Week in review: 26 April – 2 May, 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. The vast majority of information utilized in these reports comes from eBird data and "Keekeekerr" text alerts. Observers are encouraged to send reports and photos to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com). 
 

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Weather: The period opened with mild conditions, featuring mostly sunny skies and west/northwest winds 26–27 Apr. Clouds increased through the day 28 Apr, ahead of a large and complex storm system that affected the area 29–30 Apr. This storm brought periods of heavy rainfall and gusty east winds that occasionally surpassed 30mph. The raw conditions gradually weakened through the overnight hours 30 Apr–1 May, as winds shifted to the south and dense fog formed over many areas. Skies gradually cleared through the rest of 1 May, and more substantial sunshine and mild temperatures returned to close out the period 2 May.

Birding Summary: Observers submitted sightings of 221 species during the period 26 Apr–2 May. This week's arrivals included Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Veery, Blue-winged Warbler, Nashville Warbler, American Redstart, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Bobolink. Notable rarities included Eurasian Wigeon, White-faced Ibis, Little Gull, Glaucous Gull, Pileated Woodpecker, Cave Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, and Painted Bunting.

Location Abbreviations: Belleplain (Belleplain State Forest), CMP (town of Cape May Point), CMPSP (Cape May Pt. State Park), SCMM (South Cape May Meadows).

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WATERFOWL THROUGH IBISES

       A small collection of dabbling ducks remained at Cape Island through much of the period, highlighted by a male Eurasian Wigeon that lingered with 7 American Wigeon at CMPSP/SCMM through at least 1 May (m. ob.). A pair of Northern Shovelers could still be found at SCMM as of 30 Apr (m. ob.), and multiple pairs of Gadwall might be setting up shop at SCMM. Small numbers of Green-winged Teal remained at CMPSP, SCMM, and at several locations along the Delaware Bayshore through the period (m. ob.). In the diving duck department, decent numbers of Black and Surf Scoters were still migrating past CMP most days (m. ob.), along with the occasional Red-breasted Merganser and Long-tailed Duck. A flock of 8 White-winged Scoters there 2 May was a bit late for so many (VE). Three Hooded Mergansers were also tardy at SCMM 1 May (VE, TR). Wild Turkeys continued to occupy CMP, where they are generally rare, with at least 2-3 individuals present through 2 May (m. ob.). Red-necked Grebes haven't completely left yet-- 2 were at Champlain Drive, Villas 27 Apr (BP) with a single remaining 1 May (SG), while another was still in the back-bays near Wildwood 2 May (VE, BL et al.). A low-density spring migrant, an American Bittern was reported at SCMM on several occasions, most recently 2 May (m. ob.). Several Cattle Egrets continued to be seen along Route 9 in Swainton (m. ob.), while another was near the intersection of Goshen Road & Goshen-Swainton Road 30 Apr (TR). A large flock of Glossy Ibis, peaking at approximately 400 birds, took up residence at Dias Creek 27–30 Apr (m. ob.). An adult White-faced Ibis was a member of this flock 30 Apr (TR et al.).

 [Wild Turkey at CMP, 26 Apr. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

RAPTORS THROUGH TERNS

       Northwest winds on 26 Apr produced a movement of at least 9 Bald Eagles over CMP (TR et al.). A short-lived hawk flight on 28 Apr included 12 Red-tailed Hawks, two of which crossed the bay toward Delaware (CS). At least 3 Northern Harriers and 7 Merlins were on the move over Cape Island 2 May (m. ob.). Shorebirds migrated past CMP throughout the week, with small numbers of Willets, Least Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plovers, and yellowlegs seen most days (m. ob.). A flock of 210 Whimbrel were in the marshes along Avalon Boulevard 30 Apr (TR), and another 125 were near Jarvis Sound 2 May (VE, BL et al.). An adult Little Gull flew north past Avalon with 20 Bonaparte's Gulls during the height of the coastal storm 30 Apr (TR). Lesser Black-backed Gulls were again regular at CMP and Stone Harbor Point throughout the period (m. ob.). The Glaucous Gull continued at SCMM until 28 Apr, when it was found dead (m. ob.). Least Tern arrived on a typical date of 1 May, when 2 were encountered at CMPSP (TR).  Caspian Tern is a scarce spring migrant, therefore one flying north past CMP 26 Apr was notable (DL, GD, TR). A Gull-billed Tern, uncommon at CMP, flew over Yale Avenue 28 Apr (GD). The year's first Black Skimmer was photographed at Cape May City 30 Apr (MP), and Royal Terns were noted at CMP and Avalon 2 May (m. ob.). 

