A Cape May Year In Pictures: Part 2

Continuing from yesterday's review of the first six months of the year, here's a run-down of some of the more memorable moments from the second half of 2009.

Skimmers Washed Out Of Stone Harbor

An estimated 1,000+ Black Skimmers attempted to nest at the south end of Stone Harbor Point this summer. However, by the beginning of August the colony had been washed out by multiple high tides, forcing the Skimmers to abandon the Point and move up the coast a few miles to Longport. Here's a look at the colony in early-July (photo by Tom Reed).

Boat Trips Reveal Hidden Summer Gems

CMBO helped run two different boat trips this summer, one from Somers Point aboard the Duke o' Fluke; the other from Cape May aboard The Osprey. The trips were excellent ways to look into otherwise inaccessible portions of the back bay marshes of the Cape May Peninsula. One trip out of Somers Point in mid-July netted 40 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, 20 Tricolored Herons and 19 Little Blue Herons. A trip out of Cape May in mid-August came across an American White Pelican, pictured above by Peter Langman.

Bells Of Autumn

The first familiar "bink" flight calls of Bobolinks overhead are a sure sign that another fall season is not far off. Bobolinks comprise a fair portion of neotropical migrants streaming through Cape May between July and October, and the first often appear in the waning days of June. This flock was photographed by Michael O'Brien.

A Ghost From The Past

Loggerhead Shrikes used to be expected in Cape May during late-summer, but have been almost completely absent for two decades. This bird was found at Cape May Point State Park on August 31st, and hung out there for a couple days. Photo by Karl Lukens.

All-Star Seasonal Crew Makes Autumn Happen

This year's seasonal crew helped bring the magic of Cape May to thousands of visitors throughout the fall. It was difficult to go anywhere around Cape May without seeing one of them in action, or without hearing somebody expressing appreciation for their help and enthusiasm. From left to right: Pete Dunne, Doug Gochfeld, Steve Kolbe, Melissa Roach, Claire Iseton, Ari Waldstein, Josh Lawrey, Jessica Donohue, and Cameron Cox. Not pictured is Nick Metheny, who was the '09 seawatch counter. Thanks to all for a great season (photo by Don Freiday).

Record Eagle Year At Hawkwatch

On September 14th, 46 Bald Eagles passed the Cape May Hawkwatch, a new single day record. By the end of the season, 459 had been counted, blasting the former single-season record of 340 in 2006. Here is one of those 459, photographed by Don Freiday.

The Biggest Sit

On October 11th, a group of Cape May regulars and visitors crammed the top deck of the Hawkwatch to partake in "The Big Sit!", an international competition in which groups of birders try to identify as many birds as possible from one 17' diameter circle. Thanks to great migration conditions and a remarkable assemblage of birding talent, 146 species were found, quite possibly representing the most species ever seen in North America from one spot in one day. In this photo by Don Freiday, the group eagerly anticipates what would eventually be their last bird of the day, an American Redstart.

Cooter Comes Back For More

For several years, a Great Black-backed Gull has preyed on American Coots on Bunker Pond. Locals have named this beast "Cooter". Here's the monster in action on Halloween, fighting a coot that is soon to be its lunch. Photo by Don Freiday.

"There's a WHAT in the harbor?!"

On the day after Thanksgiving, Jim Dowdell discovered what would quickly become one of Cape May's most famous vagrants. A young Ivory Gull had somehow made its way into Cape May Harbor, and soon after its discovery, hundreds of birders converged on the scene to catch a glimpse of the Arctic jewel. The bird moved to the Bree-Zee Lee Marina the next day, and proceeded to linger there for two weeks. Over a thousand birders from all over the country came to see the bird, which was likely the most viewed, and most photographed, Ivory Gull in history. Photo by Kevin Karlson (this was his life Ivory).

Wicked Weather Brings Wacky Birds To The Lake

A cold and stormy December was punctuated by a rare early-winter snowstorm on the 19th. The storm resulted in a postponement of the Cape May Christmas Bird Count, and also brought some lingering birds to Lily Lake, which was kept free of ice by bubblers. In the days following the storm, notable birds such as Green Heron, Glossy Ibis, Long-billed Dowitcher and Sandhill Crane (photo'd above by Mike Crewe) were all found at the lake. Perhaps even more remarkable was the Ruby-throated Hummingbird that continued to linger through the storm in West Cape May.

