Memorial Day weekend

Over the years I have seen a population explosion of beach goer's on the beaches in my home town. This is especially true of the beach in front of my house.  The past 2 days have been great beach weather and so the people came to enjoy the sun.  In addition, the bay looks like a parking lot for boats most of the past week as both striper and drum fishing has been good.

Wordless Wednesday ~ My yard ~ FOY Sachem Skippers

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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Birding Cape May County ~ con't

I was excited to take Max & Tanya over to Reed's Beach to see the Red Knots and other shorebirds feeding on the Horseshoe Crab eggs.  When I was there on Thursday I was told the Horseshoe Crab spawning was down so far this year.  This was attributed to the fact we have had many days of rain causing the Delaware Bay waters to be colder than usual.  They were hoping for a good spawn soon and had one last night as we get closer to the full moon.  We didn't make it to Reed's Beach until mid tides. I was surprised to see that there were few shorebirds compared all of the other visits I'd made there in the past 10 days. I was also surprised to see that there were a number of Horseshoe Crabs buried under the sand of the beach.  The Red Knots and Ruddy Turnstones were feeding at the back of the buried crabs and the crabs were moving so you could see they were still alive.  Hopefully they made it back in the waters at high tide.  We also found a Marsh Wren while there.

Marsh Wren ~ Reed's Beach

Red Knot and Ruddy Turnstones Feeding on Horseshoe Crab eggs ~ Reed's Beach

Red Knot and Ruddy Turnstones Feeding on Horseshoe Crab eggs ~ Reed's Beach

Ruddy Turnstone Feeding on Horseshoe Crab eggs ~ Reed's Beach

Birding Cape May County

Birding Pals Max & Tanya arrived yesterday from MD.  Since today's forecast is for heavy rains I tried to pack lots of good spots into one day.  We started at Higbee Beach before 7AM, stopped at the Osprey nest along Rt 147 before heading over to Nummy Island.  Next stop was the Wetlands Institute, the ponds behind Kindle Ford before going over for lunch in a friend's backyard.

Flycatcher ~ Higbee Beach WMA

Indigo Bunting Female ~ Higbee Beach WMA

Black Snake ~ Higbee Beach WMA

Little Blue Heron Immature ~ Wetlands Institute

Blue Grosbeak Female ~ Backyard birding

Butterflies in May

Out & about birding today and saw these 2 butterflies ~

Male Zabulon Skipper ~ Higbee Beach WMA fields

Male Zabulon Skipper

Question Mark Butterfly ~ Reed's Beach

Wordless Wednesday ~ Ocean City Welcome Center Rookery

Turning the eggs!

Eastern Kingbird

Common Yellowthroat gathering nesting materials

Opportunity Quilts

#15

I have had some down time recently due to the almost constant rainy days leaving hardly any time t work in the yard.  I used the time to make some donation/opportunity quilts.  Number of quilts made this year ~ 18 quilts so far.

#16

#17

#18

My Yard ~ Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Higbee Beach NWA

Indigo Bunting - male

Indigo Bunting - female

White-eyed Vireo

Reed's Beach ~ Red Knots

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Red Knots & Ruddy Turnstones

Horseshoe Crabs spawning

Reed's Beach ~ Red Knots Flying

 It was exciting to go birding today and see the returning Red Knots.  It's exciting to see them all returning to Reed's Beach, Cook's Beach and the beaches along the Delaware Bay from the Villas and up past Fortescue. The birds stop here on their way to the Arctic and bulk up by eating Horseshoe Crab eggs.  May is the time the Horseshoe Crabs come into spawn.  This phenomenon also occurs along the Delaware side of the Delaware Bay.  Here are some pictures of the birds flying and feeding along the shoreline on Reed's  Beach. 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Wetlands Institute ~ Tree Swallow

Nummy Island ~ Clapper Rail

Yard Butterfly #40

Juvenal's Duskywing

CMBO Walk ~ The Beanery

Killdeer

Spotted Sandpiper

Eastern Kingbird

Cape May Point State Park ~ Snow Bunting

This Snow  Bunting has been around Cape May Point State Park the past 2 days.  I had great looks from about 15 feet away.

CMBO ~ Northwood Center

There are Rose-breasted Grosbeaks all over the Eastern USA this year and my friends have had many at their feeders but none at my house for about 15 years.  The Northwood Center has had a number of sightings so I decided to go over to see them and take some pictures.

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

White-throated Sparrow

Nummy Island ~ Shorebirds Arriving con't

Whimbrel

Osprey

Eastern Willet

Semipalmated Plover