  [Glaucous Gull at SCMM, 26 Apr. Photo by Tom Reed.]

CUCKOO THROUGH BUNTINGS

       The first Yellow-billed Cuckoo made its presence known at Higbee Beach 2 May (m. ob.). Chuck-will's-widows and Whip-poor-wills were finally reported with some regularity throughout the peninsula, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also filtered in to various locations, with many arriving 2 May (CS, pers. comm.). Red-headed Woodpeckers were noted at several locations 2 May, including 5 that migrated north over CMP (GD et al.). A Pileated Woodpecker was a surprise at Higbee Beach 1 May (TB). The bird was flying north, low over Field #1, and may still be in the area. A Cave Swallow was described at Lily Lake, CMP 29 Apr (VN), and CMP's Black-capped Chickadee continued its stay, last noted 2 May (GD). The foggy conditions of 1 May produced a noticeable fallout of songbird migrants at Cape Island, particularly at CMP. Included in this concentration were 400+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, 300+ White-throated Sparrows, 40+ Indigo Buntings, 20+ Orchard Orioles, 15+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 10+ Blue-headed Vireos, 10+ Northern Waterthrushes, 2 Blue-winged Warblers, a Yellow-throated Vireo, and a Hooded Warbler (TR, VE, MC et al.). Other locally notable migrants included 2 Summer Tanagers at CMP 1 May (RC), a Least Flycatcher at Hidden Valley 2 May (TR), and a Grasshopper Sparrow at Higbee Beach 2 May (MP, m. ob.). The spring's first Bobolinks appeared out of the fog at CMPSP 1 May (TR). Breeding bird arrivals included Acadian Flycatcher at Belleplain 26 Apr (PB, m. ob.), American Redstart at Belleplain and Peaslee WMA 28 Apr (m. ob.), and Yellow-breasted Chat at Higbee Beach 1 May (VE). Lastly, a male Painted Bunting visited feeders at 627 Seagrove Avenue, CMP on 26–27 Apr (KL, m. ob.). 

[Painted Bunting at CMP, 26 Apr. Photo by Karl Lukens.]

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Contributors: 

Pete Bacinski (PB), Tom Baxter (TB), Mike Crewe (MC), Richard Crossley (RC), Glen Davis (GD), Vince Elia (VE), Sam Galick (SG), David La Puma (DL), Bob Lubberman (BL), Karl Lukens (KL), Vincent Nichnadowicz (VN), Mike Pasquarello (MP), Beth Polvino (BP), Tom Reed (TR), Clay Sutton (CS).

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References:

eBird. 2012. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Accessed 2 May 2014. Available: http://www.ebird.org. 

Fogg, B. 2013. Keekeekerr: Recent Text Alerts. Accessed 2 May 2014. Available: http://www.keekeekerr.com

Yay, it's May!!

Well, at the risk of telling you "We told you so", Cape May came alight with all the colors of the rainbow today. It really has been a strange year weatherwise so far, with an unusually cold winter, all that late snow in March and a decidedly chilly April but, as if by magic, nature seemed to know that today was May, and this is Cape May!

Although there are many variables at play and the precise timing of spring varies a little from year to year, it really is amazing how everything seems to come together so neatly. Today started as though it was going to be a real damp squib - after a horrible day of rain and cold south east winds on the last day of April, Cape May awoke to fog to hail the first day of May. An early morning tour of some of the birding hotspots revealed very little happening around the point and migration watching was clearly going to be futile, but a warm southerly airflow was always going to bring birds at this time of year - birds that were going to be disorientated by the fog. Even by 07:30AM it was becoming apparent to me that bird were appearing around the Northwood Center and messages of good numbers of birds at Higbee Beach began to filter through. Slowly but surely, the birds showed up and the magic of spring was clearly happening; the first day with sustained temperatures above 60F saw the catkins unfurling on the oak trees, insects emerging in droves and a mass of birds. Other wildlife emerged too, and the first Fowler's Toad and Southern Gray Tree Frog of the year were calling at the store.

