Keeping Snowies in our sights

It's been a very odd winter for weather so far, as we roller-coaster from almost balmy temperatures in the mid-fifties to the dark depths of the so-called 'polar vortex' that has periodically been calving pulses of Arctic weather in our direction. Despite this variation, one constant that continues in the birding news is the presence of Snowy Owls in large numbers in northern and eastern USA. A quick look at reports for January in eBird reveals that the vast majority of birds are focused in a curve along the southern side of the Great Lakes and along the St Lawrence corridor through Montreal and Quebec. A second band of birds shows up in the coastal plain from Maine to Virginia. Outliers still hang on in Newfoundland (though most seem to have moved on from there after the heady days of counts of over 300) while a record-breaking female has become the first ever to be recorded in Florida.

You can keep abreast of some of the exciting stories that are being generated by this phenomenon by checking the Project Snowstorm website at www.projectsnowstorm.org. For those readers living more or less locally to Cape May, you might like to check stories on birds that have been satellite tracked in our area - especially 'Assateague' who I mentioned in an earlier post, and now Philly, who seems set on returning to Philadelphia Airport, having been hauled 40 miles away for his own good!

Around Cape May, Snowy Owls have been a little less obvious of late and at least some of our birds seem to have moved on elsewhere. However, I was pleased to have an opportunity to enjoy one of two seen at Stone Harbor last weekend and, interestingly, to finally get some firsthand proof of what the birds have been eating. We discovered a bird in the seafront dunes and soon realized that it had prey. This was the first time I had seen a Snowy with a meal and close inspection of a few hastily-taken photos revealed that the bird was eating a Black Duck. Studying movements of satellite tracked Snowies on Project Snowstorm reveals that birds have been making regular sorties offshore during the night and it was suggested that such birds may well be hunting ducks that were sleeping on the coastal waters of the bay. The sight of a bird with a Black Duck at Stone Harbor clearly supports this idea.

Snowy Owls are pretty sizable birds but, like most owls, they consist mostly of a thick layer of feathers and these birds are surprisingly small and light when you get them in the hand. Though they are fierce hunters, it is clearly a very risky business for any owl to lift a bird as chunky as a duck clear of the water without putting itself at risk of drowning. These truly are amazing creatures.

Male Snowy Owl on the seafront near 117th Street in Stone Harbor - note the blackish blob by its feet... [photo by Mike Crewe]

Some heavy cropping in photoshop and zooming in on a distant flight shot reveals that this Snowy Owl has a Black Duck. Note the chocolate brown body feathers, orange feet and the pale underside to the wing, sticking out to the right. Notice that the wing base has already been stripped to the bone; this area of the prey item holds the flight muscles which offers the most food for the owl and is probably most often the part of the bird that is eaten first [photo by Mike Crewe].

Week in review: 4 – 10 January, 2014

CMBO is pleased to provide weekly summaries of the Cape's birding highlights. Coverage is limited to sightings in Cape May County. Readers should keep in mind that some reports may not be confirmed. Information and photos that may be of use for weekly summaries should be emailed to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com). 

Location Abbreviations: CMP (town of Cape May Point), Tuckahoe (Cape May Co. portion of Tuckahoe/MacNamara WMA). 

Weather: The week began with seasonably cool conditions on 4 Jan. A developing southerly flow allowed for high temperatures to rise into the mid 50s on 5 Jan. Temperatures remained in the 50s through the overnight of 5-6 Jan, accompanied by gusty S/SE winds. An arctic cold front, preceded by a quarter-inch of rain, passed through Cape May during the mid-morning 6 Jan. Its accompanying cold air reduced temperatures approximately 20 degrees by sunset. By sunrise on 7 Jan temps ranged from 5-10ºF, nearly breaking records at local weather stations. Bitter cold remained in place over the next two days, with temperatures finally rising above freezing again on 9 Jan. Temperatures moderated into the 40s by midday 10 Jan, on the leading edge of an approaching warm front that provided steady light rain through much of the day.

