Cape May Point State Park: Willow Flycatchers and Piping Plovers

This morning's Bird Walk for All People (every Thursday at 8:30 a.m.) at Cape May Point State Park featured many of the same birds Karl et.al. found yesterday, with the addition of at least 3 Willow Flycatchers. One could be heard from the parking lot, and the others were along the Red Trail.

We ran into Todd Pover of Conserve Wildlife, who was out with Park Superintendant Lorraine McCay checking on beach nesting birds. From the park eastward to Cape May City there are now 11 Piping Plover nests along the beach, and some chicks have hatched already. Very good news for this critically endangered bird.

A female Black Scoter near the beach early on apparently wound up on the beach later, according to Lorraine, clearly a bird that is not doing so well. A few shorebirds flew by high and far, including Black-bellied Plovers and Short-billed Dowitchers.

Our full list is included below:

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 6/4/09
Notes: CMBO Bird Walk for All People
Number of species: 63
Canada Goose 50
Mute Swan 20
Mallard 10
Black Scoter 1
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 8
Snowy Egret 1
Green Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 15
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 15
Black-bellied Plover 10
Piping Plover 8
American Oystercatcher 2
Short-billed Dowitcher 20
Laughing Gull 50
Herring Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 18
Least Tern 40
Common Tern 20
Forster's Tern 40
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 5
Rock Pigeon 10
Chimney Swift 15
Downy Woodpecker 1
Willow Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 5
White-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 2
Fish Crow 10
Purple Martin 50
Tree Swallow 5
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 2
Carolina Wren 8
House Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 30
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 10
Prairie Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 4
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 8
Blue Grosbeak 3
Indigo Bunting 3
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Common Grackle 35
Brown-headed Cowbird 5
Orchard Oriole 1
House Finch 5
House Sparrow 15