It's May at Cape May and the celebration has started. We have a whole month of great walks, workshops and boat trips for you to enjoy, so come on down for a few days and enjoy the wonders of Cape Maygration. And if you need just a little more persuasion, here's a few pictures of just some of the birds that were delighting visitors - all taken at the Northwood Center today!

This male Orchard Oriole was busy finding caterpillars to eat in one of the cedars on the roadside...

...while this male Scarlet Tanager spent pretty much the whole day doing fly-catching circuits around the store.

Prairie Warblers sang right outside the windows and really were impossible to miss while feeding at point blank range...

...and Northwood's feeders really came alight in the early evening when four Rose-breasted Grosbeaks took control of the feeders.

It's also worth remembering that some of our out-going birds look pretty smart right now too. While the majority of wintering White-throated Sparrows have started to head north now, a few colorful spring adults are still here to be enjoyed [photos by Mike Crewe].

Away from the Northwood Center, good numbers of birds could be found at Higbee Beach, The Meadows and Cape May Point State Park with the highlight being a Pileated Woodpecker at Higbee Beach, which may be the same bird seen at the point some weeks ago. Migration will continue to increase through the coming month and each day will bring new surprises. One thing is for sure - you have to be here to enjoy it!

A Green Heron comes in off the Delaware Bay and heads along Cape May Point's beachfront. Wetlands all around South Jersey are busy with waterbird activity right now [photo by Mike Crewe].

And of ocurse, Cape May always knows how to brighten up a dull day! This male Painted Bunting was at a feeder on Seagrove Avenue recently and may still be in the area [photo by Mike Crewe].

Week in review: 19 – 25 April, 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. The vast majority of information utilized in these reports comes from eBird data and "Keekeekerr" text alerts. Observers are encouraged to send reports and photos to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com). 

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Weather: Overall, the week's weather was fairly tame, with ample sunshine, slightly below average temperatures, frequently breezy conditions, and two brief bouts of rain. The period opened 19 Apr with seasonable and clear conditions, under light and variable winds. A stronger onshore flow developed through 20 Apr, featuring easterly winds with gusts over 30mph at times. These conditions would weaken through 21 Apr, as continued sunshine allowed daytime highs to exceed 60ºF. Winds shifted and increased from the south on 23 Apr, ahead of a strong cold front that arrived later that day. Temperatures topped out in the mid-50s (about 10º below average) on the heels of the front 23–24 Apr, with gusty northwest winds a constant feature both days. The period closed with sunny skies and a strengthening onshore flow 25 Apr, ahead of another front and associated rain showers during the evening hours.

Birding Summary: Observers submitted sightings of 191 species during the period 19–25 Apr. This week's arrivals included Sora, Solitary Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Summer Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Orchard Oriole. Notable rarities included Eurasian Wigeon, White Ibis, Swallow-tailed Kite, Glaucous Gull, and Black-capped Chickadee.

Location Abbreviations: CMP (Cape May Point), CMPSP (Cape May Pt. State Park), SCMM (South Cape May Meadows), SHPt (Stone Harbor Point). 

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WATERFOWL THROUGH IBISES

       Ducks continued to vacate the Cape for points north, but small numbers of Northern Shovelers, American Wigeons, and Green-winged Teal lingered at CMPSP/SCMM throughout the period (m. ob.). A notably late male Eurasian Wigeon remained at the same locations through 25 Apr (m. ob.). Small numbers of Black and Surf Scoters were noted moving east past CMP most mornings (TR, GD, CV et al.). At least one Horned Grebe held on at Hereford Inlet through 25 Apr (TR), while 3 Red-necked Grebes could still be found in the back-bays near Wildwood 19 Apr (VE et al.). An impressive movement of Double-crested Cormorants included 11,390 tallied from SCMM 22 Apr (TR et al.). At least 3 Cattle Egrets continued to occupy front lawns along New England Road (Cape Island) this week (m. ob.). Glossy Ibis numbers were on the increase this week, and small flocks can now be found in the Delaware Bay marshes. A group of 4 immature White Ibises made for a bizarre sight as they flew north past SCMM 22 Apr (TR). 