Birding Summary/Outlook: Observers submitted sightings of 167 species to eBird during the period 4-10 Jan. The highest diversity day occurred on 5 Jan, when 138 species were reported. Notable birds during the past week included Greater White-fronted Goose, Ross's Goose, Golden Eagle, Purple Gallinule, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Dovekie, White-winged Dove, Black-capped Chickadee, and Painted Bunting. Given the recent cold snap, observers should be on the lookout this upcoming week for species that might arrive from points north-- including Common Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, Rough-legged Hawk, white-winged gulls, American Tree Sparrow, and others.

WATERFOWL THROUGH RAPTORS 
It was another excellent week for waterfowl. Highlights included 5 Greater White-fronted Geese that continued at Lily Lake and the Beanery through at least 5 Jan (m. ob.).  A Ross's Goose was hiding in a flock of 2,500 Snow Geese at Reed's Beach 7 Jan (TR). Redheads were reported from Lily Lake (m. ob.)., Cox Hall Creek WMA (DF), and at 104th Street in Stone Harbor (JA). Nummy Island's two hen King Eiders also continued through 10 Jan (m. ob.). Common Mergansers appeared at a few locations after the arrival of arctic air 6-8 Jan. Also likely related to the cold snap, single Red-necked Grebes were noted at Nummy Island 8 Jan (DF) and at the Avalon Seawatch 10 Jan (TB). Two Tricolored Herons were seen in the Ocean Drive marshes between Cape May and Wildwood Crest 5 Jan (MW et al.). A Golden Eagle was again noted in the marshes east of Tuckahoe 9 Jan (VE, CM). A light-morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen from Reed's Beach 9 Jan (TR).


RAILS THROUGH TERNS
Clapper Rails are still holding strong in the bayshore marshes. An immature Purple Gallinule was discovered dead on Route 9 in Clermont 9 Jan (HT, fide MC). A Spotted Sandpiper continued at Townbank through at least 6 Jan, along Cox Hall Creek where it crosses Clubhouse Drive (m. ob.). A Long-billed Dowitcher was also noted at this location 5 Jan (JD, VR, m. ob.). Strong southerly winds during the overnight hours 5-6 Jan likely produced a small influx of alcids into Delaware Bay. A Dovekie and 26 Razorbills were tallied from Sunset Beach during the morning of 6 Jan (TR, m. ob.). An Iceland Gull flew past observers at Nummy Island 5 Jan (TM, KA). Forster's Terns were last noted 6 Jan (m. ob.), likely pushed out by the cold weather.

[Spotted Sandpiper at Townbank, 5 Jan. Photo by Tom Reed.]

DOVES THROUGH FLYCATCHERS
The White-winged Dove continued at CMP near 113 Harvard Avenue through at least 9 Jan (m. ob.). At least two Eurasian Collared-Doves also remain in the same area. Snowy Owl reports were reduced this week, but included at least one individual at Stone Harbor Point through 8 Jan (m. ob.). A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard at Reed's Beach 8 Jan (TR). It appears that both of the locally wintering hummingbirds didn't make it through the cold snap. The Rufous Hummingbird was last reported 6 Jan, while the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was last reported 4 Jan  (m. ob.). Multiple Merlins can be found most evenings in the area of the Magnesite Plant along Sunset Boulevard (m. ob.). The two Western Kingbirds at the Cresse Lane field/vineyard in Erma were last reported 4 Jan (AC).

[Rufous Hummingbird at CMP, 4 Jan. Photo by Michael O'Brien.]

SWALLOWS THROUGH FINCHES
A few Tree Swallows remained at Cape May Point until 5 Jan (m. ob.). Cape May County's fourth Black-capped Chickadee was discovered coming to a feeder at 102 Lincoln Avenue, CMP 5 Jan (MO'B, LZ, m. ob.). It continued at the same location through 10 Jan (m. ob.). A flock of 26 American Pipits flew over Reed's Beach 6 Jan (TR), and slightly higher numbers were noted throughout after the passage of the arctic front. CMP's Painted Bunting was last reported in the dunes at Whilldin Avenue 7 Jan (m. ob.). A strong total of 80 Eastern Meadowlarks was noted at Cresse Lane 6 Jan (MO'B), and a flock of 300 Boat-tailed Grackles took up residence in the Reed's Beach marshes the same day (TR).

[Black-capped Chickadee at CMP, 5 Jan. Photo by Michael O'Brien.]

