Memories of Cape May, New Jersey Day 5

Another morning at Higbee Beach, so much quieter than yesterday but I did add Indigo Bunting, a flock of Pine Siskins and a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Ian also spotted two Ruddy Ducks which bizarrely were on the sea off the beach..
We then headed up to the Avalon Sea Watch again. A brief sea watch added a Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) and a large pod of Bottle-Nosed Dolphins.

Avalon Sea Watch

Bottle-Nosed Dolphin

We then went for 'brunch' at Brian's Waffle House before a long drive north to the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, or as its also called Brigantine, or just Brig for short.

This a 47,000 acre reserve of coastal habitat managed for migrating birds and is a site of special importance for American Black Ducks and Atlantic Brant. Most of the reserve is tidal salt marsh.

American Black Duck

The drive around the reserve is 9 miles long with various stopping points and takes around three hours to complete.  Our first stop was at the tower on the south dike where we stayed for a while. The tower affords great views over the whole reserve and also of nearby Atlantic City.

Atlantic City

From the vantage point of the tower we saw Boat-Tailed and Common Grackles, Greater Scaup, Brown-Headed Cowbird, Red-Winged Blackbird, Black-Crowned Night Heron and the first of our several species of salt-marsh sparrows with Song and Swamp Sparrows and also Savannah Sparrow.

Boat-Tailed Grackle

Brown-Headed Cowbird

We carried on with the drive and stopped next the turn onto the East Dike. Here we added Saltmarsh Sparrow and Semi-Palmated Plovers.

Semi-Palmated Plover

There was also a juvenile Northern Harrier hunting.

Juvenile Northern Harrier

At the turn back onto the North Dike was a large collection of herons and egrets with our first views of Tri-Coloured Heron and also Great Blue Heron, more Black-Crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets.
When we got near to the end of the drive we stopped by the bridge at Doughty Creek and 'scoped over lily covered water. Here we saw our first and only of the trip, Wood Ducks, with several males and females present and a Belted Kingfisher. 

Doughty Creek

Belted Kingfisher

We then had a couple of hours drive back to Cape May, where we again stopped at the liquor store and I stocked up with some beers to go with my evening meal. This time a couple of ex-pat ales with Samuel Smiths of Tadcaster, Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown Ale. Then it was off to get ready and out for our meal and up-dating of the log before turning in for the night.

Memories of Cape May, New Jersey Day 4

Up at 6am and on the road at 6:30am again to Higbee Beach for the Warbler Flight. This morning was the best of the trip with over a thousand plus birds passing whilst we were there. The counters call out the species as they whizz past and take rapid fire shots with DSLR cameras for verification of the tricky ones.
This morning I added Rough-Winged Swallow, American(Buff-Bellied) Pipit, Bobolink, Yellow Warbler,Scarlet Tanager, Purple Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Blackpoll Warbler and American Goldfinch.

Higbee Dike

The Slurry pit at dawn

The Flight Deck

Lesser Yellowlegs

We then headed into town for our customary 'brunch'. It being Saturday it was really busy in the Ocean View and as there were seven of us we had to wait for around twenty minutes to get a table.

When we were eating news came out on James' phone that an Eastern Seaboard MEGA rarity was over the Hawk Watch Point, a Zone-Tailed Hawk, a first for New Jersey. We paid up and rushed over there but on the way news came that the bird was now over Coral Ave. so we went there instead, only to be told that the report was erroneous, these hawks show a remarkable likeness to Turkey Vultures and are often confused, and by the time we got back to the Hawk Watch the bird was gone and over Delaware Bay, showing up twenty minutes later in Delaware and becoming a first for that state as well. The delay at the diner had cost us dearly ! It later transpired that the false report was put out by the Higbee recorder !
We then headed north for the rest of the day to the Dennis Creek Wildlife Management Area or as is commonly known Jake's Landing. This is vast area of marsh grass interspersed with tidal creeks and drainage channels which is arrived at through a forest of mixed pine and oak trees.

Jake's Landing

Tape luring is a common practise in the USA, as it is in Australia and when we were partway through the forest James parked the bus and we listened as he played a recording of an Eastern-Screech Owl, within minutes we had an Owl responding from deep in the wood and a small flock of agitated birds looking for the intruder such as Dark-Eyed Junco and Pine Warbler.

Dark-Eyed Junco

We then carried on to the marsh area and by a small reed fringed pond we had a Marsh Wren which flew back and forwards across the water. Making our way to the creek we spotted a Clapper Rail on the far bank.

Clapper Rail

James played a recording of the more elusive Black Rail but we got no response. Whilst scanning for sparrows we had great views of a hunting Northern Harrier.

Northern Harrier

Our target species of salt marsh sparrows proved elusive but we did see several Savannah Sparrows on the track.

