sandee@fsu.scri.fsu.edu (Daan Sandee) (05/28/90)
Date: Sat, 26 May 90 22:10:13 EDT
Reply-To: National Birding Hotline Cooperative <BIRD_RBA%ARIZVM1@AVM.CC.FSU.EDU>
Sender: National Birding Hotline Cooperative <BIRD_RBA%ARIZVM1@AVM.CC.FSU.EDU>
From: "Norman C. Saunders" <NYS%NIHCU.BITNET@AVM.CC.FSU.EDU>
Subject: Cape May, 5/25/90
To: Daan Sandee <SANDEE@SCRI1.SCRI.FSU.EDU>
The Cape May Birding Hotline -- a service of the
Cape May Bird Observatory
and the
New Jersey Audubon Society
Summary of the tape prepared May 25th
Highlights of the week include CAVE SWALLOW, MISSISSIPPI and SWALLOW-
TAILED KITE, BLACK RAIL, HARLEQUIN DUCK, CURLEW SANDPIPER, BLACK-NECKED
STILT, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, BARN OWL, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, WESTERN
SANDPIPER, BLACK, ROSEATE and GULL-BILLED TERN, UPLAND SANDPIPER, BROWN
PELICAN, SHEARWATER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, SOLITARY and YELLOW-
THROATED VIREO, MOURNING, CANADA and WILSON'S WARBLER, YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, WARBLING VIREO, CERULEAN WARBLER, news of the shorebird
concentrations along the the Delaware Bay, local nature notes, results
of the 1990 World Series of Birding.
The CAVE SWALLOW continues to be seen. It was probably the rarest bird
seen during the World Series. It was first discovered April 20th, and
seen until April 24th, gone until May 2nd and seen until the 3rd, and
then again discovered feeding over Bunker Pond in Cape May Point State
Park on May 19th, and seen again on May 20th, 21st and 25th. The May
25th sighting of the CAVE SWALLOW was at 7 A.M. A CAVE SWALLOW has also
been reported at Jamaica Bay near New York City.
A number of World Series teams also saw a MISSISSIPPI KITE on May 19th,
involving up to 4 birds circling over Cape May Point State Park, the
South Cape May Meadows, and the Beanery, and 1 bird was seen over East
Creek Pond in Belleplain State Forest. Two MISSISSIPPI KITES were over
Higbee on May 20th. One was seen over the Lewes, Delaware breakwater on
May 23rd, and most recently, 1 was seen May 24th over Higbee, the
Meadows and the State Park. Cape May's first MISSISSIPPI KITE this
spring was on April 29th, with sightings infrequent until now. CMBO's
Sandy Hook hawk watch had 2 MISSISSIPPI KITES this spring, 1 on May 1st
and 1 on May 9th. The season's only SWALLOW-TAILED KITE was seen May
15th over Bennett's Bog, just north of Cape May.
BLACK RAIL has not been reported in the South Cape May Meadows since May
18th. BLACK RAILS are being heard along the Delaware Bay shoreline now,
as well as at Manahawkin. BLACK RAILS are threatened in New Jersey. If
you are going to try and listen for them, listen only. Don't disrupt
them with tape playing, lights and photography attempts.
A female HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen May 16th and continues to be observed
along the beachfront between 2nd Avenue Jetty and Higbee Beach. On May
20th it was found sitting on the end of 2nd Avenue Jetty in the early
morning, missed by all World Series of Birding teams on May 19th. Most
recently, May 22-24, it has frequented the waters off Higbee Beach, near
the road that goes straight out to the beach from the parking lot.
Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge has been quite good this week. On
May 19th, 23rd and 24th, a CURLEW SANDPIPER was observed from the North
Dike. Also at Brig on May 24th, 1 BALD EAGLE, 1 BLACK-NECKED STILT, 1
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and 2 RUDDY DUCKS were seen. Other birds to keep in
mind when visiting Brigantine are the good numbers of GULL-BILLED TERNS
and the 2 BARN OWLS using the peregrine hack box once again.
A female WILSON'S PHALAROPE in full breeding plumage was in the South
Cape May Meadows the evening of May 17th. Two were seen along Great Bay
Boulevard near Tuckerton on May 19th, and 1 WILSON'S PHALAROPE was seen
on May 24th just north of Cape May on Ocean Drive. It was in the 1st
pond on the right, just after the entrance to the Club. On May 22nd, 8
WESTERN SANDPIPERS in breeding plumage were enjoyed along the Delaware
Bay shoreline just north of Cape May at The Villas near Drum Bed Avenue,
also known as Pope's Beach. WESTERN SANDPIPER are very rare at Cape May
in the spring.
BLACK, ROSEATE and GULL-BILLED TERN have all been enjoyed this week in
the South Cape May Meadows and over Bunker Pond in the Cape May Point
State Park.
The farm fields on Bayshore Road just south of New England Road held an
UPLAND SANDPIPER on May 19, along with numbers of BOBOLINK, MEADOWLARK
and a DICKCISSEL.
