Shorebirds et. al. at the State Park, Sandwich Tern up the Bay

Shorebirds continue at a trickle, based on the Cape May Point State Park walk this morning. Plenty of Leasts, a very few Semipalmated Sandpipers - only 1 this morning, though I had 25 semis with 60+ Leasts up the bay yesterday, at Norbury's Landing. At least 2 Solitary Sandpipers were flying around the state park this morning, along with dowitchers and a few yellowlegs.

We pished out a little mixed flock near the end of the Red trail that contained 2 Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and a juvenile Pine Warbler. Wonder where the gnatcatchers came from, but suspect north of the canal.

Last night a Sandwich Tern dropped briefly onto a sand bar at Norbury's Landing before continuing north up the bay. This was pretty unusual, since you don't even see Common Terns much up the bay (Norbury's is about 10 miles from the point), and I've never really heard of a Sandwich that far in.

There's this semi-weird weather pattern in Cape May at present, with a low coming up from the Carolinas hanging just offshore and dropping a lot of rain offshore. Onshore it's humid and not all that windy - what wind there is is from the east north-east. Wish I had a little time to seawatch. . .

Piping Plovers at the state park continue to get hammered, unfortunately, mainly by Fish Crows. The next-to-last brood, with 4 chicks, that we saw last week is down to 2 chicks. One plover is still incubating.

The full list from the state park this morning follows.

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/23/09
Notes: CMBO Bird Walk for all People
Number of species: 59

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 15
Mallard 10
Great Egret 2
Snowy Egret 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 15
Osprey 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Piping Plover 2
Killdeer 5
American Oystercatcher 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 15
Short-billed Dowitcher 25
Laughing Gull X
Ring-billed Gull 3
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Least Tern 50
Common Tern 10
Forster's Tern 35
Rock Pigeon 5
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Kingbird 5
Fish Crow 15
Purple Martin 25
Tree Swallow 10
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Bank Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 10
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
American Robin 20
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 25
Yellow Warbler 4
Pine Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 3
Song Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Common Grackle 10
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
House Finch 5
House Sparrow 15