REALLY COLD!!!

OK, I feel like I've been made to eat my words, since suggesting a list of places to go birding in the cold is surely not the best idea when it's this cold! This morning my trusty farmer's thermometer told me that it was a startling 6F outside. Really? Just how cold is that? Well for those of you using new money, that's -14C - it never got that cold anywhere I ever lived before! And according to the weather websites, the wind chill factor was making it feel like -9F (-23C). OK, I know folks in Canada and Alaska would be just about thinking of putting a jacket on in that temperature but it's all relative and Cape May is not that used to temperatures like this.

So my adjusted advice to you - give the great outdoors a miss for now, catch up on your field notes, update your life list, surf the web for some great summer holiday ideas (dare I mention the choice of NJA Eco-tours here?!) or just dream of great days in the field to come. Above all though, don't forget the little guys outside. If you regularly feed your yard birds, now is not a good time to forget about them, so be sure to keep a supply of food going out there. Just as importantly, remember that there will be no natural water for birds to drink while this cold spell lasts, so if you can supply some water, even just for short spells, it can be a life saver. If I am at Northwood and can do it, I'll pour a fresh kettle full of warm water into a bird bath several times a day to keep the birds going. Remember not to use hot water though!

Of course, if it's not so cold where you are, you are probably wondering what all the fuss about!

The Northwood Center is closed on Wednesdays during the winter, but we shall be open all other days, weather permitting. If you make it down to the point, do come in and see us, tell us what you've seen, find out what's about - or come and treat yourself to something in the store. Now, about that new scope I've been promising myself...

Cold, cold, cold - and more to come...

It's been pretty chilly here lately and the forecast is promising more to come but, so long as the roads remain clear, there's no reason not to be out birding. Just remember to keep wrapped up in a lot of layers and always know just how many minutes away the next supply of hot tea or coffee is (maybe we should mark that on our bird maps!!).

So what to do, where to go when the weather is like this. Well, winter is mostly about raptors and ducks, two groups of birds that spend the colder months in good numbers with us here at Cape May. As we head toward February, seaducks are really starting to get into their courtship behavior now, so the inlets between the barrier islands are great places to spend some time. Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks are really getting into full swing now and the latter should be magnificent around the time of our Longtails in Love program, which we always set around the nearest weekend to Valentine's Day (see, we're all heart!). Many species of ducks pair up during the winter and, because of this, the drakes look at their best at this time of year. For me, two of the very best sounds of the entire year are the caterwauling of male Long-tailed Ducks and the long, drawn out and slightly forlorn whistles of Black Scoter, noises that really make a winter's day on the coast.

As long as the local lakes stay ice free, ducks that favor freshwater areas can be fun to watch in winter too. Many of these ducks are also in their very best finery now and there will be much whistling as well as pushing and shoving among the American Wigeon hordes. If you are watching groups of ducks at this time of year, look for the different feeding strategies that they employ. Diving ducks such as Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads dive below the surface to bring up weed to eat, while habitual 'thieves' such as American Wigeon and Gadwall will steal morsels away from the diving ducks once they bring food to the surface. In contrast, Northern Shovelers perform an amazing ballet as pairs, or sometimes small groups, circle around each other, each bird filtering through the food-rich water that is kicked up by the feet of the other bird.

So now you are out of the house, wrapped up warm and you've had a great time watching ducks. As the sun sinks lower in the sky, it's time to head to the backbay saltmarshes, for it is now that wintering raptors will be starting to gather before going to roost. Many species of raptor have the habit of roosting communally; this may partly be because good, safe roost sites are at a premium and it may partly be because there is safety in numbers. If you are birding the Cape May area, use our online bird map to identify locations around the saltmarsh where there are good watchpoints - or head for similar places closer to home if you are not in our area. Be there an hour before the posted sunset time and just scan carefully and see what happens. Sometimes it can be quiet, but other times, the birds will amaze you. This past weekend saw the first count of our annual wintering raptor survey and early results suggest that it is a good year locally for Northern Harriers, and the best year for some time for Short-eared Owls. On Sunday evening, one of my sweeps of the backbay marshes produced 15 Northern Harriers, five Bald Eagles and three Short-eared Owls all in flight, with two Red-tailed Hawks perched neraby too. All of this is an encouraging sign since so many raptors suggests a healthy environment rich in prey and perhaps indicates that small mammal populations have recovered well after the crash in their numbers caused by Hurricane Sandy.

