There were two Stilt Sandpipers in the Heislerville impoundments this afternoon, along with lots and lots of Greater Yellowlegs, among others. The Stilts were far from in breeding plumage, but some years, I’ve seen the first in the end of March, and others, not til the middle of May, so a third/ fourth week in April arrival is not to go without mentioning.

Another noteworthy April migrant was a Vesper Sparrow just before the bridge, feeding in the “sharp rubble” & sand right along the beach, at Fortescue Beach. The damned thing was most cooperative, and remained in same spot for well over an hout, allowing itself to be photographed quite well, and unlike with the Stilt Sands at Heislerville, the camera remained dry!

Shorebird and Gull numbers seemed a bit unevenly distributed: In addition to the Stilt Sands, Heislerville had far and away the most Greaterlegs, and Semipalmated Plovers; Turkey Point at low tide had incredible numbers of Dunlin, excellent numbers of Lesserlegs, and more Dowitchers than anywhere else I stopped (500 or so). East Point had the most Gulls (including about 2 dozen lingering Bonapartes), after the excellent numbers of Gulls at East Point & Heislerville, I was a bit surprised that Fortescue was comparatively devoid of even Laughers. Though Fortescue is usually more of a late-season Spring Hotspot. Unfortunately I skipped Bivalve etc. Even I am subject to physical laws, and I had other errands to run…

Displaying Turkeys were on just about every patch of green lawn between Mauricetown and Fortescue, over 50 or so all told-which was just about as impressive as the number of Shorebirds, which numbered in the thousands.

A Tricolored Heron was at Heislerville, as well as a good flock of Red-breasted Megs, and 5 Hooded Mergs, which were also worth mentioning. A lone Snow Goose was at East Point. A second-year Yellow-crowned Night-heron was at, what I always think of as “The Yellow-crowned Night Heron Pond” at Turkey Point, where a ridiculously confiding, and apparently healthy, Red Fox came trotting out of the marsh, and continued, straight down the road ahead of me, for about a mile and a half.

An misty grey early-morning turn around the point was not without reward today.

The biggest surprise was an apparently juvenile Brown Pelican flying relatively high seaward, just over the jetties. It kept on heading due south-southeast as far as I could watch. It was in headed in the same direction as a decent Gannet flight (ie almost without exception heading out of the bay-but the Gannets were a bit further out.)

Several hundred Surf Scoter were also headed the same way. There was one notable in-bound migrant species today, however, and that was the first Bottlenosed Dolphins I’ve seen in 09. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Walking around Lilly Lake also provided a real surprise, in the form of a female Yellow-throated Warbler creeping around the heavier limbs of an Oak with a good mixed flock of Butterbutts, Palms Kinglets, and Gnatcatchers. Yellow-throateds are not at all common spring migrants on Cape Island (in fact they are not at all common fall migrants!) The Yellow-throated was also surprising in being one fo the yellow-lored (dominica) race, which is interesting. While I nearly always turn up an albilora in the State Park at some point in the spring, the local breeders usually just seem to arrive on the breeding grounds, and the local birds have been around for several weeks at this point. She did seem rather beat, I imagine the incredible, torrential thunderstorms of the night before had something to do with this-poor girl was downright sluggish.

A female Orchard Oriole feeding in some very low ornamentals, and a couple of Parulas, Prairies, Yellows, and Common Yellowthroats here and there around the point were a bit more expected.

Swallows continue in good number and variety around Lilly Lake, an Eastern Kingbird was on a stub at Cape Island Creek, and there were dueling House Wrens at the Point and the fields at Higbee’s. Ditto for White-eyed Vireos. There were also excellent numbers of Brown Thrashers singing all over the point.