Contributors:
Jesse Amesbury, Kate Atkins, Tom Baxter, Alan Crawford, Jim Dowdell, Vince Elia, Don Freiday, Tom Magarian, Christina Marks, Michael O'Brien, Tom Reed, Virginia Rettig, Hans Toft, Matt Webster, Louise Zemaitis. 

Purple Gallinule....

A very common game amongst the keener birders - OK, let's say the high-end competitive element (!) - is having a little competition, a guessing game as to what the next good bird will be that shows up in the area. Often this comes in the form of a good bird for the year, a completely new bird for the area or even, something that forthcoming weather conditions might bring. Under the latter heading, Tom Reed started a guessing game going with my wife and me in the run up to the severe winter conditions that hit us on January 7th. Tom set the bar high with a suggestion of Purple Gallinule.... Hmmmm, what was he talking about? Surely with an onslaught of sub-freezing temperatures coming, a snazzy bird from the near-tropics was not the way to go - I want for Thick-billed Murre and my wife went for Ivory Gull.

So, roll forward to January 9th and I am sitting in a meeting at our Center for Research and Education with the invasive plants group. Midway through the proceedings there is suddenly a face at the window - a man in camouflaged clothing is peering in the window at us! Luckily, some of the group instantly recognized him as Hans Toft, a local environmental educator; Hans had brought us a dead bird - yes, I work in the sort of job where people do that! Hans produced from his pocket what I thought was going to be a Clapper Rail; overall brownish, paler below, and with long, dangly legs and big feet. But then I saw the short beak... Hans knows his stuff, he knew what it was - and so did I as soon as I saw the wonderful aquamarine colors on the wings. It was a Purple Gallinule! Hmmm, that Tom Reed!!

The wanderings of certain species of rails and crakes is something of a mystery. This is a group of birds with relatively short, rounded wings, not designed for long distance flying. Most species have short, soft tail feathers which have little effect as directional rudders, while the long legs and cumbersome large feet must create a lot of drag in flight. In addition, most species live in dense stands of marginal aquatic vegetation and generally seem reluctant to leave it. And yet a number of species regularly turn up way outside of their normal breeding range. In the Old World, the sub-Saharan, African Striped Crake has been found in Europe and the Canary Islands, while in the New World, the Purple Gallinule has an established track record of seemingly heading north for no obvious reason that we can see - indeed, the species has even reached Europe in the past.

In this instance, Tom's look at past records in northern North America, coupled with the impending weather pattern looked good for Purple Gallinule to show up in Cape May. There are a number of previous records of this species for north-eastern North America in mid-winter so there is an established pattern of vagrancy at this time of year. Quite why individuals move north during a seemingly unsuitable time of year is still something of a mystery, but it may be more likely that they head north - perhaps up the Mississippi flyway - earlier, maybe in the fall, and remain undiscovered in well-vegetated wetlands somewhere around the great lakes area. Once there, a big drop in temperature would get them moving again and a severe westerly air flow like the one we just had would bring them across to the east coast.

Sadly for both us and the bird, it was picked up already dead, beside Route 9 in Clermont. Such birds that are brought to us in good condition are forwarded to the Acadamy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia where they may become part of the permanent collection of scientific study skins, or may be used for training new scientific staff.

Juvenile Purple Gallinule, picked up dead in Clermont, Cape May County on January 9th. Adults are outlandishly glossy purple with brilliant yellow legs and red and yellow bill but youngsters are more subtly colored [photo by Mike Crewe].

Close-up of the wing, showing the green and blue tones to the flight feathers [photo by Mike Crewe].

My little chickadee!

One of the hardest - perhaps the hardest - identification problems that east coast birders find themselves faced with from time to time is that of sorting out Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees. Here at Cape May, we can often afford to be a little glib by saying "That's a Carolina Chickadee, you don't get Black-caps here". Well all that is changing it seems; as recently as December 2010, Mike Fritz got kudos for the first fully accepted record of Black-capped Chickadee for Cape May County. This bird had been at Mike's back yard feeder in Seaville and had obligingly stayed for good photographs to be obtained. It also stayed long enough for a number of other birders to get to see the bird and stayed into early January 2011. Tom Reed found a Black-capped Chickadee at Palermo on March 4th 2011 which, being but a stone's throw from Seaville, may perhaps have been the Seaville bird, but it stands as the second county record.

