Though our count locations for Cape May SpringWatch vary a little according to weather conditions, we usually try to be somewhere with a good panoramic view. Recently, the fish really seemed to be running in the bay and the hotspot for fishing was right in front of us. Bottlenose Dolphins and plenty of Red-throated Loons were gathered and, at one point, six Ospreys were queueing up to dive for breakfast. This bird came out with a nice Striped Bass, but soon looked as though it might be in trouble....
One of our local, bullyboy Bald Eagles came steaming in to relieve the Osprey of its meal - but the Opsrey got a reprieve when the eagle pulled up and dropped down onto the beach. When I went to investigate, I found that the Baldie had decided to scavenge a dead skate from the tideline.
Having had a good meal, the Bald Eagle came scampering right past us - why was it in such a hurry? Well...
...it was being chased by the one bird that always seems to be in a bad mood - the local Merlin! [Photos by Mike Crewe]
Fog and early morning means very poor light and consequently very poor photographic conditions. Still, I couldn't resist getting at least some record shots of something you don't see all that often around Cape May - a Horned Grebe in breeding plumage! Of six birds that flew past on the SpringWatch count last Saturday morning, three of them were in breeding plumage. This bird was feeding actively off Cape May Point on Sunday morning and shows how the black and white of winter is replaced by rich chestnut with golden head plumes [photo by Mike Crewe].
Who's looking at who? This evening saw a new addition for my Northwood Center list as a glance out of the window revealed this scruffy individual looking back at me...
At least four Wild Turkeys have been reported intermittently from the streets and backyards of Cape May Point over the past three or four weeks and one of them decided to stop by the Northwood Center feeders for a quick snack. Remember, a turkey is not just for Christmas.... [photos by Mike Crewe]