Jan
12
A quick turn around the south Cape May neighborhood this bright sunshiny day turned up, among a whole lot of others:
About thirty Tree Swallows who were rather fervently feeding over one small, shletered patch of the Bunker Pond. They focused their efforts on plucking from the surface, and the flock as a whole was engaged in a sort of conveyor-belt strategy. I imagine there was some sort of insect hatch occurring, but given the focus and intensity of the flock, it must not have been much. Tree Swallows were also flying inthe lee of the artificial Dune, and a few were spread out over the Meadows at one point too. The ones who came close were rather dull, apparently hatch-year types.
A nice-sized (for Cape May) flock of 40 or so Snow Buntings, just near the bunker. A bit later on a smaller group of 14 or 15 put down by the Meadows plover pond. Whether these were a splinter from the other group, I know not.
The park also turned up a sharp, and not at all skulky Yellow-breasted Chat, whose breast got the full benefit of the low raking afternoon light. I guess it was too chilly for modesty, and he was out and fluffed out in the open, and most uncharacteristically for a Chat, flew across a wide open expanse at one point.
There were also a fine collection of Kinglets, including 2-3 Ruby-crowns, an Eastern Phoebe, some churring Eastern Bluebirds, and basking Waxwings in this spot. I suppose due to the sunshine and sheltered aspect of this patch today, all of the birds were, like the Chat, most confiding. One Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, flew over my sholder and landed to bathe and drink from a puddle not a yard away. While such confiding behaviour (or obliviousness to humans, rather!) is typical of these mites, it was nevertheless amazing to realize I could’ve caught the nano-bird with a butterfly net when he passed by. The Bluebirds were likewise unconcerned , and flew within yards as they puounced from warm perches, coming exceptionally close. Again, I think just standing still for a quarter hour helps.
A good spish in this birdy patch quickly and unexpectedly brought in an Adult Red-shouldered Hawk to a low perch. Not much in raptordom exceeds B. lineatus for looks-and that’s sayin somethin. The hawk quickly reaized it had been duped, and did not at all like being so close to a human-which was fine, really, cause all the dickey birds really didn’t appreciate all of a sudden being so close to a Red-shouldered Hawk!
Otherwise, a flock of 25 Fish Crows was a surprise, and seems to be the same roving band which has decided to Winter here. The pod of seven Snow Geese continues with the Canadas, and waterfowl are looking good and easy to see. Gadwall numbers seem to be very good right now, they surpassed Wigeon and even Mallards in my ramble today
Dec
29
Winter notes from Cape Island
Filed Under Fish Crows, Rusty Blackbirds, Winter Birds, raptors | Leave a Comment
Just a couple of quick notes from a few stops and some favoured points around the Island:
Firstly, since lots of peope are off this week and this includes lots of gun-wielding City-slickers, birding at Higbee’s Beach is a first class pain in the ass, cause the place is just plain not big enough for the number of yahoos with guns running around it. One or two would be fine, but face it, you can’t swing binoculars most of the time in October without seeing someone you’d rather not, so now imagine that intesified with 20 guage firepower, and that is what one gets in December. The point becomes self-evident-wear as much safety orange as you like, the place is just too small for the number of people with guns.
Otherwise…
With the nice sharp shift to Northwesterlies, there was a decent little hawk flight up and over Cape May, including half a dizen or so Red-shoulders, about as many Harriers, and a Goshawk near Pond Creek. A single adult Bald Eagle and the bunches of Black and Turkey Vultures seem to be the local birds though.
Fifteen or sixteen Greater Yellowlegs were likewise at Pond Creek, which seems to be the number there usually are there, judging from years past.
A half a dozen or so Rusty Blackbirds at Hidden Valley, and a roughly equal number of Tree Swallows here and there were fine additions to the day’s list, and also perfectly seasonal.
And finally, a surprising number of Fish Crows were in one rangy flock which was zig-zagging over these six square miles for a bit today.
