(*some just personal, of course!!)

I did a fair bit of birding around some of my favorite patches today, and came across some great birds along the way.

Hidden Valley first thing was kind of on the quiet side in terms of migrants. A Northern Waterthrush was singing from the wet area near the Car-park, and a Parula was singing deep in the wet woods. Small flocks of chime-songed, and stunning Yellow-rumped Warblers were also in the wet woods, and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches were the only other boreal migrants I came across. A Prothonotary seems to in fact be on territory there as well.

However the “best” bird at Hidden was one of the handsomest in the book- a breeding plumaged adult male Orchard Oriole, singing his guts out, and actively setting up a territory. What a bird. I am always struck by just how small and long-tailed Orchards appear, particularly in flight.

And at last, a territorial male Indigo Bunting has taken up shop in one of the hedgerows. Cape Island has few enough breeding birds and it is not with out reason that the return of Indigo Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks is such cause for celebration. I can’t wait till the full complement of Indigos, Blue Gros’s, Chats, and Orchard Orioles are back in the hedgerows they belong.

The Beanery just after Hidden likewise proved underwhelming in terms of migrants, though a pair of Blue-headed Vireos was well worth the walk. Also of note is the lingering Snow Goose which continues to linger there apparently! I had thought him gone, but today it was again accompanying some Canadas near Steven’s Street. 2 Rusty Blackbirds, one at Hidden Valley, and one at the Beanery, are now getting late in these parts. 2 Merlins were hunting the Beanery, zooming like spit-fires through the fields and woods. One was a perfect tiercel “Blue-jack” with reddish leggings and a battleship back, the other a falcon

A bit of Sea-watching from St. Peters proved to be time well spent. Nearly 200 Forster’s Terns were in the rips. More first years continue to trickle in daily, but the number of absurdly long streamer-tailed and blindingly white retriced breeding adults is impressive.

And then lo and behold, while looking at each and every Forster’s in “turn” so to speak, my scope hit my first Common Tern of the year. I am always struck by just how very different these two birds are. The plebian, stocky, dark grey, and comparatively stubby tailed Common Tern stood right out among all of his angelic white and paradise-tailed companions.

One fact which also helps in picking up on one’s first Common Tern of the year at Cape May is that they arrive nearly 2 months after the Forster’s, and by now there are literally hundreds of Forster’s around. While it may seem like the increase in Forster’s through April might be a hinderance in finding the needle in the fishing haystack as it were, there is nothing like looking through hundreds of one species, day after day, which makes picking out something different all that much easier when it does arrive.

If, in Cape May, Piping Plovers mean Spring is here, Common Terns mean Summer is not at all far behind.

Also in the same vein, I finally found my first Royal Tern of the year in the rips. Striking thing, in full black-crested breeding form, bill like a freshly peeled carrot. Ever since I saw my first one, being chased by a Frigate at sunset while reef-fishing in the Keys at the age of 10, I have always had a “thing” for this, second largest tern. They have always seemed like something from the tropics, who navigate the Spanish Main and Bermuda Triangle sans fear. Finding and watching the first successful colony of them in here in NJ, was definitely a hight point in my ornithological career. (Now I just have to finish writing the paper…)

While on the subject of my first tern sightings of the year, a quick stop at Beaver-dam revealed my first two Gull-bills of this year, plucking carpenter frogs from the lily pads, the way they do fiddler crabs on the flats at Stone Harbor, or whiptail lizards at Laguna Atascosa. If there is one Tern I like more than a Royal or even a Roseate, Gull Billed is it, though it all depends upon which one I am lookng at at the time, I daresay!

