Wouldn't that be quite the sight. Well if you can actually interpret that you can understand my highlights of the day. But, I'll break it down for those that aren't so inclined :)
Ron and I took a stab at the rarities/life birds being seen in Cape May County today: Black Headed Gull, Common Redpoll, and Greater White Fronted Goose. My goal was 1 of 3, and that is what we got!
We went to the Cape May Ferry area and immediately got an adult Black Headed Gull on the beach with a few Ring Billed Gulls. I got a distant shot of it, above.
Though we didn't nail our other goals, we got a bunch of good stuff.
5 American Pipits were a highlight (and a lifer for Ron) at the Beanery. We caught a large Sparrow flock as well which is always fun (3 A Tree, 1 Fox, 6 Field, 8 Savannah, 20 Song, 12, White Throated)
The very large excitement of the day came at the state park. We were on our way out, and walking up on the section of conifers on the boardwalk trail (by the parking lot). I decided I would jump off the path and venture through the woods, hoping to find a Long Eared Owl. Well if I knew it was so easy, I'd do that every winter day! I literally walked ten feet, and about fifteen feet in front of me was a Long Eared Owl looking me in the eyes!!!!!!!!!!! I froze, hoping to not spook it until Ron saw it. It flushed, and we chased it a bit around the woods and then it was gone! But, it was only the second one I've ever seen, and the first in sixteen years!
Other nice finds were a wintering Seaside Sparrow at Stipson's Island Road, 4 Bonaparte's Gulls at the Concrete Ship, a Purple Sandpiper at Avalon, a Ruddy Turnstone at Reed's Beach, and 2 Red Backed Salamanders at Bennet's Bog and Kimble's Beach Road.
70 species. 3 lifers for Ron. 1 lifer for me.
Good stuff.
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ReplyDeleteIs that the same area where we saw the first one?
ReplyDeleteNice trip.