Seaducks are gathering around the inlets now and there's much activity as courting comes into full swing [photo by Mike Crewe].

Shining like dayglow beacons, the orange snout of a male Black Scoter can't be missed and makes this a really eye-catching duck - despite the very plain plumage [photo by Mike Crewe].

In contrast to Black Scoter, sadly I have to say that White-winged Scoter comes across to me as the most tedious duck in the world - and that's from someone who likes ducks! If you can get one to fly in and land next to you though, you do at least get to see that nice white wing patch! Note that White-winged Scoter has the white at the back of the wing, not as a bar in the middle of the wing like many other ducks [photo by Mike Crewe].

Though Redhead is a common wintering species in North America, it is regular but scarce in Cape May, with a sighting of three together being noteworthy. This year, however, we have been graced with a nice gathering of these smart birds and the picture shows part of a flock of 18 (12 males) on the main lake at Cox Hall Creek WMA in Villas. Note the female American Wigeon, bottom right, pinching weed from the male Redhead! [Photo by Mike Crewe] 

Of course, if you are out and about in the area this winter, you have the added bonus of the chance of a Snowy Owl when you least expect it. It seems that the Snowy invasion has settled down a little now and those with wanderlust have moved on, while those that are left are settling into regular routines and maintaining winter feeding territories. Some of these birds are resorting to roof sitting - the bird above has become a regular in the streets at the south end of Stone Harbor for some weeks now, while a rather elusive bird pops up periodically around the streets of Cape May City. Next time you see one of those plastic owls atop a building on the barrier islands - give it a second look.....

.....because it might be looking back at you!! Do please remember to give these birds a bit of space though. A quick photo taken from your car, and the bird still sat there after you drive away is a good sign. We're still getting all too many reports of birds on the beaches being pushed from pillar to post. Just remember, you might be the 20th person that has enjoyed that bird today. At least in the picture here, you can see that this guy has had a good meal lately! [Photo by Mike Crewe]

The very best way to round off a day in the field in winter - the pastel pink and purple shades of a watery winter sunset, set off by the sinister silhouettes of a pair of Great Horned Owls. Don't forget that the Cumberland Eagle Festival comes around again on February 8th and we shall be out there lining up the birds in the scopes for you - and traditionally, we often finish with Great Horned Owls at Turkey Point... [photo by Mike Crewe]

Week in review: 11 – 17 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 Point State Park).

Weather: The week began with strong southerly winds that resulted in very mild and foggy conditions (60ºF on 11 Jan). These conditions were quickly ushered away by a cold front that produced sunny skies and a brisk westerly breeze 12 Jan. Winds shifted to the south again 13 Jan with continued sunny skies, though overcast conditions eventually took over by early morning 14 Jan. A light onshore flow developed by 15 Jan, coupled with very foggy conditions that continued for the better part of 24 hours. Another weak frontal passage resulted in light NW winds during 16 Jan, with stubborn overcast hanging on for most of the day. Southerly winds closed out the period, as temperatures reached nearly 50ºF on 17 Jan with ample sunshine.

Birding Summary/Outlook: Observers submitted sightings of 157 species to eBird during the period 11-17 Jan. The highest diversity day occurred on 15 Jan, when 127 species were reported. Notable birds during the past week included Greater White-fronted Goose, King Eider, Northern Goshawk, Yellow Rail, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-headed Gull, White-winged Dove, Snowy Owl, Black-capped Chickadee, and Painted Bunting. Long-term forecasts suggest that another episode of very cold weather will arrive next week. Observers should again be on the lookout for species that might arrive from points north-- including Common Merganser and other generally scarce waterfowl, Red-necked Grebe, Rough-legged Hawk, white-winged gulls, American Tree Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, and others.

WATERFOWL THROUGH RAPTORS 
A Greater White-fronted Goose was discovered in the Beanery fields along Bayshore Road 11 Jan, and was seen again 17 Jan (TB, VE, m. ob.). At least one drake Eurasian Wigeon continued at CMPSP through 17 Jan (MG, m. ob.), and a drake Blue-winged Teal also continued there through 17 Jan (KL, m. ob.). A nice tally of 16 Redheads was obtained at Cox Hall Creek WMA 12 Jan (KH, RH et al.), and 17 were reported there 14 Jan (WC). Nummy Island's two hen King Eiders continued through 17 Jan (m. ob.), almost always under or very near the bridge into Stone Harbor. Single Common Mergansers were noted at High's Beach 13 Jan (WK) and at Champlain Drive, Villas 14 Jan (WC). A stealthy immature Northern Goshawk made another appearance at CMPSP 17 Jan (MP). 

