Warblers grounded and a few seabirds..

Damp and gray weather looks set to continue for a while as south-west winds are forecast to predominate for at least the next five days. Though such a forecast isn't ideal if you're in Cape May to enjoy being outdoors, there should still be birds out there to be found. Grounded parties of warblers will be feeding up in sheltered corners, as I witnessed briefly this afternoon when I had an excuse to nip out to the Hawkwatch Platform with a journalist from Philadelphia. Amongst a busy feeding party of Yellow-rumped Warblers lurked Nashville, Palm and Prairie Warblers, Northern Parula and Common Yellowthroat, while the two Eurasian Wigeon were on Bunker Pond along with a nice array of other ducks. Higbee's Beach was pretty quiet on our walk this morning and the sparrows that descended on us a few days ago seem mostly to have moved on, but there's still a few Swamp, Song and White-throated Sparrows around and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are still present amongst the more numerous Northern Flickers. Elsewhere, Mike Fritz noted a late Mourning Warbler from his yard in Seaville, as well as an Orange-crowned Warbler, Sam Galick reported three American White Pelicans flying north from Cape Henlopen and 37 Parasitic Jaegers were counted passing the Seawatch at Avalon - a new single-day coun record for the species for the CMBO Seawatch.