 [Double-crested Cormorants migrating over SCMM, 22 Apr. Photo by Tom Reed.]

RAPTORS THROUGH DOVE

       Small numbers of Broad-winged Hawks appeared over Cape Island during days with northwest winds (m. ob.). A Swallow-tailed Kite, the county's third of the year, made a brief appearance over West Cape May 19 Apr (TR). The year's first Sora report came from CMPSP 22 Apr (TW). At least 2 American Coots lingered at SCMM throughout the period (m. ob.). The first American Oystercatcher nests were found near Corson's and Hereford inlets 21–23 Apr (fide NJDFW). A very obvious movement of Willets occurred 22 Apr, when 472 were counted flying north past SCMM (TR). A Western Sandpiper was roosting with 200 Dunlin at 117th Street, Stone Harbor on 24 Apr (TR). Stilt Sandpiper is an uncommon spring migrant-- one was at SCMM 25 Apr (TR, m. ob.). A dark-type Parasitic Jaeger was viewed from Coral Avenue, CMP 25 Apr (TR, GD). Lesser Black-backed Gulls continued to be regular at CMP and Hereford Inlet (m. ob.). A scarce bird at any season, a Glaucous Gull dropped in at SCMM 22 Apr (TR) and was subsequently seen at the Coast Guard Base 24–25 Apr (CH). Numbers of Forster's Terns increased through the period. Common Tern arrived at CMP 22 Apr (CV et al.), and at least one has been seen daily since (m. ob.). A Gull-billed Tern cruised past the Rea Farm/Beanery 25 Apr (VE), while another Royal Tern flew past CMP the same day (TR, KL). CMP's Eurasian Collared-Dove was last noted 19 Apr (m. ob.). 

 [Willets migrating over SCMM, 22 Apr. Photo by Tom Reed.]

 [Western Sandpiper (foreground) with Dunlin at SHPt, 24 Apr. Spring movements of Western Sandpiper at Cape May are not well understood. April records presumably refer to winter holdouts or migrants that wintered farther south along the Atlantic Coast. Photo by Tom Reed.]

HUMMINGBIRD THROUGH ORIOLE

       The continued cool weather seemed to put a dent in landbird migration. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds appeared at a few more locations this week, but have been quite slow to arrive overall. Great Crested Flycatcher arrived 25 Apr, when one was noted at SCMM (DH). The year's first Red-eyed Vireo was heard at the Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve 24 Apr (MP). Cape May County's 4th Black-capped Chickadee continued its stay at CMP, last noted in the dunes at Coral Avenue 25 Apr (TR). A very late Snow Bunting was seen again at SHPt 21 Apr (HB). Rare as a spring migrant, an Orange-crowned Warbler was nicely documented at CMPSP 19 Apr (EN). Yellow Warbler arrived at SCMM 22 Apr (TR), while the year's first Black-throated Green Warbler made its presence known at CMPSP 22 Apr (DA). Additional songbird arrivals included Summer Tanager at CMPSP 19 Apr (MU), Rose-breasted Grosbeak at CMP 21 Apr (GD), and Orchard Oriole at Reed's Beach 21 Apr (TR). 

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Contributors: 

David Allen (DA), Henry Burton (HB), Glen Davis (GD), Vince Elia (VE), Chris Hajduk (CH), Don Heitzmann (DH), Karl Lukens (KL), Erik Nelson (EN), New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife staff (NJDFW), Mike Pasquarello (MP), Tom Reed (TR), Michelle Uhl (MU), Christopher Vogel (CV), Terry Williams (TW).

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References:

eBird. 2012. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Accessed 25 Apr 2014. Available: http://www.ebird.org. 

Fogg, B. 2013. Keekeekerr: Recent Text Alerts. Accessed 25 Apr 2014. Available: http://www.keekeekerr.com

Spring colors and those bluebirds...

Back on April 12th, I mentioned the two male Eastern Bluebirds that had been brought in to the Northwood Center recently, and they inspired the post on how birds acquire their breeding plumage using various methods. These two bluebirds also gave me an opportunity to study how birds can be aged in the hand because, by chance, they happened to be an adult and a first-year bird.