Apr
21
Some interesting sightings around Cape May, despite the weather; Blue Grosbeak, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Tricolored Heron, Rusty Blackbirds, etc.
Filed Under Breeding Birds, Fish Crows, Herons, Rusty Blackbirds, Spring Migration, Warblers | Leave a Comment
The wind again turned around from the Northeast, and given the house cleaning Cape May has seen with the awesome southerlies the last couple of days, this fact really put a damper on any sort of northward passage.
But not entirely…
The most welcome new arrival was a finally returning Blue Grosbeak at Higbee’s Beach. Interestingly she was an adult female, and came just as I was finishing up there this morning, having spent a comparatively birdless walk around my most favoured “patch”.
She was in the first (ie: northern) “Tower Field” (The two fields on the eastern side of the central cedar hedge and main path). I would normally expect the first arrivals back on territory here to be males, and at this point in the year, with some patches of brown “basic’ plumage still on them somewhere. With the complusive pendulum sweeps of the tail so charactistic of Blue Grosbeaks, she was busily foraging low in the Choke Cherry Saplings and brier runners in the middle of the field. Blue Grosbeaks seem to prefer clinging to vertical perches a few inches off the ground, and then pouncing on prey items, and this bird was no exception. Between pounces, where she would remain hidden in the herbage for a some time only to pop up, fly a yard or two and repeat the excercise, she seemed obsessed with cleaning her bill, the way birds do, as if sharpening a knife. Blue Gorsbeaks really do live up to their name, and their bill is downright huge.
This bird really made my day.
A noisy flock of nearly thirty Rusty Blackbirds remain at the Beanery, causing a cacophonous riot with their fenzy of bizarre song. The last remaining Snow Goose there seems to have finally flown the coop.
Seawatching was a bit challenging given the wind, however, large numbers of Forster’s Terns continue to pour in. Over a hundred could be seen from St. Mary’s Jetty, including the first arriving first-year bird I have seen, and a bit later on at the Meadows, there were a further 78 hunkered down out of the wind. Red-throated Loons continue to raft off the point, but in far lesser numbers than a week or two ago. There were about 40 out there today. Compared to the last three days of southerly winds, there were very few Common Loons heading north, and next to no Double-crested Cormorants.
Bottlenosed Dolphins were well represented though, despite being difficult to spot in the chop. Chimney Swifts and Barn Swallows, as well as a few Purple Martins were trying to make a hard-earned living looking for bugs over the wind blown waves where the Bay meets the Atlantic today. Barn Swallows are definitely on the increase, by the way, and Barn, Tree, Rough-wings and Martins, as well as a few Chimney Swifts were around Lily Lake today, or whizzing around the point.
In addition to the aforementioned 78 Forster’s Terns, the new artificial Island on the east side of the Meadows held a fine assortment of loafing and preening birds which would, in a gentler breeze ahve been doing just that out on the beach. In the gale which was blowing today however they were sensibly in this more sheltered spot, behind the lee of the man-made dike-dune.
Along with a pair of Ameican Oystercatchers, a pair of Gadwall, a bunch of good-looking Herring Gulls, a few Ring-billed Gulls and a small flock of Laughers, some of the latter bearing that ephemeral pink-bloom which makes them irresistably good-looking in April, was a picture perfect, breeding plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull. This bird was ubelievably handsome, bill and legs the deep rich yellow of a crayola crayon box, with an immaculate snowy head and breast, and a paving-slate coloured mantle. Seeing one next to the similarly toned Laughers was a fine comparison, particularly for one with an extreme love of tone and colour.
The Lesser Black-back’s slaty mantle was just ever so slightly warmer, and a touch darker than the Laughers, which have more of a bluish cast. An extremely subtle distinction, but the mantles of the two are not exactly the same colour, though very similar in a quick scan.
