Firstly, apologies for a lack of updates-it is that busy time of year, with little time for living, let alone writing. Following are a couple of thoughts from the week past (which, from the protestations of readers, one would think was an eternity! Kidding aside, I extend a sincere “Thank you”, it is nice to know that folks are reading, and the disappointment voiced by a lack of updates is certainly flattering!)

By far the most inteteresting thing I saw as a result of Tropical Storm Hannah was a Manta Ray (!!!) which breached three times just off South Cape May on Saturday. The first spalsh was all I saw at first, which I automatically assumed was a result of a cetacean or five. When the culprit leapt again, I (nearly) involuntarily yelled a resounding “Wholly SHIT!! as it was clearly a nice-sized Manta, with a disk spanning approximately 8 feet or so. I’ve never seen a Manta Ray in Jersey, and never seen one from shore ever. The flattened “horns”, wire-thin tail, and perfectly bi-coloured pattern were easy to see, albeit in mid air- the impressive animal cleared the water completely. I was most surprised, as the water has only recently gotten into the seventies.

The other really surprising sighting I’ve had during the last week was of an Eastern Mole, which, before the rain of this weekend, must’ve been driven in desperation by hunger, and dry, compacted soil to the surface.

Prior to Hannah, the last time it rained in Cape May was the tenth of August, believe it or not, and I imagine the Mole was having a hard time finding subterannean earthworms. It was squirming around in the grass, using its fossorially adapted form to sort of swim/burrow through the matted roots and stems. A free-ranging, live mole above ground is a rare sight, and despite the numerous Mole-hills seen and stepped on daily, this is the first one I’ve ever seen like this at Higbee’s. Just shows to go you what novelties one can find, even in the most familiar and well-trodden of patches.

Likewise, the day after the storm, the biggest thrill I got was out of a Silver-haired Bat which flew over the ponds at the point, while I was admiring Buff-breasted Sandpipers with some friends. A largish bat, and though not a Lasiurus proper (bring a Lasionectyris), still in the group of vespertillionids commonly refered to as “leaf-bats”. The large-size, dark pelage, angled, Tringa-like wrist, and confident flight style all readily identified the solitary limb-rooster.

Now the last time I was able to hoof out to Stone Harbor Point was Thursday last, and there was still a large creche of Royal Terns waddling around Champagne Island. I suppose the Cape May birding mafia is entirely too engaged in the masturbatory exercises of rarity hunting, compulsive web-site promotion, and photo-posting to actually pay attention to nature in these parts to care…..

While last year the colony was too small to produce a proper creche, last week there was a group of 60-80 waddling around, like a proper Royal Tern Colony. For those who may not be acquainted with the breeding biology of Royals, they are a communal, altruistic species, and the adults surround the flightless nestling, in a defensive “herd” which travels with the colonie’s earth-bound young. They are fed by everyone. Kind of like the groups of young penguins one sees on nature shows…but not quite.

Despite the hype, tropical storm Hannah produced next to nothing compared to other storms which were completely ignored by birdwatchers recently and unashamedly trying to make names for themselves in Cape May. While I hear there were a very few of the “tropical” Terns after I left Sunset Blvd. a darkish juv Pomarine-type Jaeger was the only storm waif of note I saw on Sunday.

And while I left for work before a Frigate occurred at Higbee’s this morning, and very much should’ve liked to have seen it, a few Sternas and a frigate make for a pretty lame storm-bird total! Frigates are a casual occurence which one may expect in NJ after any good bout of southerlies, really.

