Sparrow 2
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 9
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 30
American Goldfinch 1

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

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sun. 2/17: Seawatching from Cape May Point

I occupied an hour this afternoon seawatching from Cape May Point, spending the majority of my time at the Coral Avenue beach-access, plus a few minutes at Alexander. The winds were out of the southeast, off the ocean...the kind of winds that often yield better-than-average seawatching results. And indeed, for it being the middle of the afternoon there were quite a few birds around.

The highlight for me was watching over 200 adult Northern Gannets heading out of the bay, presumably some early migrants. Scoter and Oldsquaw (aka Long-tailed Ducks) numbers appear to be on the upswing, and 23 Snow Buntings flew past as well, heading south over the beach.

Full list included-

Location: Cape May Point- Coral Ave
Observation date: 2/17/08
Number of species: 17
Brant 6

Surf Scoter 125
Black Scoter 40
dark-winged scoter sp. 30
Long-tailed Duck 45
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Red-throated Loon 35
Northern Gannet 203
Ruddy Turnstone 8
Sanderling 1
Purple Sandpiper 5
Bonaparte's Gull 15
Ring-billed Gull 20
Herring Gull 55
Great Black-backed Gull 7
Cedar Waxwing 12
Snow Bunting 23

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

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Sat. 2/16: Redheads and Canvasbacks at Villas WMA; Barnacle Goose continues; Jake's Landing notes

If it's coverage you want, then it's coverage you shall get! After looking over the great selection of lists and doing some rough math in my head, it appears that 83 species have been reported on View from the Cape today alone (including the two lists at the end of this post). Who ever said there's no birds in February??

As previously mentioned, the Barnacle Goose was an easy spot on Lily Lake this morning, at one point just 20 feet from East Lake Drive, right in front of CMBO's Northwood Center...if only we could pay the bird to do that every day. I also encountered the Bonaparte's Gull flock at Sunset Beach, even though it was down to 82 birds by the time I arrived (and a grand total of 4 by the time I left). An immature Great Cormorant was lounging on the ship. The Yellow-breasted Chat of the State Park was seen again yesterday, but I naturally had no luck finding it this morning.

Villas WMA was productive in the late-morning, highlighted by 3 Redheads and 2 Canvasbacks in the main pond by the clubhouse. Rusty Blackbird, Eastern Bluebird and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker were nice to see as well. A Kestrel was here, as was the continuing bird at the Beanery.

Over a dozen people from three states were on hand to witness the evening show at Jake's Landing. Short-eared Owls were present and showed fairly well, with at least 4 seen by me. Other winged creatures here included 15 Eastern Meadowlarks, a slick male Harrier, a chirping Seaside Sparrow and 2 Great Horned Owls duetting. The sunset and proceeding dusk colors were spectacular as well.


Lists from Villas WMA and Jake's Landing included-

Location: Villas WMA
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 40
Canada Goose 7

American Wigeon 12
Mallard 4
Canvasback 2
Redhead 3
Ring-necked Duck 19
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Kestrel 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 12
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 6
Fish Crow 2
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 4
Eastern Bluebird 7
American Robin 25
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 65
Cedar Waxwing 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Chipping Sparrow 35
Song Sparrow 15
White-throated Sparrow 6
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Rusty Blackbird 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 12

Location: Jake's Landing
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 25
Snow Goose 55

Canada Goose 14
American Black Duck 25
Mallard 2
Green-winged Teal 1
Hooded Merganser 16
Great Blue Heron 1
Northern Harrier 9
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Clapper Rail 4
Ring-billed Gull 6
Herring Gull 20
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Mourning Dove 1
Great Horned Owl 2
Short-eared Owl 4
American Crow 1
Marsh Wren 9
American Robin 25
European Starling 12
Seaside Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Swamp Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 80
Common Grackle 25

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

What you'll find on a given February day in Cape May

I set out this morning to find that out. Lists from several locations are below, but first the highlights.

