Leaders: Tom Reed, Chris Marks, Mary Watkins, Alan Crawford
The 2023 Kick Off Your Year List trip was filled with good weather and great birds! Ample sunshine and temperatures in the mid-50s made for a beautiful winter day, and there were plenty of birds at each stop. Our morning was largely spent at the Rea Farm, where the continuing Lark Sparrow was a crowd-pleaser – even singing a few times! Other highlights here included Orange-crowned Warbler, Wilson’s Snipe, and Rusty Blackbird. Next up was Cape May Point, where the lingering group of Tree Swallows put on a nice show over the dunes and a surprising group of 3 Canvasbacks gave us great looks on Lily Lake. After a mid-day lunch break, we reconvened at Stone Harbor Point, where a cluster of 8 Red Knots stood out among other shorebirds and coastal waterbirds. A high tide visit to Nummy Island produced a large flock of roosting American Oystercatchers, along with 6 Marbled Godwits, while 2 male Redheads were swimming under the toll bridge. Finally, we headed across the peninsula to visit Jake’s Landing at sunset. Here, we enjoyed the chattering of Clapper Rails, Marsh Wrens, and Seaside Sparrows, watched waterfowl and shorebirds head toward their evening roosts, and (for the diehards that stayed until last light) viewed both Short-eared and Great Horned owls! Over 90 species were seen by all participants, and the cumulative trip list was 104 species! We hope you’ll consider joining us for the 2024 version of this fun field trip.
Cape Island: The Beanery/Rea Farm – 9:18am
52 species
| Species | Count |
| Canada Goose | 5 |
| Mute Swan | 2 |
| Gadwall | 2 |
| Mallard | 10 |
| Mallard x American Black Duck (hybrid) | 1 |
| Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) | 15 |
| Mourning Dove | 20 |
| Killdeer | 8 |
| Wilson’s Snipe | 2 |
| Herring Gull | 2 |
| Black Vulture | 3 |
| Turkey Vulture | 4 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 2 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 3 |
| Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) | 2 |
| Blue Jay | 6 |
| American Crow | 10 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 4 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 1 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 1 |
| Winter Wren | 1 |
| Carolina Wren | 12 |
| European Starling | 150 |
| Gray Catbird | 3 |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 4 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 9 |
| Hermit Thrush | 2 |
| American Robin | 125 |
| Cedar Waxwing | 1 |
| House Sparrow | 10 |
| House Finch | 15 |
| Purple Finch | 1 |
| American Goldfinch | 20 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 5 |
| Field Sparrow | 3 |
| Lark Sparrow | 1 |
| Fox Sparrow (Red) | 5 |
| Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) | 1 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 5 |
| Savannah Sparrow (Savannah) | 5 |
| Song Sparrow | 10 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 3 |
| Eastern Towhee | 3 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 250 |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | 75 |
| Rusty Blackbird | 4 |
| Common Grackle | 1200 |
| Orange-crowned Warbler (Gray-headed) | 1 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | 6 |
| Northern Cardinal | 2 |
Cape Island: CMPt State Park – The Hawkwatch Platform – 12:00pm
38 species
| Species | Count |
| Canada Goose | 10 |
| Tundra Swan | 2 |
| Northern Shoveler | 2 |
| Gadwall | 20 |
| American Wigeon | 6 |
| Mallard | 5 |
| American Black Duck | 20 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 |
| Green-winged Teal | 10 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 1 |
| Bufflehead | 10 |
| Hooded Merganser | 3 |
| Ruddy Duck | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 3 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 3 |
| Herring Gull | 6 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 1 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) | 1 |
| Black Vulture | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 3 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) | 2 |
| Blue Jay | 1 |
| American Crow | 3 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 1 |
| Tree Swallow | 20 |
| Carolina Wren | 3 |
| European Starling | 5 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 1 |
| American Robin | 4 |
| House Finch | 2 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 10 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | 6 |
| Northern Cardinal | 1 |
Cape Island: CMBO Northwood Center – 12:40pm
34 species
| Species | Count |
| Canada Goose | 10 |
| Mute Swan | 4 |
| Gadwall | 200 |
| American Wigeon | 10 |
| Canvasback | 3 |
| Ring-necked Duck | 25 |
| Lesser Scaup | 2 |
| Bufflehead | 1 |
| Hooded Merganser | 3 |
| Ruddy Duck | 1 |
| Mourning Dove | 1 |
| Herring Gull | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 1 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| Eastern Phoebe | 1 |
| Blue Jay | 2 |
| American Crow | 1 |
| Carolina Chickadee | 4 |
| Tufted Titmouse | 1 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | 1 |
| Carolina Wren | 3 |
| European Starling | 5 |
| Gray Catbird | 2 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 1 |
| Eastern Bluebird | 1 |
| American Robin | 10 |
| House Sparrow | 3 |
| House Finch | 5 |
| American Goldfinch | 2 |
| Fox Sparrow (Red) | 3 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 3 |
| Northern Cardinal | 2 |
Stone Harbor Point – 2:42pm
26 species
| Species | Count |
| American Black Duck | 3 |
| Surf Scoter | 8 |
| Black Scoter | 15 |
| Long-tailed Duck | 25 |
| Mourning Dove | 3 |
| Red Knot | 8 |
| Sanderling | 75 |
| Dunlin | 1500 |
| Purple Sandpiper | 1 |
| Western Sandpiper | 5 |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | 25 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 1 |
| Herring Gull | 45 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 10 |
| Forster’s Tern | 1 |
| Red-throated Loon | 6 |
| Common Loon | 15 |
| Northern Gannet | 20 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | 2 |
| European Starling | 1 |
| House Finch | 3 |
| American Goldfinch | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) | 2 |
Nummy Island – 3:30pm
20 species
| Species | Count |
| Brant (Atlantic) | 500 |
| Mallard | 1 |
| American Black Duck | 5 |
| Redhead | 2 |
| Surf Scoter | 2 |
| Long-tailed Duck | 1 |
| Bufflehead | 1 |
| Red-breasted Merganser | 1 |
| Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) | 5 |
| American Oystercatcher | 75 |
| Marbled Godwit | 6 |
| Dunlin | 20 |
| Greater Yellowlegs | 2 |
| Herring Gull | 25 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 5 |
| Red-throated Loon | 1 |
| Common Loon | 2 |
| Double-crested Cormorant | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) | 2 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 |
Jake’s Landing – 4:32pm
32 species
| Species | Count |
| Snow Goose | 15 |
| Canada Goose | 100 |
| American Black Duck | 25 |
| Northern Pintail | 1 |
| Green-winged Teal | 75 |
| Bufflehead | 1 |
| Hooded Merganser | 2 |
| Mourning Dove | 3 |
| Clapper Rail | 20 |
| Virginia Rail | 1 |
| Black-bellied Plover | 10 |
| Dunlin | 1500 |
| shorebird sp. | 1000 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 1 |
| Herring Gull | 5 |
| Red-throated Loon | 1 |
| Great Blue Heron (Great Blue) | 3 |
| Northern Harrier | 7 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 10 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 |
| Great Horned Owl | 2 |
| Short-eared Owl | 2 |
| American Crow | 2 |
| Marsh Wren | 3 |
| American Robin | 5 |
| Seaside Sparrow | 3 |
| Saltmarsh Sparrow | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 1 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 1 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | 2 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 25 |