At least 5 Parasitic Jaegers were with the herds of Terns and Gulls in the Rips, some very close, and 4 were light-morph adults. Although, one which otherwise seemed adult in plumage was noticably lacking streamers. At one point I watched one come coursing along at wave top as they do, and then it just began ascending on a 45 degree, as if it was going to tower up to single out a successful Tern. However, I noticed it lacked the urgency of wing beat this usually calls for, and lo and behold, it was, in fact rising to meet 2 other high soaring Jaegers, and the three kettled like this for some time. Then one after another, they dropped and left the kettle to hone in on, each to its own, some distantly spied and unsuspecting victim. What animals…

A sublime breeding-plumaged Great Cormorant was sitting on St. Mary’s Jetty, not a usual spot, and dwarfed its D.C. chums. And most surprisingly was a courting flock of 40 Black Scoters just off the point, doing there “cour-cour-cour-deLAINE” calls and displaying to beat the band on this late date. Which is really odd, since the lack of the sounds & sight of courting Scoters was one of Cape May Point’s great deprivations this spring…

The bit of the back bays I checked out were blissfully birdy at a highishtide today-shore-birdy in particular. 19 Red Knot were on Nummy’s Island, many already in fine breeding plumage and a single, perfectly breeding plumaged bird was roosting in the pool at the Wetlands Institute.

Whimbrel were well represented, I saw nearly one hundred in the Shellbay/Stone Harbor area, and in-coming Short-billed Dowitchers have significantly increased in number, many also already in fine feather, the majority still assuming it though. Dunlin have likeiwse seen a surge, and are similarly becoming “Red-backed” Sandpipers once again. Breeding plumage Black-bellys were stalking, Thick-knee like, through the salt-hay, and more and more stunning harlequin Turnstones are coming in too seems.

I was very excited to find my first two Semipalmated Sandpipers in the main impoundment at Heislerville today, until five minutes later when I found just under a hundred in the back impoundment! Surprisingly few leasts were with them, but 115 Semipalmated Plovers made the 4 I saw at the Meadows today seem paltry. There were easily 225 Short-billed Dows at Heislerville too, and the place is full of drop dead, gorgeous black and white dappled Greater Yellowlegs. It seems like the ones leaving Pond Creek the other evening may’ve found a better staging place in Heislerville-but who knows really?

Perhaps the best part of Heislerville though were the 39 Black Skimmers in the main impoundment. They were all just roosting, sitting in the shallows and not on the island they usually frequent. Just the mere idea alone that Skimmers, Royal, Common, and Gull-billed Terns are all back in ‘the hood” made today a red-letter one, and my summer-longing spirits soar.

Otherwise, a Broadwing kettling over Cape May Point, and a third-year Bald Eagle doing the same were very nice this morning. Yellow warblers are now at the Beanery, the Park, and the Meadows, but one of the best birds of the day came second-hand from a friend who found a roosting eastern Screech Owl in the State Park this morning. Try as I might, I could not find the bird, but this is a very nice record, as Screeches are few and far between around Cape Island. I know only of a usual 2-3, and this is a new site.

The Killdeer nest on the west path at the Meadows in now possessed of the full complement of 4 eggs. With luck it will be unmolested by humans, though it is right on the path. However, people do walk their dogs around on the TNC property with impunity after hours, so it is only with guarded hope that this nest may be a success.

And finally, while this time of year, everyone is concerned with “firsts’ it seems like no-one emphasizes lasts. To that end I saw a Hermit Thrush at Higbee’s this afternoon, and wonder when will there be another before Autumn…

CJV

It was interesting to see what was around with a north-wind blowing a gale through Cape May today. Despite the weather I managed one or two interesting sightings, mainly cause I focused my activity on the point itself, which is usually the best tack to take in nasty weather.

An apparently adult female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was near a feeder on Harvard ave in the Point, not far from St. Peter’s and St. Mary’s Jetties. In other words she was yards away from the beach.

A wind-blown Caspian Tern is one of the very few spring Caspians I have seen around Cape Island, and they are often later in the spring-as in early June. This one was headed NW over Cape May Point, did a swing around Lily Lake, and kept on going, all sleek and tucked-in in the stiff wind. He was also in immaculate breeding plumage.

Sea watching from St. Mary’s produced 3 Parasitic Jaegers, one light, one mid-morph, and one just out there. Two Eastern Kingbirds came in low over the waves, looking desperate to make landfall at the Point. I have seen Kingbirds doing this diurnal trans-bay crossing even in inclement weather on several occaisions.

Another Kingbird or two were at Higbee’s but other than Prairies, Yellowthroats, White-eyed Vireos, Gnatcatchers, and the other breeders, etc. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet or two were some of the only migrants. Migrant, breeding plumaged, Swamp Sparrows continue to turn up in non-breeding kind on habitat on Cape Island, but the surge of White-throats which occurred in the last 4 days or so seems to have died down a bit.