Molt, plumages and all that associated stuff is a pretty turgid subject and, if you want my humble opinion, the subject has been made far harder by the 'boffins' than it really needs to be - at least for most of us. So I'll do my best to keep it simple, but forgive me if it gets a bit convoluted and by all means take your binoculars for a walk half way through if you feel the need!

For a variety of reasons, many bird species do not acquire the full-on plumages of adulthood straight away, but tend to build up to it slowly. This is especially noticeable in some of the larger, longer-lived birds such as birds of prey and gulls. There seems to be a pretty obvious set of reasons for this, revolving around the fact that it can take a long time to learn to be good at your craft. This is especially the case with hawks and eagles; there's a lot of skill involved in being able to catch enough food to feed yourself, let alone a whole family of youngsters. So, when the mating season begins, those accomplished adults will be sporting smart and attractive plumages, indicating that they are fit, have done the apprenticeship and are ready to bring up a family. A young bird, in perhaps its second-calendar year, will be recognized as something of a beginner by its plumage and will be far less likely to attract a mate. It's a bit like being a teenager... So young birds can spend the summer practising feeding themselves and not worrying about the stress of maintaining a territory. Indeed, in most migratory species, the sub-adult birds often stay down on the wintering grounds through the first summer and don't even bother to come north.

Proving yourself worthy of the job. Many bird species go through often quite elaborate pair bonding procedures which not only help to break down any potentially harmful natural instincts (important in predators especially!) but which also - as in the case with these House Finches at the Hawkwatch Platform this week - help to demonstrate the male's ability to provide for the family. If you see a bird feeding a 'baby' this early in the year, chances are it's actually the male feeding his mate [photo by Mike Crewe].

One other useful thing that a duller, sub-adult plumage does is that it signals to territorial, adult males, that you are not likely to be a threat to them and won't be trying to steal their territories (or wives!) from them. This is especially the case in species like Bald Eagles, where last year's (still brown) youngsters are tolerated in the territory while this year's youngsters are being raised.

Songbirds are a little different to the examples given above in that they generally don't live as long, so the whole process needs to be speeded up. In the most extreme cases, the vast majority of individuals of a species will die after the rigors of breeding leaving the year's youngsters to continue the species. This was highlighted to me when I was banding at a coastal observatory in the UK and we found that the overwhelming majority of Goldcrests that we caught as they migrated south in the autumn from Northern Europe were juveniles. So songbirds (or passerines) generally acquire their full adult plumages sooner than the bigger non-passerines, yet there are still clues in most of them that help us to tell the age of the bird. Most of the clues relate to subtle color shades and to shape of feather tips. Here's a sequence of photos of the two male bluebirds that illustrate points that work for many songbird species.

Looking at our two unfortunate bluebirds, there's not too much obviously different between them and it is generally the training given while learning to be a bander that allows the subtle clues to be picked up [photo by Mike Crewe].

I'll present the photos in pairs, the upper photo showing the adult, the lower photo showing the first-year (or second calendar year if you prefer). These photos show the tertials - so called because there are three of them and they form the third set of clearly differentiated flight feathers in the wing (the sequence goes primary, secondary, tertial). Notice how, in the bird below, these feathers have much broader, paler edges and tips to them, while the shade of blue is just a little more subdued [photos by Mike Crewe].

These photos show the greater coverts (running more or less vertically up through the middle of the photo from the bottom) and the primary coverts (above the greater coverts in the photo). In the lower photo, notice that the primary coverts are clearly darker-tipped. More interestingly, notice that the two outermost (top two) greater coverts in the lower photo are duller and grayer than the rest of the coverts. This is because, to save a little energy, many young songbirds don't molt those coverts that sit beneath all the others - and thus get less wear. They will be good for another season. This gives us an easy opportunity to look for this 'molt limit' and use it as a way to tell the age of the bird [photos by Mike Crewe].

Right outer three tail feathers of adult and first-year Eastern Bluebirds. When it comes to tail feathers, it's not the color so much as the shape which helps us to determine the bird's age. Notice that the adult feathers above are generally broader and have neater, more broadly rounded tips. In these examples, the young bird below also shows duller, grayer inner webs, while the adult sports a sharp, white line along the outer edge of the outermost feather [photos by Mike Crewe].