The Beanery was rather birdy, with 4 Fox Sparrows in one field of view at the entrance to start things off, plus thrashers, catbirds, lots of the common sparrows & yellow-rumpeds. Two Winter Wrens chimp-chimped, including one at the entrance that climbed briefly to the top of a bush for a view. I wasn't really thinking about ducks at the Beanery, but the center pond had 5 shovelers, a Ring-necked, a Wood Duck, and of course Mallards. A lovely adult Red-shouldered Hawk flew past, and, since it headed towards Higbee, I'm guessing the one I saw there an hour later was the same bird.

A quick stop at the Concrete Ship yielded a sizable flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, 140 by a reasonably careful count, actively feeding near the ship. A Killdeer called here, too.

Two swipes at Lily Lake yielded the Barnacle Goose on the second try, but far fewer wigeon et. al. than there have been. Cedar Waxwings and a sapsucker were with the throngs at the Northwood Center.

Hidden Valley seemed dead until I got to the back, where 10 Rusty Blackbirds were singing, a woodcock flushed, and Golden-crowned Kinglets and a creeper came to pishing. 6 Savannah Sparrows were at the southwest corner of the fields there, and at the northwest corner I was startled to see meadowlark after meadowlark flush until the number ballooned to 45, actual count.

The immature Little Blue Heron that has been wintering at Two Mile Landing along Ocean Drive is still doing just that.


Location: The Beanery
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 30
Canada Goose 100
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 15
Northern Shoveler 5
Northern Pintail 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 5
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 15
Winter Wren 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1
Gray Catbird 4
Brown Thrasher 4
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 20
Fox Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 25
White-throated Sparrow 20
Northern Cardinal 10
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Eastern Meadowlark 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
House Finch 5
House Sparrow 5


Location: Cape May - Concrete Ship
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 7
Surf Scoter 10
Long-tailed Duck 5
Red-throated Loon 4
Killdeer 1
Sanderling 1
Bonaparte's Gull 140
Great Black-backed Gull 2

Location: Cape May - Lily Lake
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 30
Barnacle Goose 1
Canada Goose 75
Mute Swan 2
American Wigeon 2
Mallard 10
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
American Coot 20
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 5
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 5
American Robin 20
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 5
White-throated Sparrow 10
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 5
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 10

Location: Cape May - Hidden Valley Ranch
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 33
Canada Goose 50
Mallard 10
Hooded Merganser 2
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 5
Red-tailed Hawk 2
American Woodcock 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 20
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 50
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 4
Brown Thrasher 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Savannah Sparrow 6
Fox Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 15
White-throated Sparrow 20
Northern Cardinal 10
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Eastern Meadowlark 45
Rusty Blackbird 10
House Finch 5

CMBO Cape May Point Walk- 2/16/08

This just in from Karl Lukens on the CMBO Cape May Point walk held this morning.

"A beautiful morning for our group of 8 on the CMBO Cape May Point Walk .
Usual suspects, as is the case with most winter birding, but always
something new or unusual. The 100 plus Wigeon and Gadwall seen Wednesday
on Lily Lake dwindled to 2 Am. Wigeon, but the Coots and Ruddy Ducks
remain reliable. As we viewed the lake the Geese (100+) came in from the fields
(~9:30 am) and with them the white headed Canada and the Barnacle Goose,
new for a couple of folk in the group. As for land birds we had Red-bellied and
Downy Woodpeckers, several Fox Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a
nice perched immature Sharp-shinned Hawk."

Location: Cape May Point
Observation date: 2/16/08
Number of species: 47

Barnacle Goose 1
Canada Goose 100
Mute Swan 3
American Wigeon 2
Mallard 15
Surf Scoter 2
Black Scoter 10
Long-tailed Duck 5
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck 15
Red-throated Loon 5
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 20
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 20
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 10
Carolina Chickadee 5
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 3
American Robin 75
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 25
Cedar Waxwing 15
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 25
Fox Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 10
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 30
Brown-headed Cowbird 10
Purple Finch 3
House Finch 25
American Goldfinch 5
House Sparrow 15

Friday, February 15, 2008

Great Backyard Bird Count begins, and more Knot thoughts

The Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, began today. The GBBC is a four-day count scheduled every year over Presidents Weekend. The objective is for people of all ages and expertise to count the birds in their backyard, local park or anywhere else, and submit the results via online checklists to "create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent." It serves as a citizen-science project, and also attempts to recruit more people to become birders. You can check it out and participate by clicking HERE.