Savannah Sparrow

 On our way back to Cape May that evening we stopped at an 'All you can eat' Chinese buffet. Not my favourite choice being vegetarian but this being the USA there were pizza and fries as well as the usual Chinese dishes. 

We arrived back at the motel at 8:30pm, sat outside for a bit and updated the daily log and then turned in for the night.

Memories of Cape May, New Jersey Day 3

Yet again it was another early start as we met up by the bus at 6:30am for the short journey to Higbee Beach WMA and the famous Warbler flight. We climbed up the steep bank to the top of the dike with the slurry pit behind us and waited for the sun to start rising over the tree's and the Warblers to start their migration over the Delaware Bay.

Sunrise over the Slurry Pit, Higbee Beach WMA

 This is where the official count takes place and is manned every day by a 'paid' counter to record Warbler numbers as they pass through. It was a quiet morning with little movement but we did add Bald Eagle, Northern Waterthrush, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, many Northern Flickers (including one of the Western Red Shafted forms), a flock of Cedar Waxwings and several Red-winged Blackbirds.
We moved down to the 'Flight Deck' and added good views of Carolina Wren, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Grey Catbird and a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

The Flight Deck

House Wren

Grey Catbird

Bald Eagle

Northern Flicker

Northern Cardinal

 A walk back to the car park afforded good views of a Baltimore Oriole.

Baltimore Oriole

Around 10am we headed back to the CMSP Hawk Watch Point and some raptor action. We had spectacular displays by both Black and Turkey Vultures, Cooper's, Sharp-Shinned and Broad-Winged Hawks, Bald Eagles, American Kestrels, Merlins, Peregrines and Ospreys.

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Sharp-Shinned Hawk

Whilst we were there we had a Glossy Ibis arrive at the Bunker Pond. After this raptor 'fest we headed to Stone Harbour for a long a fruitless search for Piping Plover but we did see Western & Semi-Palmated Sandpipers, American Oystercatcher, and our only view of Brown Pelican. James and I were lagging behind the others so were the only ones to see a flypast Common Loon (Great Northern Diver).
On our way back to the motel we stopped at the local liquor store and I treated myself to a couple of local brews to enjoy with my evening meal.
One from the Tuckahoe Brewing Co. , Holly Beach, which was a spiced pumpkin ale and one from the Freewill Brewing Co. and lowercase IPA @ 4%. We enjoyed yet another good evening and then headed back for our customary early night.

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.

Memories of Cape May, New Jersey - Day 1

The trip almost got off to a disastrous start when I nearly missed my flight. I had travelled up to London the previous afternoon by train and stayed at the Eazy Hotel near Heathrow Airport. I had enjoyed a good meal at the White Hart, a large Fuller's pub opposite the hotel, washed down with a couple of pints of Fuller's ales. Wild River and Chiswick.
Somehow the next morning I convinced myself that I had plenty of time and instead of getting a taxi to terminal 2 I went on the shuttle bus and arrived ridiculously late. I got into a queue behind around twenty Japanese tourists but realised I wasn't going to make it and called to one of the officials for help. He very kindly rushed me to the check-in desk where I was informed I'd made it with literally a minute to spare. As it was I still had to run for the plane as it was so far away.
Once seated on the plane though I could relax and found myself sitting next to one of my companions for the week, Ian. We had a tedious but uneventful flight to Newark arriving around 11:15am (USA time). The immigration and customs went very smoothly and soon Ian and I had met up with the others on the trip and were waiting in arrivals for our guide James P Smith.
James is an ex-pat from Sheffield and has lived in the US for around 10 years leading trips for Birdfinders all over the States and Israel. We made our way to our bus

via the monorail which afforded us great views of the New York skyline in the distance. We arrived in West Cape May around 3pm having seen several Turkey Vultures en-route

We checked in and sorted our rooms and then headed out to do some birding at the Hawk Watch Point at Cape May State Park.

We had a great spectacle of hundreds of Tree Swallows migrating over the watch point before making the crossing over Delaware Bay. The presence of all these migrating hirundines attracted both Merlins & Peregrine Falcons.
On the Bunker Pond we had our first views of Great Blue Heron and Little Blue Heron, the latter all juveniles in their pure white forms. Other waders included Greater Yellowlegs

,Snowy Egrets and American Oystercatchers. There were also good numbers of both Green & Blue Winged Teals and American Black Ducks. Gulls were mostly American Herring Gull and Laughing Gull also in good numbers.
We spent a couple of hours at this premier birding hot spot before heading back to the motel for a wash and change and heading out for our evening meal and the daily roll call.
A good start our trip and we were all ready for a good nights sleep in readiness for tomorrows birding.