It Was Again: Many Birds, Including Rarities

Not as many, not as frantic as Friday, but many, many birds in Cape May again today. Highlights today include Henslow's Sparrow in the Tower Field at Higbee (not sure who found, i.d.'d by Michael O'Brien); Ash-throated Flycatcher, last seen in the 3rd field at Higbee in the late afternoon (found by Roger and Kathy Horn); a Yellow Rail found by Cameron Cox in the TNC Cape Island Preserve, not relocated and not likely to be; multiple Golden Eagles, various places; a high Northern Goshawk over the Beanery, picked by Vince Elia during our rather amazing Beanery field trip for the Cape May Autumn Weekend; roughly 10 Vesper Sparrows at the Beanery; Lincoln's and White-crowned Sparrows, various many places; and continued amazing high volume of sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Hermit Thrushes. Over the course of the next few days we'll put the pieces together and try to depict this flight, seemingly the best so far of this millenium. In the meantime, here are a couple images to set the stage.

[Juncoes and sparrows littered the paths at Higbee (here, pre-dawn), as well as the yards and streets of Cape May Point on Friday.  And Saturday, too. Click to enlarge photos.]

[Over 50 Hermit Thrushes were in the vicinity of the Higbee Parking lot alone, walking under our tripods and cars, feeding on Virginia Creeper and other berries on the lot margins. That's Roger Horn's boot in the background.]

 [Both Friday and Saturday, many birds were in the streets before first light, and sadly many were killed by passing cars.  This Hermit Thrush was not.  Coral Avenue on Saturday, about 5:30 a.m.]

 [Dense flocks of sparrows, including Song Sparrows, riddled the Beanery and Higbee Beach today.]

[An absolutely stunning bird, this Henslow's Sparrow was found in the tower field at Higbee today.]