Though much of this detail in subtle and difficult to see in the field, the power of digital photography is opening up all sorts of new opportunities. Zoom in on those spring birds in your yard and see if you can work out what is going on out there!

Ready for summer - spiffy birds are all around us at Cape May right now! This pair of Blue-winged Teals has already graced several of our recent walks and given many walk participants an unusual opportunity to get up close and personal with a species that is normally much harder to approach [photo by Mike Crewe]. 

Eyes on the Skies

Eyes were firmly on the skies at Cape May today, as weather conditions came good and presented us with the perfect example of 'visible migration'. The Cape May SpringWatch led by the unstoppable Tom Reed was a little lackluster first thing, but nevertheless produced a handful of White-winged Scoters among the plentiful Surf Scoters, as well as a mild run of Northern Gannets and Red-throated Loons.

Things seemed slow enough to wrap up the count at 08:30AM, but Tom had other ideas. He continued the count from the South Cape May Meadows and a flurry of text messages kept us informed on developments. By early afternoon things were slowing down and Tom reported a count of 11,300 Double-crested Cormorants - all counted heading north over Cape May today. Equally as impressive was the count of 472 Eastern Willets, a much lower count but a very high count for this particular species. Sometimes Cape May is about the rarities but most of the time, it's about the spectacle of migration - and today was a real spectacle.

Eastern Willets often fly relatively high when heading north over the Delaware Bay and often travel in small groups. Watch for their snazzy, black and white wing patterns and listen for their far-carrying "wil-let" call. A number of birds were clearly audible as they flew over the Northwood Center today [photo by Mike Crewe].

The movement of large numbers of birds is always a spectacle and ragged, sinuous lines of Double-crested Cormorants are no exception. Over 11,000 passed over Cape May today, heading to breeding grounds further north. More will surely follow in the coming days, creating a wonderful prologue to the amazing sights and sounds of a Cape May spring [photo by Mike Crewe].

If you want to get up close and personal with Double-crested Cormorants and see those amazing aquamarine eyes, jump aboard a Cape May boat trip and enjoy them for yourselves! These birds were part of a resting flock at Cold Spring Inlet this weekend [photo by Mike Crewe].

Wings over the water

While our impatience to head full tilt into the heady days of May has a tendency to make April seem a little dull at times, I was pleasantly surprised recently when I reviewed the list of birds that had been recorded in Cape May over the past week or so and found it to be much higher than I had thought. Sifting through a hotch potch of bird photos, I discovered a common theme that brought them together - there's a lot of birds flying over our ponds and back bays right now - and even out over the bay and ocean.

This year, the chilly weather of the past winter doesn't seem overly keen to leave us and it is still easy to travel around Cape May and find more birds lingering from the winter than arriving for the summer. Despite this, the county is gradually greening up, CMBO's walks program is now fully under way and great birding adventures are here for the taking. Today saw the last of our early spring Loons and Shorebirds Cruises (fear not, there are still plenty of boat trips to come!) and there was an excellent range of birds scattered throughout the back bay marshes. Boat trips give excellent opportunities to get closer to birds that otherwise would remain distant, out in the middle of the back bays and it was these opportunities that gave me a good collection of flight shots to post here.

So here's a selection of birds winging their way over our waterways and reminding us that birds are well and truly on the move now....

The annual spring spectacle of Northern Gannets passing northward will continue for perhaps another couple of weeks and watching the Delaware Bay from Cape May Point during pretty much any morning in April should provide you with plenty of activity [photo by Mike Crewe].

Check out the various ponds around Cape May Point or at Cox Hall Creek WMA during duller spells of weather and you should find a good collection of swallows and martins hawking insects low over the water. The insects drop lower during overcast conditions, forcing the birds to feed lower too. This Barn Swallow was showing off its snazzy tail and rusty underparts on our walk at The Meadows on Friday [photo by Mike Crewe].

Something of a surprise addition to our Meadows walk was this adult Bonaparte's Gull which was hawking insects over the main ponds there. This species winters with us in good numbers but most individuals have already headed northward before they get the dark hood of breeding plumage, so this bird was a pleasant surprise here [photo by Mike Crewe].