A Cape May Year In Pictures: Part 1

2009 was another superb year for birding in Cape May. In honor of the end of the year, we'll take a look at some of the highlights from January to June; second half highlights will follow tomorrow. We hope that you were able to take part in some of these happenings, but if not, then put Cape May in your schedule for 2010!

Click to enlarge most pictures, and enjoy.

Snowy Owls Dominate Early On

As many as 3 Snowy Owls took up residence in the Stone Harbor Point area during the winter of 2008-2009. This one was photographed by Mike Fritz as it sat atop the newly-constructed viewing platform at the Point. Sightings continued through mid-March.

Crossbill Invasion Reaches Cape May

Shortly after New Year's Day, White-winged Crossbills started to infiltrate the Garden State. A large flight of this species occurred throughout the east this winter, easily the largest irruption in recent memory. By month's end, there were almost daily reports of the species around Cape May. Most were fly-overs, but several set up shop at Villas WMA/Ponderlodge for a few weeks. These two were photographed by Karl Lukens in Cape May Point.

Waterbirds Stage In The Bay

Thousands of scoters called the mouth of the Delaware Bay home during late-February and March. As per usual, numbers of Red-throated Loons, Bonaparte's Gulls and Northern Gannets also spent time here during the early spring. Here's a view of a couple thousand scoters from Cape May Point, courtesy of Bob Fogg.

Springtime Arrives In Cape May

The first warm days in March always produce a plethora of newly-arrived migrants, including this Piping Plover, photographed by Karl Lukens in Cape May Point. The first plovers of 2009 appeared on March 8th. Numbers of Laughing Gulls, Osprey and Oystercatchers were close behind.

April Rarities Take Center Stage

A number of goodies found their way into the area during the fourth month of the year. Some of the highlights: Pileated Woodpecker flying over West Cape May, Swallow-tailed Kites in three different locations, two Yellow Rails at Turkey Point, Black-necked Stilt in the Meadows Plover Pond, and a Say's Phoebe at Cove Pool. The phoebe is pictured above, courtesy of Michael O'Brien.

"Parulean" Warbler Headlines Weak Songbird Migration

For whatever reason, spring warbler migration largely "missed" Cape May this year. However, a fine consolation prize was this apparent Cerulean Warbler x Northern Parula hybrid, found at Head of River by Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis during an early-May CMBO Warbler Workshop. The bird sang a song that was Parula-like in cadence, but Cerulean-like in richness. Photo by Michael O'Brien.

Gone Kiting

The week leading up to the World Series of Birding usually provides some interesting birding, and this year was no exception. Both Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites appeared simultaneously over Cape Island on May 5th, and sightings of both species continued through the rest of the week. A Painted Bunting at the Beanery and a Little Gull at the Meadows were also seen the same day. The following week's Monday morning CMBO Meadows Walk found an incredible 3 Swallow-tailed Kites flying together overhead. This Swallow-tail was photo'd over the Beanery parking lot by Tom Reed on May 6th.

Heislerville Becomes Shorebird Central

Anyone who visited the Heislerville impoundments during high tide at the end of May was treated to an incredible spectacle of staging shorebirds, pictured here by Don Freiday. Estimations of 40,000-50,000 birds were common, with Semipalmated Sandpipers and Dunlin dominating the species composition. Add in two Curlew Sandpipers, an American Avocet and a host of other uncommon shorebirds, and the place turned into a birder's paradise. It was also heartening to find decent numbers of Red Knots along the county's bayshore beaches and to hear that this year's Horseshoe Crab spawning season was the best in years. Here's hoping for more of the same in 2010.

Flood Tide = Bad News For Coastal Breeders

Days of east winds combined with the moon cycle to create an extremely high tide that also coincided with CMBO's first ever tally of breeding marsh birds in mid-June, aboard The Osprey. Here's a look at nesting Laughing Gulls in the marshes of Grassy Sound, as freeze-framed by Michael O'Brien. Many gulls and terns lost nests, eggs and chicks during this high tide. 96 Clapper Rails were seen on this trip, a testament to the remarkable conditions.