Otherwise, a Tricolored Heron which was winging its way north and west out of the Meadows, and some indefatigably singing yellowthroats were kind of a surprise in the chilly gale. Ducks seem to be largely clearing out, though one pair of Blue-winged Teal were there.
It is also worth mentioning that a lone Ruddy Duck continues on the Bunker Pond. In the State Park.
I keep neglecting to mention it, but the last 5 days or so have seen a decided increase in the number of dispalying and couritng Brown-headed Cowbirds-no doubt in response to the sudden increase nesting activity among some of their favorite hosts. American Goldfinches have really coloured up over the last ten days as well, and Common Grackles are displaying to beat the band. Most interestingly I saw a picture perfect “bronzed” Grackle engaged in a bill-ponting display with a locally breeding “Purple” Grackle.
But more on the nature of Common Grackle forms and distribution, as well as the changing nature of the Forster’s Tern population in Cape May will be forthcoming in an upcoming note.
And finally, despite the weather, House Wrens were singing in many places around Cape May Point proper from which they were absent only two days ago. Yellow Warblers have yet to show up, as far as I can tell, though, and Prairie Warblers are singing at a frequency which indicates still only the first males are around, and the bulk of males and any females have yet to arrive. Fish Crows have stopped with ripping off sticks, and are now gathering soft, rotten, mulch-like matierial, just right for nest lining prior to laying. Very cool.
Cheers- and more notes on the fascinating sublteties of Grackles and Terns in the neighborhood, as well as thoughts regarding the conservation crisis which continues to plague Champagne Island’s colonial nesters will be coming soon-but for today, this is all I’ve got, and other pressing matters presently need to be attended to-like sleep!
Cheers
CJV
Apr
9
Blue-headed Vireo, Least Sandpiper, Gnatcatchers, and Fish Crow Courtship; a second-hand Black-headed Gull sighting, etc. April in Cape May
Filed Under Breeding Birds, Fish Crows, Rarities, Rusty Blackbirds, Shorebirds, Spring Migration | 2 Comments
Having suffered the last four days or so from a noreaster that wouldn’t quit, the wind shifted this afternoon, and tomorrow Cape May should see a change in its birdlife.
Today, however, there were also a few new arrivals, and some other quite interesting sightings worth relating.
Just about perfectly on-time was a “kreeep”-ing Least Sandpiper at the Meadows. Other than a lingering hen Ring-necked Duck, a pair of Blue-winged Teal, a handful of other lingering waterfow and five American Coot, the Meadows remains rather quiet. It will take some time for the bird-nurturing soup of vegetation and small animals which constitute a natural marsh to come back to the recently leveled place.
The other noteworthy and seasonal migrant was actually a lot less expected, given the weather the last few days. I was pleasantly surprised to find, among a flock of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers in the third field at Higbee’s Beach, my first Blue-headed Vireo of the Spring. A singularly striking bird, it typically responded with vigour to a spished imitation of a Vireo’s scold.
Gnatcatchers were around in several small, and one or two rather large flocks at Higbee’s Beach. The two largest flocks were in the third field, during the drizzle and mist, and consisted of 12 and 18 birds respectively. Watching 18 Gnatcatchers, leave the stubble and twigs of the field and fly into the hedge was quite a sight. Many of the males are superb birds just now.
Little flocks of Eastern Phoebes were again around in surprising numbers-7 together in the second tower field, and a total of 14 Were scattered around Higbee’s Beach, flycatching from vertical stems poking out of the fields.
3 Rusty Blackbirds were at the Beanery, and another 3 were sitting up, singing in trees at the end of the third field at Higbee’s. However, a flock of 60 Redwings, nearly all females, with a few young males thrown in, at the Beanery were the largest concentration of these sexually differentiated migrants I have seen so far. Soon the males in the reed and Cattail beds will really have something to perform about.
Fish Crows drew attention on two counts today. One was actually a count- 58 were lined up on a wire on New England Road, and another flock of 30 were coming in to meet them from the south. I have a feeling that these are incoming migrants heading for points north and inland.