For the rest of us, we had to wait until January 2014 and a fortunate turn of events. Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis were waiting for a plumber to show up to a leak on Lincoln Avenue at Cape May Point and decided to casually watch the birds visiting a neighboring feeder. Low and behold, one of the chickadees looked decidedly different and before you know it, Cape May's third Black-capped Chickadee is safely in the record books! Such chance encounters as this of course help us to realize that many unseen birds no doubt go unrecorded and the official record is merely a list of those birds that have been duly found, correctly identified and finally accepted by the relevant records committees.

So what chance is there for the rest of us in either finding and identifying the current Black-capped Chickadee at the point, or of finding one of our own? Well first off is location of course. The two eastern species of chickadee (Black-capped and Carolina) are classic 'replacement' species, ie one replaces the other as you head north/south or up/down the hill. Black-capped is the northern form, only occurring southward if you head up into the Appalachians. A quick look at the range maps in any North American field guide should help you to work out which species occurs where you live - or where you are visiting. Thankfully, the two species are pretty much sedentary and vagrants outside of the normal breeding range are uncommon; however, there is a catch (of course!). Where the two forms meet, there is a small overlap zone where you could find either species; if you live there, you will have to be really careful. To make matters even worse, the two species interbreed with each other along this overlap zone and there is now a substantial area within which confusing hybrids abound. This hybrid zone is being closely studied - mostly in north-eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey - and the zone appears to be moving very slowly northward, suggesting that Carolina Chickadees are pushing their range further north.

Putting the complexities of hybrids aside for a moment, it's time to consider the important identification points of the two species. The differences between the two are all rather subtle, but when you take all of the differences together, they add up to make two reasonably different species which can be identified fairly readily if you get a good view - or better still, good photos. Here's some photos of the Cape May Point bird to get you headed in the right direction.

Black-capped Chickadee at Cape May Point on January 5th 2014. The bird has been visiting a feeder in the front yard of 102 Lincoln Avenue, easily found by the blue-painted tree in the front yard. If you go looking for this bird, do remember that this is a residential area and behave appropriately [photo by Mike Crewe].

Photo composite of Black-capped (left) and Carolina (right) Chickadees, visiting the same feeder at Cape May Point. Seeing the two side by side like this should hopefully help you to pick out the key differences - a bit like those puzzles where you have two versions of a single picture, one slightly altered, and you have to spot the ten differences. In these unedited pictures, note that the Black-cap has a dark patch over the right leg, caused by a bunch of missing feathers [photos by Mike Crewe].

Here's the same photo composite as above, but edited. I have removed the dark patch on the flank of the Black-capped Chickadee to stop it hindering direct comparison with the Carolina Chickadee on the right. The text below works through the four useful identification pointers marked in the photo [photos by Mike Crewe].

1. Structurally, Black-capped looks subtly a little larger headed than Carolina and it is slightly larger overall (averages 5.25" long versus 4.75" for Carolina according to the Sibley Guide). You should view any possible rare bird for as long as possible, to assess differences in a variety of poses and under different lighting conditions as this will help to eliminate false effects that may be caused by shadow, strong light, or simply viewing two birds in very different postures. In ideal conditions, the white on the face of a Black-cap extends further back onto the side of the neck. In Carolina, this white area shades slightly to grayish behind the ear coverts, onto the side of the neck.

2. Perhaps the most obvious feature if seen well in a good side view is the color of the greater coverts. In Black-capped Chickadee, at least the inner four or five greater coverts are noticeably white and, together with the clean white edges to the secondaries form a bold splash of pale on the wing. Some caution is needed here as this feature is a little variable, depending on the time of year and the stage of molt, but generally it's a good identification feature. Notice on the Carolina Chickadee on the right that the white is limited to the secondary edges, while the greater coverts are similar in color to the rest of the wing and the back.

3. The white edges to the secondaries are more extensive and more obvious on Black-capped than on Carolina. Again, this can be variable according to the time of molt and should always be used in association with the color of the greater coverts (see 2 above).

