Thursday, May 31, 2018

BUTTERFLIES & DRAGONFLIES - THE JEWELS OF SUMMER


Summer is here - and so are the butterflies and dragonflies! Join Brian Johnson on these Special Field Trips and spend a morning exploring some lesser-known habitats of southern New Jersey in search of these beautiful residents (meets at the Center for Research and Education in Goshen). We'll concentrate on the variety and many colors of butterflies, with some flashy dragonflies and damselflies thrown in for good measure - enjoying and learning about the Jewels of Summer. Preregistration required. $15 members, $20 nonmembers.

Tuesdays - July 10, August 14
9:00 AM - 12 PM

Register now at CMBO Programs


Question Mark - © Mike Crewe

Scarlet Bluet - © Brian Johnson

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Help us Help Shorebirds and Rescue Horseshoe Crabs - ReTURN the Favor

Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds need your help!!! New Jersey Audubon is once again taking part in the ReTURN the Favor partnership to rescue overturned and obstructed Horseshoe Crabs along the Delaware Bay, and in doing so, help the migrating shorebirds that rely on the crab eggs to successfully reach their breeding destinations in the Arctic. The beaches along the bayshore are critically important in the continuation of this natural phenomenon and ensuring that Horseshoe Crabs continue in adequate numbers. To that end, CMBO is coordinating the efforts for two beaches - Cook's and Highs. We will have two public walks that you can take part in:

Saturday, June 9 - 9:00-11:00 AM
Thursday, June 14 - 1:00-3:00 PM

These walks will meet at CMBO's Center for Research and Education on RT. 47 (mile marker 15.8) in Goshen. The two-hour program includes a brief training talk, travel to one of the two nearby beaches, and the rescue walk. No preregistration required - come prepared in comfortable clothes for wet, cool, or hot weather, footwear you don't mind getting wet, water to re-hydrate, and sun and bug protection.

In addition to these public walks, we encourage you to register to go out on your own to rescue Horseshoe Crabs on these beaches. After a short training session and receiving the proper permit, you can sign up to cover these beaches and save even more Horseshoe Crabs!!!!!! Please contact Program Director Brett Ewald at brett.ewald@njaudubon.org to take part!!

See returnthefavornj.org for more information about ReTURN the Favor and other public walk dates.

Hope you'll join us!!!!



Wednesday, May 23, 2018

World Series of Birding - CMBO Century Run 2018 Team Report

By Todd Klein


The World Series of Birding is an annual competition and fund-raiser for nature and environmental organizations in which teams try to see or hear as many bird species as possible inside a 24 hour period (midnight to midnight) and inside the state of New Jersey. It’s held on a Saturday in the first half of May, the 12th this year. It was begun in 1984 by Pete Dunne and others, and the first year there were thirteen teams. This year there were 73 teams and hundreds of participants. Since its inception, the event has raised more than ten million dollars for the organizations involved. Our team, the Cape May Bird Observatory Century Run began in 1987. My first year was 1988, and though I’ve missed a few years, I’ve participated about 25 times. The event is a mixture of exciting (when you find good things), frustrating (when you don’t), a cool nature adventure, an exhausting experience, and usually lots of fun. Every year a core group of fans, friends and supporters help me contribute to the cause of the Cape May Bird Observatory’s mission of conservation, education and preservation, and I’m glad they were there for me again this year.

Early start at the Meadows  © Todd Klein
Our 2018 team had 24 participants, including the team leader Brett Ewald, team planners and birding experts Roger and Kathy Horn, photographer and binocular specialist Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik, and team planner Patti Domm. Many participants on this team return year after year. The top Level 1 teams are usually much smaller, 3 or 4 people, and some cover the entire state of New Jersey, or, like us, one particular county or area There are also Senior and Youth team categories as well as Carbon Footprint teams who travel only on foot or by bike, all competing for awards as well as raising money. Our Level 2 team does not compete for awards, but we do raise lots of money for important conservation work by New Jersey Audubon (over $7,000 this year), and we have a great time doing it. We birded from about 4:45 AM to about 9 PM this year, not as long a day as the 24-hour teams, but quite long enough! And our day tends to be more relaxed than the level-one teams. We keep up a steady pace, but also take the time to get good looks at some of the best and most interesting birds. That’s our team bus, above, at our starting point at the Cape May Meadows parking lot. As thunder and lightning flashed and rumbled in the distance, we got our first few species by call here before heading to our first stop, the Cape May Airport. There we added two more difficult species by call, Horned Lark and Chuck-Will’s-Widow as a light shower began.

