Cape May Christmas Bird Count Results

Many thanks are due to Louise Zemaitis, compiler of the Cape May, NJ Christmas Bird Count, for providing the following results.  Notable records are boldfaced below.  Louise writes:

 

"We recorded a total of 160 species, plus 2 recognizable forms, 8 count week species, and 91 participants!

 

"Unusual species seen include: Ross’s Goose (2), Cackling Goose (3), Eurasian Wigeon (5), Northern Bobwhite (1), Osprey (1), Western Kingbird (1), Blue-headed Vireo (1), Pine Warbler (1), and Vesper Sparrow (3).

 

"A Magnolia Warbler, found in West Cape May, was a first for the count! The Cape May Point Black-capped Chickadee, initially discovered last January, became the first modern CBC record. A White-winged Dove, which has been playing hard to get, was added to the count week only list. The cumulative total for the Cape May CBC is now 272 (+- a few unreviewable records).

 

"Notable high numbers include: Double-crested Cormorant (512), Cooper’s Hawk (45), Red-shouldered Hawk (30), Lesser Black-backed Gull (10), Red-bellied Woodpecker (182), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (38), Hairy Woodpecker (30), Hermit Thrush (259), Brown Thrasher (72), Dark-eyed Junco (1413), Northern Cardinal (728), Purple Finch (81), and American Goldfinch (2067).

 

"Additional count week species were Harlequin Duck, Brown Pelican, King Rail (1st modern winter record), Pomarine Jaeger, Bonaparte’s Gull (1st count day miss EVER), Laughing Gull, and Eurasian Collared-Dove.

 

"A little Cape May CBC history.
Starting in 1927, there have been 88 Christmas Bird Counts conducted in the Rio Grande count circle, as we know it today. An additional 6 counts were done in Cape May Point only: 1903 (William L. Baily) and 1922, 1923, 1924, and 1926 (Julian K. Potter); most of these observations have been recorded by National Audubon. The Rio Grande Cape May CBC was founded and compiled by Julian K. Potter through 1935, followed by J. Fletcher Street (1936-1942), Dale Coman (1943-1951), Ernest Choate (1952-1972), and Keith Seager (1973-1993).

 

"This count is dedicated to the memory of Alan Brady, who participated in counts since 1953 and always shared the joy of birding in his beloved Cape May. He will be missed.

 

"The next Cape May CBC will be held on December 20, 2015."

Cape May Christmas Bird Count

December 14, 2014

Snow Goose (blue) 12

Snow Goose (white) 1192

Ross’s Goose 2

Brant 7561

Cackling Goose 3

Canada Goose 2438

Mute Swan 28

Tundra Swan 3

Wood Duck 14

Gadwall 428

Eurasian Wigeon 5

American Wigeon 376

American Black Duck 2031

Mallard 1376

Am. Blk Duck x Mall 13

Northern Shoveler 59

Northern Pintail 126

Green-winged Teal 298

Canvasback 1

Redhead 5

Ring-necked Duck 53

Greater Scaup 65

Lesser Scaup 27

scaup sp. 254

Common Eider 20

Harlequin Duck cw

Surf Scoter 4245

White-winged Scoter 28

Black Scoter 5693

scoter sp. 11244

Long-tailed Duck 329

Bufflehead 1628

Common Goldeneye 17

Hooded Merganser 711

Red-brsted Merganser 234

Ruddy Duck 503

duck sp. 15

Northern Bobwhite 1

Wild Turkey 77

Red-throated Loon 716

Common Loon 106

Pied-billed Grebe 19

Horned Grebe 110

Northern Gannet 12 -low

Double-crested Cormorant 512

Great Cormorant 14

Brown Pelican cw

American Bittern 5

Great Blue Heron 115

Great Egret 59

Little Blue Heron 2

Tricolored Heron 1

Blk-crowned Night-Heron 17

Black Vulture 137

Turkey Vulture 187

Osprey 1

Northern Harrier 79

Sharp-shinned Hawk 32

Cooper's Hawk 45

Northern Goshawk 1

Bald Eagle 34

Red-shouldered Hawk 30

Red-tailed Hawk 77

Clapper Rail 20

King Rail cw**

Virginia Rail 12

American Coot 115

American Oystercatcher 101

Black-bellied Plover 317

Semipalmated Plover 5

Killdeer 40

Greater Yellowlegs 58

Ruddy Turnstone 73

Red Knot 258

Sanderling 760

Dunlin 7100

Purple Sandpiper 30

Western Sandpiper 19

Wilson's Snipe 1

American Woodcock 41

Pomarine Jaeger cw

Razorbill 1

Black-legged Kittiwake 1

Bonaparte's Gull cw+

Laughing Gull cw

Ring-billed Gull 1124

Herring Gull 3686

Lesser Black-backed Gull 10

Great Black-backed Gull 422

Forster’s Tern 13

Rock Pigeon 824

Eurasian Collared-Dove cw

White-winged Dove cw*

Mourning Dove 1277

Eastern Screech-Owl 19

Great Horned Owl 31

Barred Owl 4

Long-eared Owl 3

Short-eared Owl 3

N. Saw-whet Owl 2 1

Belted Kingfisher 27

Red-bellied Woodpecker 182

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 38

Downy Woodpecker 175

Hairy Woodpecker 30

Northern Flicker 193

American Kestrel 11

Merlin 9

Peregrine Falcon 12

Eastern Phoebe 4

Western Kingbird 1

Blue-headed Vireo 1

Blue Jay 751

American Crow 343

Fish Crow 94

crow sp. 16

Horned Lark 2

Tree Swallow 158

Carolina Chickadee 501

Black-capped Chickadee 1**

Tufted Titmouse 294

Red-breasted Nuthatch 42

White-breasted Nuthatch 126

Brown Creeper 22 House Wren 1

Winter Wren 37

Marsh Wren 13

Carolina Wren 396

Golden-crowned Kinglet 55

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 45

Eastern Bluebird 262

Hermit Thrush 259

American Robin 5404

Gray Catbird 62

Brown Thrasher 72

Northern Mockingbird 245

European Starling 7480

American Pipit 95

Cedar Waxwing 653

Snow Bunting 1

Orange-crowned Warbler 3

Common Yellowthroat 2

Magnolia Warbler 1*

Palm Warbler 6

Pine Warbler 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler 1761

Eastern Towhee 129

American Tree Sparrow 4

Chipping Sparrow 42

Field Sparrow 107

Vesper Sparrow 3

Savannah Sparrow 111

"Ipswich" Sav Sparrow 15

Nelson's Sparrow 1

Saltmarsh Sparrow 7

Seaside Sparrow 7

Fox Sparrow 254

Song Sparrow 642

Swamp Sparrow 134

White-throated Sparrow 2544

White-crowned Sparrow 13

Dark-eyed Junco 1413

Red-winged Blackbird 4789

Northern Cardinal 728

Eastern Meadowlark 58

Rusty Blackbird 75

Common Grackle 7312

Boat-tailed Grackle 958

Brown-headed Cowbird 2597

blackbird sp. 50

Baltimore Oriole 4

House Finch 704

Purple Finch 81

Pine Siskin 14

American Goldfinch 2067

House Sparrow 1388

TOTAL SPECIES 160

additional forms 2

count week only 8

*New to count

**1st modern record

+1st miss to count