BROWN PELICAN reports are slowly beginning to come in. The 1st sighting
this year was in early May. Most recently, 1 was seen May 20th, resting
on the waters off the South Cape May Meadows.
A SHEARWATER was seen offshore from the Hawk Watch platform on May 20th.
Higbee Beach has seen some excellent land bird flights this week - 21
species of warbler were seen the morning of May 21. May 22nd and 23rd,
Higbee held an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. A SOLITARY VIREO was seen there
May 22nd, and YELLOW-THROATED VIREO at Higbee on May 23rd, and the
morning of May 25th, MOURNING, MAGNOLIA, CANADA and WILSON'S WARBLER
were seen at Higbee Beach.
A male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen at the Cape May Point State Park
on May 20th. A COMMON NIGHTHAWK was at the Beanery on the 25th, and a
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER flew over the Point on May 25th.
Two WARBLING VIREOS were seen on May 22nd along the sand road west of
East Creek Lake in Belleplain State Forest. A singing male CERULEAN
WARBLER was back on Weatherby Road in northern Cape May County on May
13th, and could still being heard on May 22nd.
The shorebird concentration along the shoreline of the the Delaware Bay,
to feed on horseshoe crab eggs, is in full swing. Thousands upon
thousands of RUDDY TURNSTONE, SANDERLING and RED KNOT were enjoyed on
May 23rd and May 24th along the beachfront at Reed's Beach. This
phenomenon can be enjoyed through the first week in June. If you plan
to visit the shore of the Delaware Bay to enjoy the shorebirds, keep in
mind that though there are 1000s of birds, they may not always be
obvious. They are quite camouflaged on the beach as they feed. Please
view from a distance. At Reed's Beach, this means from the road.
Please do not cross the dunes or people's yards. Residents at Reed's
Beach are unhappy enough with the droves of birders visiting the site.
At the end of Reed's Beach Road, following a right hand turn, a
comfortable viewing platform has been provided. Try it out.
All the nesting species seem to be in. Higbee Beach is full of YELLOW-
BREASTED CHAT, WHITE-EYED VIREO, BLUE GROSBEAK, INDIGO BUNTING, YELLOW
and PRAIRIE WARBLER. The Cape May Point State Park again has a healthy
population of LEAST BITTERN nesting in all the ponds, and NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS are again nesting in the pipe under the Bunker.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER have been seen at the Cape May County Park in Cape
May Courthouse on Route 9. When you enter the county park, follow the
road all the way back to the zoo. Park here and look in the oak woods
north of the zoo, or to your right, and behind the large green
maintenance building. They are quite secretive, so plan on searching
for half and hour before finding them.
The Stone Harbor bird sanctuary is full of nesting herons and egrets,
including YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON. The YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS
are again nesting on the back side of the sanctuary visible from 115th
Street. OYSTERCATCHER are again nesting on the sand bar island in
Hereford Inlet, the inlet between Stone Harbor and Wildwood Crest.
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER are thick in the pine stands along Jake's
Landing Road, and the marsh at the end of the road is a good place to
observe SEASIDE and some SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS, KING and CLAPPER RAILS,
WILLET, NORTHERN HARRIER and maybe even river otters. Jake's Landing
Road is reached from Rt. 47, 1.4 miles north of the Wawa store in
Dennisville.
Local nature notes this week include the blooming of honeysuckle, and
does it smell sweet, especially at night. Treat yourself to an evening
walk. Now that honeysuckle is blooming, ruby-throated hummingbirds are
only infrequently visiting feeders. Still continue to clean and refill
your feeders with fresh solution each week. They'll be back once the
honeysuckle wanes. CMBO's feeders attracted a female HUMMINGBIRD on May
25th, which probably means one is nesting nearby. Multiflora rose has
also begun to bloom all over the county. Bottlenosed dolphins are being
seen regularly from shore now, moving up and down the beach in schools
feeding on menhaden and other fish. A migration of red admiral
butterflies was seen moving north on May 24th.
The World Series of Birding was an enormous success. Over $250,000 was
raised for various conservation causes. The cumulative total was 255
species. The winning team sponsored by Zeiss, and captained by Pete
Dunne, saw 210 species, a new record. The CMBO team did very well.
They covered Cape May County only, and came in 15th, with 174 species.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Cape May birding hotline is a service of the CMBO and may be reached
by phone at (609) 884-2626. Updates are made on Thursday evenings or
more often if warranted. To report sightings of rare or unusual birds,
call (609) 884-2736.
The CMBO is a research and education unit of the New Jersey Audubon So-
ciety. Our aim is to perpetuate and preserve the ornithological signif-
icance of Cape May. For more information regarding Cape May birding and
the observatory, write to the CMBO at:
Cape May Bird Observatory
P.O. Box 3
Cape May Point, NJ 08212
This printed summary is provided as a service of The Osprey's Nest, a
computerized bulletin board run for birders by birders in the Washing-
ton, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The Osprey's Nest may be reached at (301)
989-9036, in Colesville, MD. Your communications parameters should be
set for 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity.
Good Birding!
rm