 

Not all wings over the water are a welcome sight in Cape May. Mute Swans, introduced to North America from Europe, are unarguably beautiful birds, but their persistently aggressive behavior and voracious appetite for native wetland plants makes them seriously detrimental to the health of our wetlands. While some states have shown maturity in tackling the problem head on, New Jersey continues to ignore its responsibility to the health of our wetland habitats and numbers of Mute Swans are rising worryingly here [photo by Mike Crewe].

Good numbers of wintering Brant remain in our back bays now and can be enjoyed at close range on a boat trip. Numbers of this species continue to recover from earlier population crashes and this is now a common species at some coastal saltmarsh locations. In this flight shot, look for the pale tips to the wing coverts, forming narrow white lines across the inner wing on some birds. These markings are indicative of last year's youngsters; birds with all dark wings are adults [photo by Mike Crewe].

 

Double-crested Cormorants pass through Cape May in great abundance during April and early May and are now acquiring their smart breeding plumage. Many waterbirds also have color changes in their bills and other unfeathered areas - note the speckled bill, brilliant green eye and glowing yellow throat of this bird [photo by Mike Crewe].

Another late hanger-on, Red-breasted Mergansers were pretty common around Jarvis Sound today, but all but a handful of stragglers will leave over the next few weeks [photo by Mike Crewe].

A reminder of the harsh winter experienced to the north of us this year, Red-necked Grebes can still be found in Cape May's back bay wetlands and we saw four on today's boat trip - including this one which was trying that old walking on water trick in Cape May Harbor [photo by Mike Crewe].

Also a hang-over from the winter period, one or two Horned Grebes (like this one on Sunset Lake today) remain and are now well into their breeding finery. This shot shows just how grebes are so highly adapted to swimming and why they have so much trouble trying to walk - their feet are set right at the back of the body and project noticeably in flight [photo by Mike Crewe].

But its not all departures, as demonstrated by these newly-arrived Eastern Willets today. Willets are rather plain-looking birds when stood on the ground but, launching themselves into the air, they reveal a startling black and white wing pattern [photo by Mike Crewe].

 

Day by day, almost minute by minute, you can feel the excitement and urgency of spring. It takes a lot to beat a busy spring day at Cape May when the migrants are in town!

Week in review: 12 – 18 April, 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. The vast majority of information utilized in these reports comes from eBird data and "Keekeekerr" text alerts. Observers are encouraged to send reports and photos to compiler Tom Reed (coturnicops at gmail dot com).

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Weather: The period began with mild conditions on 12 Apr, under a strengthening southerly flow. Strong and persistent south winds continued through 13–14 Apr, along with mild conditions and patchy sunshine. A strong cold front approached the Cape during the early-evening hours on 15 Apr, bringing with it heavy rain showers. Winds quickly shifted to the northwest through the overnight hours of 15–16 Apr, with near-record lows noted during the early AM 16 Apr. Temperatures stayed well below average 16–17 Apr, as winds shifted to the east under a low overcast. The period ended with continuing cool conditions and cloudiness, as temperatures struggled to top 50ºF on 18 Apr. 

Birding Summary: Observers submitted sightings of 182 species during the period 12–18 Apr. This week's arrivals included Short-billed Dowitcher, Parasitic Jaeger, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Ovenbird, Prothonotary Warbler, Hooded Warbler, and Prairie Warbler. Notable rarities included Harlequin Duck, Black-headed Gull, Cave Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, and Painted Bunting.

Location Abbreviations: BSF (Belleplain State Forest), CMP (Cape May Point), SHPt (Stone Harbor Point). 

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WATERFOWL THROUGH HERONS  

       Waterfowl numbers continued to drop off. Northern Pintail went unreported this week, and other species such as Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, and Green-winged Teal also decreased. The "Eurasian" Green-winged Teal was also apparently not seen. A male Eurasian Wigeon put on a nice show at Lighthouse Pond, CMPSP on the relatively late date of 18 Apr (VE, m. ob.). A female Harlequin Duck was a pleasant surprise at Sunset Beach 15 Apr (GDa, m. ob.). Surf Scoters were detected moving out of Delaware Bay from CMP on several mornings, with a peak flight of 1,206 on 14 Apr (TR et al.). Red-necked Grebes continued to thin out-- the most recent reports included 2 at Cape May Harbor 15 Apr (CH), 1 at Cox Hall Creek WMA 17 Apr (m. ob.), 1 near Wildwood 18 Apr (VE et al.), and 1 at SHPt 18 Apr (TR). Multiple Yellow-crowned Night-Herons continued to be found at 44th Street, Avalon through the week (m. ob.), and 3 Tricolored Herons were at Nummy Island 16 Apr (m. ob.). At least 4 Cattle Egrets were seen along Route 9 in Swainton on 18 Apr (GDw). At Cape Island, 1-2 Cattle Egrets took up residence along Bayshore and New England Roads throughout the week (m. ob.). 

