- RBA
* New Jersey
* Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic Counties
* NJNH0603.09
* March 9, 2006
- Birds Mentioned
American Bittern
American Black Duck
American Oystercatcher
American Woodcock
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Black Scoter
Bonaparte's Gull
Carolina Chickadee
Common Loon
Cooper's Hawk
Eastern Meadowlark
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
Laughing Gull
Lesser Scaup
Northern Gannet
Northern Harrier
Pine Warbler
Piping Plover
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-throated Loon
Red-winged Blackbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Snow Bunting
Snow Goose
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey
Wilson's Snipe
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
- Butterflies Mentioned
Mourning Cloak
============
- Transcript
Hotline: Cape May Natural History & Events Hotline
Number: (609) 861-0466
To Report: (609) 861-0700, 884-2736
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland & Atlantic Counties, NJ
Compiler: Pat Sutton, Cape May Bird Observatory
URL: http://www.njaudubon.org
CAPE MAY NATURAL HISTORY & EVENTS HOTLINE - March 9, 2006
This is Pat Sutton with the Cape May Natural History & Events Hotline, a
service of New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. This
hotline was prepared on Thursday, March 9. New Jersey Audubon's three
hotlines can be read in full on our website (www.njaudubon.org), by clicking
on "Sightings" (at the top of any page).
Spring has sprung! The first LAUGHING GULL was seen on March 7 at the Cape
May Ferry Terminal. And this year's LAGU Award goes to George Myers & Karl
Lukens. A PINE WARBLER was singing in Goshen at 6:30 a.m. today, March 9.
WOOD FROGS just began calling this week (on March 7), giving their duck-like
quacking. A MOURNING CLOAK was seen March 8 during a wonderfully, warm,
spring-like day. The first BALD EAGLE chicks may have hatched. The pair at
Beaver Swamp on March 8, seemed to be busy with something down in the nest.
Let's keep our fingers crossed! BARRED OWLS are on territory and getting
noisy; they may lay eggs later this month.
A terrific site to visit, showcasing successful nesting Barred Owls in past
years, is www.owlcam.com. On March 8, a CAROLINA CHICKADEE was inspecting a
potential nest hole and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH sang its full spring song
in Eldora. An amazing 7,000 scoters were close to Cape May's beachfront at
Poverty Beach on March 2. Many were vigorously engaged in courtship and the
wails of courting BLACK SCOTERS could be heard several blocks inland.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are "konk-er-ee" ing like mad! A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT
HERON was seen March 6 in North Wildwood! A pair of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
was seen flying north across the Delaware Bay on March 2. 20+ AMERICAN
WOODCOCK danced for CMBO's March 4th "Woodcock Dance" at the Woodcock Lane
Trail in the Cape May NWR. They were so thick that some males could be heard
growling at each other while on the ground. Head out at last light to the
fields at Higbee Beach or Woodcock Lane to savor this short-lived spring
display!
Each spring RED-THROATED LOONS stage at the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
Huge numbers gather and feed in these waters. On March 2, 300 were seen
flying north across the Bay. COMMON LOONS can be found in the backbay waters
and around jetties, including the 8th Street Jetty in Avalon.
They're successfully catching crabs. By mid-April Common Loons will be
coming into breeding plumage just before they migrate further north.
Timed for a stellar loon adventure, is CMBO's "Cruisin' For Loons" on
Saturday, April 22 (1-5:30 p.m.) with 17 spaces left. Call 609-861-0700,
x-16 to register or for more information.
On March 2, a big push of northbound N. GANNETS passed by -- 300-400 and
mostly adults. 200+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS fed in the waters behind the idling
ferry on March 7. CMBO's "Poor Man's Pelagic" on Saturday, March
18 (7-11 a.m.) is timed perfectly to drink in the gannet movement, wintering
Bonaparte Gulls, the scoter gathering, and whatever else is heading north
across the Delaware Bay! 1 space left!
On March 5, the Cohansey River area in Cumberland County held 6,000 SNOW
GEESE, 12 BALD EAGLES (10 adults), an immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 29 N.