A few pairs ofnorthbound Willets are still coming in high over the ocean, I saw about 10 today. A Solitary Sandpiper, as well as 6 Leasts in the Meadows,were the only other note-worthy migrant shorebird sightings I managed today. Yellow-legs seemed to have cleared out, when they were in such good numbers around Cape Island as recently as Thursday evening. Wilson’s Snipe have also clearly past the peak of their passage, and are getting harder to come by every day.

Also, Yellow Warblers were singing from the State Park, even in this wind! And Barn Swallows were having a real hard time of it today; several were exhausted on the point beaches, and a couple were similarly worn out on the dikes at the Meadows. They would feebly move a few yards and then plunk back down on the ground, clearly just tuckered out by the wind.

It is worth noting that I have not seen a White-breasted Nuthatch around the point since the smattering of records of a pair (or pairs?) in the beginning of April. I guess these April W.B. Nuthatch records were of migrants after all.

CJV

In an earlier post regarding the cool Gulls and such around Cape May Point today, I forgot to mention, that there was a very nice concentration of breeding-plumaged, or rapidly assuming breeeding-plumage Purple Sandpipers hanging around the jetties.

10 were on St Mary’s for a while, and a nice flock of 65+ were towards St. Peter’s and Stites jetties.

This insurgence of migrant Purples is interesting, particularly when viewed against the timing and moulting of their close relatives, the increasing-in-number and rapidly assuming breeding-plumaged Dunlin which are arriving every day.

Neat.

CJV

While today was again plagued by a chill noreaster, and grey and showery, I managed to find a very cool bird or two, including one specimen that was novel and unique to my 31 years of ornithological investigation.

First, there was a third-summer/end of second winter “Nelson’s Gull” roosting on that man-made Island on the east side of the Meadows which has receently become a favoured gull hang-out in windy weather.

“Nelson’s” Gull is the moniker used to describe the not too-infrequent result of GlaucousxHerring gull hybridization. This bird was very pale on the mantle, and flight feathers, with a darker, dull brown outter wedge to the primaries. The bill was bright pinkbased, and perfectly black-tipped like the dipped-in-ink bill of a young Glaucous. He was noticeably larger than all of the Herrings, nearly as huge as a Glaucous. Sort of intermediate between the Herrings and the Great Black-backs present [However in looking at the photos, he kind of dwarfs some of the Herrings right next to him, and is in-fact much closer to the Black-backs-CJV].

Even more bizarre than this hybrid gull, was a weirdly aberrant Great Black-back, which I had first thought might be a hybrid.

The bird looked just like every other first year Black-back-except on the retrices and remiges. His flight feathers were white! And not just pure, partially-albino white, but patterned in white and pale beige, like a heavily marked first year White-winged Gull’s might be. His tail was also weakly patterned in limited pale brown bars, and not at all like a proper Great-black back. It was indeed a beautiful bird, and I have never seen anything like it, though albinism is not uncommon in Gulls, this bird took albinism to a unique phenotypic expression. Gorgeous and bizarre specimen.

Of course, my camera was at St. Mary’s Jetty, and I had walked from the Point, through the State Park and to the Meadows, but luckily a call to a local bird-author and known camera-wielder was perfectly timed, as he happened to be passing the Meadows when I called, and arrived in time to get some shots, and help clinch the identifications of my two bizarre big Gulls. With luck some great pix of both the Nelson’s and the aberrant Black-back were the result!

A third-year Lesser Black-back, with a dark mantle, brownish secondaries, and a few black central tail feathers was also in the mix, of neat gulls, and was a great plumage to get to study both roosting, and in flight.

Otherwise 5 Blue-winged Teal, 2 Least Sandpipers. a male and a female judging from comparative bill lengths, (in most pipers, hens have longer bills than males) and a continuing pair of American Coots linger at the Meadows.

A Killdeer nest with one egg in it found yesterday by everyone who walked past it, seemed abandoned today. No surprise, cause the bird’s nest was right on the west path of this heavily traffficked hotspot and particular walkway. We’ll see what happens to these birds nesting attempts.

