Migration Warming Up; News From The State Park

As evidenced by the last few reports, fall migration is definitely starting to gear up in Cape May. Shorebirds such as yellowlegs, dowitchers and Willets are all on the move right now, and more will join the party in the days ahead. In the past week we've also seen the vanguard movement of several early season passerines, notably Bobolink and Yellow Warbler. Stay tuned for news of the next arriving migrants in Cape May.

Karl Lukens has the following to say about this morning's stroll through Cape May Pt. State Park:

"CMBO Walk at Cape May Point State Park. Again we found the usual suspects, i.e., mostly breeding birds with a few migrants. Numerous good looks at Orchard Orioles, 3 adult males and 3 females. An Orchard Oriole nest was found back near Al's Pond."

- Karl, (Steve, Patty, Carrie, Tom)

Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/15/09
Notes: CMBO Trip-K,SW,PR,CB,T,+8.Clr,70,SE5.
Number of species: 48 (species of interest and recent migrants/arrivals boldfaced)

Canada Goose 20
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 20
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Egret 3
Glossy Ibis 6
Turkey Vulture 3
Osprey 3
Piping Plover 1
Killdeer 9
American Oystercatcher 2
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Laughing Gull 75
Herring Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Least Tern 25
Forster's Tern 3
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 1
Eastern Kingbird 4
White-eyed Vireo 1 heard
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 1
Fish Crow 1
Purple Martin 75
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Bank Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 5
House Wren 1
American Robin 12
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 3
Common Yellowthroat 6
Northern Cardinal 6
Indigo Bunting 2 heard
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Common Grackle 15
Brown-headed Cowbird 20
Orchard Oriole 6 3 adult male, 3 female
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 10

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Where the Herons Are, plus Whimbrel and Clapper Rails

[The relatively unassuming Cowpens Island in Great Egg Harbor Bay is home to a substantial heron rookery. Click for a larger image. Photo by Don Freiday.]

If you're going to get stuck in the mud while boating the back bays at low tide, I heartily recommend Rainbow Channel, in the Great Egg Harbor Bay near Ocean City.

The mud-sticking business certainly wasn't planned, and we'll avoid it on future CMBO boat trips out of Somers Point, but what a heron and egret show we had!

Since the disappearance of the old heron rookery at the Stone Harbor Bird Sancutary, almost entirely abandoned in the early 1990's, finding a place to see significant numbers of the scarcer herons has been problematic and depends largely on using a boat or kayak. In Great Egg Harbor Bay there are multiple heronrys, the largest being on Cowpens Island. We were stuck with good views of that rookery, as well as another on "Bird" island - unnamed on the charts - and a night-heron rookery near the causeway into Ocean City. Using clickers and notebooks, we came up with nice numbers of both night-herons, including an honest 40 Yellow-crowneds, plus Tri-colored Herons, Little Blue Herons, both white herons, and Glossy Ibis (see the list below for the counts).

Whimbrel passed overhead, including a group of about 8 with some dowitchers mixed in, and Clapper Rails put on quite a show foraging on the edges of the marsh. As dusk came, the night-herons became very active and visible - I can't recall ever seeing a Yellow-crowned Night-heron run, but one foraging near the boat did just that, scurrying from one deliberate posing spot to another as it hunted crabs.

Location: Great Egg Harbor Bay & Inlet
Observation date: 7/14/09
Notes: CMBO boat trip out of Somers Point, spent nearly entire time in one location, in Rainbow Channel south of Rte. 52 Bridge, with good views of Bird & Cowpens Islands and the Night-heron Rookery along 52.
Number of species: 35

