CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY BIRDING - MAY 2-6, 2009

( BE SURE TO MAXIMIZE THIS WINDOW SO THAT PHOTOS APPEAR SIDE BY SIDE )

Friday night, May 1

We drove as far as Syracuse to get a jump on the next day’s long drive. In upper New York, we saw groups of Wild Turkeys in the fields and an Eastern Meadowlark on a roadside fence post.

Saturday, May 2

We birded from the hotel parking lot, which had a vacant woodlot and pond beside it. Notables were a Great–crested Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler & Warbling Vireo. On the road, we saw a Cooper’s Hawk perched along the highway south of Syracuse and a Red-tailed Hawk on Pennsylvania Turnpike. When we stopped at the tourist offices on the NJ turnpike and in Cape May, we saw many Laughing Gulls.



We found our way to Janet Boufford’s place in Cape May and called her on her cell. She arrived minutes later with friends Colin and Hilda Wooles from Ottawa. Colin and Hilda were in Cape May to bird too, and were staying at a motel in the main part of town. We decided to go out for seafood in Cape May. But the restaurant was crowded, so we got takeout instead and all went back to Janet’s place for dinner. Colin selected some clam chowder which was delicious.



Sunday, May 3 - Villas WMA 7:30 am

We met Colin and Hilda for this early-morning bird walk. Janet lent us her Garmin Navigator to guide us to the former golf course turned birding hotspot. About 15 of us turned up for this walk on a grey day with rain threatening. You could tell the visitors at a glance because they had their pants tucked into their socks for protection against ticks.

We found the volunteer guides to be excellent. Usually there were several out in addition to the official leader. We saw a number of common warblers, including Northern Parula and Palm. Barbara stayed back with a guide and got on a Prothonotary Warbler. Other good birds were Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great-crested Flycatcher and White-eyed Vireo.
We had to leave before the walk was over to catch our boat tour.

Sunday, May 3 - Cape May Boat Tours, LLC 10:00 am

Janet met us at the dock for our tour on the Osprey with Captain David Githens. We saw an unbelievable number of Ospreys and Brant.

A Fish Crow was an unusual sighting for us. There were Great Black-backed, Bonaparte and Laughing Gulls, a Black Skimmer, Common and Forster’s Terns and lots of Double-crested Cormorants.

We saw Great and Snowy Egrets and some American Oystercatchers. Shorebirds included Short-billed Dowitchers, Dunlin, Semi-palmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers and Willet. We saw several Common Loons in various stages of molt. Boat-tailed Grackles were common.

When the tour was over, we drove to Sunset Beach, close to Janet’s, where we saw a Black Scoter and some Ruddy Turnstones before going for lunch.

Sunday, May 3 - Heislerville WMA 3:00 pm

On the way, we stopped at the Cape May Bird Observatory Northwood Center for shopping and to check out the bird feeders. A Carolina Wren was singing up a storm. We also saw White-throated Sparrows, a Gray Catbird, Tufted Titmouse and a Black-and White Warbler.

After, we drove all the way north to Heislerville WMA pond, where Janet showed us a Black-crowned Night-Heron roost and many thousands of shorebirds – Dunlin, Dowitchers, Willet, Semi-palmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers and Semi-palmated Sandpipers.

Then Janet took us to a nearby spot where we saw several Clapper Rails and more Ospreys. It was pouring rain by this time, so the poncho got a good workout keeping the camera dry while allowing taking of quick photos.

Monday, May 4 – Birding the Meadows with Pete Dunn 7:30 am

There was a good turnout on the grey and very windy morning because Pete Dunne is probably the most popular tour leader in Cape May. Too bad the gales made hearing what he had to say very difficult.

A lot of birds did fly past including a streaking Merlin and some Glossy Ibis. Highlight of the morning was a Black-necked Stilt in among a bunch of Mute Swans. We really did see lots at a distance, including Lesser Black-backed Gull, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Northern Gannet, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, American Bittern, Wilson’s Snipe and other common species.

When the tour was over, we went to 2nd Avenue Jetty where we saw a couple of Piping Plovers and some Sanderling.
We met Colin and Hilda for lunch at a small relaxing place “downtown”. Janet recommended some favourites so we ate well.



Monday, May 4 – Rea Farm 12:30 pm

The five of us drove to Rea Farm, also called The Beanery. Colin’s knee was bothering him, so he opted to wait in the car.

There was a lovely swamp which looked ideal for Prothonotary Warblers, but we could not scare one up. We had other warblers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Great-crested Flycatcher. In a ditch in a distant field, we spotted several Cattle Egrets and Glossy Ibis together. Hilda also spotted an adult Little Blue Heron with a Snowy Egret. Many of the Cattle Egret then flew over us going to roost.