HARRIER, 3 SHARP-SHINS, 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, and 43 RED-TAILED HAWKS, including
ONE on a NEST! 25 WILD TURKEY, 10 E. MEADOWLARKS, and a HORNED LARK chasing
a SNOW BUNTING were among some of the other goodies enjoyed. CMBO's "Birding
Cumberland" on Sunday, March 19 (9 a.m. to 4
p.m.) will explore the Cohansey River area. 5 spaces remain!
An AMERICAN BITTERN was in The Meadows on March 7 and 8, along with a
WILSON'S SNIPE, HOODED MERGANSERS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL (in stunning
plumage), and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS. And an AMERICAN BITTERN was in the Cape
May Point State Park in Lighthouse Pond, along with HOODED MERGANSERS and
LESSER SCAUP on March 5. Join the experts, those who are out every day, by
attending one of CMBO's weekly SPRING walks (requiring no preregistration ):
(1) Every Friday (5 p.m.-dusk), "Winter Evenings at The Meadows" meets in
TNC's parking lot on Sunset Boulevard. (2) Every Saturday (8-10 a.m.)
"Birding Cape May Point" meets at the Cape May Point State Park on the
raised Picnic Pavilion. (3) Sunday, March 12 & 26, the "Nightfall at Corbin
City Bird Walk" meets on Griscom Mill Rd.
(off Rt. 50) in the Corbin City Hall parking lot at 5 p.m. (4) Sunday, March
19, will be the final "Nightfall at Jakes Landing" walk, meeting at the end
of Jakes Landing Road at 5 p.m. (5) "Sunday Mornings at Turkey Point" meets
every Sunday morning through March 26 (8 to 10 a.m.), meeting at the end of
Turkey Point Road.
CMBO had the Forest Fire Service perform a controlled burn on our meadow
again this spring. They did it on March 7. Keep an eye on it and you'll be
amazed how quickly it greens up!
* New Jersey
* Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic Counties
* NJNH0603.09
* March 9, 2006
- Birds Mentioned
American Bittern
American Black Duck
American Oystercatcher
American Woodcock
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Black Scoter
Bonaparte's Gull
Carolina Chickadee
Common Loon
Cooper's Hawk
Eastern Meadowlark
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Harlequin Duck
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
Laughing Gull
Lesser Scaup
Northern Gannet
Northern Harrier
Pine Warbler
Piping Plover
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-throated Loon
Red-winged Blackbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Snow Bunting
Snow Goose
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey
Wilson's Snipe
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
- Butterflies Mentioned
Mourning Cloak
============
- Transcript
Hotline: Cape May Natural History & Events Hotline
Number: (609) 861-0466
To Report: (609) 861-0700, 884-2736
Coverage: Cape May, Cumberland & Atlantic Counties, NJ
Compiler: Pat Sutton, Cape May Bird Observatory
URL: http://www.njaudubon.org
CAPE MAY NATURAL HISTORY & EVENTS HOTLINE - March 9, 2006
This is Pat Sutton with the Cape May Natural History & Events Hotline, a
service of New Jersey Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. This
hotline was prepared on Thursday, March 9. New Jersey Audubon's three
hotlines can be read in full on our website (www.njaudubon.org), by clicking
on "Sightings" (at the top of any page).
Spring has sprung! The first LAUGHING GULL was seen on March 7 at the Cape
May Ferry Terminal. And this year's LAGU Award goes to George Myers & Karl
Lukens. A PINE WARBLER was singing in Goshen at 6:30 a.m. today, March 9.
WOOD FROGS just began calling this week (on March 7), giving their duck-like
quacking. A MOURNING CLOAK was seen March 8 during a wonderfully, warm,
spring-like day. The first BALD EAGLE chicks may have hatched. The pair at
Beaver Swamp on March 8, seemed to be busy with something down in the nest.
Let's keep our fingers crossed! BARRED OWLS are on territory and getting
noisy; they may lay eggs later this month.
