CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - February 26, 2009

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, February 26, 2009. Highlights this week include sightings of REDHEAD, CANVASBACK, KING EIDER, COMMON EIDER, RED-NECKED GREBE, LITTLE GULL, BLACK-HEADED GULL, BONAPARTE'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, RAZORBILL, SNOWY OWL, SHORT-EARED OWL, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, DICKCISSEL, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.

--For more up-to-the-minute sightings information and a downloadable birding map of Cape May, check out www.BirdCapeMay.org.--

An adult LITTLE GULL was seen among a flock of 300 BONAPARTE'S GULLS on 2/19, near the Concrete Ship at Sunset Beach. Also seen there that day was a fly-by RAZORBILL. An ICELAND GULL flew by Sunset Beach on 2/22; a RED-NECKED GREBE did likewise on 2/26.

At least 2 BLACK-HEADED GULLS were reported between St. Peter's in Cape May Point, Sunset Beach, and the Ferry Terminal in North Cape May throughout the week. FORSTER'S TERNS were also reported from Cape May Point throughout the week.

The Stone Harbor Point SNOWY OWL was seen again on 2/23.

Up to 7 COMMON EIDERS and a female KING EIDER continued to be seen in the area of the 8th Street Jetty in Avalon through 2/21.

REDHEAD, CANVASBACK and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER were all reported from Villas WMA on 2/21.

As many as 7 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were observed in the short pines near the "main" parking lot at Brig/Forsythe NWR through 2/23.

At Jakes Landing Road, SHORT-EARED OWLS are still flying, and up to 4 have been seen.

AMERICAN WOODCOCKS have been displaying throughout the area, including location such as Jakes Landing Road and Tuckahoe WMA.

A DICKCISSEL continues to be seen in West Cape May, through 2/25.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
CMBO'S FOURTEENTH ANNUAL OPTICS SALE will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the CMBO Center for Research and Education in Goshen. The sale offers a large selection of closeout, demo, factory-refurbished, new, and used optics priced to move. Binoculars and spotting scopes from all major brands will be available. There are no advance or phone orders: first come, first served. Shoppers must belong to NJAS or CMBO to take advantage of these great deals, so join today if you're not already a member.

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 WINTER HOURS 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. NOTE: CRE Days of operation have changed, The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday through SATURDAY, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed SUNDAYs and Mondays through the month of March. ******

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 discounts in the stores).

Good luck and good birding!