 [Red-throated Loon at CMP, 13 Apr. Photo by Tom Reed.]

RAPTORS THROUGH OWL

       Broad-winged Hawk was seen at CMP on several days, with a max of 5 on 18 Apr (m. ob.). The species was also noted at BSF this week, where it presumably breeds. Nummy Island was home to 57 Whimbrel, 15+ Short-billed Dowitchers, and a Red Knot on 16 Apr (m. ob.). A Pectoral Sandpiper flew over CMP 16 Apr (MC, m. ob.). The year's first Parasitic Jaeger flew north past CMP 18 Apr (GDa, TR). A Black-headed Gull at High's Beach 13 Apr could have been the last of the season (WK). Lesser Black-backed Gull continued to be regular at CMP through the week, with a max of 6+ on 16 Apr (m. ob.). Royal Terns were noted again this week, with 2 seen at CMP 13 Apr (TR et al.). A single Eurasian Collared-Dove remained at CMP through 18 Apr. Sightings in the past week have come from Harvard Avenue, Coral Avenue, and West Lake Drive (m. ob.). Snowy Owl apparently went unseen this week-- additional sightings are greatly appreciated.

[Whimbrel flock at Nummy Island, 16 Apr. Photo by Tom Reed.]

  
HUMMINGBIRD THROUGH TREE SPARROW

     The spring's first Ruby-throated Hummingbird zipped past CMP 12 Apr (TR et al.); another was at a feeder in Cape May Court House the same day (JA). There were daily sightings of Eastern Kingbird at CMP (m. ob.), and the first migrant Blue-headed Vireo was detected at BSF 13 Apr (MF). Very rare in spring, a Cave Swallow was found within a large group of swifts and swallows at Lily Lake, CMP 18 Apr (CV, m. ob.). There are only a handful of spring records for this species in New Jersey. At least 12 Cliff Swallows were tallied at CMP 16 Apr, likely a product of the strong northwest winds (m. ob.). Cape May County's 4th Black-capped Chickadee lingered at CMP through 18 Apr (m. ob.). An obvious movement of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers 13 Apr included 30+ at CMP (m. ob.). A very late Snow Bunting was a curious sight at SHPt 17 Apr, and may be the second latest on record (TR). Prothonotary Warbler (m. ob.) and Prairie Warbler (SW) arrived at the Rea Farm/Beanery 12 Apr. Ovenbirds appeared at BSF the next day (m. ob.). A Hooded Warbler was photographed near the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse at North Wildwood 16 Apr (MK, fide JS). Vesper Sparrow is a scarce spring migrant in Cape May County, so one at the Rea Farm/Beanery 13–16 Apr (VE et al.) was notable. The spring's first Blue Grosbeak flew past Coral Avenue, CMP 16 Apr (DG, TR). The Painted Bunting continued at 113 Harvard Avenue, CMP through at least 14 Apr (fide GDa). There were no reports of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow this week, despite many hours of searching.  

[Hooded Warbler at North Wildwood, 16 Apr. Photo by Mike Kilpatrick.]

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Contributors: 

Jesse Amesbury (JA), Mike Crewe (MC), Glen Davis (GDa), Gail Dwyer (GDw), Vince Elia (VE), Mike Fritz (MF), Doug Gochfeld (DG), Chris Hajduk (CH), Will Kerling (WK), Mike Kilpatrick (MK), Tom Reed (TR), Joe Smith (JS), Christopher Vogel (CV), Sam Wilson (SW).

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References:

eBird. 2012. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Accessed 18 Apr 2014. Available: http://www.ebird.org. 

Fogg, B. 2013. Keekeekerr: Recent Text Alerts. Accessed 18 Apr 2014. Available: http://www.keekeekerr.com