Samples from Cape May

Clapper Rail is easy to hear in the New Jersey salt marshes, but a sighting is often a matter of luck, or long patience waiting for one to walk into the open. But it is Spring, they have just arrived, the hormones are surging, and they are hyper. At Jake's landing I kept seeing the birds pop out of the marsh grasses, fly a short distance, then disappear into the grasses again. But I was patient and tried to be alert. The payoff:

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rail

Wrens are compact bundles of energy and irrepressible song. Higbee's Beach WMA teemed with Carolina Wrens; Jake's Landing hosted vocal duels from Marsh Wrens, and in various places House Wrens let their song tumble forth. It was a particular treat to see the House Wrens in a "natural" setting, rather than a backyard setting ...

Carolina Wren

House Wren

Marsh Wren

 The Red-winged Blackbird is rightly appreciated for the bright red epaulets which he flashes to intimidate rivals and attract females. The female is usually passed over as a rather dull, medium-sized, brown bird, but the one below demonstrated an often overlooked and under appreciated variety and beauty ...

Red-winged Blackbirds - female

Red-winged Blackbird - female

Red-winged Blackbird - male displaying

 Courtship season is going full tilt. Forster's Terns used the same land posting at Jake's Landing that I have seen them use in previous years. The gentleman on the right did not bring the lady a fish, and after a few moments she flew off in an apparent huff ...

Forster's Terns

... and across the marsh, the Willet winged back and forth with their "pee-will-willet pee-will-will-it" ...

Willet

 And finally, the Seaside Sparrow is not much to look at, and nor is his song much to listen to, unless you happen to be another Seaside Sparrow in the throes of the breeding season ...

Seaside Sparrow

Good birding!

LBJs - IDs for #7 & 8

#31 - American Tree Sparrow

 #32 - Field Sparrow

 #33 - Fox Sparrow

 #34 - Purple Finch, female

#35 - Seaside Sparrow -a large and awkwardly shaped sparrow found in the coastal salt marshes. Habitat is one of the best "field marks." Drab, with just a hint of yellowish lores. Big bill and a tail that looks like it has been clipped off with scissors, if you manage to get any kind of a look at it.

#36 - White-crowned Sparrow - an adult in molt. Note the absence of a tail.

#37 -White-throated Sparrow (oops - I did not catch the typo until after this was posted, but this is truly a White-throated, not a White-Crowned)

#38 - Seaside Sparrow - singing male, if you can call his buzzy hissing a song.

#39 -White-crowned Sparrow, juvenile

#40 - Lincoln's Sparrow

Jake's Landing

Last week I made my Spring trip to Cape May and southern New Jersey. I managed all or part of 5 days birding, plus attending grandchildren's school programs in Philadelphia. I had good birding, and lots of fun with the camera. I will dribble out a few photographic highlights over several posts.

Jake's Landing is on the Delaware Bay north of Cape May about 20 miles. The boat landing is at the end of a dirt road about a half mile from the forest's end in a sea of salt marsh grass. A peaceful and quiet spot, I spent a late afternoon and evening just being there - and trying to get a few birds to hold still.

Seaside Sparrows were all over the marsh and singing their buzzy excuse for a song - but doing so with great enthusiasm. One even chose to sing where he was not just a brown spot on a grass stem somewhere in the marsh.

Where song birds proclaim the quality of their genes in song, the Forester's Tern has to demonstrate that he can be a good provider. This gentleman (on the right) has just delivered food to his lady love. She was not always patient with how long it took him to return to her, often vocalizing about his delay from her perch. But now she seems momentarily content (or else she's telling him to go out and get more), but for the moment he is proud of his feat.

Marsh Wrens lined the brush along the road and around the boat launch. Their courtship routine is multifaceted. He does fluttering flight displays, sings without ceasing, and builds nests. Sometimes he tries to do all three at once, plus defend his territory against other wrens and snoopy photographers. This busy bundle of energy had two nests within about ten feet of each other.

Here is an uncharacteristic moment when he was neither singing nor carrying nest material ...

Savannah Sparrows sometimes sit in the open in grassy fields and give you a good look, as did this handsome specimen.

Good birding!