In Bird news, the pair of Bald Eagles which has taken residence at Pond Creek were sitting cheek by jowel yesterday-side by each. In fact, one of the pair kept making nest-matierial forays into the wood-bine and ivy tangles. It was most interesting to see one of the pair grabbing at nest matierial- though I daresay it will be a year or two before this pair actually builds a nest. (As I have predicted, though, they were clearly on territory)

Heislerville, and the road towards it were just chock full of White Egrets today, but more interestingly was the third year Bald Eagle who kept trying to snatch a drake Bufflehead from the main impoundment at Matt’s Landing. The Eagle hovered, and the Bufflehead dove for five turns before the duck just broke and flushed- clear and away surpassing the huge raptor in speed.

Another four or so Bald Eagles were present there, and there were an impressive number of both yellowlegs and Dunlin- who were just getting black-bellies and red-backs- Whooo-hoo!. Nearly forty Glossy Ibis, just over forty Black-crowned Night Herons, and well over a hundred Bufflehead were in the impoundments there.

AND - DO BE CAREFUL- a pair of Killdeer have four very sweet greenish spangled eggs on the shell-roadside at the end of Matt’e Landing Road.

Without much time:

Yup, given the upward turn in temperatures, and the southerly winds, there was, predictably, a Laugher with the other gulls at the Cape May ferry terminal this morning. Wonderfully handosme beast it was too. Kind of like father Christmas coming to Narnia, or Aslan breathing life into the creatures cast in stone, looks like winter, though not yet defeated (that waits for Piping Plovers…) is definitely in retreat for 08/09.

Amen and Amen!

Otherwise, there were about 8 Great Corms in breeding finery on the Jetties, and on the Cape Island side of Cold Spring Inlet, about 3 and a half pairs of American Oystercatchers this morning.

Herring Gulls are increasingly dapper and snowy-headed beasts, with bright bills, legs and eyerings showing.

A couple of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were here and there- including the yard, and Fish Crows are now, a bit late, forming in pairs in their big flocks- the Plain Trees in Cape May proper look quite like something out of Hithchock’s Bodega Bay with the little raven-like crows.

And given just how feeble the Woodcock have looked the past few days-in the snow at Higbee’s and elsewhere, it was indeed good to see them foraging with success along sun-warmed roadsides today.

All for now, and I daresay, lucky will I be if I get out this weekend to greet the first Piping Plovers!

There were a few unexpected birds tucked here and there around a Cape Island blanketed with snow today.

Most surprising were number of birds in the middle of streets today-I suppose ploughed macadam being the only surface relatively free of snow, and a little out of the wind. Mainly butterbutts and numbers of sparrows were eking out a day’s forage in the road, but also a pair of quite buffy Ameican Pipits wagging and pumping, and barely getting out of the way of the car were literally on Sunset Blvd today.

Most of the Sparrows utilising this oppurtunity were Savannahs and Songs (both of which are beginning to get on the road north about now-so to speak) but there was also a rather unexpected Vesper Sparrow near the Meadows Parking lot.

9 Horned Larks were in fields along Bayshore Rd. and were on top of the wind-blown snow, energetically leaping up with a flutter to pick seeds from the heads of weeds tall enough to emerge from the white-stuff.

Most of the passerines sitting in the roads looked rather miserable-the Butterbutts especially had a bit of wind and cold-weary feebleness in their pace today.

Otherwise, a Melin was sitting on a telephone pole, a herd of Fish Crows was in West Cape May, and there are still thousands and thousands of Scoter in the bay-despite the incredible surf, chop, and surge.

The waters around Cape May are just chock-full of Ducks these days. The Delaware Bay, and the few spots in the Back-bays of the Great Saltmarsh that I checked out today were covered with waterfowl.

Firstly the raft of Scoter which has been hanging out in the rips has swelled to nearly 6000, or so, and it is quite a sight. It stays tantalizingly far enough away to make most of the scoter not quite identifiable, though it seems like the majority are Black. Also, the number of birds wheeling about in characteristic Black Scoter fashion would seem to indicate this. Regardless of idenitfiability the sight of a slick of Scoter about a mile long and lord knows how wide is a sight to behold.