[Greater White-fronted Goose at the Beanery, 11 Jan. Photo by Michael O'Brien.]

 
RAILS THROUGH TERNS
A Yellow Rail was a wonderful find in the marsh along Bay Avenue near Corson's Inlet State Park 17 Jan (MW et al.). Four Semipalmated Plovers were roosting atop Avalon's 8th Street jetty 14-15 Jan (MP). A Long-billed Dowitcher continued along Cox Hall Creek where it meets Clubhouse Drive in Townbank, with sightings through 15 Jan (JD, m. ob.). A Razorbill was seen on Delaware Bay during a ferry crossing 11 Jan (CH, TR). Another Razorbill flew north past Sunset Beach 12 Jan (CH). An adult Black-headed Gull was seen on the flats near Miami Avenue, Villas 13 Jan and continued through 17 Jan (CV, m. ob.). This is potentially the same individual seen in this area during mid-Nov. A small flock of Forster's Terns persisted along the lower Delaware Bayshore, most often seen in the area of Miami Avenue and Norbury's Landing (m. ob.). 

DOVES THROUGH FLYCATCHERS
A White-winged Dove continued at CMP near 113 Harvard Avenue through 17 Jan (m. ob.). Two long-staying Eurasian Collared-Doves also remained in the same area (m. ob.). Stone Harbor Point continued to host one or two Snowy Owls, with the latest report 17 Jan (m. ob.). Snowy Owls were also noted at the north end of Ocean City 14 Jan (NL) and at 2nd Avenue, Cape May 16 Jan (m. ob.). A Barn Owl made its presence known over Reed's Beach 14 Jan (TR). Short-eared Owls have become a regular sight at Jake's Landing during recent evenings, with a maximum of 4 on 15 Jan (MO'B). Another Short-eared Owl was seen at the Magnesite Plant 12 Jan (MP). Single American Kestrels were noted along Route 47 in Goshen 17 Jan (TR), Route 9 in Ocean View 17 Jan (MW et al.), North Wildwood Boulevard 16 Jan (TR), and Stevens Street/Bayshore Road in West Cape May on several dates (m. ob.). As many as 8 Merlins continued to be found most evenings in the area of the Magnesite Plant along Sunset Boulevard (m. ob.). Eastern Phoebes survived at Cresse Lane, Erma through 12 Jan (WC, CB), High's Beach through 15 Jan (WK), and CMPSP through 17 Jan (MP).

[Snowy Owl at Cape May, 16 Jan. Photo by Michael O'Brien.] 

[Short-eared Owl at the Magnesite Plant, 12 Jan. Photo by Mike Pasquarello.]

SWALLOWS THROUGH BUNTINGS
Tree Swallow was last reported at West Cape May 12 Jan (MO'B et al.). Cape May County's fourth Black-capped Chickadee continued to visit a feeder at 102 Lincoln Avenue, CMP through 17 Jan (m. ob.). Approximately 50 Snow Buntings continued to take up residence at Stone Harbor Point all week (m. ob.). At least one Orange-crowned Warbler lingered at CMPSP through 17 Jan (m. ob.), while two Palm Warblers continued at the end of Jake's Landing Road through 17 Jan (m. ob.). An American Tree Sparrow was seen along Bunker Pond at CMPSP 15 and 17 Jan (MP et al.). Another Tree Sparrow was photographed at Del Haven 17 Jan (HT).  A Vesper Sparrow was a nice surprise at CMPSP 13 Jan (KL).  CMP's Painted Bunting was last reported in the dunes at Coral Avenue 15 Jan (m. ob.).

Contributors: 
Tom Baxter, Claudia Burns, Warren Cairo, Jim Dowdell, Vince Elia, Mark Garland, Chris Hajduk, Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Will Kerling, Nancy Larrabee, Karl Lukens, Christina Marks, Michael O'Brien, Mike Pasquarello, Tom Reed, Harvey Tomlinson, Christopher Vogel, Matt Webster. 

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!