My mom joined me for a walk around Reeds Beach this evening. It was very mild, albeit a little cloudy, and there was plenty to see, including a Short-eared Owl just across the creek from the marina, singletons of Marsh Wren and Seaside Sparrow calling, Bonaparte's Gulls and Ruddy Ducks at less than 10ft along the jetty, Clapper Rails sounding off, and a Great Horned Owl softly calling from the marsh edge at dusk.


I have my own unique perspective on the Red Knot issue, and while we're on the subject, I'll share it.

Indeed, it was disappointing to hear the news that the extension of the moratorium was vetoed the other night, particularly when the vote was "along party lines", and when there are currently vacant seats on the council. I've been extremely lucky to live a quarter-mile from the Delaware Bay my whole life in a place that was named for my family, who settled here many, many years ago. The spring shorebird phenomenon has always been a part of my life, even before I started birding at age ten. My cousin was formerly a Shorebird Steward at "our" beach, and I can remember visiting her and looking out at all the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs with a true sense of awe. That was in the early to mid-1990s, and now there are days in late-May when I can walk the entirety of the road paralleling Reed's Beach without spying a single Red Knot...and I wonder if the beach will ever again be engulfed by the salmon-colored birds as it was when I was just five or six.

I've had the opportunity to peer into both sides of the issue. My own father used to be a bayman in his spare time, back in the 70s and 80s. He trapped his fair share of muskrats in the marshes, sold his fair share of bunker at the docks, and (yes) even harvested a few horseshoe crabs. If you've ever bought a made-from-cedar birdhouse from the nice man at the Cumberland County Eagle Festival or the Autumn Weekend in Cape May, you've met my dad...not such a bad guy, right?

I think that before the birding community jumps to the conclusion that these people are completely evil, we should consider a few things. There is a lot of good about these people who essentially live off the Delaware Bay- this concept of "living off the land" is one that dates back to the Lenni Lenape Indians who used to do the same thing here before we arrived. Most of these people have lived here all their lives; a lot of them have a very deep appreciation for the wildlife and the breathtaking scenery that is unique to the bayshore. However, when push comes to shove, we've now reached the point where it is essential to do everything we can to convince the baymen that sacrificing their horseshoe crab harvest will benefit the greater good, and we have to be sensible and even congenial while we do it. We need to persuade this group to believe that their sacrifice will ultimately benefit the place they love- and isn't that what we should all strive for as a species...to leave a place better than how we found it?

What we've got here is a globe-hopping bird fading into extinction, and a treasured living fossil that has decreased significantly. As best as we can tell, the overharvesting of the horseshoe crab is the main culprit behind this problem, and the current moratorium must remain in place until both species are at least given the opportunity to make a comeback. Are there other issues that could be to blame? Certainly... Bayshore beaches are eroding (and federal funding has been slow to come), climate change could be altering breeding-ground habitat and raising the sea-level in Delaware Bay...

But our main belief is that this problem is centered around the over-harvesting, and we'll continue to fight to preserve this amazing phenomenon. And we hope you'll join us.


