CMBO is
pleased to provide weekly summaries of the Cape's birding highlights. Coverage
is limited to bird sightings in Cape May County. Readers should keep in mind
that some reports may not be confirmed. The vast majority of information
utilized in these reports comes from eBird data and "Keekeekerr" text
alerts. Observers are also encouraged to
send reports and photos to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com).
Location
Abbreviations/Explanations: CMP (town of Cape May Point); CMPSP (Cape May Pt. State Park);
Cold Spring Inlet (entrance to Cape May Harbor, accessed from Two Mile Beach); SHPt
(Stone Harbor Point); WMA (Wildlife Management Area); Two Mile Beach
(beachfront at south end of Wildwood Crest).
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WATERFOWL
THROUGH HERONS
Cold weather continued to adversely
affect freshwater duck numbers, with significant ice cover remaining on most
fresh and brackish water. An unbanded, female Ruddy Shelduck that appeared at
Erma 15 Jan (SWh) continued to be seen in the area, with the most recent report from the pond at Champlain Drive, Villas 23 Jan
(m. ob.). Though most North American records presumably refer to individuals
that have escaped from captivity, it is worth fully documenting the species’
occurrences here, as it is also a candidate for natural vagrancy. A trio of Cackling
Geese was reported on the pond at Champlain Drive, Villas 20 Jan (KH). Exciting
first-of-2015 reports included a female King Eider at Avalon’s 8th
Street jetty 19 Jan (CS, PS) and a duo of female Harlequin Ducks at Cold Spring
Inlet the same day (TR). The Harlequins remained through at least 22 Jan (m. ob.).
Other notable ducks included a drake Eurasian Wigeon at CMPSP 20–23 Jan (m.
ob.), a drake Canvasback at Reed’s Beach 22 Jan (KH), 6 Common Eiders at Avalon
19 Jan (JN, DW), and several reports of the locally uncommon Common Merganser
(m. ob.). A significant total for the southern half of the peninsula, 60 Wild
Turkeys were counted in a Green Creek field 21 Jan (SG, SWi). American Bittern sightings spanned the length of the county. Singles were detected at Tuckahoe WMA 17 Jan (BR), CMPSP 21 Jan (VE), and
Sunset Lake, Wildwood Crest 21 Jan (SG). A hardy Tricolored Heron continued to hang around the
marshes along Ocean Drive--between Cape May and Wildwood Crest--through 23 Jan
(m. ob.).
 |
| [Female King Eider near Avalon's 8th Street jetty, 19 Jan. Photo by Pat & Clay Sutton.] |
RAPTORS
THROUGH TERN
A/the wandering Osprey appeared again at
Two Mile Beach and Cape May Harbor 23 Jan (m. ob.). There were apparently no
reports of Rough-legged Hawk during the past week. Shorebird news was headlined by a Marbled Godwit at Hereford Inlet 17 Jan (JA). No reports of
that bird since, though 56 American Oystercatchers remained at the same site 21
Jan (SG, SWi). A sizable wintering flock of Red Knots remained in the Wildwoods
through the period, with a recent max of 82 at Two Mile Beach 19 Jan (TR). Alcids
again featured prominently. Single Dovekies were observed from Two Mile Beach 19
Jan (TR) and 23 Jan (KH). Large alcids were also evident from Two Mile Beach 19
Jan, and included 28 Razorbills plus 31 alcids too distant to identify to
species (TR). Black-headed Gull appeared again in recent days, with 1-2 adults
present at Sunset Beach 21–23 Jan (m. ob.). Forster’s Terns remained through
the cold weather, highlighted by a total of 18 at Two Mile Beach 20 Jan (MP).
[Snowy Owl at SHPt, 22 Jan. Photo by Dustin Welch.]
COLLARED-DOVE THROUGH REDPOLL
A long-staying Eurasian Collared-Dove
was most recently encountered at CMP 19 Jan (SG, EH). A Snowy Owl was discovered
at SHPt 22 Jan (m. ob.), and the same or another was seen flying in from the
ocean at North Wildwood 23 Jan (MK). At least 3 Short-eared Owls once again entertained
observers at Jake’s Landing throughout the period. A pair was again seen from
Nummy Island 17 Jan (MP), and another was at Pond Creek Marsh, just north of Sunset Beach, 19 Jan (TB, TG). Notable
given the cold weather, 3 Eastern Phoebes persisted on private property at West
Cape May 22 Jan (MP). Remarkable were the 50+ Tree Swallows that survived at
Cape Island through at least 21 Jan (m. ob.). Additional noteworthy lingerers
included Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow-breasted Chat at CMPSP 17 Jan (m.
ob.). A snow-covered SHPt hosted a noteworthy count of 53 ‘Ipswich’
Savannah Sparrows 22 Jan (TR), along with Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows (MP).
Another Nelson’s Sparrow was photographed along the Delaware Bay at Pierce’s
Point 21 Jan (SG, SWi). A substantial influx of Common Redpolls arrived during recent days-- particularly 18–23 Jan. Largest totals included 25+
at CMP 18 Jan (m. ob.), 13 at CMPSP 20 Jan (m. ob.), and 11 at SHPt 21 Jan
(TR). Almost all reports have come from the immediate coast.
 |
| [ABOVE: Map of Common Redpoll reports in Cape May County, NJ during January 2014 (no reports). BELOW: Map of Common Redpoll reports in Cape May, NJ during January 2015. Images provided by eBird (www.ebird.org) and created 23 January 2015.] |
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Contributors:
Jesse
Amesbury (JA), Tom Baxter (TB), Warren Cairo, Vince Elia (VE), Sam Galick (SG),
Tom Gleason (TG), Emily Heiser (EH), Kathy Horn (KH), Mike Kilpatrick (MK), Josh
Nemeth (JN), Mike Pasquarello (MP), Tom Reed (TR), Bill Roache (BR), Clay
Sutton (CS), Pat Sutton (PS), Dustin Welch (DW), Scott Whittle (SWh), Sam
Wilson (SWi).
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References:
eBird. 2012. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and
abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: 23
January 2015).
Fogg, B. 2013. Keekeekerr: Recent Text Alerts. Available: http://keekeekerr.com/textalerts/keekeekerr. (Accessed: 23 January
2015).
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