Monday, May 4 – Nummy Island and Avalon 3:00 pm

Janet headed home while the rest of us went to Colin & Hilda’s motel to check email. While waiting, Hilda found some good birds out back, including a Black-throated Blue Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

We drove to Nummy Island where we did drive-by birding. We saw lots of Brant, Dunlin, Willet, Wilson’s Snipe, Black-bellied Plovers and a Whimbrel.

From there, we made a stop at CMBO’s Avalon Sea Watch, and then proceeded to 44th Street to check out the heron roost.

Colin was disappointed that no herons were there (lots found on May 6) but we got good views of a Northern Mockingbird, White-eyed Vireo and Gray Catbird.

Tuesday, May 5 – Hidden Corners of Belleplain 7:30 am

Since it was over an hour’s drive to Belleplain, an early start was needed. We heard and saw several forest birds while waiting for the tour to start.

We proceeded down the road to the first intersection, where we immediately heard and saw an Acadian Flycatcher, a Yellow-throated Vireo, a White-eyed Vireo and a few Yellow-throated Warblers.

We turned right and went down to a campground at Lake Nummy where we saw a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, a Muscovy Duck and a couple of Spotted Sandpipers.

Along the lakeshore, we saw several Pine Warblers, a Palm Warbler and a Black-and-White Warbler. We retraced our steps, and headed for a small bridge, parking up at the nearest intersection. We saw an Eastern Towhee and heard a Hooded Warbler that we tried really hard to get out without success. We did get a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. There was nothing at the bridge, so turned down Sunset road to an intersection at Hands Mill Road and onto Timber Swamp Road. Here we found some Prairie Warblers, an Orchard Oriole, an Eastern Bluebird and a Northern Mockingbird.
When the tour was over, we returned to Sunset Road and saw a female Indigo Bunting along side of the road.

At the bridge were two other birders. After a long wait, we were rewarded by the appearance of a Prothonotary Warbler.

Then we went to the next bridge and found another one! For our picnic, we returned to Timber Swamp Road and found a few more Prairie Warblers.

After lunch, we went looking for what Janet calls Warbler Alley, but could not be sure that we found it. But we did get another Prothonatory Warbler, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Wood Thrush on the road.

On the way back, we stopped at Beaver Swamp WMA. Here we found still another Prothonotary Warbler along with a Yellow-throated Warbler and Gray Catbird.

The Bald Eagle’s nest was very distant, and appeared to have a large black bird on it. There were many herons, egrets and ibises coming over to roost. It was spectacular. We had one more quick stop to make at Reed’s Beach. There were more of the usual customers – Ruddy Turnstones, Laughing Gulls, etc.

Wednesday, May 6 – Birding Cape May Point 7:30 am

This tour was close to home, so we could sleep in to 6:30.
Cape May Point State Park is where the Hawk Watch tower is, but there is no hawk watching in May.

We first went to the sea shore where we saw Forster’s Terns, Northern Gannets and Common Loons. Then we hiked the boardwalk seeing Mute Swans with cygnets, Carolina Wrens, Purple Martins, Prairie Warblers, a Yellow Warbler and a Gray Catbird. Leaving the parking lot, we hiked along the town streets seeing an Eastern Towhee, a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a Northern Cardinal, a Spotted Sandpiper, Carolina Chickadee, House Wren, Barn Swallow, Kildeer and Yellow-rumped Warbler. At the end of the tour, we were saying goodbyes when an employee brought out a Black Rat Snake that he had trapped inside the building.

Before departing, we walked the beach towards the next jetty. We saw a couple of American Oystercatchers and a bunch of Ruddy Turnstones and Forster’s Terns. Just past the jetty, there was a pair of Long-tailed Ducks.

We headed up the coast of Delaware Bay, checking various beaches along the way for Red Knot, but without success. At Pierce’s Beach we got a lot of repeats plus a Lesser Yellowlegs. We got a Boat-tailed Grackle and a Fish Crow at Reed’s Beach. We also went to Jake’s Landing but had no success with the Seaside Sparrows.

Wednesday, May 6 – Nummy Island 4:30 pm

We met just south of the free bridge on Ocean Drive where Black-crowned Night-Herons were roosting.

We drove down the road a ways and stopped to scope. We finally saw a Red Knot and even a Purple Sandpiper, as well as many repeats from our earlier outing. Another new bird for the trip was a Red-breasted Merganser. In a town park, we saw a Solitary Sandpiper and an Eastern Towhee. Moving along to 44th Street in Avalon, we saw a Golden-winged Warbler, a Blue-headed Vireo, a Chestnut-sided Warbler and Red-headed Woodpecker.

There were lots of Black-crowned Night-Herons coming in to roost, and Barbara spotted a single Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.

This was our final birding outing for the trip. We would like to thank Janet Boufford for her gracious hospitality, and Colin and Hilda Wooles for assistance in planning and great company on the guided walks.