As dawn broke, and the shower passed, we were at our next stop, a walk at Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area that added more good birds like Green Heron, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Waterthrush and Northern Flicker. While we were there, a fire siren went off in the neighborhood, and this prompted a local Barred Owl to start calling! Apparently this often happens, though I’d never experienced it, and adding Barred Owl to our species list was a treat. Owls rarely call during the day, and we often don’t get any for our list. We left this birding spot at 7 AM with 57 species.


Seawatching at Norbury's Landing  ©Todd Klein
Our next stop was Norbury’s Landing on the Delaware Bayshore a little north of Cox Hall Creek. Here we added gulls and shorebirds like Ruddy Turnstone and Red Knot to our list, as well as a difficult-to-find Bonaparte’s Gull, and two Bald Eagles, We finished here around 7:45 AM with 77 species on our list. The weather was gradually clearing.


Another Delaware Bayshore stop further north at Reed’s Beach added species like Snowy Egret and Least Tern, but the best bird of the stop was a Glaucous Gull found by Clay Taylor using his scope. This nearly all-white gull is rare here, and is not on the official checklist, so it was a write-in! Those are always a thrill to add to our list.



Around 9 AM we stopped at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research and Education (CRE for short) to use the bathrooms, and pick up a few more species like Orchard Oriole and the often elusive Cedar Waxwing. We also added Ruby-throated Hummingbird, coming to the feeders there.

Jake's Landing  © Todd Klein


Our next stop was Jake’s Landing, which overlooks wide expanses of wetlands draining into Delaware Bay. It was a full sun morning now, and remained so for much of the day with light winds and increasing temperatures into the upper 70s by mid-afternoon. In all, a very pleasant birding day.


Willet  © Roger Horn
Here we added species like Willet (above), Clapper Rail, Marsh Wren and Seaside Sparrow.

Belleplain State Forest  © Todd Klein
By about 10 AM we were in Belleplain State Forest, the area not far from where I live that I’d been scouting for the past 10 days. We began on Narrows Road, but not much was calling there, so moved on to the bridge on Sunset Road, above.

Worm-eating Warbler  © Roger Horn
Here we added key breeding bird species like Acadian Flycatcher, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Wood Thrush, and warblers: Hooded, Worm-eating (above), Yellow-throated and Prothonotary. By 10:10 we’d reached our nominal Century Run goal of 100 species about an hour earlier than usual! This was cause for celebration, but we all knew that after the first 100, it gets much harder. In other parts of Belleplain we added Eastern Phoebe, White-breasted Nuthatch, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Bluebird and more. We found most of the birds that breed here except for Summer Tanager, which I’d had several of the day before, but none turned up for us. That tends to happen every year with a few species. One final stop in Woodbine, near Belleplain, added Eastern Meadowlark, then we headed south toward Cape May Point again around 12:15 PM with 115 species.


Tree Swallow  © Roger Horn
We arrived at the Cape May Point State Park around 12:45 for our lunch break, which we took at one of the picnic pavilions overlooking Lighthouse Pond. There team leader Brett found a Broad-winged Hawk circling overhead with some vultures. After eating, we went up to the dune to view the ocean where it meets Delaware Bay. Here a difficult-to-find Parasitic Jaeger was added to our list, as well as a few more species.


Bob's Woods  © Todd Klein
Our next stop was a nearby place I’d never visited at the northwest corner of the Cape May Point State Park. Called Bob’s Woods, the State Park granted special access to this normally off-limits area - a patch of woods that was full of birds, including about a dozen warbler species. It reminded me very much of how birding used to be decades ago at Higbee Beach a few miles north, but seldom is there today. We added many migrating warblers to our list that we’ve often missed in recent years, including Black-throated Green, Magnolia, Blackburnian and Blackpoll, but the star attraction here was a Swainson’s Warbler that had been calling regularly for the past two weeks. This is a species that’s usually found further south, but one has been showing up here every year or two for a while now. They are secretive and very hard to see, but fortunately have a distinctive call, which allowed us to count it. To me, the call sounds like “Come on and get your PIZZA HERE!” (Okay, I like pizza.) I first learned it in South Carolina, and have heard one calling in the Cape May area before, but not for many years. This was another write-in bird, two in one year! Pretty cool.


About 3 PM we did some birding outside the Northwood Center of the Cape May Bird Observatory in Cape May Point. I’ve volunteered here for many years. We added a hard-to-find Black-billed Cuckoo. We were running a bit behind schedule, so we soon moved on.


