Cape May County, NJ ~ Shorebirds

A trip around Cape May County the past few days has seen and increase in the numbers of shorebirds.

Yellow Legs at Stone Harbor Point

Least Terns mating ritual Cape May Point State Park

Red Knots and other peeps near Kimbel's Beach

Ruddy Turnstones near Kimbel's Beach

Dunlin at the Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor

 Dunlin and other peeps at the Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor

 

Birding Cape May County ~ con't

Our next stop was the Northwood Center where there have been a fair numbers of warblers being seen. I was thrilled to see a Magnolia Warbler ~ Life Bird #384 for me.  Last stop was the Cape May Point State Park for more shorebirds.  By the end of the day we had seen about 70 species and we were all quite tired and ready to have a relaxing evening.

Magnolia Warbler ~ Life Bird #384 ~ Northwood Center

American Oystercatcher on Nest ~ Turning her eggs ~ Cape May Point State Park

Least Terns ~ Cape May Point State Park

Least Terns ~ Cape May Point State Park

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Cape May Point State Park ~ More Chick Time

This was a banner day for me as I found 2 Least Tern chicks.  There also were lots of Least Terns still sitting on eggs so hopefully they will have a good year for the chicks.  Today, one of the parent's brought in a fish for this little one.  The chick gamely took the fish but couldn't eat it due to size.  The adult tern then took the fish back, ate it and flew off.  Baby tern was very unhappy about it.  I sit on the sand while observing them watching them through my bin's.  Then I use a telephoto lens to take my pictures.  Hope to get back there soon.

CMP State Park ~ Courtship~ Least Terns

It's exciting this year to see the Least Terns have returned. They are not in the great numbers we saw 3-4 years ago but the past 2 summers there were almost none.  This time of year there are courtships going on among the birds of all species.

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South Cape Meadows

I am always excited to walk along the beach in the Meadows at the end of May/beginning of June as it's time for the birth of the American Oystercatcher chicks.  It is also a time of mating for the Least Terns.  Last year most of the Least Terns left the area due to destruction of their eggs so I wasn't sure there would even be any terns.  While there were some of the terns the majority of them have left for other nesting areas.  Hopefully in the future they'll come back.

Least Terns Mating Ritual

American Oystercatchers and chicks

Least Terns - The Meadows

The Meadows is always an exciting place in the spring.  Piping Plovers arrive in March, American Oystercatchers who winter in the county but not at the Meadows return  in April , the Least Terns arrive in May.  If we are really lucky the Black Skimmers arrive in May also.  I was looking for Least Terns today hoping that I would find some mating and if lucky a nest or two.  I was happy to see many courtship rituals of the terns.  I also saw several nests.