Hi
I have returned after 10 days at CM and will post some reports and photos over the next few days.
CM is just south of NY city and is basicallya funnel for migrants heading south. After a NW front they actually migrate back north along the west edge of the cape. At dawn on such days birders gather at Higbee beach car park as hundreds of flickers, warblers, jays and waxwings pass through until mid-morning. Later a search of the nearby fields and migrant hot spots will turn up new birds.
The CM observatory is close to the tip near the famous lighthouse, there are various habitats in several reserves so birding the area involves little travelling on a daily basis ( I like single location trips ). As well as passerine migrants there are local breeders and waders can be found at coastal sites. Brigantine state park reserve is an hour north up the coast. Raptors are highly visible and on good days stream overhead easily visible from the hawkwatch platform by the lighthouse . CM is a safe middle class resort with old houses and no high rise blocks, good guide books and friendly local birders.
We saw about 160 spp including over 20 spp of american warblers.
S
Green Heron at Brigantine
Black skimmers and Forsters Terns 10 yards from sunbathers
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For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Semip Plovers also have partial webbing
Until last year I never knew what Semipalmations were, but decided to research it and found out it means partially webbed (palmation meaning webbed)
Just thought I'd share that bit of information with everyone
Hi-
my point was that we all know that semipalmated plovers have semipalmations but not many realise that Ringed plovers do- as per my previous post :)
just got back from a few days in Cape May- will post some photos soon
looking forward to the pics,it's still on my to do list.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Good start with a nice looking Osprey.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Nice one S, look forward to more photos from your travels
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Regards, Hazel
we also saw Bruce Springsteen- well it is New Jersey!
All Piping Plovers that are breeding in the area are ringed and given names- This is Bruce! As you can see- Piping Plovers are Born to run!!
Mrs S was on fire on our last morning after our American ( and Brit) buddies had left- She found Yellow Throated Vireo, Nashville Warbler and this Great Crested Flycatcher by the obs.
The previous day she had re-located Cape May Warbler which had eluded us on the trip up to that point;
Lovely photos, S. I hope you will post more, please. As for ID, I can always phone a friend (well, e-mail) who is currently doing a Big Year in Alaska.
Kind regards, Ann
Nice one S bird and Bruce, and well done to Mrs S for coming up tops.
Lot to learn