The real show was the incredibe American Redstart flight at Higbee’s this morning. If there was one there was easily a thousand. Red-eyed Vireos had a decent flight as well. Other noteworthies included Dickcissel, a Golden-wing, Connecticut, and some spectacular views of Blackburnians, Black-throated Greens, Chestnut-sideds, BT- Blues, Cape Mays, Nashvilles, etc. etc…

Otherwise, and in no particualr order, Egrets and Herons have been around the point in impressive numbers. Waterfowl increase daily, with Shovelers, Green-winged Teal and Wigeon turning up with greater frequency, and Blue-winged Teal in impressive numbers. Eastern Kingbirds have diminshed to a trickle while Bobolinks are still going strong. Empids have well-passed their peak, and despite a nice showing of Yellow-bellieds late last week, have been replaced by Pewees. Great Crests are also scarce. Pectoral Sandpipers are difficult to miss, a handsome Juv. Baird’s Sandpiper had been hanging around, until recently, Buff-brested’s are on the dry beach Grass, and CMBO and continues to obviously be threatened by its own incompetence, and my mere presence.

As has been observed by many, Cape May is hardly what it once was. I am reminded of the “Reign of Thirty Tyrants”, the period which followed the glories of the Julio-claudians and Flavians, in Rome. Without Sibleys and Lehmans, and with most of the better birders and naturalists either eschewing the nasty birding “scene” or being too busy traveling for tours (or like myself, just plain earning a living) the current Cape May birding establishment of CMBO/NJAS is clearly suffering from the effects of its own mediocrity, and I may say, the pathologies of its research associates, Shop-keepers, and other administrators and directors.

Pity really.

There was excellent birding and excellent birds to be had in Cape May today, and it also happened to be a spectacularly pleasant one on which to be out and about doing just about anything out-of-doors.

By far the most exciting find were three Sandwich Terns among the 200 Royal Terns and well over a thousand Black Skimmers on Champagne Island. While three Sandwich terns here in late June is not all that surprising, the exciting thing was that two were breeding plumaged adults, apparently going through some kind of courtship manouvres.

They were marching together in circles, quick-step time, side by side, wings slightly drooped, bushy crests raised, and necks arched. They kept this up for some time.

The interesting thing is that Sandwich Terns apparently form pair-bonds well before arriving on breeding turf. However the biirds showed no aggressive interaction, and stayed glued to each other’s side the entire timeI watched, even when not marching around together.

The other Sandwich was a first year, ousted from the middle of one cluster of Royal Tern nests by a garrulous Royal. The young Sandwich just flew a few feet to the edge of the nesters, and stayed within very close proximity to the colony. Last year, Sandwich Terns were landing among the actual nesting Royal Terns too, not just hanging out with the loafers as is typical of misfit terns.

I should not at all be surprised if Sandwich Tern is not among the next, if not the next bird added to NJ’s list of breeding birds.

Otherwise, there were 11 Brown Pelicans in that neighborhood, two roosting on the inlet side of Great Channel, the others all winging north off-shore, six of those being in one flock.

A young Great Cormorant left the flock of 50 roosting Double-cresteds roosting on the sandbars on the west side of the point, and headed to the north over the sea. This is the first I’ve seen or heard of an over-summering Great Corm at Hereford Inlet this year.

There was a decent little flock of shorebirds at the overflow pond at the base of Stone Harbor Point, including, 3 Red Knot, 9 Ruddy Turnstones, 11 Black-bellied Plovers, 13 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Short-billed Dowitchers, 12 Western Sandpipers, and 5 Semipalmated Sandpipers.

One Tricolored Heron was at Nummy’s Island, but otherwise, the place belonged to the flies.

Cape Island was its effervescent summertime self and very birdy today.

I get the feeling that Yellow-billed Cuckoo eggs must’ve hatched. One because Yellow-billed Cuckoos were incredibly obvious, flying back and forth around the fields at Higbee’s in a way which they weren’t even just yesterday, and carrying food; and two because I found the discarded shell of a hatched Yellow-billed Cuckoo egg just near the Pond there today.

One Roseate Tern-beautiful bird, was hunting off the Point this morning, and the same bachelor flock of 4 Surf Scoters persists. Gannets also seemed to be a bit more in evidence today, I managed about 6, including one second-year type. Later, towards evening, there was a most unexpected, adult Black Tern hunting the rips. Odd time of year for one.

There were 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the South Cape May Beach front this evening, including the dark near-adult and two second summers.

