Reflections on a Happy Holiday...

It certainly looks like many people had a great time birding Cape May this holiday weekend and I returned to my desk to a plethora of emails, weighted down with bundles of pictures. I'll have to hold some for another day, but here are some happy memories of the last couple of days.

This Black-crowned Night Heron was seen deftly picking out fish from tideline debris by Beth Polvino.

Another Beth Polvino special, an Eastern Willet shows off its smart wing pattern.

Though annoyingly distant for the photographers, an adult Black Tern was a nice find at Bunker Pond on Sunday.

Karl Lukens continues to keep an eye on the Eurasian Collared Dove at Cape May Point - which, judging from this photograph, is pushing on with its molt nicely and looking a little smarter now.

A Roseate Tern on the South Beach on Monday morning continues a good year for this species at Cape May.

Keep an eye on the skies! The South Beach can be a tricky place to be if you don't keep your wits about you as Least Terns defend newly-fledged chicks. [Photo by Jane Ellison]

With Fish Crows continually taking the eggs, Least Terns are repeatedly having to start new clutches, and even now, pair-bonding continues amongst the terns as they attempt to get their breeding season started before they run out of time. [Photo by Jane Ellison]

A measure of success - a juvenile Piping Plover at South Cape May Beach. Note the lack of dark in the plumage and the pale fringes to the upperparts [photo by Jane Ellison].

Starting to really look like an American Oystercatcher now - one of three chicks on the South Beach [photo by Jane Ellison].

Saving the atmospheric until last - I like Karl Lukens' shot of a Green Heron against the light; a typical dark shape lurking in the undergrowth (the heron that is, not Karl!).

Though I haven't seen it for a few hours, the Black-bellied Whistling-duck was certainly still on Lake Lily first thing this morning. Elsewhere, a rather sad-looking first-summer Common Loon is hanging off Sunset Beach.