4. Though subtle, Black-capped Chickadee is relatively longer tailed than Carolina. This can be a difficult feature to use if you only have the one species present but in direct comparison - as here - it is certainly noticeable. Studying your local chickadees a lot will get a 'feel' fixed in your head of what your local birds look like, so that if the other species should show up, you may instantly get a feeling of something a little odd about the bird.

Something I haven't mentioned is call and song. While there are a number of subtle differences in calls between the two species, and the songs are very different, these can be tricky to use because of the hybrid problem and because vocalizations are learned locally. Thus, it does happen that birds imitate each other and, while calls or song can help to back up an identification if plumage details are also recorded, they probably won't help too much with a bird that you hear but don't see too well.

So, are you feeling confident now? No, of course not, nor am I! There's always going to be 'the one that got away' the bird you didn't quite get a good enough look at and that, of course, is life. It will also be the case that a good photo or two will be the best way to convince the records committee that you have a rarity, no matter where you live. Identifying a stray chickadee with confidence is a process that requires careful observation and should never be rushed - but it is doable... So remember to keep the point-and-shoot or the cellphone handy each time you check the feeders!

Snowbirds!

What a difference a day makes - or two anyway! It seems barely five minutes ago that we were enjoying wonderful sunny skies and a great selection of rather exotic birds for the time of year. But that was January 1st and it was a very different Cape May that greeted the eyes of local birders this morning. Snow lay round about after an overnight front passed through and temperatures plummeted. Despite temperatures well below freezing (17F/-8C according to my car), most of us were out in the field first thing and experiencing some great birding. Here's a resume of Cape May today in pictures.

You know it's going to be a good day when....... you look out of the window and see a woodcock in the flowerbed! American Woodcock are most easily found when there is snow on the ground, as their wonderfully cryptic plumage is designed to hide them in the browns and goldens of fallen leaves [photo by Mike Crewe].

I must admit that when I set off for Cape May Point this morning, conditions didn't look all that inviting! Gray skies and drifting snow obscure Bayshore Road [photo by Mike Crewe].

Things were no better at Sunset Beach - indeed, Sunset Beach was actually nowhere to be seen as storm surges washed right across the sand to the edge of the parking lot. The concrete ship looks suspciously as though it has taken a big hit overnight too [photo by Mike Crewe].

Despite harsh conditions (here's a view of the stone jetty at Alexander Avenue), Mike Pasquarello, Sam Galick, Chris Marks and I dug in for a while and witnessed southbound movements of Long-tailed and Snow Geese out over the bay [photo by Mike Crewe].

Most obviously on the move today - Common Grackles. Scores of them were pouring out into the turbulent winds over Delaware Bay and many of them returned pretty quickly! [Photo by Mike Crewe]

Common Grackles were everywhere at Cape May Point today and ravenous flocks of them took charge of every backyard feeder they could find. But this gave an opportunity for closer scrutinty of what is a pretty snazzy bird at close quarters. Unlike our locally-breeding Common Grackles which are largely glossed bluish-purple, many of the birds around now have bronze-olive body feathers, indicating that they are from more northerly breeding populations [photo by Mike Crewe].

Braving the tough conditions, at least 32 Horned Larks were feeding on the Rea Farm fields at the intersection of Stevens Street and Bayshore Road. Small flocks of this species were coasting along the beaches at the point today too [photo by Mike Crewe].

Calm is restored! As the morning wore on, blue skies and bright sun brought more bearable weather, though temperatures remained well below freezing and is really wasn't easy staying out for too long without regular tea breaks. Cape May Point State Park looks very different in January to autumn views that most visitors are familiar with [photo by Mike Crewe].

A walk around the state park revealed a great many birds present, all intent on finding enough food to survive in the sudden, harsh conditions. Some must surely wish they had headed further south for the winter, such as this Orange-crowned Warbler which constantly flicked its way along the back edge of the Plover Ponds. A good camera lens can do wonders for your identification skills when it comes to distant birds! [Photo by Mike Crewe]

As if further proof were needed. Sadly, so much native habitat around Cape May has disappeared under a 'devil may care' attitude toward wildlife. Manicured lawns provide zero feeding opportunities for hungry birds at this time of year and Chipping Sparrows were flocking to feed on stands of seeding Virginia Beard-grass at the state park today. There's no need to turn the whole 'back forty' over to a disheveled appearance, but there's no harm in leaving a few uncut borders so that our native wildlife has a chance to make it through the winter [photo by Mike Crewe]. 