A first-summer Yellow-crowned Night Heron at the Meadows was a bit unexpected as it came in from the north and circled the place two or three times before settling in. A first summer Black-crown was also there and an adult Black-crown was in the park.

The same footless Lesser Yellowlegs was in the Meadows, but the Willets of the last fortnight have apparently departed.

Best of all, there were two broods of four Piping Plovers, one very new- maybe a day or two old, the other a couple of weeks old, and maybe a week away from fledgeling, give or take. With the 8 chicks there were 16 Pipers on the Beach tonight.

Numbers of endangered species aside, the scene at South Cape May was just about idyllic this evening.

In a lowering sun, with a perfect breeze, the adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, flushed by a walker, unwittinlgy settled too close to the newborn Piping Plovers. As they ran behind his bright yellow legs and the parents mobbed his ankles, one of the Dolphins, unaccompanied by newborn calves, decided smacking his flukes was the best idea to come into his delphinic mind, and began pounding the waves with all his might, like a beaver on steroids, to the tune of 30 smacks.

I don’t know which was better, four adorably wide eyed newborn Piping Plovers incongruously behind a well-plumaged European stray, or the echoing cetacean ebullience. Perhaps its best not to try and tease it apart-the whole scene was a gesamtkunstwerk of Maw Nature at her finest.

CJV

I can’t help but think that the so-called closure of this bird-colony was little more than lip-service.

The “closure” lasted all of what, just a matter of weeks, really? None of those weeks coinciding with the peak of Skimmer and Tern nesting activity, and the opening to boaters, “partial” as it may be, coinciding with the peaks of boating and beach activity.

The opening of parts of this bird colony to human activity are perfectly timed to allow for the least inconvenience of tourists, and peak human activity by the sorts which threaten it. The opening, not coincidentally coinciding with the majority of school closures-which brings the majority or beach tourists to the Jersey Shore, and the Fourth of July weekend, just so happens to mirror dates which are dear to the hearts of Cape May beach-town Chambers of Commerce, municipal governments, and others who crave tourist dollars far more than the well being of nesting birds.

I think at worst, a fast one and a minor publicity stunt were pulled off on the part of the DEP, and at best, this is a barometer for just how weak New Jersey’s environemntal lobby truly is.

While I wish I could think of a more articulate way of expressing the sentiment, at the moment, the blunt seems perfectly apt. I think even a so called partial opening of this little gem and the inevitable disturbance to the nesting birds it will cause, just plain sucks.

CJV

While spending most of my day leisurely procrastinating dealing with grown-up business via birding, I managed to find a few unexpected or otherwise noteworthy birds along the way.

Before the birds however, a comment on the fact that today was a tremendous day on which to be outside studying nature. The weather was perfect, the biting insects minimal, the humidity far from oppressive, the breeze delightful, and interesting insects, birds and herps were everywhere. I realize it is a Wednesday, and miserably, most poor sods are engaged in so called “straight” 9-5 jobs, having sold their souls to their mortgages and car-payments, but why on god’s green earth I saw no one out birding or butterflying in Cape May on such a perfect early summer day like today quite simply defies explanation.

Anyway, four immature male Surf Scoters were off the point, and drifted with the tide all the way to the cove pool, as I unwittingly followed them. I parked by St. Pete’s jetty, and walked to the meadows and back, checking out favorite overlooks along the way this morning, which was a fine thing. The four bachelor Scoters were with me most of the morning as a result.

While on the topic of lingering sea-ducks, two non-breeding Red-breasted Mergs are hanging out on the Great Channel side of Stone Harbor Point. Like Scoter off the point Jetties, this is not an entirely unexpected thing in mid-June.

Five Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the beach at South Cape May, including the very dark-mantled near adult. I managed some good shots (pictures that is) of this bird today, both roosting with other gulls and feeding in the surf, and it is clearly not the typical sort of Lesser Black-back one usually encounters in this hemisphere.

Three Broad-winged Hawks were kettling over the point today as well.