A June To Remember

Let's face it... you probably don't bird nearly as much in June as you do in May. However, June has always had a reputation of being a month with rarity potential, and in 2009 it was simply sizzling. During the last two weeks of the month, Anhinga, White Ibis, Black Rail, Black-headed Gull and Roseate Tern were all seen in or from the Meadows. Multiple Mississippi Kites, a King Rail and a number of Cory's and Greater Shearwaters also made appearances. You can be sure that the June of 2009 will be talked about in Cape May for a very long time, and don't be surprised to find a few more birders than usual out during the same time next year. Pictured above is the Anhinga; photo by Michael O'Brien.

Of Snow Buntings and a Roadside Ibis

[A picture-perfect winter scene. These Snow Buntings were part of a flock
of 78 on the beach at Cape May Pt. State Park this afternoon.
Photo by Roger & Kathy Horn; click to enlarge.]


["On a rainy Boxer Day, (for our Canadian friends) we had a Glossy Ibis
feeding on Sunset, pretending to be a Woodcock." -Roger & Kathy Horn (click to enlarge).]

Wandering Sandhill Strikes Again

A Sandhill Crane was seen on the south side of Villas WMA / Ponderlodge this morning by Josh Nemeth. This is likely the same bird originally found by Richard Crossley in North Cape May on December 20th, and seen again on Cape Island December 23rd. Where will it show up next?

Jake's Landing Heats Up; Palmyra Towhee Continues

Given the weather of late, I was pleasantly surprised to find calm, dry and not-so-bitter conditions at the end of Jake's Landing Road this evening, where a 90-minute vigil provided some pretty cool odds and ends.

To kick things off, a flock of 25 American Pipits played hide-and-seek as they made short flights between muddy pockets on the marsh, while a young Bald Eagle took in the landscape from the northwestern treeline. However, outside of that one distant eagle, the only other raptors were as follows: 4 Northern Harriers and 1 Red-tailed Hawk. Zero Short-eared Owls. Zero Rough-legged Hawks. There's still plenty of time for these guys to show up...we'll see.

Shifting gears, the weekend rainstorm dumped between two and three inches of rain on the Cape, and also helped speed-melt the remaining snow cover. The result: water, water everywhere. Even salt marshes are bogged down with all the excess water, so it wasn't a huge surprise to find the normally shy Nelson's Sparrow sitting out in the open at the very end of Jake's Landing Road shortly before sundown. It allowed excellent looks for all, including Karl Lukens and Roger & Kathy Horn, who had just arrived with Tom Parsons to complete the final portion of their day on the Belleplain Christmas Bird Count.

As we stood there admiring the dusk colors and wishing for Short-ears, Karl mentioned that they started the day at the marsh/forest edge along Jake's Landing Road, where there were two Sedge Wrens on the west side of the road- hopefully they'll hang around. As a conclusion to the evening, Dave Lord picked out a distant American Bittern flying past, a chorus of at least a dozen Clapper Rails made their presence known, and a handful of hardy Marsh Wrens chattered in the phragmites around the parking area.

Rewinding a bit, I started the day up the Delaware River in Palmyra, where my group waited a little over two hours to see the female Spotted Towhee that has been present there for the past month. Perhaps the best way to locate the bird is to listen for its call note, a loud, raspy, drawn-out yelp. It spends most of its time between the "big pit" and the "little pit", an area dominated by phragmites. Occasionally, the bird will come out close to the trail and give brief looks.

In other extralimital news, word just got out that an adult male Mountain Bluebird was found on today's Princeton Christmas Bird Count at Mercer County Park, outside of Trenton.

A lovely, but gray, Christmas morning

Scott Whittle and I birded around West Cape May and Cape May Point, running into one other local birder (Tom Parsons) and a couple of visiting birders. This is one of the reasons that I like birding Christmas day so much: if there's something interesting to find, there isn't much competition to be the finder. Besides, like most places but certainly more true here than others, one just never knows what one will run across on any given day, so go birding!

