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| A Report from birdtours.co.uk |
Birding trip to Cape May N.J (14 September to 20 September2002),
Alain Pataud, 7 rue du roi Rene, 84000 Avignon (France)
Weather was fine except on Sunday 15th and Monday 16th with heavy rainfalls and the wind was moderate but essentially from the south. It was not a perfect wind for passerine migration and it explains the low number (13) of warblers seen.
The sites (all are well known)
Cape May :
HB: Higbee Beach
HWP: Hawk Watch Point
SCMM: South Cape May Meadows
10 miles north of Cape May :
CMSP: Cape May State Park
15 minutes north of Cape May :
SH et NI: Stone Harbor et Nummy Island
1 hour north of Cape May :
BRIG: Brigantine (= Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife refuge)
Into brackets: subspecies when known.
Species list
1. Pied-billed Grebe "podiceps"
Small number, 16 Sep, at BRIG.
2. Wilson's Storm-petrel
1 , 14 Sep, seen feeding at sea off SH thanks to a strong wind from South-East.
3. Double crested Cormorant "auritus"
Common.
4. American Bittern (2)
SCMM: 1 in flight, 17 Sep, and 1 landed, well seen (but briefly), on 19 Sep.
5. Great Blue Heron (2)
Widespread but not common.
6. Great White Egret "egretta"
Common.
7. Snowy Egret "brewsteri"
Common.
8. Little Blue Heron
1 adult at HB, 15 and 17 Sep.
9. Tricolored Heron "ruficollis"
NI: 1 in flight, 15 Sep. BRIG: 1in flight, 16 Sep. NI: 1 landed, 20 Sep.
10. Cattle Egret "ibis"
Only 1 at BRIG, 16 Sep.
11. Green Heron
SCMM only: 14, 15 and 20 Sep (1 or 2 individuals).
12. Black-crowned Night Heron "hoactli"
SH, NI et BRIG.
13. Yellow-crowned Night Heron "violacea"
BRIG: 1 juvenile, 16 Sep.
14. Glossy Ibis
BRI: around 20, 16 Sep.
15. Mute Swan
Common.
16. Snow Goose "atlanticus"
2 at Lily Lake (Cape May). Feral?
17. Canada Goose "canadensis"
Common.
18. Wood Duck
BRIG and Hidden Valley (Cape May).
19. Green-winged Teal
Common: SCMM and BRIG.
20. American Black Duck
Numerous at BRIG (16 Sep).
21. Mallard
Common.
22. Blue-winged Teal
SCMM: 14 and 15 Sep.
23.Northern Shoveler
Widespread.
24. Gadwall
BRIG only.
25. American Wigeon
SCMM and HWP.
26. Black-bellied Plover
SH.
27. Semipalmated Plover
Common.
28. Piping Plover
8 at SH (18 Sep).
29. Killdeer "vociferus"
SCMM: 3 (14 Sep) and HWP: 2 (19 Sep).
30. American Oystercatcher "palliatus"
SH and NI.
31. Greater Yellowlegs
Common.
32. Lesser Yellowlegs
Common.
33. Willet "inormatus?"
BRIG et SH/ Eastern or Western Willet. According to a Dutch birdwatcher, it
was Western Willet because Eastern Willet left the area very early after nesting.
34. Spotted Sandpiper
SCMM, HWP and BRIG.
35. Ruddy Turnstone "morinella"
Common on the beaches.
36. Red Knot "rufa"
SH.
37. Sanderling
Common on the beaches.
38. Semipalmated Sandpiper
Common: SCMM, SH and BRIG.
39. Western Sandpiper
SH only.
40. Least Sandpiper
SCMM, HWP and SH.
41. White-rumped Sandpiper
SCMM: 1 (14 Sep).
42. Pectoral Sandpiper
SCMM and BRIG.
43. Dunlin "hudsonia"
SH only.
44. Stilt Sandpiper
BRIG: 1 (16 Sep).