By far the most unexpected bird I stumbled upon today was a Black-billed Cuckoo at Higbee’s Beach. I caught a glimpse of it in flight, and tried to talk my self out of the fact that it was not “just” a Yellow-bill. So I gave a low, toothy whistled imitation of a Black-billed’s song. Boom-a Black-billed Cuckoo flew right in and leanded, calling, less than 20 feet away. He called rather surprisingly non-stop for a full 10 minutes. This is surprising not only because of the clearly territorial behaviour it indicated, but more cause my whistled Black-billed Cuckoo imitation is not all that great!

The bird remained in the area (just in the wet-woods past the second tower) for nearly an hour, and though I managed a few pics with a point and shoot, the bird would just not cooperate for more proffesionally taken shots.

A calling Black-bill on this date, in this spot is most interesting, as the last time they were present at Higbee’s Beach in the breeding season was 18 years ago (Sibley, D.A. The Birds of Cape May, 1997, p. 86 )

Three Piping Plovers were also on the Beach proper at Higbee’s, just north of the outflow of Pond Creek. This is an odd place to find them, and I was shocked when a peep-lo revealed three of the birds just in front of me. It is even odder that three Pipers were here in mid-june, as this is not a nesting site. Curioser and curioser, and just goes to show what weird avian information might be found if anyone was out looking.

And finally, a good long time looking at Royal Terns on nests at Hereford Inlet was food for the soul. These majestic animals, all facing into the wind were a sight this afternoon.

Skimmers and Common Terns still don’t seem to be having much luck there though, and I only managed one Gull-billed Tern snatching crabs from the flats on Stone Harbor Pt.

CJV

I just heard that a survey on Champagne Island today discovered 110 Royal Tern nests there.

um, wow.

I received word this morning that 2 dozen Royal Terns are presently on nests on Champagne Island, so naturally had to go look for myself.

The long walk out to the end of Stone Harbor Point was a tremendous idea this absolutely gorgeous day, and both the Point and the Island were mercifully free of people, the birds and I had the place pretty much to ourselves.

There were just shy of 100 Royal Terns on the Island, and the breeding cluster contained about thirty birds. It is great to know that not only have they come back, but a number very near to what was there last year have settled down to nest, for the third documented nesting record of the species in the state. Many are still in handsome fully-black crested form, though some, like the four who were hanging out on St. Peter’s Jetty this morning, are already sporting increasingly white foreheads.

However the news from Champagne Island is not all good, as the shifting sands there have foundered a bit, and while at low tide its shores seems extensive, on the high, very little is exposed. As a result the nearly 1000 Skimmers there are a bit too crowded to all settle in and nest, and Common Terns look few and far between. There were just about 750 Skimmers visible from the end of Stone Harbor Point, which were a sight.

Most notable among odd-balls were two Sandwich Terns; an adult and an apparent first-summer. The adult was in high breeding colours, with a Roseate Tern-esque pinkish bloom from chin to vent. The bloom actually seems to have something of an apricot tone to it in fact, and the bird was, as “Dante” Gabriel Rossetti said of the prettier models he chose, “a stunner”.

A situation like this, with two more or less out-of-range species, on the edge of their range-limit, in a small colony with few partners to pick from, is just the recipe for hybridization. While more wishful thinking than anything, it would be a hoot to see a Sandwichx Royal hybridization by the end of the summer, the result of which would probably look a lot like a “Cayenne” or Elegant Tern, were it to happen.

Otherwise, a first-summer Lesser Black-backed Gull wa sroosting with the Gull flock, 2 Red Knot, one of which was crippled in the left wing, and a handful of Sanderling were around the inlet. 2 Western Sandpipers, 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and five Semipalmated Plovers were in the over-flow pond at the base of the Point, and a Tricolored Heron was dancing on the flats just to the north east of the free bridge to Nummy’s Island.

Willow Flycatchers are again on territory in the scrub near the parking lot there too, as per usual. And the first first-year Least Tern I have seen this year was in the sand flats on Stone Harbor Point.

