A Boatload of Bird Reports

World Series of Birding (WSB) teams are out in force, and a whole bunch of reports came in this morning.

Special note: wet ground and mosquitoes are the rule at most Cape May sites today. The mosquitoes were almost astonishing at Hidden Valley and Higbee.

The Swallow-tailed Kite reappeared variously over Higbee, the Beanery, the Meadows and Stevens Street this morning. A Mississippi Kite was seen over the Beanery as well. The Black-necked Stilt continues at the plover pond at the Meadows (Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge) - this is the pond on the right of the west path (closest to the lighthouse) immediately before you cross the dune. Some are calling it the Osprey pond, since Ospreys are occupying a platform there.

Higbee had about 14 species of warblers this morning including Hooded, Kentucky, and Black-throated Green. Mark Garland added a Worm-eating Warbler at the State Park. Mark also reported a Red-headed Woodpecker at the state park - the spate of recent reports of this species south of the canal is of interest. I don't think Red-headed Woodpecker has ever nested south of the canal, but the recent restoration work at the state park has created a small amount of suitable open mixed-woods habitat. It's probably not enough habitat to hold the birds, however. Red-headed Woodpeckers are still present at Villas WMA and, for WSB, at Tamerlane Campground off Route 9 (private property, enter only with permission.)

Mark also had 11 species of shorebirds at the state park, and noted a couple lingering Swamp Sparrows. A Stilt Sandpiper was reported at the Meadows. Parasitic Jaeger was seen at Sunset Beach.

Here at the CMBO Northwood Center, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and White-crowned Sparrow were both around the building this morning.

The link below loads a .pdf containing Cape May County E-bird reports of interest for the WSB through May 5, for Cape May County. Common species are not included.

Cape%20May%20Bird%20Reports%20from%20Ebird%20through%20May%205.pdf

For an Excel file containing all NJ reports, visit the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club WSB page.