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