With improved weather, it was easier to get better views of American Woodcock that had been driven out of frozen woods to seek food on the unfrozen edges of roads. This bird was one of three seen along Sunset Boulevard today [photo by Mike Crewe].

Nature red in tooth and claw. Severe weather always highlights the 'eat or be eaten' world that birds must exist in. This Merlin had just caught a Fox Sparrow on Lighthouse Avenue, which certainly drew out divided loyalties in me... [photo by Mike Crewe]

Rounding the tour of the point off just after lunch, a quick check of Lake Lily revealed a flotilla of Bonaparte's Gulls roosting out on the water - a sure sign that things are rough offshore, as these birds rarely alight on the freshwater ponds around Cape May [photo by Mike Crewe].

The final highlight of the day - for me at least - was a party of five Greater White-fronted Geese on Lake Lily (I hear that others reported seven in total here today). This is a scarce bird in Cape May and a group of this size is certainly unusual. Normally, I would expect a group of five birds to be a family party, but it is hard to be sure of the age of geese at this time of year. Juvenile White-fronts have no white on the forehead, but this is progressively molted in from mid-winter onward. Looking closely at the birds, the individual on the right is rather different to the others, having less white on the forehead, but a brighter orange bill and signs of black barring on the belly [photo by Mike Crewe].

Temperatures look set to remain low for some time to come, but south-east winds tomorrow may make it worth checking for seabird movements, especially Razorbills and maybe Dovekies. If you aim to set out into the field tomorrow, be sure to check the weather forecast, stay warm and stay safe...

Week in review: 28 December, 2013 – 3 January, 2014

CMBO is pleased to provide weekly summaries of the Cape's birding highlights. Coverage is limited to sightings in Cape May County. Readers should keep in mind that some reports may not be confirmed. Information and photos that may be of use for weekly summaries should be emailed to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com). 

Location Abbreviations: CMP (town of Cape May Point), CMPSP (Cape May Pt. State Park), SCMM (South Cape May Meadows), Tuckahoe (Cape May Co. portion of Tuckahoe/MacNamara WMA). 


Weather: The week began with mild conditions. High temperatures 28 Dec reached 55ºF across the county, and this was followed by highs near 60ºF the following day. Sunday also featured an inch of rainfall and strong southerly winds ahead of clearing skies and a return to average temperatures 30 Dec-1 Jan. An onshore flow developed along with increasing clouds on 2 Jan, ahead of a winter storm that produced 6-10" of snow throughout the county during the overnight 2-3 Jan. The final day of the period featured temperatures that struggled to reach 20ºF, coupled with strong NW winds that made it feel like 0ºF.

WATERFOWL THROUGH RAPTORS 
Some 33 species of waterfowl were recorded during the past week. Seven Greater White-fronted Geese were located at Lily Lake, CMP 3 Jan (AL, JL, m. ob.). Four Tundra Swans were roosting on the ice at Tuckahoe, a traditional location, 1 Jan (TR). At least two Eurasian Wigeon continued at CMPSP/SCMM through 3 Jan (m. ob.). Lingering Blue-winged Teal were detected at CMPSP (m. ob.) and at the Champlain Drive pond (Villas) 2 Jan (SG).  As many as six Redheads were present on Lighthouse Pond, CMPSP in recent days (M'OB, m. ob.). Two hen King Eiders, present since 26 Nov, continued throughout the period at the Nummy Island free bridge (m. ob.). Two drake Harlequin Ducks were found at the mouth of Cold Spring Inlet 2 Jan (JA). A late Brown Pelican was photographed flying south past Two Mile Beach 2 Jan (SG). Reports of lingering herons have been scarce, though a single Tricolored Heron was glimpsed at 2nd Avenue, Sea Isle City 28 Dec (MW, DW). A stealthy Northern Goshawk was reported multiple times from CMPSP (m. ob.). A Rough-legged Hawk and a Golden Eagle were viewed from Tuckahoe 1 Jan (TR).