45. Short-billed Dowitcher
BRIG only (16 Sep)..
46. Marbled Godwit "beringiae"
1 at BRIG (16 Sep).
47. /Black Vulture "atratus"
Some on migration (18 and 19 Sep).
48. Turkey Vulture "septentrionalis"
Common.
49. Osprey "carolinensis"
Common.
50. Bald Eagle "leucocephalus"
HWP: 1 adult and 3 juveniles (17 and 18 Sep). Great, especially with the adult
which was soaring near the observers (less than 100 meters).
51. Northern Harrier "hudsonius"
BRIG only.
52. Sharp-shinned Hawk "velox"
Common.
53. Cooper's Hawk
Less common than the previous one.
54. Red-tailed Hawk
Regular but not common.
55. American Kestrel
Common.
56. Merlin
Common in migration.
57. Peregrine Falcon
Regular in migration.
58. Common Moorhen
Only 1 at BRIG.
59. Laughing Gull
Very common.
60. Ring-billed Gull
Regular.
61. Herring Gull "smithsonianus"
Very common.
62. Great Black-backed Gull
Common.
63. Caspian Tern
Common.
64. Royal Tern "maxima"
Common.
65. Common Tern "hirundo"
SH.
66. Forster's Tern
Common.
67. Black Skimmer "niger"
Common: SCMM and SH.
68. Rock Dove
Common.
69. Mourning Dove "carolinensis"
Common.
70. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
HB: regular.
71. Black-billed Cuckoo
HB: 1 (15 Sep).
Great Horned Owl
BRIG (16 Sep): 1 singer seen poorly in flight, at dusk, near the administration
building of the refuge.
72. Common Nighthawk
SCMM: 1 (17 Sep).
73. Chimney Swift
Only 2: 1 (13 Sep) from the Atlantic City Expressway and 1 (15 Sep) at HB.
74. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
HB (15 Sep): 1 (female or juvenile) and CMSP (18 Sep): 1 (female or juvenile).
75. Belted Kingfisher "alcyon"
Only 1 male: 19 Sep, HWP.
76. Red-bellied Woodpecker
Common.
77. Downy Woodpecker "pubescens"
HB.
Hairy Woodpecker
Only 1 (18 Sep), in flight, at Hidden Valley (Cape May).
78. Northern Flicker "auratus"
Common in migration.
79. Eastern Wood-Pewee
HB: 17 and 19 Sep.
80. Acadian Flycatcher
A very good sighting of 1 individual at HB (20 Sep).
81. Least Flycatcher
HB: identification of 2 individuals at HB (14 and 18 Sep).
82. Eastern Phoebe
HB: 1 juvenile (18 Sep).
83. Great-crested Flycatcher
HB: 1 (20 Sep).
84. Eastern Kingbird
BRIG (3, 16 Sep) and SCMM (2, 19 Sep).
85. Purple Martin
BRIG (1, 16 Sep) and HB (1, 19 Sep).
86. Tree Swallow
Common.
87. Barn Swallow "erythrogaster"
Only 1: SCMM, 14 Sep.
88. Blue Jay
Common.
89. American Crow "paulus"
Common.
90. Fish Crow
Common at Cape May.
91. Carolina Chickadee "extimus"
Common.
92. Tufted Tit "bicolor"
Common.
93. White-breasted Nuthatch "carolinensis"
SCMP: 1 (18 Sep).
94. Carolina Wren "ludovicianus"
Common.
95. House Wren "aedon"
HB: 1,17 Sep and 19 Sep
96. Marsh Wren "palustris"
BRIG:1singer, 16 Sep.
97. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher "caerula"
1 at HB (14 Sep) and 1 at SCMM (17 Sep).
98. Veery
Regular at HB.
99. Swainson's Thrush
HB:1 , 18 Sep.
100. American Robin
Common.
101. Gray Catbird
HB: common.
