August 28
Dull, showers
A nice introduction to American birding with Tufted Titmouse, Cedar Waxwing, Blue Jay, Song Sparrow and American Crow around the motel car park in Fairfield, New Jersey in the morning.
A brief stop at Lake Hopatcong showed a Northern Flicker and a family party of American Robins but little else.
One Bobcat ran across the road in front of us in the Delaware Gap National Recreation Area before disappearing into the trees, a most unexpected sighting. Unfortunately, a short search showed no further sign but several Grey Catbirds, a Downy Woodpecker, female Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a male Northern Cardinal seen. Several Black-capped Chickadees and a probable Palm Warbler at nearby Ramonskill Falls and many Tree Swallows, Swallows and a Cedar Waxwing hawking over the river behind the campsite late afternoon. Nearby, 2 Red-tailed Hawks showed well perched by the road.
Red-tailed Hawk, Lakota, August 2009
August 29
Low cloud in mountains, warm and sunny elsewhere
2 Red-eyed Vireos, 1 empidonax sp. and several Grey Catbirds around the Delaware Gap campsite in the morning and a Great Blue Heron by the Delaware River. Nearby, 2 Mourning Doves, 6 flyover Double-crested Cormorants and many hirundines over the river.
The morning spent photographing four packs of Wolves and 2 Bobcats in enclosures at the Lakota Wolf Sanctuary, though the poor light and chainlink fencing not making for easy photography.
Wolves, Lakota, August 2009
One White-breasted Nuthatch and an empidonax sp by the road to the reserve and several Turkey Vultures over the road to the south.
An improvement in the weather and also a few more birds around on a short wander around Lake Atsion, with several Purple Martins and Tree Swallows over the lake and Eastern Towhee, Carolina Chickadee, Grey Catbird and a probable brief Magnolia Warbler in the surrounding woodland and many Turkey Vultures and a Red-tailed Hawk overhead.
Grey Catbird (above) and Eastern Towee, Wharton, August 2009
August 30
Sunny, hot
Several Laughing Gulls, 4+ Wild Turkeys, a family of American Robins and a flyover Osprey carrying a fish seen on the drive to Cape May in the morning.
A wander around the boardwalk and beach area near Cape May lighthouse was fairly quiet due to the time of day and heat but still produced a good variety of birds. Several American Black Vultures overhead with the Turkey Vultures along with Osprey, Peregrine and a distant adult Bald Eagle. Many terns and gulls on the beach including many Laughing Gulls and Forster’s and 3 Royal Terns but were flushed by the increasing number of sun worshippers.
Juvenile Laughing Gull (above) and Royal Tern (below), Cape May, August 2009
Passerines were much fewer though American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, Carolina Chickadee, Grey Catbird and 2 Prairie Warblers seen along with several Monarchs.
Monarch, Cape May, August 2009
Nearby, several Killdeers around the ferry terminal early evening showed well on the grassy areas.
Killdeer, Cape May, August 2009
An evening ferry trip across Delaware Bay was surprisingly productive with 2+ Wilson’s Petrels, 6 Brown Pelicans, Little Blue Heron, Cattle Egret and 2 Ospreys seen along with several Bottlenose Dolphins and a Common Seal.
August 31
Cloudy, light showers am, sunny late pm
The north end of Assateague Island was fairly quiet though American Redstart, Great Crested Flycatcher, Northern Oriole, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Kingbird and a juvenile American Robin seen around the scrubby areas along with several Sika and White-tailed Deer.
Brown Thrasher (above) and juvenile American Robin (below), Assateague, August 2009
A drive round to the south side of the island was much more productive with large numbers of egrets and herons on the large wetland including many Little Blue Herons, Great White and Snowy Egrets, both Glossy and White Ibis, several Black Terns and some very photogenic Forster's Terns by the highway near Chincoteague.
Forster's Tern (above) and Snowy Egret (below), Assateague, August 2009
Good numbers of an assortment of waders present too, though none particularly close including Semipalmated, Least, White-rumped and Pec Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Short-billed Dowitchers.
Adult Greater Yellowlegs, Assateague, August 2009
A roost of Willet and Marbled Godwit at the beach end of the wetland, along with many Black Skimmers though again fairly distant. Also Northern Bobwhite, Downy Woodpecker and a party of a dozen American Robins seen in the park.
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