Though Scott got out a bit earlier than did I, we met at the O'Brien-Zemaitis house to ogle the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Despite the interestingness of a Christmas Ruby-throat, we were most entertained by the incredible show put on by most of the rest of the avian denizens of Stevens Street. Whether it was the holiday, the warming temperatures, or what, the American Robins were seemingly everywhere. We diligently searched for Fieldfare to no avail. A couple of the many Red Fox Sparrows sang sporadically, making for some pleasing music among the cacophony of American Robin calls. While I was watching a blackbird (Brown-headed Cowbird?) flying by, a Merlin came into my field of view and grabbed it! Neither the grabbed blackbird nor its flying comnpanion reacted until the Merlin had bird in hand, er... foot. To add to the show, a second Merlin made a try at extracting the blackbird from Merlin #1. We didn't see the end of that show, as both birds got below the treeline to the north. Scott found single Field and Chipping Sparrows. So, some 50 minutes or so after I arrived, Scott and I finally managed to drag ourselves away from the spectacle in order to check out some other sites.

There was a small number (20-25) of Bonaparte's Gulls scattered from Alexander Avenue around to St. Peter's and 17 Common Eiders were foraging off the Concrete Ship. An immature Red-throated Loon off St. Peter's nicely exhibited an in-between plumage -- molting out of juvenal into formative. Note that the extensive dark on the throat of typical juvenile Red-throateds has been reduced in this individual to a slash down the middle.


[Click on pictures to see larger versions.]

The six Tundra Swans continue on Bunker Pond and the same two male Eurasian Wigeons as were present yesterday were still on Lighthouse Pond, but with more American Wigeon compadres. Lily Lake provided the find of the day: yet another Eurasian Wigeon, this time, the third female. There were three females on the Lake at once! The first was close to the south end, which had opened up since yesterday, and provided good, but short-lived, photo ops. Note in the second picture that the Eurasian is the bird on the right and has a browner and warmer head than both its own sides and the head of the female Amerian Wigeon to its left; the other two birds are a pair of Gadwalls.




As I was leaving the point, I stopped along Sea Grove Avenue to check out the birds in the Lukens' front yard, among which was a juvenile-molting-into-formative-plumage Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. I looked east up the Avenue and noticed among the hordes of American Robins on the road, a bird doing a goofy bouncing strut -- American Woodcock! Ah, another photo op, though the light level required bumping up the ISO on the camera and anchoring the camera, my hand, and face as much as possible to try to get a sharp picture while shooting at only 1/50th second. I find that if one just takes enough pictures in these situations, one gets lucky enough, occasionally, to get a sharp image, and this morning's is below.



Finally, one of the cavorting American Robins on the road did not fly off upon my approach to photograph the American Woodcock. I was pleased enough at that, but it also provided a lovely and fitting end to a great Christmas morning's birding.

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

...When all through Cape May,
Not a birder was stirring, not even Bob Fogg.
The binoculars were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that a murrelet would soon be there.

The photographers were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Ivory Gulls danced through their heads.
And the kinglets in the pines, and the scaup on the bay,
Had all gone to sleep until dawn the next day.

Suddenly on the meadow there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the window where there flew an odd shape,
A moonlit bird with a cinnamon nape.

Across a snowy marsh a Short-ear did fly,
With hardly a flap, and many a glide.
And I heard him bark, 'ere he flew out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"


With apologies to Clement Moore, we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Enjoy.

Christmas Eve (day) miscellanea

It is still, for Cape May, a winter wonderland here, with snow still fairly deep where not plowed or driven- or walked-upon. Again, that's fairly deep for Cape May; I know from personal experience that there was a lot more snow on the ground farther north, even just 30 miles up the road in Millville. Most water bodies are still frozen or mostly so, though the bubblers at Lily Lake are doing their job keeping that bit of water mostly open. Good thing, as it has been attracting all sorts of interesting lingerers, as evidenced by recent posts on this venue.

A few of the Cape May regulars were out today, and I ran into a number of visiting birders, most in the State Park. The six Tundra Swans (five adults, one juvenile/immature) continue there and were much enjoyed by all. Sparrows are very evident working the melting edges of snow (true in most places in Cape May), such as this Song Sparrow by the Hawkwatch platform.


[Click on pictures to see larger versions.]