The number of American Black Ducks around is likewise cause for eye-rubbing. There were nearly 300 in Jenkins Sound, and well over 100 around Nummy’s Island. Between the Coast Guard Ponds and Brigantine, I cannot guess how many thousands of Black-Ducks there are in the Saltmarshes of South Jersey right about now.

Likewise there were impressive numbers of Bufflehead at the end of Shellbay ave-133 is the number i wound up with in the end. A nice treat was the rarer bucephaline in these parts-a lone and handsome drake Common Goldeneye.

Also in the odder-duck box were three Common Mergansers on the little pond in the Parkway median at mm3, and a hen Common Eider at the 8th Street Jetty in Avalon. Common Mergs do not often get this far south or coastal, and that Pond is indeed a reliable spot for them.

Otherwise, an Ad. Black-headed Gull continues off Sunset Beach, and a large flock of 70 Fish Crows in West Cape May seem to indicate their northward advance is finally underway in earnest. There were also at least 5 roding Woodcock around Higbee’s Beach; Spring is indeed Springing, as if the blooming crocuses, snowdrops, and now many Sweetgums and Maples weren’t a grand enough indication.

As an aside, this winter seems to have been a bit more “typical” than the two prior, and some birds, ie Brown Thrashers & Fox Sparrows, were not around through the thick of it in great numbers. Also the arrival of Fish Crows en masse seems to be a bit more “normal” (though I have a feeling if the last week hadn’t been quite so cold and plagues by northwesterlies…). In the few years prior, which were quite warm, the bulk came through nearly a month earlier, if I am not mistaken.

Yes indeed, the odd Red/Silver Maples have begun to bloom, as well as a few Sweet Gums here and there, here on southernmost tip of NJ.

I guess they have been fooled by the last ten days of above normal temps, but mid February is early even here, and we shall see if this early flower doesn’t get thwarted. What is very interesting is that the pattern of which trees have already popped seems rather random-Off the top of my head, I’d bet 5% or fewer of the Maples are in full flower. Very cool to see individual variation at work- Ahhh, the oil which propels natural and sexual selection. Excellent.

(Willows are also getting tawny, the way they will before they turn yellow and bud-out, however, they are not nearly in full flower.)

A quick trip to Hereford Inlet before the rain revealed nice numbers of Dunlin, a few Oystercatchers, no fewer than four Western Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Plover, and soem very sharp Great Cormorants on the Channel markers. Drake Red-breasted Mergansers were doing their best deep bows as they asked the hens to dance for the season, too.

The Black-headed Gull, was not too terribly difficult to find among a whole herd of Bonaparte’s Gulls at the Concrete Ship. Another good-sized bunch of Bonies were just off St. Mary’s Jetty as well, but contained nothing else of great interest.

Four White-winged Crossbills were hanging out in some Short-leaved Pine just near the recently razed building at the Villas WMA. THe birds were utterly fearless and could not have cared less that I was directly under their not-so-tall Pines. The one female took a little nap in fact. Amazing looks.

The Hen Eurasian Wigeon continues on the main pond there (all one had to do today was turn around from the Crossbills, and boom-there she was.

A Merlin, a getting brighter Yellow Plam Warbler, and lots Chipping Sparrows whose russet crowns are rapidly losing their streaks of autumn were also to be had there, anong others.

Norbury’s Landing on a rapidly incoming tide revealed more Black-bellied Plovers than I have yet seen this year. Also on the increase of hardy shorebirds note- A lone American Oystercatcher heading up into the bay today was a sight for sore eyes.

A half-hour spent at Sunset at Jake’s Landing turned up no fewer than 4 Short-eared Owls. One obliging individual perched up o a post just across the channel from the boat-ramp for a good long while.

The blackish Roughleg which has been hanging out there was in the very same cedar it has been, east of the boat-ramp. 8-9 Harriers were also fairly easy to see as they coursed the Salt Marsh, and Great Horneds were hooting well before Sunset.

