Thursday, September 13, 2012

Cape May Birding Hotline -- September 13th, 2012

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, September 13, 2012. Included this week are sightings of WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD, WHIMBREL, MARBLED GODWIT, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, LEAST TERN, GULL-BILLED TERN, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, KENTUCKY WARBLER, LARK SPARROW, DICKCISSEL, and PURPLE FINCH.

Bird of the week honors go to the MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD that was discovered atop a channel marker in Jarvis Sound on 9/7. The bird lingered for most of the morning before vanishing. Recent sightings aboard "The Osprey" from the back bays of Cape May include WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, MARBLED GODWIT and multiple WHIMBREL

An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen at Cox Hall Creek (Villas) WMA on 9/9. 

Lingering GULL-BILLED TERN and LEAST TERN were seen at Cape May Point State Park this week. A LARK SPARROW briefly visited the park on 9/7. A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER flew past the Cape May Hawk Watch on 9/12, and 2 DICKCISSELS flew past on 9/13.

3 MOURNING WARBLERS were seen in the fields at Higbee Beach WMA on 9/9. At least one CONNECTICUT WARBLER could be found in the 3rd field at Higbee throughout the week, and the species was also tallied from the Higbee Dike on 9/7 and 9/13. A KENTUCKY WARBLER was at the Dike on 9/10, and PURPLE FINCHES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES continued to be noted there this week.

Cape May Point's resident EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES continue to show regularly in the area of Lincoln, 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!