Also by the platform, what is probably the resident adult male Northern Mockingbird spent much of the time that I was present chasing various other berry-eaters (American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers) from its junipers. During one of its brief pauses, I managed this picture.



The American Tree Sparrow found yesterday at the State Park was not reported today, but there is an awful lot of suitable habitat in which it can hide itself. A juvenile Northern Goshawk was noted over the State Park and environs a few times this morning, once among a very large kettle of Turkey Vultures that also included a Bald Eagle and a Red-shouldered Hawk. With the strong sun the past few days, Lighthouse Pond has opened up a bit. Interestingly, the adult male Eurasian Wigeon that has been on Lily Lake recently moved over to Lighthouse Pond today where it and one of the immature male Eurasian Wigeons made up two of the nine wigeons present around 2:30 pm; a female continues on Lily Lake.

The Glossy Ibis that has been seen very sporadically at Lily Lake the past couple days was found again shortly after noon today, but not after that. The flock of five Snow Geese (four adults, one juvenile) remains at the pond along the west side of Shunpike in West Cape May. The four adults are pictured below (from the 22nd).



Last, and, actually, least, the female-plumaged Ruby-throated Hummingbird that has been gracing the yard of Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis continues despite the long string of sub-freezing nights, here photographed late afternoon today.

Winter magic!

As if it needed any more coverage, Lily Lake made a name for itself by drawing another main attraction today - a Sandhill Crane. First reported by Vince Elia over Seashore Road, what was surely the same bird homed in on Lily Lake a short while later and Doug Gochfeld was there to see it drop down into the water! Eventually it had second thoughts and was soon standing out on the ice. I gather that it was later seen being checked out by a Short-eared Owl. The Glossy Ibis and at least two Eurasian Wigeons continue on Lily Lake. A Sandhill Crane was initially reported from North Cape May on December 20th by Richard Crossley so maybe this bird has been hanging out in the area for a few days now.

At Cape May Point State Park this lunch time, at least six Tundra Swans were on Bunker Pond and an American Tree Sparrow was a nice find by the burn pile at the back of the beach (look for it with a loose flock of Song and Savannah Sparrows). At least four Horned Larks were on the beach by the bunker.

Sandhill Crane having a good old shake on Lily Lake

Tundra Swan on Bunker Pond today.

Seawatch Wrap-up, More Photos

[Cackling Goose at the corner of Shunpike and Stimpson in West Cape May earlier this week. It wasn't reported yesterday. Photo by Karl Lukens, click to enlarge.]

Doug Gochfeld has an excellent summary of the Seawatch's last day on our View from the Field blog . He also included season totals for all species, as well as a few photos, including one of yesterday's Black-headed Gull. Check it out!

Here's a few more photos of birds around Cape May during the past few days:

[American Pipit blending in well with its surroundings at Sunset Beach on Sunday.
Photo by Mark Garland.]

[Another look at two of the Long-billed Dowitchers on Lily Lake Sunday.
Note the round-bodied, hunch-backed appearance. Photo by Mark Garland.]

[Fox Sparrow in Cape May Point after the weekend storm. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Black-headed Gull, Green Heron, Cackling Goose, etc.

[Lingering Glossy Ibis on Lily Lake yesterday. Photo by Karl Lukens, click to enlarge.]

Today marks the last day of the Avalon Seawatch for the 2009 season, and fittingly enough, swing counter Doug Gochfeld found an adult Black-headed Gull there shortly after 9:30am. The bird has reportedly hung around in the time since, with Tony Leukering last confirming its presence at 12:15pm.

In other news, Mike Crewe located a Green Heron on Lily Lake yesterday, adding to the impressive collection of birds seen there over the past few days. There really aren't too many winter records for Green Heron in these parts, with perhaps two or three (at most) in the past decade. Karl Lukens again reported a Glossy Ibis at the lake, along with a newly-arrived Eurasian Wigeon, this one an adult male.

Other reports indicate that the Cackling Goose continues at the corner of Shunpike Road and Stimpson Lane in West Cape May, and that 18 Tundra Swans were at Tuckahoe WMA yesterday.

Also in the realm of Tundra Swans, a correction: I mentioned a report of "a dozen" Tundras on Bunker Pond Sunday. There were actually "half a dozen" ... apologies for any confusion.

