Cape May continued

Cape May State Park is free, that alone is remarkable and very worthy of mention. The park has extensive, easy to bird trails which are naturally popular with birds and non-birders alike. The birds when we were there we spectacular at times. For two days the sky had a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk in it at all times, often several of each. Turkey Vultures, various hawks and falcons along with Northern Harriers were also passing through and the heavily occupied hawk platform was kept very busy. Lower down wave after wave of Myrtle Warblers were “chitting” from their hiding places, each walk seemed to produce list additions. One treat was the presence of Carolina Wrens every 200m or so along the trails, we don’t have many in Quebec!

Our total trip list was 116 species, modest but enjoyable, we bolstered the Cape May list with a side trip to Brigantine, actually called the somebody famous Forsythe reserve.

Above shots of Caroline Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Palm Warbler and a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. Below an interesting gull, reported as Iceland, it clearly is not but is a leucistic gull, perhaps Ring-billed. Also at Cape May were many American Wigeon.

A few shots of Ruddy Turnstone, American Herring Gull, Myrtle Warbler, Great Egret, Snowy Egret and Boat-tailed Grackle.