CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE

Hotline: Cape May Birding Hotline
To Report: call (609) 884-2736, or email sightings at birdcapemay.org
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties , NJ
Compiler: David Lord, Cape May Bird Observatory with additions by Don Freiday

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, January 29, 2009. Highlights this week include sightings of EARED GREBE, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, EURASIAN WIGEON, SANDHILL CRANE, SNOWY OWL, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, COMMON REDPOLL, ICELAND GULL, REDHEAD, TRI-COLORED HERON, KING EIDER, and results of CMBO's Winter Marsh Raptor Survey.

The EARED GREBE was seen from the Municipal Lot at 80^th Street and Ocean Ave. in Stone Harbor on Thursday January 22, 2009.

At least one of the RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS is still being seen at the feeders located at 711 New England Road, Cape May Point.

The female EURASIAN WIGEON was still being seen on the main pond at Villas WMA as of Saturday January 24, 2009. The male REDHEAD is also continuing on the pond. 2 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at the WMA on Saturday January 24, 2009.

The flock of SANDHILL CRANES is still being seen on Husted Landing Road near Bridgeton in northern Cumberland County. There does appear to be a COMMON CRANE mixed in with the flock.

One of the Stone Harbor SNOWY OWLS was photographed in the southernmost dunes of Stone Harbor Point on Friday, January 23.

Numerous sightings of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have been reported throughout the area of late including 2 birds at the CMBO/CRE on Monday January 26, 2009; 10 birds over St. Peters in Cape May Point on January 25, 2009, and some over Cape Island Preserve on Saturday January 24 2009.

An ICELAND GULL was seen at the Ocean Drive Fisheries Plant heading toward Wildwood Crest on Saturday January 24, 2009.

A KING EIDER was seen at the 8^th Street Jetty in Avalon on Thursday January 22, 2009.

2 TRI-COLORED HERONS were found on Nummy's Island on January 25, 2009.

CMBO conducted a winter marsh raptor survey on Sunday. Eleven locations in NJ's southern four counties were surveyed according to a standardized protocol in the hour surrounding sunset. The primary species of interest for this survey are Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl, and 92 harriers and 18 short-ears were tallied, as well as 3 Rough-legged Hawks (Jake's Landing and Mott's Creek), 15 Red-tailed Hawks, 17 Great-horned Owls, 18 Bald Eagles, and 1 Golden Eagle (at Turkey Point). Short-eared Owls were at many locations including Jake's Landing (4), Stipson Island Road (2), Tuckahoe (2), Thompson's Beach (1), Bivalve (1), Newport Landing (3), Ragged Island (2), and Mott's Creek (2). Thanks go out to the many volunteers observers who participated in the survey.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 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!


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!