CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - March 13, 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, March 13, 2008. Highlights this week include sightings of BARNACLE GOOSE, EURASIAN WIGEON, 'EURASIAN' GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN GANNET, SNOWY EGRET, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, OSPREY, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, GOLDEN EAGLE, PIPING PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEDGE WREN, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.


The BARNACLE GOOSE on Cape Island was last reported on 3/7 from New England Road, across from Hidden Valley.

A SEDGE WREN was found at Hidden Valley on 3/6.

EURASIAN WIGEON, 'EURASIAN' GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK were found at Tuckahoe WMA on 3/7.

2 GOLDEN EAGLES were seen from Jake's Landing on 3/8. A LEAST SANDPIPER was here on 3/9.

OSPREY arrived this week at Cape May Point, Jake's Landing and along the Maurice River. The wintering OSPREY at Brig/Forsythe NWR was last noted on 3/12.

Other arrivals this week included SNOWY EGRET at Brig/Forsythe NWR on 3/9, and YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Mott's Creek on 3/9.

A PIPING PLOVER was seen at the Two Mile Beach Unit of Cape May NWR on 3/7.

11 CANVASBACKS were seen at Heislerville WMA on 3/7, and 3 CANVASBACKS were on Lily Lake the same day.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was noted at the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR on 3/10.

180 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, 3 REDHEADS and a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER were observed at Villas WMA on 3/6.

Over 1,000 NORTHERN GANNETS have been seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry this week.


ANNOUNCEMENTS:
See Life Paulagics still has space available on its pelagic trip out of Cape May on SUNDAY, MARCH 16 (weather permitting) for winter seabirds. If postponed due to weather, the trip could be rescheduled for APRIL 13. 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 this weekend, MARCH 15 and 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.

Both CMBO Centers will be CLOSED on SUNDAY, MARCH 23 for the Easter holiday.

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!