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 Friday, August 3, 2012. Included this week are sightings of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, BRANT, SURF
SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, BROWN PELICAN, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWIT,
RED KNOT, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, ROYAL TERN, SANDWICH TERN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, SEDGE WREN and LARK SPARROW.
The Brigantine Unit of Forsythe NWR remained hot this week, with 1 or 2
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS continuing through 8/3. Good spots to look
for the ducks are from the "dogleg" along the north dike, and in the
eastern portion of the Southwest Pool. An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
appeared on 7/27, and continued through 8/3. It has been spending most
of its time in the Northwest Pool. Other miscellaneous reports from
"Brig" this week included WILSON'S PHALAROPE (Northwest & Southwest Pools), SEDGE WREN (at beginning of wildlife drive near first "blue goose" sign), and LARK SPARROW (near Leeds Eco-Trail).
Recent highlights from Stone Harbor Point include 2 unseasonal BRANT on 7/31 plus solid numbers and diversity of shorebirds during high tide, with 551 RED KNOTS and a MARBLED GODWIT on 8/3. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was here on 7/29. Three SANDWICH TERNS were present on Champagne Island during a survey on 7/27, along with 114 ROYAL TERNS and 3 BROWN PELICANS.
A fly-by HUDSONIAN GODWIT was seen over Taylor Sound on 7/28, and a MARBLED GODWIT was seen over Cape May Point State Park on 8/1.
5 BLACK SCOTERS were seen from Higbee Beach on the evening of 7/31, and a SURF SCOTER continued at Stone Harbor Point through at least 7/27.
Cape May Point's resident EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES continue to show regularly, with most reports continuing to come from 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!
