From left: Kurt and Melissa from the State FWS help Heidi and Julie (volunteer) cover a trap.
Last week, Heidi Hanlon (biologist at Cape May NWR) put out a request for volunteers to help with a Black Duck banding program being run by the State Fish and Wildlife folks at Two Mile Beach. So far, one other volunteer (Julie) and I have been over there several times, baiting and monitoring traps that have been placed in the ponds off Ocean Drive. Walking across the marsh in chest waders, carrying bags of corn and other equipment has been fun. I've only gotten stuck in knee-deep mud once. It's a strange feeling to find your legs slowly sliding into the muck, with no real idea how deep you might sink! I imagine it's a lot like quicksand, but eventually you stop sinking. Hopefully before the mud reaches the top of your waders.
As the warmer weather of Monday and Tuesday has given way to colder temps and northwest winds, more and more black ducks (and other ducks and shorebirds) have been hanging around, but so far we haven't been able to entice anyone into our traps. Hopefully, some will find the corn and enter the traps tomorrow. If so, we will close the traps and hope for some birds to wander in for a bite to eat.
One more interesting bird note. The Two Mile Landing ponds held many of the common winter ducks such as pintails, buffleheads, Canada Geese, Brant, etc. But what two things do these next three birds have in common: Tri-colored Heron, Snowy Egret, and Black-crowned Night Heron? Answers: A) I saw all three today at the Coast Guard Ponds at Two Mile, and B) I really shouldn't be seeing any of them. These are summer birds, or maybe fall migrants. It's January 27! Hard to stretch this into an early spring migration, right? Last week the entire bayshore was frozen solid, windchills in the single digits! What's up with this? Sibley listed these three birds in 1999 as "scarce, uncommon, or rare" here in winter. It has been a bit warmer this week, but in general it's been a cold winter. What do you think, Global Warming? Or maybe the so-called "facultative movement" that we sometimes witness in winter when large flocks of geese, for example, move here and there as the temperature rises or drops. Whatever. It makes for some exciting winter birding here at the Cape.
As the warmer weather of Monday and Tuesday has given way to colder temps and northwest winds, more and more black ducks (and other ducks and shorebirds) have been hanging around, but so far we haven't been able to entice anyone into our traps. Hopefully, some will find the corn and enter the traps tomorrow. If so, we will close the traps and hope for some birds to wander in for a bite to eat.
One more interesting bird note. The Two Mile Landing ponds held many of the common winter ducks such as pintails, buffleheads, Canada Geese, Brant, etc. But what two things do these next three birds have in common: Tri-colored Heron, Snowy Egret, and Black-crowned Night Heron? Answers: A) I saw all three today at the Coast Guard Ponds at Two Mile, and B) I really shouldn't be seeing any of them. These are summer birds, or maybe fall migrants. It's January 27! Hard to stretch this into an early spring migration, right? Last week the entire bayshore was frozen solid, windchills in the single digits! What's up with this? Sibley listed these three birds in 1999 as "scarce, uncommon, or rare" here in winter. It has been a bit warmer this week, but in general it's been a cold winter. What do you think, Global Warming? Or maybe the so-called "facultative movement" that we sometimes witness in winter when large flocks of geese, for example, move here and there as the temperature rises or drops. Whatever. It makes for some exciting winter birding here at the Cape.
Tri-colored heron (photo: USFWS)
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