No fewer than 8 Indigo Buntings, 7 male, most blue, but a few still patchy brown, and one still nearly all brown were on lawns and Gardens bordering the Dune around Cape May Point Proper. A large flock of 60 Cedar Waxwings was also in the Point, and the most I’ve seen in a couple of weeks, other than a few scattered pairs or fours at Higbee’s and Hidden Valley.

And I have kept forgetting to mention it, but the first adorable fuzzy yellow-green Canada goslings I have seen this year were on Lily Lake four days ago. Today, I saw a second brood of just-hatched Canadas at the Meadows. Goose-haters and Golfers can say what they like, Canadas are wonderful birds, and their babies downright precious when newbies.

Interestingly there is an incubating Canada, and Mute Swan on nests about 2 feet from each other, literally side by side at the Meadows. Each is apparently on a Muskrat house, and it is unbelievable that these two highly territorial and aggressive when nesting anatids have decided to set up house right next to each other. Today they were peacefully sleeping on nests less than a yard apart. I have never seen such a thing, and find it truly remarkable.

Also I should note that today there were more Barn Swalows than I have yet seen anywhere on Cape Island this spring, not a huge fall-out or anything, but probably 50 or so. A few were even sitting on the beach at St. Mary’s, clearly tuckered out by the persistent nor-easter.

CJV

Since I have received more than a couple of comments asking for a clarification of this term, I thought it a good idea to explain its meaning in birding terms.

Here goes:

“Suppresssion” is a brit and scandinavian term, (like “dipping” or “twitching”) where, the sport of birding is a much more popular, and seriously taken activity than here in The
States. It is usually followed by the modifier “of a record/sighting”, so really the term meands “suppressing” or concealing a bird sighting of interest from fellow hobbyists.

In the UK, where birding is the most popular outdoor activity, perhaps second only to gardening, finding a rarity, and not getting the word out is just short of blasphemy, and grounds for ostracization, contempt, and disdain among others in the birding community.

Though while not being conspiracy, it is considered a bit of unfair-play, and not at all in the spirit of the hobby. Basically, where birding is king, and as much as, or more than a sportsman’s activity as hunting or fishing, it is not considered fair-play to try and beat other list competitors by hiding a potential tick.

hope that explains it, and my recent use of the term!

CJV

While I, as more often the case than not due to my night-time work schedule, got out later than intended, I still managed to find at Higbee’s Beach this morning, among others:

no fewer than 4 Hooded Warblers
1 Northern Parula
1 Blue-winged Warbler
1 Blue-headed Vireo

However by far the best sighting came from the second field there, at around 9 am.

A Barred Owl flew low over the second field from the wet woods to the east, and headed to the dense Holly Thickets of the mature Dune Forest. This is the secomnd time I hav eever witnessed this behaviour, and the bird was not flushed, just coursing around in broad day-light. No doubt, it is feeding young, and needed to be active at this odd time of day this bright and sunny april day. Like the first tiem I saw this behaviour, a Barred Owl, just flying only yards over my head, and not in an evasive effort, was an awe-isnpiring and completley unexpected sight.

They are much rounder winged than Great-horneds incidentally, and very much reminiscent of in-flight jizz like the Northern Spotted Owls I have seen doing similar things in daylight across clear-cuts in the Olympic Forest.

3 Red-breasted Nuthatches and a stunning male Yellow Warbler at Cape May Point were also very nice, and I hear that a Baltimore Oriole was in the State Park as well this morning. A kettling Broadwing at the Point was my first not on breeding territory this year, and at least 95 Forster’s Terns, were over the Rips. Adults are resplendent right now- a silvery bloom on the primaries just incandescent in the sun, and the absurdly long tail streamers rivsling those of Roseates. A few more first year birds continue to triclke in, as is typical about a month after the adults arrive and have assumed full nuptial plumage.

Purple Sandpipers continue on the Jetties, and thousands of D.C. Corms were winging overhead again today. Willets continue to pass, overhead and sea, at the point in god numbers as well.

Otherwise, I got to see and hear my first Great-crested Flycatchers of the year at Ponderlodge today, but Red-headed Woodpeckers were not to be found. Red-headeds tend to be May migrants, and I wonder if these birds which overwintered here are going to move out as zugenrhuhe takes hold, or are going to settle in this perfect bit of breeding habitat. They have been showing particular interest in certain holes, but they are also cachers, so whether these are nesting or pantry sites is unbelnownst to me.