Canada Goose 20
Mallard 10
Double-crested Cormorant 15 many apparent adults
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 93 actual count clicked by k rossner
Snowy Egret 109 actual count clicked by k rossner
Little Blue Heron 19 actual count
Tricolored Heron 20 actual count
Black-crowned Night-Heron 63 actual count clicked by dpf
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 40 actual count clicked by dpf
Glossy Ibis 400 could have been more. many apparent juvs roosting in treetops on cowpens island
Osprey 5
Red-tailed Hawk 1 adult, seen in same location as 2 weeks ago in night-heron rookery along Route 52 bridge
Peregrine Falcon 1
Clapper Rail 3
American Oystercatcher 15
Willet 5
Whimbrel 10
Short-billed Dowitcher 15
Laughing Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Common Tern 35
Forster's Tern 5
Black Skimmer 15
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 5
Fish Crow 100
Purple Martin 40
Barn Swallow 20
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 25
Seaside Sparrow 5
Red-winged Blackbird 10
Boat-tailed Grackle 10

A Few More Early Migrants

While doing some yard work this morning in Reed's Beach, a single Bobolink called as it flew over, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was buzzing around in a Spanish Red Oak. Gnatcatchers don't breed in the immediate vicinity (our property is essentially surrounded by salt marsh), so this bird was either an early migrant, or a wanderer. Numbers of swallows here have increased noticeably over the past three days.

3 Solitary Sandpipers, a "Western" Willet, a Black-bellied Plover and a Semipalmated Plover were in the Meadows this evening, along with 3 Yellow Warblers that dropped in behind the dunes around 7pm.

3 Spotted Sandpipers were drying off after a thunderstorm at the end of the Reed's Beach jetty at dusk.

Heart of Summer, Signs of Fall: Fledged Wood Thrushes, Baby Killdeer, Least Bitterns, Migrant Shorebirds. . .

[Killdeer family along east path at the meadows. Photo by Karl Lukens, click to enlarge.]

At our MAPS Station in Bear Swamp, Cumberland County yesterday we encountered the first HY (Hatch Year) birds of the banding season, in the form of two fully feathered juvenile Wood Thrushes. The Kentucky Warbler has finally stopped singing, but not the Whip-poor-wills, Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, and especially not the Red-eyed Vireos - do they ever stop? The flocked-up Common Grackles passing through Bear Swamp jive well with a decrease in grackles south of the Cape May Canal. It felt like summer yesterday, with hot and heavy air.

On the other hand, a drizzle of shorebirds brightened the meadows/a.k.a. Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge this morning, including small numbers of both yellowlegs, dowitchers, Black-bellied Plover and Willet. Bank Swallows were there, another migrant. And Bobolinks, including a few that dropped into the meadows. One male Bobolink showed heavy wing molt. Two Least Bitterns showed themselves, one near the tower, the other at the east side of the east pool.

What the Black-billed Cuckoo at the south end of the west path is doing is unclear - it flies back and forth, but I haven't heard anyone report it carrying anything (like nesting material, food for young, or fecal sacs.)

A very unhappy looking male Black Scoter stood on the beach off the meadows and had his picture taken by tourists at point-blank range. A few juvenile Piping Plovers were present, a happy sign considering apparently all the Piping Plover chicks on the state park end of the beach were killed, mainly by Fish Crows. Hardly any terns were about, and no seabirds, and yet we nearly reached 70 species on the morning. The full list is below.

Location: South Cape May Meadows
Observation date: 7/13/09
Notes: CMBO Monday walk.
Number of species: 68

Canada Goose 200 Actual count
Mute Swan 31 Clicked by C Bell
Wood Duck 1
Gadwall 5
American Black Duck 1
Mallard 135 clicked by DPF
Black Scoter 1 molting, perhaps sick male on beach
Double-crested Cormorant 3 flyovers just before walk headed NE
Least Bittern 2 one in center pool near tower (flew), one in east pool, east side, both in flight
Great Blue Heron 5 At least one HY with a few downy plumes on the head
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 2
Green Heron 5
Black-crowned Night-Heron 4
Glossy Ibis 72 clicked by C Slugg
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Osprey 10
Black-bellied Plover 3 All with plain bellies
Piping Plover 8 Some HY
Killdeer 10
American Oystercatcher 8
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Willet 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Short-billed Dowitcher 5
Laughing Gull 75
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 40
Great Black-backed Gull 40
Least Tern 50
Common Tern 25
Forster's Tern 5 Where were they?
Black Skimmer 1
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 40
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 35
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
White-eyed Vireo 2
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 15
Purple Martin 8
Tree Swallow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Bank Swallow 3
Barn Swallow 30
Carolina Chickadee 1
Tufted Titmouse 1
House Wren 1
Marsh Wren 2
American Robin 10
Gray Catbird 1
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 15
Yellow Warbler 5
Common Yellowthroat 5
Song Sparrow 3 2 in dune thicket giving flight notes, one song elsewhere
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 4
Bobolink 15 noticed 1 male heavy wing molt
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 19 clicked by J Crawford, Many apparently already flocked up and moved off island
Brown-headed Cowbird 10
American Goldfinch 10
House Sparrow 25