RAILS THROUGH TERNS
Both Clapper and Virginia Rails continued in fair numbers throughout proper habitat, though it will be interesting to see how the recent colder weather affects both species. At least 60 American Oysercatchers were wintering in Hereford Inlet as of 2 Jan (m. ob.). A trio of Semipalmated Plovers persisted at Stone Harbor Point 1 Jan (m. ob.), while a hardy Lesser Yellowlegs was noted at Jake's Landing 1 Jan (TR). Western Sandpipers have not been numerous this winter, but several were noted at Stone Harbor Point (m. ob.) and Reed's Beach (TR, JN) 1 Jan. Numerous American Woodcock were found in snow-free patches on Cape Island 3 Jan (m. ob.). A Parasitic Jaeger exited Delaware Bay during the morning of 30 Dec (M'OB, SG). Strong southerly winds may have been responsible for five Razorbills and one Dovekie seen from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry 29 Dec (M'OB); 20+ Razorbills were viewed from Two Mile Beach 2 Jan (SG, MP). Small numbers of Forster's Terns appeared along the lower Delaware Bay shoreline 29-30 Dec (m. ob.), and a few continued to be seen from Villas' Miami Ave. beach 2 Jan (m. ob.). 

DOVES THROUGH FLYCATCHERS
A White-winged Dove at 113 Harvard Ave, CMP continued throughout the week (m. ob.). Two Eurasian Collared-Doves also continued in CMP (m. ob.). A remarkable irruption of Snowy Owls continued to grab headlines throughout the week, with sightings at Strathmere, Stone Harbor Point, Two Mile Beach, Cape May Point, North Cape May, and Reed's Beach. Three Short-eared Owls were tallied at Jake's Landing 3 Jan (AL, JL). Many birders continued to enjoy the Rufous Hummingbird coming to a feeder at the corner of Coral & Cambridge Avenues in CMP, while a Ruby-throated Hummingbird survived at another feeder on Cape Island through at least 2 Jan (m. ob.). Two Western Kingbirds remained at the Cresse Lane field/vineyard in Erma through 3 Jan (m. ob.), while an Ash-throated Flycatcher was identified at CMPSP 31 Dec and seen again 1 Jan (m. ob.). Lingering Eastern Phoebes continued to take up residence at Cresse Lane and CMPSP (m. ob.).


VIREOS THROUGH FINCHES 
Always a good find in winter, a Blue-headed Vireo was discovered at CMPSP 1 Jan (SW). Snow Buntings continued to be found at CMPSP, Two Mile Beach, and Stone Harbor Point (m. ob.). At least three Orange-crowned Warblers could be found at CMPSP through 3 Jan (m. ob.), and a Nashville Warbler remained at CMPSP through 1 Jan (TR). Two 'Western' Palm Warblers were a bit unusual at Jake's Landing 1 Jan (TR). American Tree Sparrow is a scarce species on Cape Island, so sightings at CMPSP on 1 Jan (SG) and 3 Jan (m. ob.). were notable. A Nelson's Sparrow was noted during high tide at Jake's Landing 1 Jan (TR). West Cape May's Blue Grosbeak made it through at least 1 Jan (TM, KA). A Painted Bunting was an outstanding find in the dunes near Whilden Ave, CMP 1 Jan (SB, BB). It was found again at the same location 3 Jan (CV). 

Contributors:
Jesse Amesbury, Kate Atkins, Bob Brown, Stephanie Brown, Mike Crewe, Sam Galick, Will Kerling, Alex Lamoreaux, Josh Lefever, Tom Magarian,  Josh Nemeth, Michael O'Brien, Mike Pasquarello, Tom Reed, Christopher Vogel, Debbi Webster, Matt Webster, Sam Wilson. 

The best of starts to the New Year

CMBO's annual New Year's day in the field event could not have gone better yesterday. The day was chilly but easily bearable as cloudless skies accompanied our group pretty much all day, right through to a magnificent sunset over Stone Harbor Point. We started at a comfortable 10AM, allowing the early birders time to do their own thing first thing if they wished - you know how some people simply can't resist being up at first light - while others could ease themselves into the New Year after some heavy celebrating the night before.