A terrific site to visit, showcasing successful nesting Barred Owls in past
years, is www.owlcam.com. On March 8, a CAROLINA CHICKADEE was inspecting a
potential nest hole and a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH sang its full spring song
in Eldora. An amazing 7,000 scoters were close to Cape May's beachfront at
Poverty Beach on March 2. Many were vigorously engaged in courtship and the
wails of courting BLACK SCOTERS could be heard several blocks inland.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are "konk-er-ee" ing like mad! A YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT
HERON was seen March 6 in North Wildwood! A pair of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER
was seen flying north across the Delaware Bay on March 2. 20+ AMERICAN
WOODCOCK danced for CMBO's March 4th "Woodcock Dance" at the Woodcock Lane
Trail in the Cape May NWR. They were so thick that some males could be heard
growling at each other while on the ground. Head out at last light to the
fields at Higbee Beach or Woodcock Lane to savor this short-lived spring
display!
Each spring RED-THROATED LOONS stage at the mouth of the Delaware Bay.
Huge numbers gather and feed in these waters. On March 2, 300 were seen
flying north across the Bay. COMMON LOONS can be found in the backbay waters
and around jetties, including the 8th Street Jetty in Avalon.
They're successfully catching crabs. By mid-April Common Loons will be
coming into breeding plumage just before they migrate further north.
Timed for a stellar loon adventure, is CMBO's "Cruisin' For Loons" on
Saturday, April 22 (1-5:30 p.m.) with 17 spaces left. Call 609-861-0700,
x-16 to register or for more information.
On March 2, a big push of northbound N. GANNETS passed by -- 300-400 and
mostly adults. 200+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS fed in the waters behind the idling
ferry on March 7. CMBO's "Poor Man's Pelagic" on Saturday, March
18 (7-11 a.m.) is timed perfectly to drink in the gannet movement, wintering
Bonaparte Gulls, the scoter gathering, and whatever else is heading north
across the Delaware Bay! 1 space left!
On March 5, the Cohansey River area in Cumberland County held 6,000 SNOW
GEESE, 12 BALD EAGLES (10 adults), an immature RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 29 N.
HARRIER, 3 SHARP-SHINS, 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, and 43 RED-TAILED HAWKS, including
ONE on a NEST! 25 WILD TURKEY, 10 E. MEADOWLARKS, and a HORNED LARK chasing
a SNOW BUNTING were among some of the other goodies enjoyed. CMBO's "Birding
Cumberland" on Sunday, March 19 (9 a.m. to 4
p.m.) will explore the Cohansey River area. 5 spaces remain!
An AMERICAN BITTERN was in The Meadows on March 7 and 8, along with a
WILSON'S SNIPE, HOODED MERGANSERS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL (in stunning
plumage), and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS. And an AMERICAN BITTERN was in the Cape
May Point State Park in Lighthouse Pond, along with HOODED MERGANSERS and
LESSER SCAUP on March 5. Join the experts, those who are out every day, by
attending one of CMBO's weekly SPRING walks (requiring no preregistration ):
(1) Every Friday (5 p.m.-dusk), "Winter Evenings at The Meadows" meets in
TNC's parking lot on Sunset Boulevard. (2) Every Saturday (8-10 a.m.)
"Birding Cape May Point" meets at the Cape May Point State Park on the
raised Picnic Pavilion. (3) Sunday, March 12 & 26, the "Nightfall at Corbin
City Bird Walk" meets on Griscom Mill Rd.
(off Rt. 50) in the Corbin City Hall parking lot at 5 p.m. (4) Sunday, March
19, will be the final "Nightfall at Jakes Landing" walk, meeting at the end
of Jakes Landing Road at 5 p.m. (5) "Sunday Mornings at Turkey Point" meets
every Sunday morning through March 26 (8 to 10 a.m.), meeting at the end of
Turkey Point Road.
CMBO had the Forest Fire Service perform a controlled burn on our meadow
again this spring. They did it on March 7. Keep an eye on it and you'll be
amazed how quickly it greens up!