It was a beautiful winter’s day for our annual visit to Cape May and environs as we met at the Wawa at Routes 47 and 347. Our first stop of the day would be the Villas WMA. From there we went to Lily Lake, the Presbyterian Church and Cemetery along Broadway in a vain attempt to track down the Sandhill Cranes that have been in the area, the Lighthouse State Park, the Harbor area near the former Cape May Yacht Club (I noticed it now has a new name but can’t remember the new name and we were on a birding trip not a real estate trip after all). From here we stopped at Nummy’s Island and Stone Harbor Point before ending the day at Jake’s Landing Road.

Birding Highlight consisted of:
• Merlin, Rusty Blackbirds and Eastern Bluebird at the Villas
• Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks and Gadwall on Lily Lake
• One Adult Bald Eagle and one Red-shouldered Hawk at the cemetery. The hawk was extremely cooperative as it perched in several trees allowing for extended photographic opportunities.
• Two Eurasian Wigeon and one Redhead at Lighthouse Pond and several Tundra Swans at Bunker Pond
• Brant, Ruddy Ducks and Red-Breasted Mergansers at the Yacht Club
• American Oystercatcher, Great Cormorant and Peregrine Falcon from Nummy’s Island
• Surf and Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Horned Grebe at Stone Harbor Point
• Two Short-eared Owls and a GMC Pick-up truck being pulled out of the marsh at Jake’s Landing road.

We were unable to drive all the way to the boat landing as someone had driven their pick-up off the road about 100 yards after the pine trees end and a flatbed with a winch was there about to pull it back onto the road once a second wrecker got there. So we parked and made the walk. Unfortunately, the owls distracted us so we couldn’t watch this engineering feat but let’s just say somebody has one heck of a story to explain to their insurance company.

Thanks to everyone who joined me. See you next trip

Martin Selzer