Cape May Autumn Birding Weekend 2014
October 25 2014
Leaders: Sam Wilson & Scott Barnes
October 25 2014
Leaders: Sam Wilson & Scott Barnes
The 2014 Youth Autumn Birding Weekend, after setting a very high standard last year, did not disappoint by any means this year! It was a combination of factors which included great leaders, a great group, and of course great birds that made this day so successful. The group met up near the hawkwatch platform at Cape May Point State Park where a very cooperative Red-breasted Nuthatch provided a great start to our day. Our group had the chance to look at many ducks resting on the bunker pond and raptors forming kettles overhead while on the hawkwatch platform, but probably the highlight of the day was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that made a brief pass far away that was seen by only a few. After that excitement, the group walked around the state park where we saw many more raptors and the continuing Eurasian Wigeons in the Lighthouse Pond. In the middle of all of this, we were told about two Pectoral Sandpipers on one of the ponds, so we got great looks at these two long-distance migrants. All that morning birding made us hungry, so we sat down by the picnic tables near the hawkwatch platform and watched the Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees as we ate our pizza that was generously provided by Zeiss Optics, one of our sponsors for the day.
Next were the dune crossings where we searched for various land and sea migrants. We came up with many groups of Black Scoters with a few Surf Scoters mixed in, a nice group of Pine Siskins, a Vesper Sparrow, and a very distant Golden Eagle only seen by a few. Several individual flyby Northern Harriers also provided some good looks for the group. After watching these migrants, our group headed over to the convention center which was the location of the vendors of the Autumn Birding Weekend. There were various vendors selling everything from field guides to digiscoping accessories, and many other birders associated with different groups. It was great to see all the things that they had to offer, and it was topped off with a live Eastern Screech-Owl and a live Red-tailed Hawk!
Our last stop of the day was Cape May Meadows where we would search for various wetland and shore birds. It did not disappoint with a heard-only Virginia Rail, good looks at a flying Eastern Meadowlark, another Vesper Sparrow, and two Stilt Sandpipers. By then, the group was exhausted and ready to head back to the state park. It was truly a fantastic day with 89 species and lifers for most of us! Thanks to Sam Wilson and Scott Barnes for leading and organizing the the whole day and to all of the young birders' parents for making it possible for us to get there! It was a day to remember for all of us!
Next were the dune crossings where we searched for various land and sea migrants. We came up with many groups of Black Scoters with a few Surf Scoters mixed in, a nice group of Pine Siskins, a Vesper Sparrow, and a very distant Golden Eagle only seen by a few. Several individual flyby Northern Harriers also provided some good looks for the group. After watching these migrants, our group headed over to the convention center which was the location of the vendors of the Autumn Birding Weekend. There were various vendors selling everything from field guides to digiscoping accessories, and many other birders associated with different groups. It was great to see all the things that they had to offer, and it was topped off with a live Eastern Screech-Owl and a live Red-tailed Hawk!
Our last stop of the day was Cape May Meadows where we would search for various wetland and shore birds. It did not disappoint with a heard-only Virginia Rail, good looks at a flying Eastern Meadowlark, another Vesper Sparrow, and two Stilt Sandpipers. By then, the group was exhausted and ready to head back to the state park. It was truly a fantastic day with 89 species and lifers for most of us! Thanks to Sam Wilson and Scott Barnes for leading and organizing the the whole day and to all of the young birders' parents for making it possible for us to get there! It was a day to remember for all of us!