The other aspect of Fish Crow biology which caught my eye was a most delightful and tender courtship display.
A mated pair was sitting alongside one another engaged in a bout of allo-preening. Each was simultaneously and gently preening the sensitive feathers of the forehead, and throat of the other. It then extended to the eye-lashes and rictal bristles. What happened next was totally cool. They began to grasp each other’s open beaks, the same way dogs will gently muzzle of grasp each others jaws in theirs. Or you could say, just the way that humans, well, kiss. First the base and then the working their way up each other’s open beaks, they gently mouthed each other for a few minutes. Then, one seized a small, hard privet berry, and with interlocked bills, they began to pass the fruit between their mouths.
Their lax, almost Rook-like, thigh feathers were flared into pantaloons the whole time.
Apparently this is often a prelude to copulation:
“Copulation; Pre- and Postcopulatory Displays. Few observations. Male feeds female or touches her bill.” (Mcgowan, Kevin J. 2001. Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/589
In trying to find anything about this behaviour in my rather extensive ornithological library, I could find next to nothing. The birds of North America by Cornell was also a trifle disappointing. Under courtship displays it just says:
“Courtship Displays and Mate-Guarding. No courtship display seen. One observation in New York of nest-building crow with stick in bill flying slowly with stiff wings in exaggerated “butterfly” fashion, circling nest site completely before going to nest; repeated several times (KJM). Male guards female before and during egg-laying.” (Ibid.)
Wow- the stiffwinged flaps, and sky dancing flocks at Cape May now seem a whole lot more significant. So much to learn about the bird-life around here, and so few people doing more than rarity chasing…Its time to get out a notebook and watch Fish Crows for a bit, a serious contribution to the literature could be made, apparently.
And while on the topic of just how ignorant most folks are regarding these clearly clever and endearing little corvine imps, “Crows and Jays, a Guide to the Crows, Jays, and Magpies of the World, Madge, S., and Burn, H., 1994, Houghton Mifflin co. has this remarkable expression of ignorance to add-
“Unlike most crows, they have not been recorded taking human scraps, but presumably do so if the oppurtunity arises” p. 155
The authors have clearly never spent time on the Cape May Hawkwatch, and the brown-bagging and pizza ordering denizens of the Cape May Hawkwatch could all have been crow-experts, had they known.
Getting away from my much-beloved Fish Crows for a moment, I reliable local observer & author called today to let me know of a 1st year Common Black-headed Gull which had been seen from the Concrete Ship. Though I went to look, and was well rewarded by a dozen Forster’s Terns and a close-by raft of yelping Red-throated Loons, I dipped on the Black-headed Gull. I went on a bit of hunt, and was unable to locate it at the Ferry Terminal, the surf at Higbee’s, and some jetties and likely spots around Cape May.
And lastly, one other bit of gull-news. Laughers are really starting to whoop it up. If tomorrow it is warm, I expect to be awakened by them. This evening flocks were pouring in from the South with the change in the wind. They were also performing, fighting, and pairing up around the Harbour.
Today, while waiting for an oil-change, I walked over to the harbour from my mechanic’s shop, and sat under a gazebo in the rain, opposite the Lobster House and ships for a while. The Laughing Gulls there were in full form, and outrageously courting. The wintering flock of Ruddy Ducks has dwindled to 20, but some are deliciously Ruddy all of a sudden-though among them, none are yet possesed of baby-blue bills.
One of the best things about living in Cape May, is that a short walk during a 45 minute oil-change can result in some great bird observations. But then again, I believe it was Gerald Durrell who said “Cultivating an interest in Natural History is the best prevention against that peculiarly modern ailment of Boredom”.
So true…now if only I could confirm that came from Gerry Durrell! And if only the field next to that gazebo by the harbor, once much beloved of Horned Larks, was not presently the construction site of a Mcmansion-in-progress…
Cheers
CJV