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 9, 2012. Included this week are sightings of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK, BLACK SCOTER, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, BROWN PELICAN, PIPING PLOVER, MARBLED GODWIT, RED KNOT, WESTERN SANDPIPER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, GULL-BILLED TERN, BLACK TERN, SANDWICH TERN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, AMERICAN REDSTART, and YELLOW WARBLER.
The Brigantine Unit of Forsythe NWR continued to host the best birding opportunities this week, with highlights consisting of BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK and AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, both of which continued through at least 8/7. Other sightings from "Brig" this week included WILSON'S PHALAROPE and decent numbers of LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. The nearby North Brigantine Natural Area was home to a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, 24 PIPING PLOVERS, 493 RED KNOTS, 90 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and 22 BROWN PELICANS on 8/9.
Cape May Point State Park's Bunker Pond continued to hold good numbers of terns and shorebirds this week, including a juvenile GULL-BILLED TERN, a BLACK TERN, and STILT and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. A MARBLED GODWIT was on Bunker Pond during the morning of 8/8. At least 2 SANDWICH TERNS were seen sporadically on the State Park beach this week.
The season's first noticeable songbird flight occurred on 8/7, consisting primarily of YELLOW WARBLERS and AMERICAN REDSTARTS. A WORM-EATING WARBLER was seen at Higbee Beach WMA, and both waterthrush species were seen from Reed's Beach.
As many as 7 BLACK SCOTERS continued to occupy the bay waters adjacent to Higbee Beach WMA this week, and a report of a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER came in from Cape May Harbor on 8/8.
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.
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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!