Took a quick look at the live radar map on the Mid-Atlantic Forecast page. While Laura's obvious intent for including this excellent feature in the web sight was for folks to be able to watch migration real time, I find that the map serves a dual purpose. Looking at tropical storm rain bands pass by. If you are on the site pretty much anytime from now until say 1-2 a.m. or so you should be able to get a good look at what the radar picks up as the storm approaches and passes us by.
Many birders were out this morning hoping to find some storm blown shorebirds or the such. Maybe even an early blown tern or two or shearwater. No such luck as I could tell and no one has reported anything that is out of the expected, yet. Though there were, this morning, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS and at least one BAIRD'S SANDPIPER on the second Plover Pond. I say at least one Baird's simply because a couple of birder's said they had one on Bunker Pond when they met us looking at one on the second Plover Pond. There is the slight chance that their Baird's had flown up to the plover pond before we arrived. Though I am guessing there are probably two around, though we did not see the Bunker Pond Baird's.
As for storm birding, only time will tell but I think the general consensus is that Sunday first thing in the morning will be the time to be looking for birds. Don't get me wrong, myself with a number of others will probably be out at the end of the day still looking as the storm creeps closer. But, with the forecast that the storm will be basically on top of Cape May by 8-ish p.m. (or possibly a little later) there is not much chance that there will be any real movement here during the day. Hopefully I am wrong and we are treated to great looks at birds this afternoon evening. But, unless you have plans to be else where on Sunday morning and you cannot get out of the commitment, find somewhere that would be a good vantage point to look for birds cruising back down the Delaware Bay. Given that the track is supposed to actually curl a little east of the Cape May area, or at least that was the last that I had heard, I am guessing that inland locations for storms birds will be less reliable and coastal locations will be the best bet. So think about joining the mobs that are sure to show up at Sunset Beach tomorrow.
Lastly, there are three lists below. First is the list from our walk around the state park today. The second is from the CMBO Beanery walk today and the last from last evenings CMBO Sunset Birding at the Meadows. I am happy to hear that Sora has been seen last evening and today at the meadows. I think that is the first "rail" sighting there in about two years. So it would seem the phrase "build it and they will come" again fits for a habitat restoration project that seems to be working. This is the first in many exciting finds at the meadows I am sure.
Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 9/6/08
Notes: 4027 steps = approx. 2.5 miles
Number of species: 81
Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 4
Mallard X
Blue-winged Teal 15
Northern Shoveler 6
Green-winged Teal 2
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 25
Snowy Egret 30
Tricolored Heron 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2
Glossy Ibis 5
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Black-bellied Plover X
Semipalmated Plover 25
Killdeer X
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs X
Lesser Yellowlegs X
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Sanderling 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper X
Western Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper X
White-rumped Sandpiper 2
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 12
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2
Short-billed Dowitcher 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 125
Least Tern 6
Black Tern 8
Common Tern 1
Forster's Tern X
Royal Tern X
Black Skimmer 25
Rock Pigeon X
Mourning Dove X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker X
Eastern Kingbird 75
White-eyed Vireo 4
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Carolina Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Carolina Wren X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Northern Mockingbird X
European Starling X
Northern Parula 1
Yellow Warbler 12
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Pine Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 2
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Northern Waterthrush 6
Common Yellowthroat X
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting X
Bobolink X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X
House Sparrow X
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2
"CMBO "Beanery" Walk at the Rea Farm. One taker for the walk this morning
before the storm. We actually had some sunshine. The birding was slow but we
did see many Baltimore Orioles, as well as 8 Wood Ducks, and 5 BC
Night-Herons at the willow pond. Only two warblers, Yellow and Common
Yellowthroat."
Location: The Beanery
Observation date: 9/6/08
Notes: CMBO Walk-K,T,+1.PtlySun,77,E9.
Number of species: 36
Canada Goose 15
Mute Swan 2
Wood Duck 8
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 7
Black-crowned Night-Heron 5
Black Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 2
Killdeer 2
Laughing Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 25
Tree Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 5
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 3
European Starling 25
Yellow Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Bobolink 5
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 4
Baltimore Oriole 15
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2
"CMBO Evening Meadows Walk (TNC). Again lots of Waders and Shorebirds. The
Hooded Merganser still continues. Also a couple of Merlin and Chuck saw a
Peregrine Falcon. The highlight was a Sora east of the east path. Haven't
seen one in the Meadows for over a year!"
Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 9/5/08
Notes: CMBO Walk-K,J,C&MJ,+7.Cldy,rain shower,77,E5.
Number of species: 68
Canada Goose 30
Mute Swan 6
Gadwall 1
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 20
Blue-winged Teal 6
Green-winged Teal 4
Hooded Merganser 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 15
Snowy Egret 20
Little Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3
Glossy Ibis 10
Osprey 1
Merlin 2
Sora 1
Semipalmated Plover 10
Killdeer 4
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 10
Lesser Yellowlegs 20
Sanderling 20
Semipalmated Sandpiper 5
Least Sandpiper 10
Pectoral Sandpiper 2
Stilt Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Snipe 1
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 2
Herring Gull 10
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Least Tern 3
Caspian Tern 1
Forster's Tern 15
Royal Tern 8
Black Skimmer 75
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Eastern Kingbird 10
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 10
Fish Crow 1
Tree Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 2
Carolina Wren 2
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 20
Cedar Waxwing 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Northern Waterthrush 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
Baltimore Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2
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