Memories of Cape May, New Jersey Day 2

I awoke the next morning after a fitful nights sleep to the sound of pouring rain. I met up with the others outside at around 6:30am ready for our first days 'real' birding after the previous evenings appetiser. Because of the weather we had a change of plan and instead of heading to Higbee's Dike for the Warbler fly past we went to Cape May Point.

Cape May Point

We took cover in a large brick shelter from where we could 'scope the beach and sea. There were a large flock of Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, Forster's Terns and Laughing Gull's on the beach affording good 'scope views and photo opportunities. On the shoreline were several Sanderling's and also a Ring-Billed Gull.

Black Skimmers

Royal Terns

There was also a very confiding Common Yellowthroat feeding in the dunes right in front of the shelter.

Common Yellowthroat

From behind us we could the nasal calls of a Fish Crow and saw this wet and sorry looking individual on the roof.

Fish Crow

As the weather brightened we headed back to Cape May State Park Hawk watch point where a walk along path beside the Bunker Pond produced a juvenile Blue Grosbeak, Palm Warbler, Savannah Sparrow and our only Clay-Coloured Sparrow of the trip. A 'scope of the pond provided good views of Belted Kingfisher,Pectoral & Solitary Sandpipers, American Wigeon, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, Northern Pintail, American Black Duck and a Pied Billed Grebe,a much better view than the one I had last year on the Somerset Levels. Overhead were hundreds of Tree Swallows again .

Tree Swallows

And a real highlight of the trip was an un-seasonal Rusty Blackbird feeding on the fringes of the pond.

Rusty Blackbird

We then headed north to the Avalon Seawatch point, another of the premier birding hot spots in the USA. On the way James suddenly pulled the bus over and retrieved a small wader from the road, a tiny Semi-Palmated Plover which had presumably been sucked under a passing vehicle on the freeway. He would later deposit it at the Cape May Observatory. It looked so small and fragile when seen so close.
It was again quite wet at Avalon so we didn't stay too long but did see passing Caspian Tern's, Semi-Palmated Plover's (live ones this time) and Ruddy Turnstone.
Driving back through Avalon we saw this American Robin on the fence and as it was near some loo's we took the opportunity to 'kill two birds with one stone' as it were !

American Robin

This was to be the only 'true' Thrush that we had on the trip and although we saw them regularly I was slightly disappointed that we didn't see more species, just have to return another time I suppose.
We then headed inland to Cape May Airfield where we saw three American Kestrals and a flock of Grey Plovers on the runway before a heavy shower had us running for the bus.
Our last stop of the day was at the Cape May Bird Observatory. As soon as we had parked we became aware that the bushes fringing the lake were alive with Warblers and other Passerines.  The species came thick and fast, Black & White Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Carolina Chickadee, Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher, Red-Eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Bay-Breasted Warbler and Black-Throated Blue Warbler.
On the feeders by the Observatory there were Downy Woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse. We went into the Observatory for a look around, they had a very good selection of Ornithology books including a second hand section and a good display of optics (more of that later). Whilst there, and prompted by James delivering the corpse of the Semi-P, the warden showed us two dead Virginia Rails that had been brought in earlier in the day.

Dead Virginia Rails

These were to be only ones I would get to see as this species eluded us.
We then took a sedate walk around the lake where we added Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, Common Grackle, Grey Catbird and Northern Cardinal.

Blue Jay

Northern Cardinal

Unfortunately I missed the Wilson's Warbler, much to my annoyance. I finished the day with 39 new species. Later in the evening we headed out to a local restaurant for our meal and to update the daily bird log, then it was back to the Motel for an early night.