Hotline: Cape May Birding Hotline
To Report: call: (609) 884-2736 or email: coturnicops AT gmail DOT com
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties, NJ
Compiler: Tom Reed
This
is the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey Audubon's Cape
May Bird Observatory. This week's message was prepared on Thursday, August 30, 2012. Included this week are sightings of REDDISH EGRET, BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, BLACK SCOTER, BROWN PELICAN, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, UPLAND SANDPIPER, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, RED KNOT, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, BLACK TERN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, "BREWSTER'S" WARBLER, PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, LARK SPARROW, DICKCISSEL, and PURPLE FINCH.
New Jersey's second-ever REDDISH EGRET was seen again at Brig/Forsythe NWR on 8/24 and 8/27, but has not been reported since. Other sightings from "Brig" this week included the continuing BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, a HUDSONIAN GODWIT on 8/28, and 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES on 8/25.
An excellent songbird flight occurred on 8/29, with highlights from the Higbee Dike consisting of 374 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES (a record count for CMBO's Morning Flight project), 4 early PURPLE FINCHES, 2 LARK SPARROWS, 2 DICKCISSELS, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and a "BREWSTER'S" WARBLER. A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW passed the dike on 8/27, while a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER were tallied there on 8/25.
Two UPLAND SANDPIPERS briefly visited the Higbee Dike on 8/29, and a flock of 8 HUDSONIAN GODWITS were seen flying south past the Dike on 8/25. A fly-by WILSON'S PHALAROPE was snagged from the South Cape May Meadows on the evening of 8/28, and at least 580 RED KNOTS were noted at Stone Harbor Point on 8/27. Farther afield, at least 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 2 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER have been noted at the Johnson Sod Farm (Cumberland Co.) during the past few days. A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was also noted at North Brigantine Natural Area on 8/28.
BLACK TERN numbers have dwindled somewhat in the past week, though up to two dozen can still be found most mornings in the mouth of Delaware Bay. WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS continued to be seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, while 25 BROWN PELICANS and a BLACK SCOTER were sighted from the Higbee Dike on 8/24.
Cape May Point's resident EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES continue to show regularly in the area of Yale, Whildin and Harvard Avenues.
The
Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of the New Jersey Audubon
Society's Cape May Bird Observatory and details sightings from Cape May,
Cumberland and Atlantic Counties. Updates are made weekly. Please
report sightings of rare or unusual birds to CMBO at 609-884-2736.
Sponsorship for this hotline comes from the support of CMBO members and
business members, and should you not be a member, we cordially invite
you to join. Individual membership is $39 per year; $49 for families.
You can call either center to become a member or visit. Become a member
in person and you'll receive a FREE gift (in addition to member
discounts in the stores).
Good Luck and Good Birding!