Around the Point

Our Wednesday morning walk at the Cape May Point State Park was full of birds and certainly action packed! If you were on the walk and you heard me promise that the full list would be up on our website today - apologies, we've had a busy day in the store, but the full list will be up in our Field Reports section tomorrow morning. Bunker Pond still holds the rosette for best birding spot right now, as a multitude of birds continues to feed on the concentration of fish in the ever-dropping water levels. Though there have been rain showers and even thunderstorms in the area today (and forecast through tomorrow apparently), storms moving across from the West often break up in the cooler air over Delaware Bay and Cape May Point remains dry - great for holidaymakers, not so good for gardeners! A Snapping Turtle which must have been a good 40lbs in weight wallowed in the centre of the pond and briefly attracted the attention of a number of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. Shorebirds were plentiful and mostly close and we were able to study and compare Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Somewhat distant Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers bulked up our shorebird list nicely. Three Bobolinks lurking in the Cattails showed well for a while and were clearly migrants down here and we had a real busy spell in the dry area at the back as new birds came thick and fast - House Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Indigo Bunting, several Orchard Orioles were all seen and added to the great views of Blue Grosbeaks earlier. What to round it all off with and go out with a bang? Of course, the three Black-bellied Whistling-ducks. Still here, still showing well, still snoozing with the local Mallards and Gadwall on the south side of Lighthouse Pond.

Not much news from elsewhere today, but I did check the concrete ship lunch time and couldn't see the King Eider, though he is often elusive and may well be still be around. Single male Surf and Black Scoters were there, however, as were six Double-crested Cormorants - another sign of fall migration.

Don't forget our Walk For All People which will be at the state park (meeting by the Hawkwatch Platform) at 08.30AM Thursday. Another opportunity to enjoy the highlights of Cape May Magic!