This evening's list from Reed's Beach is included, GBBC-style:

Locality: Reeds Beach, Cape May County, NJ
Observation Date: FEB 15, 2008
Number of Species: 59
Snow Goose - 2,000
Gadwall - 4
American Black Duck - 175
Mallard - 2
Northern Shoveler - 9
Green-winged Teal - 1
Greater Scaup - 75
Bufflehead - 20
Hooded Merganser - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 1
Ruddy Duck - 28
Great Blue Heron - 2
Great Egret - 3
Northern Harrier - 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Clapper Rail - 3
Greater Yellowlegs - 1
Sanderling - 15
Dunlin - 28
Bonaparte's Gull - 8
Ring-billed Gull - 35
Herring Gull - 40
Great Black-backed Gull - 10
Rock Pigeon - 1
Mourning Dove - 30
Great Horned Owl - 1
Short-eared Owl - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 1
Blue Jay - 2
American Crow - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 4
Marsh Wren - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
American Robin - 25
Northern Mockingbird - 2
European Starling - 60
Cedar Waxwing - 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 3
Eastern Towhee - 1
Seaside Sparrow - 1
Song Sparrow - 12
Swamp Sparrow - 3
White-throated Sparrow - 30
Northern Cardinal - 4
Red-winged Blackbird - 125
Common Grackle - 45
Brown-headed Cowbird - 20
House Finch - 12
American Goldfinch - 6
House Sparrow - 30

Knot Again

We intend for View from the Cape to primarily be a fun source of Cape May area bird and nature reports, but there's something everyone who cares about Cape May needs to know.

We remain embroiled in the fight to protect horseshoe crabs and Red Knots. Red Knots have declined from over 100,000 to about 13,000, based on numbers wintering in Tierra del Fuego. Yet on February 11, 2008 the NJ Marine Fisheries Council rejected the NJ Department of Environmental Protection's proposed moratorium on the harvest of horseshoe crabs, a decision that flew in the face of strong science and stronger public sentiment. Staff from CMBO and from New Jersey Audubon Society's Conservation Department testified at this hearing, as did many of our members, to no avail. Naturally, we at NJAS/CMBO plan to continue to do whatever it takes to protect Delaware Bay shorebirds, which includes at this point calling on NJ's Governor to impose a horseshoe crab harvest moratorium. We urge concerned citizens to do likewise.

We have been here before, and I don't mean just with the Red Knots.

When one May a few years ago I brought my three children to Reed's Beach and found scarcely any Red Knots at all, I told them the present generation was stealing from the future. Again. When as an example, I told my son Tim (age 18) about oaks and chestnuts turned to shrapnel under the weight of Passenger Pigeons, his eyes widened skeptically. "Did that really happen?"

It did, but not enough people know it. Perhaps a brief history lesson is in order. Remember these examples, and share them with your children, share them with your friends:

Labrador Duck: Disappeared so quickly we don't know enough to say why for sure. It was subject to some market gunning, but it's been suggested that changes made by humans in the marine environment along the Atlantic Coast eliminated its food (kind of like eliminating horseshoe crabs for the Red Knot). The last specimen was shot in 1875.

Passenger Pigeon: Once the most abundant bird in North America. In 1810, Alexander Wilson observed a flock he estimated to contain 2.2 billion (with a b) birds. Martha, the last of the species, died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Millions were killed for food and fun, including at colonies where nesting trees were cut down to get at the birds. The large-scale clearing of forest for agriculture also eliminated pigeon nesting areas.

Carolina Parakeet: Large numbers lived in the southeast's heavily timbered bottomlands. Shooting and capture, especially at orchards where the species was quite destructive, together with the encroaching lumber industry destructive of their nests, eliminated most wild parakeets by the 1870's. The last one died in the same year and place as the last Passenger Pigeon.

Heath Hen: Once lived in woodland clearings from New England to Virginia. Even as early as 1791 New York had legislation protecting the birds, which was largely ignored because of their market and sporting value. Conversion of native vegetation for agriculture played a role. 2,000 were still found on Martha's Vineyard in 1916, but that wasn't enough - the last one was observed in 1932.

Bison: Once 40-60 million roamed the prairies. Over a million a year were killed in the mid-1800's. Incensed by the slaughter, there was public outrage, and in 1874 congress enacted protective legislation which was vetoed by President Grant (sound familiar?) Grant had his own agenda, the subduing of the plains Indians. By 1889, only 150 bison remained in the wild, and now the species, confined to scattered parks and reserves, hovers at a few 100,000 individuals, a very near miss.

