Blue Goose ~ Day 100

September 8, 2014 ~ Rio Grande City, NJ to Middletown, DE

I slept 100% better in my darkened spot but woke at 4:52, probably because I had set the alarm since I was going on a guided bird walk at 0730 at Cape May Meadows.

WWW.NATURE.ORG

Situated at the southwest tip of the Cape May peninsula, The South Cape May Meadows Preserve, includes over 200 acres of critical habitat in the globally renowned birding hot spot of Cape May, NJ. The preserve is replete with dunes, freshwater wetlands, meadows, ponds, and a full mile of protected beach. The Cape May peninsula acts as a funnel for birds migrating along the Atlantic Flyway and the land protected there provides foraging and resting habitat for birds before they cross Delaware Bay. The preserve’s loop trail provides visitors with wildlife viewing opportunities in both a freshwater wetland and on an undeveloped beach, a rarity on the heavily developed Jersey shoreline. An estimated 300,000 visitors enjoy the preserve’s natural beauty each year.
Historic Connection:Just offshore, the remnants of the town of South Cape May lie scattered on the ocean floor. The Victorian Resort town, established in the 1840’s included a modest number of vacation cottages in its prime, but most were destroyed by a storm and overtaken by the ocean in the early 1950’s. The few homes that survived the storm were moved to new locations within West Cape May and Cape May City. Grazing cattle helped to maintain an open meadow following the town’s destruction. After the preserve was established by the Conservancy, and the cattle moved on to more nutritious pastures, the wetland and meadow were overtaken by the common reed, Phragmites a highly invasive plant.
Ecosystem Restored:The face of the preserve dramatically changed once again in 2004, when the Conservancy teamed with the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to restore the Meadows freshwater wetland and beach ecosystems. The project area included both The South Cape May Meadows Preserve and the adjacent Cape May Point State Park, this project was the first of its kind undertaken in New Jersey and has been a marked success. The goal was to return the degraded landscape to a more productive, and natural state to benefit both the wildlife and the residents of local communities by adding protection from coastal flooding. Elements of the project included replenishment of an eroded beach, building up of the dunes, restoration of freshwater flow through the wetland, control of the invasive common reed Phragmites, creation of shorebird foraging and resting areas within the wetland, and installation of water control structures. While the process of re-engineering the wetland and beach was very intrusive, the ecosystem proved its resilience and has not only recovered, but flourished in the seven years since the completion of the project. When the preserve re-opened in June of 2007 it not only featured important enhancements for wildlife, but also amenities for visitors; including a gravel parking lot, information booth, improved trail system, and an observation platform.

I got coffee and a bagel and headed south. Pete Dunne and several other local members of the CMBO and NJ Audubon led the hike. It was overcast but warm enough...very pleasant for a couple of hours of birding. I also asked Mr. Dunne to sign one his books for me which, of course, he graciously did.

Birding hike at Cape May Meadows - NJ

There were about 25 of us, and it was perfect for me as I saw a life bird - the Prairie Warbler. We were on the trail at a slight rise near the beaches and someone behind said, "I've got a Prairie Warbler..." and I basically turned around, searched with verbal instructions ("see the large bush...and the dead brush in front; it's in the low flowering plant in front to the left of the dead bush....oops, now it dropped...oh, it just popped up to the right of that hole in the large bush...") and saw quick but adequate glimpses twice!

We also saw 50+ other birds, including a Lesser Black-backed Gull. These guided hikes are a pleasure. To see a life bird in the company of such illustrious birders and gentlemen as Pete Dunne and his friends on this early September morning at Cape May Meadows will always be a favorite story. Scott of "warbler book" fame was also along on this hike. Remember, DHC, the hike we took with the authors of that book at Magee in May?

A few of the dozens of ID tips:

Merlins: "dark and direct"
Merlin vs. Kestrel: "If that was a Merlin, we wouldn't still be talking about it" meaning they are FAST
Peregrine: "flies with elastic wing motion...very fluid"
Mixed flocks of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers: "This time of year, Least are reddish; Semis are more grey"

Cooper's Hawk - Cape May Meadows - NJ

Pete was thanking people "for birding with me" as we left the parking lot.

(I laughed at signs announcing the October Lima Bean Festival. Cape May seems an unlikely venue for such...)

The rest of the morning and afternoon I drove up the west side of the peninsula through old small towns with names like Bivalve and Dividing Creek.

I stopped at the Cape May NWR headquarters and the manager immediately came out and was most friendly, answering any questions, not seeming the least bit bothered by the interruption and, in fact, as I was leaving he said, "Thank you for noticing the National Wildlife Refuges." He had worked at several others, putting in time on the high plains in North Dakota as a botanist, "dissecting sedges in motel rooms night after night....it really isn't all that hard once you start doing it..." Although brief, this was one of the nicer encounters with personnel at a refuge. Cape May has a lot of property, but it is scattered and, except for the Great Cedar Swamp portion in the middle of the peninsula, these pieces are mostly non-contiguous. They are constantly acquiring more land as it becomes available or is donated as a nice piece of beach "down at the end of the road" was recently. This has to be so gratifying for anyone concerned with protecting habitat for wildlife.

Someone had told me a good place for Seaside Sparrows was the Cook Beach road, close to the Cape May offices. I spent an hour there waiting for one, looking out over the salt marsh, not seeing sparrows. I did watch an eagle chase an Osprey carrying a fish, and while the Osprey dropped it, the eagle didn't get it either. And a Marsh Wren popped up briefly very near the road. The barrier islands and beaches on the coast and large bays are either protected or developed or posted with realtor signs.  I think of the Pacific coast or much of the Great Lakes where, at least, the development is elevated significantly above the beaches. Here, so much is nearly at sea level.

Salt marsh - Cook Beach - NJ

Terns: Royal and Forster's - Cook's Beach - NJ

I got some really really awful food at a gas station: potato wedges and "jambalaya" which was dried out dirty rice with tired chunks of sausage and no liquid. Most went in the trash.

The last stop was at Supawna NWR near the bridge to Delaware. I only stopped briefly at a trailhead where two teenage boys seemed to be furtively doing something...with open car trunks. One rarely sees teenagers on the trails. The woods here were exceptionally dark and deep with tall trees and understory. Really dark and not exactly inviting on a gloomy afternoon. Supawna is also managed from the Cape May offices.

Once across the bridge, I got into massive high-speed traffic but exited soon in Middletown where I stayed for the night. The houses on the main streets are built flush with the sidewalk, just 20 feet or so from the street. Like bedrooms or living rooms are almost on the brick sidewalks. These are old homes. Where there is significant water (rivers or bays), one sees the oldest buildings.