CAPE MAY BIRDING HOTLINE - THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 2010

January 14, 2010

Birds Mentioned:
American Tree Sparrow
American Woodcock
Cackling Goose
Canvasback
Common Eider
Eurasian Wigeon
Harlequin Duck
Little Blue Heron
Redhead
Sandhill Crane

Transcript:
Hotline: Cape May Birding Hotline
To Report: (609) 884-2736, sightingsATbirdcapemay.org
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties, NJ
Compiler: David Lord, Cape May Bird Observatory with additions by Don Freiday

This is the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey Audubon’s's Cape May Bird Observatory. This week's message was prepared on Thursday, January 14, 2010. Highlights this week include sightings of SANDHILL CRANE, HARLEQUIN DUCK, COMMON EIDER, LITTLE BLUE HERON, CANVASBACK, REDHEAD, EURASIAN WIGEON, CACKLING GOOSE, TREE SPARROW, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and announcements about coming CMBO birding workshops.

Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen across the creek from Lucky Bones Restaurant in Cape May on Wednesday, January 13, 2010. Another or the same has been seen at Villas WMA and in fields on Cape Island this week.

2 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen at the Avalon 8th Street Jetty on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 with 36 COMMON EIDERS.

An unseasonal LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen on Ocean Drive, across from the Coast Guard Ponds, on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

2 CANVASBACKS were seen in the first Coast Guard Pond along Ocean Drive on Thursday, January 14, 2010. Another was located in the center of Cape May Harbor, viewed from the Nature Center of Cape May, the same day.

Several REDHEADS have been seen in Cape May this week, including a drake on Lighthouse Pond on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, and a hen at Lily Lake on the same date.
Male and female EURASIAN WIGEON were seen on Lighthouse Pond on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Check Lily Lake if they are not there.

A CACKLING GOOSE has been noted at various Cape Island sites, last noted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 in a field on Seagrove Avenue in Cape May Point.

A flock of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS was seen along the West Side of the Maurice River Bridge in Cumberland County on Saturday, January 9, 2010, scarce in southern NJ.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK have been common and easy to find around Cape May Point, including CMBO’s Northwood Center, this week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Coming CMBO Birding Workshops include a Cape May Winter Birding Sampler with Don Freiday January 16-17; Techniques of Field Observation with Michael O’Brien January 23; Wintering Hawks, Eagles and Owls with Don Freiday and Megan Crewe February 13-15; and How to Look at Gulls with Don Freiday and Mike Crewe February 27. More information can be found at http://www.birdcapemay.org/school.php .

CMBO is offering a special to new and upgraded membership renewals. Join CMBO for the first time or upgrade from Individual or Family to The Hundred and receive Charley Harper's Migration Mainline- Cape May lithograph poster, valued at $50. Call either CMBO center to ask an associate about joining today!

******CMBO Bookstore WINTER HOURS are as follows: Northwood Center on East Lake Drive in Cape May Point is open Wednesday through Monday, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed Tuesdays. The Center for Research and Education on Rt. 47 in Goshen is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30am to 4:30pm; closed Sundays and Mondays. ******

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory and details sightings from Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties. Updates are made weekly. Please report sightings of rare or unusual birds to CMBO at 609-861-0700. Sponsorship for this hotline comes from the support of CMBO members and business members, and should you not be a member, we cordially invite you to join. Individual membership is $39 per year; $49 for families. You can call either center to become a member or visit. Become a member in person and you'll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member discounts in the stores).
Good Luck and Good Birding!

End Transcript