Cory's Shearwater In "The Rips" This Evening

Bob Fogg reports that a Cory's Shearwater is currently (5:50pm) feeding close to shore at Cape May Point, viewed from the dune crossover at the intersection of Cape and Lincoln Avenues.

Reports South of the Canal, and Southbound Shorebirds along the Bay

[This Black-billed Cuckoo cooperated at the Cape May Meadows Friday night. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

A "V" of 8 Willets flew down the bayshore this morning, with a smaller bird in their midst: a Short-billed Dowitcher, my first soutbound dow of fall. A Sanderling in faded breeding plumage on the beach at Norbury's Landing was another returning bird. Much talk has been made about troubling breeding conditions in the Arctic, in the form of late-lingering snow and cold. Southbound migration of shorebirds should be watched with care: is it early (breeders giving up)? Is it late (breeders hanging in up north and perhaps nesting successfully after all)? Are there juveniles (in most species generally not expected until August), indicating some successful nesting?

Karl Lukens sent two reports of good birdng south of the canal. From Friday night:

" CMBO Evening Walk at the TNC "Meadows." Great evening of birding. Besides the usual suspects we observed a Black Swan (an escapee no doubt), 2 Wood Ducks, 2 Least Bitterns, Piping Plover fledglings, an Oystercatcher chick, shore bird migrants such as Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Lesser Yellowlegs, numerous Black Skimmers, and a very cooperative Black-billed Cuckoo.- Karl, Chuck, Mary Jane, Kathy, Roger, Warren, Carrie."

And from Saturday morning:

"CMBO Walk at Cape May Point State Park. Good day for Orchard Orioles viewing and hearing and we also located a nest thanks to Vince Elia. Other highlights were Brown Pelican, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Oystercatcher and chick, 6 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and a Bank Swallow. Finished up with 2 juvenile Forster's Terns begging for food at Bunker Pond. -Karl, Chuck, Warren, Kathy, Roger"


[Black Swans are somewhat frequent escapes from captivity. This one was at the Meadows on Friday. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

Bird Walk For All People

Dave Lord reports the following from yesterday's introductory program at the State Park:

"The 'Bird Walk for All People' enjoyed a very pleasant breeze and slightly overcast skies as the wonders of Cape May birding were experienced for the first time by many. The highlight was a male American Kestrel sitting on one of the snow fences by the last plover pond behind the dunes.. Other highlights included an immature Great Blue Heron, several Indigo Buntings, and male and female Orchard Orioles."

- Dave Lord, (Chuck Slugg, Karl Lukens, Tom Parsons, Patty Rourke)


Location: Cape May Point SP
Observation date: 7/9/09
Number of species: 50

Canada Goose 12
Mute Swan 18
Mallard 19
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 8
Glossy Ibis 12
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 11
Osprey 6
American Kestrel 1
Piping Plover 8
Killdeer 4
American Oystercatcher 4
Laughing Gull 117
Herring Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 7
Least Tern 75
Common Tern 45
Forster's Tern 65
Black Skimmer 4
Rock Pigeon 16
Mourning Dove 12
Chimney Swift 12
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 7
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 3
Fish Crow 9
Purple Martin 145
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 31
Carolina Chickadee 5
Carolina Wren 6
American Robin 7
Gray Catbird 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 4
Yellow Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 5
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 5
Indigo Bunting 3
Red-winged Blackbird 75
Common Grackle 18
Brown-headed Cowbird 12
Orchard Oriole 2
American Goldfinch 20
House Sparrow 16