Higbee Berry Eaters

The Higbee Beach walk this morning was good, much better than expected given the northeast winds, largely thanks to the big hackberry tree in the woods at the junction of the second and third field, and some nearby sassafras, which right now are easy to spot because of the blue-black berries on the end of red stems. Birds were pouring in and out of these trees for about a half hour around 8:00 a.m., including orioles, a Scarlet Tanager, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, gnatcatchers, redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, and Great-crested Flycatchers. We also had a Chestnut-sided in the second field. I hear the dike added Magnolia and Blackpoll, and that Vince Elia had a Cerulean in the woods near the parking lot yesterday.

Hawk flight results and notable sitings from the platform are now up on View from the Field, thanks to Doug Gochfeld, swing counter, as are continued reports from Morning Flight.

The full list from Higbee is below.

Location: Higbee Beach
Observation date: 9/4/09
Notes: CMBO Friday walk. Many birds feeding on Sassafras and Hackberry berries between second and third field.
Number of species: 45

Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Egret 1
Osprey 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Killdeer 1
Laughing Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 1
Mourning Dove 1
Chimney Swift 5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 50
White-eyed Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 2
American Crow 5
Fish Crow 5
Purple Martin 3
Barn Swallow 15
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 5
Carolina Wren 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8
Veery 1
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 5
European Starling 2
Northern Parula 3
Yellow Warbler 1
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-and-white Warbler 6
American Redstart 15
Northern Waterthrush 4
Common Yellowthroat 3
Scarlet Tanager 1
Field Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 3
Bobolink 15
Common Grackle 2
Baltimore Oriole 10
American Goldfinch 5

Sound of Fall: Bobolnk

[This week has featured frequent cascades of Bobolink notes overhead, in daylight and darkness. Michael O'Brien photographed this group - note the long, pointed wings. Bobolinks winter in South America east of the Andes, as far south as northern Argentina.Click to enlarge.]

A Little Morning Flight, a Few Hawks

This morning's Morning Flight at Higbee was nice but light - from the platform Jessica Donohue and I enjoyed plenty of Northern Waterthrushes (just look under the dredge spoil pipe next to the dike), redstarts, and a few each of Northern Parula, Black-and-white, and Yellow Warblers. Other species included Pine, Prairie, Blackburnian Warblers, plus one each of Peregrine and Bald Eagle. And Caspian Tern. And Royal Terns. And various shorebirds. And Willow Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, Blue Grosbeak. And etc. Cameron had a Worm-eating Warbler from the dike as it foraged in the hollies at the base, but we never found it.

Doug Gochfeld was counting hawk watch day 2, and had a few of this and that, including Peregrines, Bald Eagle, Cooper's hawk and Broad-winged. No sign of the Loggerhead Shrike today. Seven Brown Pelicans appeared at around 10:00 a.m. and were thoroughly enjoyed by all present. Winds were east northeast and are scheduled to remain that way for a bit.

Morning and Hawk Flights; the Season's Turning

As Cameron Cox wrote, the birds we expected yesterday came today, not that yesterday (with Loggerhead Shrike and Franklin's Gull) was so awful. Morning Flight today had hundreds of warblers, and the kick-off of the Hawk Watch featured a decent first day movement of birds, with two Bald Eagles, several harriers, broadwings, kestrels, and the local Cooper's Hawks, all in the 8-10 a.m. period. The Loggerhead Shrike apparently stayed all day, at least it was seen on-and-off. No further sign of the Franklin's Gull, however. A Pied-billed Grebe continues on Bunker Pond. Winds were northeast all day, having everyone looking north and leaning left, trying to tip the wind to our favorite northwest direction.

The CMBO Tuesday Higbee walk had several empids, unlike the area around the dike, and also got to see Cameron's Peregrine v. Lesser Yellowlegs drama.

Tonight was the last Somers Point boat trip of the season, and it really felt like a season turning. All the Ospreys are off their platforms, and really only some of the beach nesters are still busy with young. We saw a few near-fledged Black Skimmers at the Malibu Beach colony, with 1000 + adults and undoubtedly a bunch more fledglings hidden in the grass. Most of the heronries are empty, though good numbers of egrets were flying to roost at dusk, and a lovely juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron, with big dollops of spots on the back, fished by the dock on our return. 100's of Sanderlings and dozens of Ruddy Turnstones were near Somers Point/Longport. An absolute highlight from the boat was the Peregrine which drove a frantically escaping Snowy Egret straight into Great Egg Harbor Bay, where it remained submerged until the Peregrine flew on!

It's positively cool tonight, and the wind has laid down - northeast wind or no (forecast is clear, northeast at 10 mph all night), maybe another night for a flight? Tomorrow will tell.

Shrike Returns

The Loggerhead Shrike reappeared northeast of the hawk watch this morning, and was present through at least 10:00 a.m.

Shrike and Sora Photos; Franklin's Gull

As I understand it, the Loggerhead Shrike [photo below] was found by Barb Bassett, and the i.d. confirmed by Michael O'Brien. It was still present, occasionally pursued by an apparent family group of mockingbirds, through at least 5:20 p.m. tonight. Start by checking from the hawk watch platform at Cape May Point State Park looking northeast. I owe a big thank-you to Vince Elia, who "held on to" this bird until I could arrive at the state park after work.

Bob Fogg found a Franklin's Gull this evening, seen from the 2nd dune crossover at the state park.

I've got some Zugenruhe happening in my yard right now, 7:18 p.m., in the form of American Redstarts feeding actively. Perhaps the flight we though should have happened last night will happen tonight, with the falling temperatures?

Shrike, Sora Pics

[Sora at the Meadows this morning. Photo by Karl Lukens; click to enlarge.]

[Loggerhead Shrike at the State Park. Photo by Karl Lukens; click to enlarge.]