TNC's South Cape May Meadows  © Todd Klein
Probably our longest walk of the day was on the loop trail at the Cape May Meadows from 3:15 to 4 PM. This had been one of our best spots last year, but was not as productive this year. We did add Gadwall and a few other species. A Mississippi Kite had been reported just north of us, but we didn’t see it. It was time to drive north again, where a stop at Shell Bay Landing just off the Garden State Parkway, added Whimbrel to our list. Next was Nummy Island where we found Tricolored Heron, Black-bellied Plover and Common Loon. I was pretty tired at this point and neglecting to take group photos, sorry. We left the Meadows with 133 species, just two short of our estimated goal of 135, and four short of last year’s total of 137. We had high hopes of more, but they were getting ever harder to find.


At Stone Harbor Point we found one of the few remaining Piping Plovers in our area. This species is endangered in New Jersey mainly because it nests on beaches where people also like to be.


Purple Sandpipers  © Roger Horn
Another bird we added here was Purple Sandpiper, which has usually migrated north by now. We left this area around 6 PM with a great total of 143 species!


Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  © Todd Klein
We found one more in Avalon, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, seen here in a photo I took last year, possibly the same bird. This is a species that is rare and hard to see unless you know their daytime roosting spots, which we do.


We then stopped at the Wetlands Institute on Stone Harbor Boulevard where we had great looks at many of the shorebirds we’d struggled to see earlier in the day, as well as a family of young foxes playing nearby, but unfortunately did not find anything new for our list. Weather predictions were coming in of a massive line of thunderstorms approaching from the west, and there was a tornado warning. We headed back toward Belleplain State Forest after a stop at Wawa for snacks and bathrooms, and by the time we got there it was fully dark, and the western sky was full of thunder and lightning. We made two attempts to hear Whip-poor-will, a night-calling bird common there that’s often the last one we add to our list, but they were silent this time, perhaps as spooked by the weather as we were. We decided to call it a day and headed back to Cape May Point. On the way, as rain showers began, Roger Horn submitted our official list of 144 species online, as is now the method, seven more than last year!. By the time we got back to our cars, the storm was upon us, with torrential rain, lightning and thunder. Just getting the 20 feet from the bus to my car got me pretty wet.


I had planned to go to the Finish Line at the Grand Hotel, where there would be food and good company, and where we’d see other teams coming in as well, but by the time I drove over there, the rain was, if anything, coming down even harder, and there was nowhere near the hotel to park, so I decided to just head home instead. Even with having to drive much slower than usual, I arrived home earlier than I often do at about 10:15 PM.

Thanks again to all my pledgers and supporters for helping me raise funds for nature, and to the team’s excellent leaders and great participants. It was a fine group to be part of, everyone was friendly, polite and helpful, and we had a blast.


I’ll probably be doing and reporting on this again next year! Thanks for reading.

Captain's Note - Thanks to Todd for taking the time to write this summary of a wonderful day, the team members that make it happen, Clay Taylor and Swarovski Optik for gear, equipment and camaraderie, and all the support, both financial and logistical, that make this such a great event for Conservation!


Friday, May 11, 2018

APPALACHIAN BIRDING BY EAR with Michael Lanzone - May 25 & 26


With its many forested ridges, hemlock glens, marshes, streams, bogs and grasslands, one of the premier places to hear a diversity of bird songs in a concentrated area is the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania. With over 25 species of breeding warblers, you will not want to miss this special, out-of-the-area trip! (meets in Shippensburg, PA). We will plan to begin early for dawn chorus, have lunch in the field, and end by late afternoon each day. This workshop is entirely in the field and, yes, we will also get crushing looks birds like Canada, Cerulean, Blackburnian, Hooded, Chestnut-sided, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and MANY more, over 100 other species to be heard or seen. Some of the areas have so many warblers singing and visible you will think you’re at a fallout during migration, but all breeding plumaged birds! We will work on improving your birding by ear skills and also have plenty of time to get great looks and do some photography for those interested. Join Michael Lanzone, CEO of Cellular Tracking Technologies, on this incredible Cape May School of Birding Workshop!!! 

Register now at: Cape May School of Birding


Thursday, May 10, 2018

SHOREBIRDS ON THE BAY - MAY 14 & 23

It's the time of year when the fascinating Horseshoe Crabs arrive on the beaches of Delaware Bay to lay their eggs - a much needed feast for migrating shorebirds, some of which are traveling thousands of miles to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. This special phenomenon is one you won't want to miss, as Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Willets, Laughing Gulls and more create a constantly moving mass of color and sound - truly a memorable birding experience!!! We'll visit a couple protected beaches to make the most of our viewing time.

These two Special Field Trips are timed to capture this event, so sign up for one or both at: CMBO Programs.