Otherwise the numbers of Robins up and about and moving around to roost today was impressive, hundreds were here or there, who knows how many there were all told.

Birds continue to be on the move in Cape May, and are at it with a largely northward bent.

While I spied nothing unusual or rare, I did manage to garner some fine seasonal sightings of common birds in a rather short time today. The bird of the day was, however a Harbor Seal at the mouth of Cold Spring Inlet. Seals are always welcome, and I have not seen so many this winter.

Dunlin have increased, it seems, on Beaches and Jetties. There were 1500 sleeping on the Breakwater at Higbee’s Beach alone, and hundreds were feeding at both Two-Mile Beach and Hereford Inlet.

Otherwise, shorebirdwise, a lone pair of Oystercatchers, and a single Western Willet were at Hereford Inlet (though there were a lot of clam-diggers on the flats today, so I have no idea what might have been around).

Like Dunlin, Icterids have made a marked influx. Today I saw the first, and typical, good sized flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds (as in hundreds) foraging on lawns.

In keeping on the theme of common birds doing what they should be in a balmy mid February, Flocks of Pintail were up high overhead, going north, or off-shore today, and their numbers seem to have diminished by about half in the Coastguard Ponds on Ocean Drive.

Common Loons have settled in at favoured spots for their moult, and Red-throats are increasing, or at least becoming a bit more obvious, and a bit more mobile.

Among a dozen Great Corms at Cold Spring Inlet, only a a quarter were in breeding plumes, but those few were already in great form, with silvered, shaggy necks and saurian crests on the nape, breasts and necks all glossed blue-bottle. Schnazzy birds.

And another nuptial note struck me completely by surprise today, and accented the fact that Mallards have paired up “all of a sudden” (actually the pairing & bonding process has been going on for some time, its just now getting down to real business).

Right now, the feet of paired or pairing Mallards are a bright carmine, coral-red, not at all unlike “Red-legs”, as Black-ducks are soemtimes known. This change is evident in both the hens and drakes, and is kind of like the flush of a Snowy Egret’s toes. A Mallard’s feet and legs are usually a friendly, “orange-with a capital-O”, las found in a crayon box. It is only when pairing that they get this bloom. Also illustrating the pairing up of what I presume are our local Mallards, is the fact that one of the drake MallardxBlack hybrids, has apparently taken a blue-blooded Mallard hen for his mate. Hopefully they will pick a spot nearby to raise their brood.

Oh, and as an aside, the State Park is completely annoying. The boardwalk remains torn up and the plover ponds are possessed of a lot of earth moving machines rearranging and managing things for their charges(again). This makes birding there less than ideal at the moment.

While I like that the ponds will be maintained for the Plovers, I find the waste by the State to be a bit off-putting. The one pond was planted with plugs of native grasses, by hand, according to a plan, as well with shrubs and small trees as a restorative measure, and then, well everything grew in, rather nicely, obviously making it less hospitable to baby Piping Plovers. (That pond was actually planted for a different use at the time.) Now a couple of years later, it is bulldozed again. They could’ve just spared the expense the first time around, and left them both barren and plover-friendly to begin with…

keep looking »

Recently Written

• Excellent Bayshore Birding: Lots of Shorebirds, Gulls, Silly numbers of Turkeys, and a Vesper Sparrow
• Dolphins, a Brown Pelican, A Cape Island Yellow-throated Warbler and a nice little “fall” around the point in the mist
• Some Eagle notes, etc.
• LAGU in Cape May, and a few other early spring notes
• After the snow in Cape May
• Lots and lots of ducks around Cape May
• Flowering Maples
• News and Notes from Cape May; Black-headed Gull, White-winged Crossbills, continuing Eurasian Wigeon, etc.
• Some nice looks at Short-eared Owls, etc.
• A seal, a balmy day, and the colour of a randy Mallards feet

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