CJV

It helps that there are lots of friendly folks around the place this week, to be sure!

A bit of sea-watching first thing turned up an odd, and single Greater Scaup, winging into the Bay. First one of those I have seen in weeks. Parasitic Jeagers were easy to see this morning, even in this wind. All were light morph-birds, maybe 5 en toto.

Then a text regarding a Cerulean Warbler at Higbee’s came in. Spring Ceruleans are even fewer and further between than August Ceruleans, and are a bit more outstanding in hue. I did indeed rush over-but the bird was singing, never seen, and moving North and West with the wind. Cerulean Warbler is another bird, like the Red Knot, and Rusty Blackbird which should really be listed and entitled to full protection under the law. NJ happens to have one of the highest breeding densities of Cerulean Warblers by the way. Centred in the Kittatiny/Watergap area, and largely neglected. I wonder what the fate of High Point might mean for Cerulean Warblers?

After that, and back to the point, an Orchard Oriole and a Baltimore, side by each in the little parking lot near the Lighthouse was a very nice comparison. While admiring Orioles, a passing birder posed the question, “How common are Sandhill Cranes around here, cause I am sure I saw one at the Zoo yesterday, seen bunches of them, and the keepers assure me its not one of theirs.” I thought, ya know, the habitat is ok, and I bet they have Crowned Cranes in the collection there, as most Zoos do in their africa exhibits, so the proposition is kind of good….

Well, needless to say, I went to the Zoo. And yup, there was a Sandhill Crane, in an open pasture. It is really mud-stained brown in the plumage, only grey on the neck, and is one of the taller (i.e. not tundra nesting) races. In waiting for the Zoo to open I also managed among other Warblers and Vireos a Black-poll, and an apparently nesting set of Eastern Bluebirds-which are not all that common here.

[EEEERP! Back-up! Turns out this bird is indeed a captive. The crane that is not the Blue-birds or warblers!. Just shows to go you, believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear are good words to live by! Sorry for pasing on faulty 411, but kinda really funny too!]

There was also a breeding plumaged Cattle Egret in the Zebra enclosure, too.

Thence I risked the transmission to go to Heislerville. I left before High Tide, at just afternoon, apparently a visit on an incoming tide-timed just right to miss the year’s first Curlew Sandpiper! Drat. However, the throngs of Dunlin, S.B. Dowitchers, Semi-sands and Plovers, Yellowlegs, etc. And a thick flock of 70 Black Skimmers were more than enough to keep me occupied for an hour or two. A sickly Red-throated Loon, in the back impoundment, and occaisionally hauling out on the lawn is an odd bird to be in the brackish water there.

Back to the Point and a fully breeding Black Tern, and a couple of fly-by Red Knot being very nice additions to my day-despite the best efforts of those friendly folks at Northwood.

Thanks to the genuinely nice guys from M.O.S. I wound up having not missed out on all the Curlew Sands in the area today, and got to see the one on the mussel beds at the North-east end of Nummy’s. Almost as good were the numbers of Royal Terns and Common Terns on Champagne Island. Twenty and over a hundred respectively. Forster’s Terns are settling in on the SE end of Nummy’s, a breeding plumaged Common Loon was in the Inlet, and like at Heislerville, there were a few trios of Red-breasted Mergansers hanging around.

Lots of Whimbrel, and a fine diversity of other Shorebirds were in the Hereford Inlet area.

Sadly though, an Osprey nest at the south end of Nummy’s Island, replete with a baby, is now sans a parent. It was road-killed near the toll-bridge there, and the chick is at an age when little can be done, and people who actually work on birds in NJ are too short-staffed to intevene. And yet, CMBO and NJAS are too busy paying nearly all employees to play big day at the moment to worry about birds which are vulnerable in NJ.

What a State in which to enjoy birds! (pun very much intended!). And thanks again to NJAS for saving me the trip I was going to make in the next day or two anyway. (I don’t expect anyone but Dunne and Gilmore’s Mafia to understand that remark) Good job folks, you done real good today!