Cape May Point State Park always serves as a good starting venue for this event and Bunker Pond provided a few ducks and other waterfowl to get us going. Raptors were up early too and Bald Eagle and Red-shouldered Hawk were both early additions to the day's list. Indeed, I think we managed to notch up no less than four Red-shouldered Hawks before the first Red-tailed Hawk made it onto our list. Having broken ourselves in early with a nice run of the regular stuff, we quite quickly found ourselves plunging headlong into one good bird after another - almost without time to catch our breath. An American Tree Sparrow beside Bunker Pond is certainly a common bird in northern North America, but remains a much desired species for the regulars of Cape May. While only the back two or three members of our party managed to see this bird, it looked like being 'bird of the day' for some, or at least it did for not much more than 20 minutes! That's because the message got through to us that a Painted Bunting had just been found  - and it was almost within sight of us! We quickly changed direction, headed for Harvard Avenue and, before long, our entire group was enjoying an emerald green beauty as it fed acrobatically on grass seeds. Now the quick fire birding began, for we only needed to cross the road to add White-winged Dove to our list, then headed just a couple of blocks to enjoy the Rufous Hummingbird that has taken up residence at Bill and Edie Schul's feeder. Birding really shouldn't be this easy! By way of a busy party of Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finches, Cedar Waxwings and a Red-breasted Nuthatch, we headed back to the state park via Lighthouse Pond and quickly added Eurasian Wigeon and Redhead to our lists.

During the short days of winter, the afternoons always seem to just disappear while you are not looking; after a lunch break, we met back up at Two Mile Beach and braced ourselves for the chilly seafront. The walk was well worth the effort and a magnificent male Snowy Owl was our main prize. Hmmm, Painted Bunting, Snowy Owl, White-winged Dove  - look at the distribution maps and see if you can work out where in the world that could happen!! The beach also gave us a nice run of seaducks, loons and shorebirds, before we headed a little further north to take in Greater and Lesser Scaups, Horned Grebe and courting Buffleheads at Sunset Lake. It's not too far from Sunset Lake to Nummy's Island - though a little convoluted by road - and before long we were back into the thick of good birds yet again. This time our highlights included the two female King Eiders that have been hanging out at the free bridge as well as a good gathering of American Oystercatchers and a perched Northern Harrier. Still a little daylight left and one last chance for the keenest members of the group to round the day off with a couple of Semipalmated Plovers and, finally, close encounters with a busy party of Snow Buntings as the sun set gloriously behind us.

What an amazing start to the year we had and what a great way for Cape May to show - yet again - why it draws birdwatchers from near and far. I hope you all had as great a New Year as we had, where ever you are and whatever you were doing. Here at CMBO we stride forward into a new year, and we hope that our program of events offers something of interest to you. Check out our event calendar, pick a weekend and come and share some great times in the field with us....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

This American Tree Sparrow may not have hung around too long on the day, but it was certainly a nice addition to some people's lists as it fed with Field Sparrows beside Bunker Pond. Interestingly another was reported from Sea Isle City later the same day [photo by Mike Crewe].

As with the tree sparrow above, Redhead is a species that is common further north but remains a good bird to see in Cape May. Recently up to six Redheads have been reported from Lighthouse Pond at the state park, including this smart group of fine males (wtih an American Wigeon) that we saw on New Year's Day [photo by Mike Crewe].

This stunning Painted Bunting was found by Stephanie Brown in the dunes at the south end of Whilldin Avenue at Cape May Point as she tried to find a better spot to view the White-winged Dove from - some people get all the luck! [Photo by Mike Crewe]

 

Can you pick yourself out in the crowd? The Painted Bunting drew quite a crowd yesterday and, though its presence in our area now appears to have been short-lived, it showed really well to all those present on the day - and the White-winged Dove was in the pines to the left! [Photo by Mike Crewe]

Rufous Hummingbird at Cape May Point yesterday - the forecast looks decidedly bad for this bird over the next few days as a winter storm menaces its way through our area. Expect a lull in birding for a couple of days, then we'll head out to see what's happening out there... [photo by Mike Crewe]

And so the day draws to an end. A little seawatching then Snow Buntings at Stone Harbor rounded off a great day in the field. Check out our Field Trips page for a list of species enjoyed by the group [photo by Mike Crewe].