102. Northern Mockingbird "polyglottos"
Common at Cape May.
103. Brown Trasher "rufum"
Common at HB.
104. Cedar Waxwing
Migratory birds at HB (17 Sep).
105. European Starling "principallis"
Common.
106. White-eyed Vireo "noveboracensis"
Common at HB. Some were singing.
107. Yellow-throated Vireo
HB: 1 (14 Sep)..
108. Warbling Vireo "gilvus"
HB: 1 (15 Sep) and Hidden Valley: 1 (18 Sep).
109. Philadelphia Vireo
HB, 17 Sep, some individuals.
110. Red-eyed Vireo "olivaceus"
Common.
111. Northern Parula Warbler
HB: 1 (14 Sep) then numerous on 18 Sep.
112. Yellow Warbler "rubiginosa"
Some individuals, essentially at SCMM.
113. Magnolia Warbler
BRIG: 1 (16 Sep).
114. Black-throated Blue Warbler "caerulescens"
Regular after 17 Sep at HB.
115. Black-throated Green Warbler
HB: 1 female or juvenile (17 Sep).
116. Prairie Warbler "discolor"
SCMM: 1 female or juvenile (17 Sep).
117. Palm Warbler "hypochrisea"
HWP: some individuals (15 Sep).
118. Black and White Warbler
Common.
119. American Redstart
Common..
120. Ovenbird "cinereus"
HB: 1 (15 Sep).
121. Northern Waterthrush
Common.
122. Common Yellowthroat "trichus"
Common.
123. Wilson's Warbler "pusilla"
HB (18 Sep): 1 female or juvenile.
124. Scarlet Tanager
HB (14 Sep): 1 female or juvenile.
125. Northern Cardinal "cardinalis"
Very common.
126. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
HB: 1 female or juvenile in flight (17 Sep) and 1 couple perched (19 Sep).
127. Indigo Bunting
SCMM: 2 female or juvenile (15 Sep).
128. Field Sparrow
HB: 1 (14 Sep).
129. Savannah Sparrow
SCMM (15 Sep): 1 and BRIG (16 Sep): 1.
130. Song Sparrow
SCMM (15 Sep): 1.
131. Seaside Sparrow "maritimus"
BRIG (16 Sep): 1.
132. Red-winged Blackbird "phoeniceus"
Common especially SCMM and HWP.
133. Boat-tailed Grackle "torreyi"
Common at BRIG.
134. Common Grackle "stonei"
Common in the Cold Spring Campground (Cape May).
135. Brown-headed Cowbird "ater"
Common.
136. Baltimore Oriole
Common in migration.
137. House Finch
Some individuals at Cape May and NI.
138. American Goldfinch "tristis"
4 (including a beautiful male) at BRIG (16 Sep) and 1 juvenile at HB.(17 Sep).
139. House Sparrow
Common.
That is 139 species with 109 lifers
Regrets (species seen by others birdwatchers)
Brown Pelican: seen by almost all the others birdwatchers
(my biggest deception).
Sora: seen at SCMM.
Clapper Rail: seen by a Swedish birdwatcher at BRIG.
American Woodcock: seen by a British birdwatcher at HB.
American Avocet: seen by a British birdwatcher at NI.
Solitary Sandpiper: seen at HWP (17 Sep).
Broad-winged Hawk: seen by a British birdwatcher at Barnabee (Cape May).
Great Horned Owl: if the individual at BRIG was better seen!
Hairy Woodpecker: a perched individual!
Western Kingbird: seen at HB (17 Sep): a rarity.
Rough-winged Swallow: 2 seen at HWP (17 Sep) by an Irish birdwatcher.
Blackburnian Warbler: seen at HB.
Canada Warbler: seen at HB.
Blue-winged Warbler: seen at HB.
Connecticut Warbler: seen at HB.
Yellow-breasted Chat: seen at HB.
Blue Grosbeak: seen at HB.
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