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!