warblers and terns continue...

Warblers and terns continued to provide good birding at Cape May today. Mourning Warblers continue to excel themselves, with one of two reported from Higbee Beach this morning breaking into song! Blue-winged and Canada Warblers also put on a show again at Higbee Beach and an Alder Flycatcher was at the Northwood Center.

Michael O'Brien added Sandwich Tern to his yard list as two flew over, heading for the point and were later relocated on the beach near the lighthouse. Black Terns continue to be very much in evidence this year with up to 11 reported from Sunset Beach and three at Bunker Pond. The South Cape May Beach continues to hold Lesser Black-backed Gulls and, if you are in the vicinity of the Cape May Canal, keep an eye out for young Bald Eagles which are showing up there fairly regularly now.

The Beanery is still hosting both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, several Blue Grosbeaks, Wood Ducks and a scattering of warblers.

Don't rely on yellow legs if you are looking for Lesser Black-backed Gulls! Sub-adult birds such as this one are more readily told by the dark gray upperparts. Notice the difference here between the newly molted, innermost primaries with their bold white tips, and the brownish black, old outer primaries with no white [photo by Karl Lukens].

Looks like our local Bald Eagles have at least one youngster again this year. Though they nest less than a mile from my house, I haven't seen any youngsters at home yet so I am not sure just how many are around, but Bob Lubberman took this picture along the Cape May canal recently.