Cave Swallow, Meadows Report, and Birds out of Context

[Bird out of context, number 1 - the male Black Scoter in the east pool at the meadows (!) this morning shakes off his nerves after a Peregrine made a pass. Photo by Don Freiday, click to enlarge all photos.]

The first official solid Cave Swallow of fall was reported from the hawk watch platform this morning by Vince Elia. Doug Gochfeld reported a Red-necked Grebe from the Avalon Seawatch this morning.

There were a lot of birds moving, and newly in, at the South Cape May Meadows a.k.a. TNC Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge this morning. Particularly notable were the increased numbers of White-throated Sparrows in the bayberry thickets, as well as dozens of Eastern Bluebirds migrating overhead. Parasitic Jaegers offshore, a passing immature Little Blue Heron, and a large quanity and high quality of "duckage" were also highlights. I included the full list at the end of this post - 8o species strong.

[Bird out of context number 2: A Rock Pigeon joined a flock of 20 Killdeer flying around the meadows for quite some time. You could just hear him saying to the raptors, "don't mind me, I'm just a Killdeer, I blend in, see?"]

[It's easy to see why the dark tips on a Little Blue Heron's primaries are so hard to spot when they are not flying. This one entertained the meadows walk this morning.]

[Roger Horn photographed this soaking wet Merlin at Villas WMA yesterday.]

Note that we only have two more Monday meadows walks left this fall. Hurry before the autumn's gone!

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 11/2/09
Notes: CMBO Monday meadows walk
Number of species: 80
Snow Goose 2 1 white 1 blue flew by together
Canada Goose 200
Mute Swan 20
Gadwall 90 careful count
American Wigeon 20 careful count
American Black Duck 20 careful count
Mallard 60
Blue-winged Teal 20 careful count
Northern Shoveler 2
Northern Pintail 15 careful count
Green-winged Teal 15
Surf Scoter X
White-winged Scoter 1 offshore not seen by group
Black Scoter X including one adult male in east pool!
Hooded Merganser 1 female
Ruddy Duck 4
Common Loon 2
Pied-billed Grebe 6
Northern Gannet 50
Double-crested Cormorant 300
Great Blue Heron 10
Great Egret 8
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 1 juv
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk 15
Cooper's Hawk 3
Merlin 2
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot 20
Killdeer 50
Sanderling 100
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Wilson's Snipe 1
Laughing Gull 1
Ring-billed Gull 25
Herring Gull 50
Great Black-backed Gull 120
Forster's Tern 10
Royal Tern 15
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 5
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Northern Flicker 10
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 20
Fish Crow 2
Tree Swallow 20
Carolina Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 5
Marsh Wren 1 heard only
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Eastern Bluebird 120
American Robin 300
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 200
American Pipit 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler 25
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 20
Swamp Sparrow 20
White-throated Sparrow 50
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 5
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 500
Eastern Meadowlark 10
Rusty Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 2
House Finch 10
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 20