Back from Cape May

Our trip to Cape May was very good and packed. We arrived at the Cape May Point State Park for the hawk watch around noon and were treated to fantastic views of Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks as well as the three falcons, American Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. We stayed at the hawkwatch platform for quite a while as the flight was exceptionally good and around 5 headed to the end of Sunset Blvd to see if we could see any of the Merlins chasing dragonflies for their evening meal. We saw quite a few Merlins ripping the wings off of dragonflies while they were flying and also got to watch two Harriers gliding over the grasses. That was all the birding that was accomplished on Thursday.
On Friday we got up pretty early so that we could get to Higbee's Beach WMA and watch the warbler flight there. Cape May Bird Observatory has a tower set up along the beach in a break in the trees that warblers will fly across in the hundreds or even thousands on a good morning. The challenge is to identify the warblers (and other songbirds in their drabber fall plumages) while they are flying past you, one of the biggest challenges in bird ID. I had good looks at Black-and-white Warblers, Northern Parulas, American Redstarts and Red-eyed Vireos. From Higbee's we went back to CMP State Park to do some hawk trapping, catching about a dozen birds (Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks) at the station I was at. Here I am holding a Cooper's Hawk.

We trapped until noon when we headed back to the hawk watch and stayed for several hours until it slowed down. Along the beach there were more Palm Warblers than I think I have seen in my entire life. There were quite tame and allowed me to get some good photos.


Ducks were also becoming more numerous in the ponds at the state park although most were in their eclipse plumage which is mostly brownish and makes most of the species of ducks look similar.


We then headed up the coast stopping at several locations along the way to see cirds such as American Oystercatcher, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone and best of all, one Marbled Godwit! At Stone Harbor Point there was not much except some Caspian Terns and also some Black-bellied Plovers that I got this picture of...



It was a very good trip. Today it rained most of the day so we were not up at the lookouts, giving us a much needed break. Justine came up for a couple hours and that was fantastic to see her. A great ending to a great week.