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Birding Cape May Point – July 16, 2022

Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Bernie Hodgdon

Temp: 73° F

Winds: S 4mph

Weather Conditions: heavy fog at start, then cloudy

Though the fog was too thick to see out over the water when we started this morning’s walk, it quickly cleared and turned out to be a great morning for birding. Male and female Blue Grosbeaks were sitting close to the trail, singing and chipping. A recently fledged Northern Cardinal, with its dark bill, begged for food from a cooperative parent. A squadron of 21 Brown Pelicans flew by over the water, Black Skimmers skimmed, and Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers presented themselves for comparison. We’ve seen very few Orchard Orioles in the park this year, but we saw both male and female today, and it seemed we were never out of earshot of Indigo Buntings, Common Yellowthroats and Purple Martins.

59 species

Species Count
Canada Goose 1
Mute Swan 60
Gadwall 8
Mallard 35
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4
American Oystercatcher 5
Killdeer 2
Least Sandpiper 2
Short-billed Dowitcher 24
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Laughing Gull 50
Herring Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8
Great Black-backed Gull 35
Least Tern 8
Forster’s Tern 80
Royal Tern 1
Black Skimmer 22
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Brown Pelican 21
Brown Pelican - Roger Horn

Brown Pelican photo by Roger Horn

 
Brown Pelican - Roger Horn

Brown Pelican photo by Roger Horn

 
Brown Pelican - Kathleen Horn

Brown Pelican photo by Kathy Horn

 
Green Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 15
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey (carolinensis) 3
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 3
Eastern Kingbird 1
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3
Purple Martin 61
Tree Swallow 7
Barn Swallow (American) 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Carolina Wren 7
European Starling 3
Gray Catbird 4
Brown Thrasher 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
American Robin 3
Cedar Waxwing 2
American Goldfinch 2
Field Sparrow 4
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Orchard Oriole 2
Red-winged Blackbird 21
Brown-headed Cowbird 3
Common Grackle 5
Common Yellowthroat 7
Yellow Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 5
Blue Grosbeak 3
Blue Grosbeak - Roger Horn

Blue Grosbeak photo by Roger Horn

 
Blue Grosbeak - Roger Horn

Blue Grosbeak photo by Roger Horn

 
Blue Grosbeak - Roger Horn

Blue Grosbeak photo by Roger Horn

 
Indigo Bunting 4