A handsome Common Loon was in the large pond at Ponderlodge/villas- but I did not spend the time to notice if it is in fact ailing, as a correspondent thinks it may in fact be.

All for now- but more notes on the little, more Raven-like than American Crow-esque, Fish Crows in the neighborhood as well as the really interesting nature of Cape May Forster’s Terns which I have on the works are in fact coming- but it has been a busy few days!

CJV

I have it on very good authority, from Stuart and Wendy Malmid, that a Wild Turkey was again at Higbee’s Beach this afternoon, and Great-crested Flycatchers were present at Ponderlodge.

These were both great news to hear, and I am glad I ran into them at Higbee’s Beach this afternoon to hear it. These are the first Great Crested’s I have heard of this year, and just on time.

Also, I will be re-posting my notes on recent Wild Turkey records on Cape Island soon, since other web-site contributors reported, (and were paid to do so) a whole lot of plagiarised and inaccurately vague nonsense about their occurence on Cape Island in the recent past. These Turkey records are siginficant, and deserve more mention.

Execellent & envied reports to the Malmids!

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

Hidden Valley was rather quiet this morning, however, A territorial male Prothonotary has returned to one of their favored breeding sites in the wet woods betweent the Fileds and the stables.

Spurred by this success, I also found one singing male at the Beanery, where there are ususally three pairs.

I find it very interesting that they almost always return first to Cumberland County, then work their way down the peninsula, and the southernmost spot in NJ is consistently last to be re-settled by this decidedly southern bird. This is a case where some banding efforts could prove to be of great interest: Do the birds arrive north where it is far balmier than the Point, and trickle down as it gets warmer at land’s end; or do the breeding Prothonotaries nesting in the ocean-cooled maritime microclimate of Cape Island, being honed by natural selection, simply arrive on their territories at a later predetermined schedule.

This would be a fine local research project for a banding student of migration, or organization.

Otherwise, a male Blue-headed Vireo was at the Beanery, in addition to a solitary, yet very vocal Rusty Blackbird. Starting to get late for the Rusty this far south in NJ.

Willets were moving en masse today off the point, totalling in the hundreds. The largest flock I saw while sea-watching this morning consisted of 45 birds, and several flocks of between 15 and thirty were winging north over the Atlantic, coming from Delaware. The vanguard of S.B. Dowitcher arriving in numbers were also in their midst.

In fact I just heard, at about 11:30 P.M, a set of Willets flying north over the town,, “Pill-will-wlleting” all the way in their northbound trek under cover of darkness. 12 Willets at Reeds beach which were recently reported, hardly constitutes a “horde”, and anyone who has ever studied their migration a bit would’ve been aware of this fact.

2 Breeding-plumaged Least Sandpipers at the Meadows, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch or two at Hidden Valley were the only other reall migrants of note.

Gannets have largely cleared out, too by the way, However D.C. Corms were having another huge surge today, with thousands all-told. Some skeins numbered well over 250 alone.

Migrant Sharp-shinned Hawks and A. Kestrels have been moving through in better numbers the last few days though.

Herp-wise I saw my first Black Racer of the year at Higbee’s. Known by their smooth scales and lack of a vestige of pattern on their backs, in addition to their very differently shaped heads from Black Rat Snakes. Racers seem to be outnumbered by the latter by a ratio of at lest 10-15 to one here on Cape Island, and are much harder to come by. Also, my first Eastern Box Turtle of the year was clambering about the undergrowth, a female as told by her yellowish eye, and comparatively duller patterned carapace.

Cheers
CJV

Having spent most of my afternoon in the Stone Harbor Police Station pressing charges on an anti-plover thug, I am really a bit worn out today, and just want to pass along a few notes:

An incredibly cooperative Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow was on the south end of Nummy’s Island today, singing his guts out. (Why on earth did it ever get spread that these birds don’t really sing, I wonder? He was going at a rate of 2 per minute!) I got some great pictures from the road, however, just north of the toll bridge. Please do not walk out on tte marsh though, the bird is easy enough to see from the pavement, and clearly on territory. I was really surprised to find it there, especially singing and especially this early.