[Adult male Eurasian Wigeon on Lily Lake yesterday.
Photo by Karl Lukens, click to enlarge.]

An Extralimital CBC Rumination

Tis' the season. . .for Christmas Bird Counts, of course. The snowed-out Cape May Count will rise again January 1 - hopefully the revelers-come-counters will rise as well!

Most readers likely participate in the CBC, but if you're not yet doing one (or several), they are highly recommended. If you can, get yourself a territory on your favorite count and stick with it for years and years, and keep track of what you find just in your little territory.

[Owling is a CBC tradition - this Eastern Screech-owl cooperated for a photo (after flying past my ear) during Saturday's Walnut Valley CBC, not far from the Delaware Water Gap in northern NJ. Friends and I have tracked color morph on screech-owls since 1992 on the nearby Northwest Hunterdon CBC. Of the 55 screech-owls we've called close enough for a quick look in the flashlight, 31 have been red, like this one. Click to enlarge.]

Many years ago ornithologist Charlie Leck did a simple analysis showing changes in winter bird populations as demonstrated by CBC's for New Jersey Birds, and I think I've got Bill Boyle convinced to have a go at an updated article soon (Bill, are you reading this?) You can also get historical CBC results online by count or region, but you can't look at what is happening in your own patch that way, so save your records is my advice. Often, what you find in your own little CBC territory reflects what is happening in the big picture, making it personal.

I've done the Northwest Hunterdon CBC for 18 years and Walnut Valley almost as long, covering the same patches of ground, a mix of woods, fields and small lakes (sometimes frozen, sometimes not), plus a section of the Delaware River for Walnut Valley, making the territory a real peach. Cape May's CBC always happens the same date as Hunterdon (unless one is weathered out!) so in a way I'm out of luck. But not really - we hear as many as 40 screech-owls in a night up north some years, have watched sapsuckers increase and kestrels plummet, and quietly rage as first one prime Field Sparrow spot is developed, then another. Valuable observations, fun in the field, good friends and family for company, and the spice of occasional rarities make the annual CBC a composite of all that's good about birding.

More Snowy Stuff!

Seems like we're almost back to normal today, now that most of the roads are cleared of snow, but it certainly was an amazing weekend at Cape May, with most of the area's birders out and about just as soon as they could be. Lighthouse Pond froze over almost completely so the regular ducks had to be found elsewhere. At least two of the Eurasian Wigeons and many of the American Wigeons made it onto Lily Lake and tight gatherings of them found food by rushing in every time a Ring-necked Duck dived and grabbing titbits that got aggitated to the surface.

Lily Lake remained largely unfrozen due to the water agitators there, and attracted at least three Long-billed Dowitchers, three Great Egrets, a Snow Goose and a most peculiar Canada Goose with a white neck!

One of three Long-billed Dowitchers on Lily Lake on Sunday (photo Karl Lukens)

Very odd to look at, but nothing about this goose suggests that it is anything other than a Canada Goose with rather too much white (photo Karl Lukens).

A quick walk out to the beach at Cape May State Park provided some nice photo opportunities so here's some pictures of Cape May in the December snow.

A familiar, and yet unfamiliar, view! Cape May Lighthouse from the Hawkwatch Platform - complete with snow plow!

Cape May's famous Hawkwatch counter's corner. If you visit during peak raptor migration only, you may never see a scene like this!

Even the south beach (here looking towards St Mary's) had a dusting of snow.

A Short-eared Owl heads off around Cape May Point

A Snow Bunting looks perfectly at home on the beach.

A handful of Ipswich Sparrows can still be found alongside more 'regular' Savannah Sparrows.

The Northwood Center looking cold and frosty. We are still open folks so do pop by for those last minute Christmas presents!

Fox Sparrows are now daily visitors to the Northwood feeders.

Michael O'Brien's Ruby-throated Hummingbird continues to hang on in his yard. I managed to get a little bit of snow in the background too!

Severe weather puts birds in odd places. Two American Pipits were feeding on the road edge in Bayshore Road...

...while Killdeers chose to dodge in and out of the traffic along Sunset Boulevard!