Monday, May 14 - 1:00-4:30 PM
Wednesday, May 23 - 1:00-4:30 PM
$15 members, $20 nonmembers


Saturday, May 5, 2018

May Means Migration!!!

The warmer temps and southerly breezes have been blowing birds to Cape May - warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, bunting, sparrows, hawks, kites, shorebirds, herons, egrets, ibis, and more! This coming week presents an amazing opportunity to enjoy this spectacle, and learn from the best.

There are only a couple more days to sign up for the Warblers By Sight & Sound workshop, led by Scott Whittle - an immersion into this wonderfully diverse and colorful group of birds: May 14 & 15.

Or take it all in with Pete Dunne on the Shorebirds and Southern Breeders workshop and experience what Cape May County has to offer - from New Jersey Audubon's Birding Ambassador: May 16 & 17.

You can find more details and register at Cape May School of Birding - professionally led workshops in the Birding Capital of North America!

Join us for an amazing birding experience!







Thursday, May 3, 2018

WARBLERS, WARBLERS, WARBLERS

WARBLERS BY SIGHT AND SOUND with Scott Whittle
Monday & Tuesday, May 14 - 15.

Few families of birds are so colorful, vocal and animate as the North American warblers and no spring is complete without a trip seeking warbler waves. Here’s your trip, timed to catch the peak of the wave of northern species like Blackburnian, Blackpoll and Canada, while also engaging southern breeders like Hooded, Yellow-throated and Prothonotary. This workshop aims to help you pick up on both audio and visual clues to be able to quickly and accurately locate these springtime gems. Join Scott Whittle, co-author of The Warbler Guide, Warbler Guide App, and the new BirdGenie song identification app, on this fantastic Cape May School of Birding workshop. $150 members, $200 nonmembers. 

Reserve your spot now!!! - Cape May School of Birding



Wednesday, May 2, 2018

CAUGHT IN MONHEGAN'S TRAP

There are just a couple spaces remaining on the NJA Eco-Travel tour to the birding hotspot of Monhegan Island, Maine - September 14-19, 2018.

Get ready to leave the noise and bustle of everyday life behind as we venture to this picturesque and serene island off the coast of Maine! Its remote location 12 miles offshore and diverse habitats help to make Monhegan one of the top migrant “traps” on the East Coast. Our time will be filled observing some of the incredible array of birds that reside on or visit this island, such as flycatchers, thrushes, vireos, warblers (over 20 species possible), sparrows, finches, and blackbirds.

We will scan the ocean waves for waterfowl, alcids, shearwaters, jaegers, and other seabirds, while raptors pass by in their search for prey on the island. The list of possibilities reads like a checklist, and we’ll search for species such as Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Manx Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Black-legged Kittiwake, Parasitic Jaeger, Red-necked Phalarope, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Philadelphia Vireo, Connecticut Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Clay-colored Sparrow, and many more!! Regularly sighted vagrants include Western Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Dickcissel, Lark Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeak, and more. Monhegan has also hosted a stunning list of rarities, topped by the likes of Magnificent Frigatebird, Bridled Tern, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say’s Phoebe, White-winged Dove, Northern Wheatear, Lazuli Bunting, and Lark Bunting!

We will be leaving our vehicles on the mainland and soaking it all in while covering some of the many trails on this small and peaceful island (only 1.7 miles long and .5 miles wide), which includes a fresh water ice pond, nine acre meadow, and the tallest cliffs on the eastern seaboard (180’). Wonderful birding, breathtaking scenery, and an enchanting atmosphere – Monhegan has it all!

Reserve your space now or get more details at: NJA Eco-Travel

You can also contact the tour leader directly, Brett Ewald - CMBO's Program Director, at brett.ewald@njaudubon.org

Hope you'll join us for a memorable trip!


Seawatching at Whitehead
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black Guillemot
Merlin
Northern Gannet
View from the Lighthouse

Monarch

Harbor at Sunset


Tuesday, May 1, 2018

BIRDING BY EAR: CALLS & SONGS OF EASTERN BIRDS with Michael O'Brien

Everyone’s dreamed of learning bird songs, and everyone can. Even experienced birders spend time each spring “getting their ear in,” re-learning the songs they already know. Jump-start your audio-recall by learning how to listen critically, group and categorize song types, and (as your song and call repertoire grow) gain confidence and skill. Many of southern New Jersey’s breeding birds are back and singing heartily, while migrants will be joining the chorus, too. Join Michael O'Brien on this exciting Cape May School of Birding Workshop and make the most of appreciating the beauty of bird song!

Monday - Tuesday, May 7 & 8
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$150 members, $200 nonmembers

Reserve your spot now at: Cape May School of Birding