Spring Weekend Day 2 Notes - Shearwater, Sapsucker and More

[Female Curlew Sandpiper at Heislerville WMA this afternoon.
Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Day 2 of the Spring Weekend did not produce a large number of migrants, but provided many highlights nonetheless-

The early walk at Higbee was highlighted by a late Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the parking lot before things officially got started, as well as good looks at Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak. Migrants included Magnolia, Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers. A Prothonotary Warbler was noted on the late-morning walk, in the wet woods at the back end of the "tower field."

A Summer Tanager and a Bobolink were noted at the Beanery/Rea Farm this morning, and the Tricolored Heron was again sighted at the South Cape May Meadows.

The "Poor Man's Pelagic" aboard the Cape May-Lewes Ferry tallied 4-6 Parasitic Jaegers, as well as a Sooty Shearwater.

Two Gull-billed Terns were seen flying past the south end of Nummy Island during high tide this afternoon, where there were also several Royal Terns and Whimbrel present. A foggy Stone Harbor Point played host to about two dozen Northern Gannets feeding offshore, and a single Piping Plover along the edge of the manmade pool visible from the end of the path leading south from the parking lot.

Word from Heislerville is that two Curlew Sandpipers were easily visible at high tide this afternoon, as was the continuing American Avocet.

Lists from Higbee and Nummy included below-


Location: Higbee Beach
Observation date: 5/16/09
Number of species: 67

Canada Goose 2
Gadwall 2
Mallard 2
Double-crested Cormorant 35
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Black-bellied Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Short-billed Dowitcher 10
Laughing Gull 50
Herring Gull 6
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Forster's Tern 2
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 6
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 4
Eastern Kingbird 6
Red-eyed Vireo 6
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 2
Purple Martin 10
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 6
Carolina Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 4
Carolina Wren 12
House Wren 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 8
Gray Catbird 6
Northern Mockingbird 2
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 12
Cedar Waxwing 7
Northern Parula 3
Yellow Warbler 1
Magnolia Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 1
Prairie Warbler 5
Blackpoll Warbler 2
American Redstart 2
Prothonotary Warbler 1
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Field Sparrow 6
Northern Cardinal 10
Blue Grosbeak 5
Indigo Bunting 6
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Common Grackle 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 2
House Sparrow 2

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Location: Nummy Island
Observation date: 5/16/09
Number of species: 33

Brant (Atlantic) 25
Double-crested Cormorant 45
Great Egret 4
Snowy Egret 5
Glossy Ibis 2
Osprey 4
Clapper Rail 15
Black-bellied Plover 20
Semipalmated Plover 18
American Oystercatcher 4
Willet (Eastern) 6
Whimbrel 5
Ruddy Turnstone 4
Red Knot 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper 45
Least Sandpiper 3
Dunlin 60
Short-billed Dowitcher 40
Laughing Gull 150
Herring Gull 60
Great Black-backed Gull 25
Least Tern 5
Gull-billed Tern 2
Common Tern 6
Forster's Tern 12
Royal Tern 5
Fish Crow 3
Purple Martin 1
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 6
European Starling 1
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Boat-tailed Grackle 6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)