Hopefully this may relieve some of the pressure the birds on Ocean Drive receive during the World Series of Birding. While on the team, I have personally witnessed the “Team Zeiss” captain and Director of CMBO, as well as the newly installed CMBO Director of Bird Programs, literally run willy-nilly at top speed, splashing all the way, through this famous patch of marsh on Ocean Drive in order to flush the Saltmarsh Sharptails near Breezy Lee. Surely a cry-of foul, and a disqualifier in the game, but when you make up the rules, no-one is looking, and none are willing to point out that the emperor really wears no clothes, well, you can get away with anything in the name of “conservation”, I guess…

Anyway, Seasides have also returned to the leeward, bayside edge in the marsh behind Nummy’s as well.

Forster’s Terns were doing back-stand courtship displays today in the State Park- I really think they may actually breed here or in the new islands at the Meadows this year. It is not at all usual to see this display among Forster’s on Cape Island.

My first “Blue”, as in adult male Blue Grosbeaks finally arrived at Higbee’s this morning, but I was on a specific quest for Prairie Warblers in the Dune forest, and stopped just long enough to admire that amazing Corn-flower, nearly purplish blue. There are apparently six Prairies on territory at Higbee’s, but only one more female has apparnetly arrived. As a result though, and as breeding earnestness is setting in, they have now started to sing their “Black-throated” song a lot more. And today, a lone Palm Warbler was out in the cedar and holly scrub, too. Late to the party in the muskeg I guess.

Tricolored Herons were easy enough to see in the back-bays today, I managed four all told.

Willets were both moving overhead at the point, flying north over and into the bay, or in pairs at Shell-bay, and on Nummy’s Island. Wilets are also looking territotrial at Pond-creek today, and Greater legs continue to come through and overhaead in numbers off the point. A couple of Whimbrel were also on Nummy’s today as well.

My first Spotted Sandpiper of the year was seen this evening from my favorite hillock overlooking Pond Creek behind the Magnesite plant. I just love their scientific name “Actitis”. It sounds like some kind of chronic ailment thesbians might be prone to, to my imaginative ear.

And I could only manage 2 Parasitic Jaegers this evening from my aforementioned evening perch. 2 is just fine with me though, I could never tire of this, perhaps my favorite bird. The 20th or so of April is prime for Royal Terns to start turning up, but I have neither seen nor heard of any just yet-soon though. This is also among my most favorite of creatures, Royal Terns were well named, can’t wait till I can witness their return.

Herpwise, I found my first Diamond-backed Terrapin of the year out at Stone Harbor, but a whole heckuvalot more surprising was a Spotted Turtle on the road to Shell-bay! the edge of a saltmarsh is not at all where I would expect to find a Spotted Turtle, but there are weed-chocked fresh ponds in that area I suppose. I had to stop to move him off the side of the road, and likewise did the same for a Black Rat Snake today. I don’t know if anyone ever notices, but next to no-one ever shoos Snakes off of Roads. Due to that, and my lifelong fascination with serpents, I always make it a point to stop for snakes too-many drivers swerve out of their way to get them, awful sods…

Sorry, but having been roughed up, and dealing with police reports most of the day, I really don’t have more in me today than a list, though I saw plenty, and plenty worth writing volumes on. See the jerseybirds list-serve for details, I’ll post more on the nasty incident which occurred at Stone Harbor Pt. today, Champagne Island, and Forster’s Terns later. As for now, I am just plain knackered!

Go birding!
CJV

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

Categories

• Beach Nesters
• behaviour
• birding norms
• Black Skimmers
• Breeding Birds
• Butterflies
• Champagne Island
• conservation
• Fall Migration
• Fish Crows
• Gulls
• Hawks
• Herons
• Herps
• ID
• Jaegers
• Mammals
• Not-birds
• Owls
• Piping Plovers
• raptors
• Rarities
• Royal Terns
• Rusty Blackbirds
• Seawatching
• Shorebirds
• Spring Migration
• Terns
• Uncategorized
• Warblers
• Waterfowl
• Winter Birds

Archives

• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008

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…

Admin

• Login
• Wordpress
• XHTML

Search