Trickle o' Treats!

With the thermometer dropping to below 20F last night, it looked like it was going to be a pretty chilly day today, but the sun beats down and the sky is blue, blue, blue and cloudless. And that's all we need to get birders out and scouting for goodies. The last couple of days has seen on and off sightings of  A Greater White-fronted Goose with a flock of Canada Geese, first reported yesterday by Tony Leukering and re-found today by David LaPuma. The bird is being seen on Bayberry Drive, on a pond just south of the commercial zone on the south side of Stone Harbor Boulevard. Bayberry runs parallel with the Garden State Parkway and just to the east of it. Stone Harbor Boulevard is Exit 10 off the parkway. It's tempting to wonder if this is the same goose that Karl Lukens found way back in the winter and which promptly disappeared. There's plenty of private ponds and grazing areas that aren't watched regularly (or at all) by birders.

Common Redpolls are cropping again the last couple of days too - perhaps birds drifting back north now that the weather is improving. Birds on the track to Higbee Dike, in West Cape May (at Vince Elia's feet apparently!), at feeders in Del Haven and as fly-overs at The Meadows as well as a group of eight at Stone Harbor Point have all been reliably reported so keep an eye (and ear) out for them. Three Short-eared Owls at Stone Harbor Point are probably birds on the move, while Sam Galick reported the elusive Grasshopper Sparrow near Cove Pond again. Nice also to hear that Chris Vogel had a Purple Martin at Cape May Point State Park this morning.

Heading this way soon? If you can be here for the weekend of March 12th/13th, you could get in some good birding and pick up a great bargain at CMBO's annual - and much anticipated - Optics Sale!!