Shorebirds in general: Virtually all shorebird species were market hunted through the early 1900's. Even tiny Semi-palmated Sandpipers were gunned; Bent's Life Histories notes that ". . .the fact that they were so fat and palatable broiled or cooked in a pie, made them much sought after. . ." Audubon mentioned 48,000 Golden Plovers killed in a single day near New Orleans. Wagonloads of Eskimo Curlews were taken, and that species is now almost certainly gone. Red Knots were fire-lighted (hunted at night with the aid of a lantern) on Cape Cod. Many shorebird populations can still only be considered remnants (but some species rebounded, a cause for hope).

The history lesson is this: wildlife, right here where we live, not off in some rainforest, and even wildly abundant species of wildlife at that, can be eliminated by human greed. We've done it before, and with the red knot, we could do it again. We are doing it again, and we can no longer plead ignorance. We can only choose to be smart or stupid.

A February 14, 2008 editorial in the Atlantic City Press, a major southern Jersey newspaper, called for New Jersey's Governor Corzine to declare a ban on horseshoe crab harvest, noting that ". . .it's bait and 39 jobs vs. the red knots. . .this isn't even a close call. . .while the state of the horseshoe-crab population may be unclear, the state of the red knots is perfectly clear: They are in serious trouble, according to biologists. Prudence, one would think, would require an extension of the ban on harvesting horseshoe crabs."

Perhaps we're not stupid enough to do it again after all. But if we are, it is my fervent hope that fate brings each person responsible for the decline of the red knot a grandchild with lots of questions. Questions like, "Grandma and Grandpa, did passenger pigeons really make the sky dark? Was there really a parakeet in the United States? Did Red Knots really cover the beaches?"

Thursday, February 14, 2008

CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - FEBRUARY 14, 2008

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, February 14, 2008. Highlights this week include BARNACLE GOOSE, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, COMMON EIDER, GREAT EGRET, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, RED KNOT, WESTERN SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, BLACK-HEADED GULL, FORSTER'S TERN, DOVEKIE, RAZORBILL, LONG-EARED OWL, SHORT-EARED OWL, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, SEASIDE SPARROW, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.


The BARNACLE GOOSE continues on Cape Island, with the latest report coming from Lily Lake on 2/11.

A DOVEKIE was seen from Sunset Beach on 2/10. A total of 14 RAZORBILLS were seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry on 2/8, with 3 in Cape May County waters. A LARGE ALCID, SP. and 2 FORSTER'S TERNS were seen from the Coral Avenue beach-access in Cape May Point on 2/10.

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen in Cold Spring Inlet, at the south end of the Two Mile Beach Unit of Cape May NWR, on 2/8.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was seen again at Higbee Beach WMA on 2/8. 3 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS were seen along the trails at Cape May Point State Park on 2/8; NASHVILLE WARBLER and PALM WARBLER were there on 2/9.

A CANVASBACK and a REDHEAD were seen at Ponderlodge/Villas WMA on 2/8. 5 COMMON EIDERS continue to be seen from Cape May Point, with recent sightings coming from the St. Peter's, St. Mary's and Coral Avenue beach-access points. A female COMMON EIDER was seen offshore of Stone Harbor Point on 2/9.

Roughly 9000 DUNLIN, 500 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 60 RED KNOTS and 30 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were reported in Hereford Inlet from North Wildwood on 2/9. A LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was found at Stipson Island along the Delaware Bayshore on 2/8.

2-3 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen at Tuckahoe/MacNamara WMA on 2/9. A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen at Turkey Point, Cumberland County on 2/10; A SHORT-EARED OWL and a LONG-EARED OWL were seen flying here at dusk on 2/8. 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported from Stipson Island on 2/8. Up to 5 SHORT-EARED OWLS continued at Jake's Landing throughout the week; 5 SEASIDE SPARROWS and 2 NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were here on 2/9. 3 GREAT EGRETS continue this week in the "ibis pond" along Reeds Beach Road.

A WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was reported from a private residence in the city of Brigantine, Atlantic County on 2/9.

------

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CMBO's Northwood Center will be CLOSED (in addition to its regular Tues. closing) from WEDESDAY 2/27 through FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. CMBO's Center for Research & Education will be CLOSED on THURSDAY 2/28 and FRIDAY 2/29 for inventory. Both centers will re-open at 9:30AM on SATURDAY, MARCH 1.

CMBO will be hosting its 13TH ANNUAL OPTICS SALE on Saturday, MARCH 15 and Sunday, MARCH 16 at the Center for Research & Education in Goshen. The sale runs from 9:00am to 5:00pm both days. You must be a member of CMBO or NJAS to purchase at the sale.

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!

******CMBO Bookstore hours are as follows; Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point, starting December 1, will be closed on Tuesdays. The center will be open Wednesday-Monday for the winter. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday- Sunday 9:30- 4:30.******

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 discount in the stores).

Good Luck and Good Birding!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Wed. 2/13: An evening stroll at Woodcock Trail

I won't lie- it was a fairly lousy evening to go birding, but I took a walk at Woodcock Trail anyway. After all, you don't know unless you go... and there was actually a fair number of birds out and about on this damp, dreary evening.

Highlights included Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks on the prowl, 3 Clapper Rails calling from the adjacent salt marsh, and a rather nice February tally of 5 Brown Thrashers. Thrashers retreat south in winter, being as insects comprise a large share of their diet. Cape May County is very close to the northern edge of the species' winter range, so numbers here are variable based on the severity of the winter. Five in one spot in mid-February is indicative of the mainly mild winter we've experienced to this point.


Complete list included-

Location: Woodcock Trail (Cape May NWR)
Observation date: 2/13/08
Number of species: 23
Canada Goose 2

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Clapper Rail 3
Ring-billed Gull 2
Mourning Dove 1
Carolina Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 4
American Robin 75
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 5
European Starling 15
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 8
Eastern Towhee 1
Field Sparrow 9
Fox Sparrow 6
Song Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 12
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 65
House Finch 8

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

Monday, February 11, 2008

Mon. 2/11: True winter birding on the bayshore

Old Man Winter is making one of his few appearances of the season in Cape May. The high winds of last night blew over numerous small trees in the area, including a holly sapling in our side yard. Temperatures in the northern part of the county neared single-digits last night, and there is a thin sheet of ice on Delaware Bay extending to about 20 feet offshore of Reed's Beach. With calmer winds and lows again in the teens tonight, there'll certainly be more ice on the bay come tomorrow.

I spent the last 45 minutes of daylight out and about in the neighborhood (Reed's Beach) and came up with a surprisingly nice mix of birds in the cold and wind. About 1200 Snow Geese were in the marsh, a definite decrease from the typical numbers that have been around- but this is almost expected after the conditions we've experienced for the past 24 hours. The Snow Geese that winter along the bayshore will often fly a bit south (possibly to the Delmarva) during cold spells, only to return again once the cold weather ends. In winters with several large temperature swings, this process of flying back and forth can take place several times.

The ibis pond was only half-frozen this evening and produced 7 Great Blue Herons, 3 Great Egrets and 9 Northern Shovelers. Our feeders in the yard were fairly busy, with Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches making appearances along with the other regulars.

Included are a couple pictures I took of the sunset from Reed's Beach, and a list from this evening's adventure-















Location: Reed's Beach
Observation date: 2/11/08
Number of species: 39
Snow Goose 1200
Gadwall 2
American Black Duck 45
Mallard 6
Green-winged Teal 8
Greater Scaup 80
Bufflehead 6
Hooded Merganser 2
Ruddy Duck 12
Great Blue Heron 7
Great Egret 3
Northern Harrier 1
Sanderling 1
Dunlin 23
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 80
Great Black-backed Gull 12
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 15
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 125
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 45
Cedar Waxwing 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 1
Song Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 20
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 85
Common Grackle 20
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 9
House Sparrow 15