The Color Purple

One of South Jersey's biggest birding spectacles is about to take place right before your very eyes! If you didn't know, Purple Martins build up in large numbers on the Maurice River in Cumberland County and numbers should be peaking around now, with over 50,000 birds expected to be gathering there prior to their long flight to South America. But there's no need to miss out on all the action as there is a great range of events taking place this very weekend that center around this magnificent spectacle. You can visit one of the viewing platforms and learn from local experts about the birds; you can take a kayak trip onto the river to get a different perspective, or you can really enjoy yourself with a boat trip aboard the "Bodacious" for a real party atmosphere.

For full details, click here, or visit the Mauricetown or Citizens United websites. Our very own Pete Dunne will be on the viewing platform to answer all your Purple Martin questions!

Stacked up and ready to go - Purple Martins are waiting to meet you in huge numbers this coming weekend [photo by Mike Crewe].

Recent Sightings

Bunker Pond continues to attract a great range of birds at the moment, with Marbled Godwit and 15 Stilt Sandpipers there this morning. The juvenile Gull-billed Tern is still present and food-begging from Common Terns - and they are feeding it! This morning we also saw it successfully trawl a couple of water beetles out of the pond.

Marbled Godwit at Bunker Pond this morning.

This juvenile Gull-billed Tern continues to put on a good show at Bunker Pond right now [photo by Karl Lukens].

This molting adult Black Tern is one of two that could be seen around Cape May Point this past weekend [photo by Karl Lukens].

These two rather scruffy immature Brown Pelicans could be seen patrolling Cape May waters last weekend [photo by Sam Galick].

Sandwich Terns are always much sought after at Cape May. The adult (with head turned away) and juvenile seen here hung around for a couple of days over the weekend [photo by Sam Galick].