CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - July 17, 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, July 17, 2008. Highlights this week include sightings of BRANT, SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, HOODED MERGANSER, WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, NORTHERN GANNET, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, LEAST BITTERN, KING RAIL, AMERICAN AVOCET, MARBLED GODWIT, PURPLE SANDPIPER, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, BLACK TERN, PARASITIC JAEGER, and PINE SISKIN.

6 AMERICAN AVOCETS were reported from Brig/Forsythe NWR on 7/10, and the AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen again on 7/14. Also at Brig this week were BLACK TERN and the continuing GLAUCOUS GULL.

A PINE SISKIN flew over Higbee Beach WMA, in the area of Davies Lake, on 7/12.

Poverty Beach hosted SURF SCOTER and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER this week.

A BRANT and a dark-morph PARASITIC JAEGER were seen from the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR on 7/11. Two PARASITIC JAEGERS were reported from around Cape May Point through the week.

The HOODED MERGANSER at the Meadows continues to be seen sporadically, and a LEAST BITTERN was heard along the east path on 7/11.

A PURPLE SANDPIPER was reported at Stone Harbor Point this week.

Multiple NORTHERN GANNETS and WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS have been seen from Cape May Point throughout the week.

A KING RAIL was recorded along Tyler Road, near Tuckahoe, on 7/14.

A MARBLED GODWIT was noted flying over Nummy Island on 7/13.

Over a dozen LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS continue to be found along the beachfront between the South Cape May Meadows/CMMBR and Cape May Point State Park.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CMBO's Northwood Center will be closed TUESDAY, JULY 29 through THURSDAY, JULY 31 for inventory. The Northwood Center will also be closed on Wed. July 23 and Thurs. July 24. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

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 SUMMER HOURS (June - August) are as follows: Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point is open Wednesday through Monday, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed Tuesdays. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed Mondays.******

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!