CJV

Champagne Island, a significant colonial beach-nester site in Cape May county was recently and mercifully closed off to boat-landing due to disturbance and outright vandalism it causes to Skimmer nests by an out-of control set of bird harassing ruffians, in an enlightned move bythe State of NJ. And the state conservation authorities took this very necessary action in the face of an extrememy vocal opposition. The State of NJ is to be commended and congratulated for this, especially given the unpopularity the action received from some quarters.

What follows is is a copy of a short note I wrote regarding Champagne Island which originally appeared in the ABA’s newsletter, “Winging it” in July 2007, when the crisis reached a boiling point. The number of Skimmers increased to nearly 1400 after this was published.

I would still urge folks to write to the address at the bottom of the note to express concern, and request (or actually, insist on!) a full-time conservation and preservation presence on the island and Hereford Inlet this year, considering just how vocal, vehement, and truly aggressive the opposition is to the recent closing off of this significant bit of breeding and migratory bird habitat in an irresponsibly exploited area.

More, and informative links regarding this very serious conservation situation in Cape May will soon be forthcomg

CHAMAPGNE IS FOR THE BIRDS!
BY CHRIS VOGEL
Champagne Island is a sandbar in Hereford Inlet, a crucial site for colonial beach-nesting birds in Cape May, New Jersey. This year, Champagne Island also harbors the northernmost nesting colony of Royal Terns in the world.
New Jersey’s second breeding attempt by Royal Terns was discovered in early June. Over the next few weeks, up to 200 Royal Terns were on Champagne Island, and it presently is home to 30 nesting pairs. This tiny island, also harbors 1,500 nesting Black Skimmers, 500 Common Terns, Gull-billed Terns, American Oystercatchers, and Piping Plovers. The surrounding flats often host other threatened or uncommon birds, including Brown Pelican; Great Cormorant; and Roseate, Sandwich, and Arctic Terns. The island’s sands also serve as a significant roosting site for the imperiled Red Knot, flocks of which commute to feeding sites along Delaware Bay during their spring migration.
Champagne Island is a great place for birds, but it is also much beloved of a more boisterous set of beachgoers. On a recent weekend, the bird colony was surrounded by approximately 420 people, unruly dogs, a floating hot-dog concession, volleyball nets, bars with generators, propane grills, tents, 80 boats, and 30 beached jet-skis. Clearly, something needs to be done.
The island is so small that the roped-off area set aside for the terns and skimmers is a little below the high-tide line; thus at high tide, hundreds of people and their dogs unavoidably stress the nesting birds. Some harassment is intentional, as when a father and son were seen to walk into the clearly marked area, panicking 1,000 Black Skimmers and picking up their vulnerable eggs.
The conservation staff responsible for monitoring Champagne Island has been placed in an overwhelming position, and local law enforcement agencies are spread thin. Further complicating the situation is confusion about who has jurisdiction over the island in the first place.
The Royal Tern has been an icon of bird and beach conservation ever since Teddy Roosevelt visited their colonies and was moved to create the National Seashores. It will be a shame if the Champagne Island colony should perish over a weekend game of Frisbee.

Please write or call the Commissioner of N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service-New Jersey Field Office, to urge that more be done to protect Champagne Island and the birds that use it: Commissioner NJDEP, New Jersey Field Office, 927 N. Main Street, Heritage Square, Building D, Pleasantville, New Jersey 08232. Tel. 609/646 9310, fax 609/646 0352; fw5es_njfo@fws.gov.
—————————————————————————————————

Now, It should aslo be noted that for my speaking up regarding the preservation of birds in NJ, Eric Stiles, representing the, as I see it, fraudulent New Jersey Audubon Society, tried to have me fired from my position with a state conservation organization, and silence my on-line advocacy for bird conservation- since it was something they (and he) could take no credit for, and the New Jersey Audubon Society took it upon themselves to do their best to violate my first amendment rights to free speech through intimidation.

Just how a purported conservation organization like NJAS feels justified in trying to squelch the conservation efforts of concerned citizens, and threaten their jobs, livelihood, and pocket-books in the bargain is beyond me. It well illustrates the bullying and intimidation tactics employed by NJAS to protect their undeserved, and largely fraudulent image. An ugly side to the organization which naturally never gets revealed in their published and strictly promotional propoganda. The New Jersey Audubon Society, in an effort to maintain its reputation as the “biggest kid on the block” in the NJ conservation community, and ensure the salaries of its 80-90 employees- many of whom, while being supported my member’s dollars, are engaged in retail & marketing, and promoting their own tours and popular books, as opposed to conservation, education, or research in New Jersey- simply cannot tolerate seeing a missed oppurtunity for self-promotion (ie-the marketing of their out-right fraudulent product). They will also go to extreme lengths to preserve this image, since image, and not substance, is what keeps the donating members duped into supporting NJAS.

And the intimidation I received, and continue to receive from NJAS was because I was speaking out for bird conservation in the State of New Jersey-more than ironic, and not to mention kind of fascist, in my opinion!

It should also be noted that while others were doing the work and raising public awareness, NJAS had to be goaded into action, which to their credit, they eventually took, while continuing to sell binoculars, and using the oppurtunity to promote employees in order to maintain the perceived celebrity deemed necessary to generate revenue. To that latter end, the New Jersey Audubon Society subsequently took every opppurtunity to get themselves mentioned in every conceivable form of print media regarding the plight of the bird colonies in Hereford Inlet, in order to claim largely undeserved credit themselves, and maintain their largely lacking-in-substance image.

That being said- trying to steal a man’s livelihood, and pocketbook, as NJAS did, is a reprehensible and disgusting act in my opinion, which will never be forgotten, nor forgiven. Particularly when the person being so threatend was merely trying to preserve the nest site of some his favorite and most vulnerable birds- Royal Terns and Black Skimmers, and had only the best of intentions at heart.

Anyway, above was one piece I wrote, and provides some background information on the plight of the beach nesters on Champagne Island. Mercifully, just last week the situation was taken under control by the proper conservation authorities, but extreme concern for the safety of the colony cannot be urged enough, and I again encourage everyone to write their representatives to ensure the real protection of this unique-in the true sense of the word-bird colony here in Cape May.

More, and informative links regarding this very serious conservation situation in Cape May will soon be forthcomg, as will a lot more substantive information regarding the imperiled wildlife of Champagne Island in particular.

CJV

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

Categories

• Beach Nesters
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• Mammals
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• Rarities
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Blogroll

• ABA “Peeps” - excellent birding updates from the American Birding Association
• American Bird Conservancy - dedicated to bird conservation
• American Museum of Natural History - specimen-based evolutionary, & biological research at its finest
• American Ornithologists Union
• Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) - Collaborations in…you guessed it!
• Ben Johnson Art - some fine photo-realism from a local artist
• Bent’s Life Histories-familiar birds - an edited and synoptic version of Bent’s volumes, an invaluable resource nevertheless
• Bill Hubick Photography - exceptional photos and website from a fine fellow
• Birdlife International - world bird conservation at large
• Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ - people who actually work hard on conservation in NJ
• ebird
• Huffington Post - commentary by reasonable Americans
• New Jersey birding - Birding in NJ
• Pioneer Birding - excelent blog from the commonwealth and beyond
• Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science - a legitimate Bird Observatory
• Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre - another legitimate Bird Observatory
• Punkbirder-the unsound approach - We need a lot more “punk-birding” here in the States
• Save the Albatross - if 100,000 people were slaughtered per year, we’d call it genocide…
• Shorebirder - nice blog from CT
• Sibley Guides Notebook - better than the artwork even
• Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center - Dedicated to research for migratory birds
• Surfbirds - world birding news
• The Nietzsche Family Circus - “Beyond Good & Evil”-just hilarious juxtapositions
• The Onion - America’s “finest” news source-brilliant satire
• The Story of Stuff - will make you never want to shop again…

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