I was feeling a little under the weather today (actually I played hookey, but shhhh, my boss sometimes reads this) so I headed to Cape May thinking the salt air might help me feel better. This weekend is NJ Audubon's Fall Weekend and Bird Show, so there were lots of birders around and lots of birds. I was practically tripping over yellow-rumps and kinglets all afternoon. More than once while walking through the dunes I had to duck from the path of an oncoming sharpie in pursuit of a meal.I avoided the hoards of birders as I'm prone to do and instead wandered some of my favorite spots alone, but did stop by the convention center to say hi to Amy from Wildbird on the Fly and Sharon the Birdchick. I missed running into Patrick from The Hawk Owl's Nest. I'm tired now from so much driving, most of it in the rain, but wanted to share just one favorite pic from today.
This was taken at a place birders call "the beanery" - the property is mostly farmland (lima beans, specifically) and woods. Wet woods, as you see here, where prothonotary warblers can be found in the springtime. NJ Audubon has some sort of agreement with the property owners, under which they *lease* birding rights on the property for their membership. Neat idea, I think. It was quiet today, but for the previously mentioned yellow-rumps and kinglets (golden-crowns, specifically). Lovely until it started to rain and I was startled once too often with shotgun fire that sounded too close for comfort. More pics some other day. 'Night.
8 comments:
You lucky dog! Is Sharon as cute and fun in person?????
I may need to make a trip next year to NJ.
We were doing good until you mentioned lima beans.
It sounds like a nice day, though, in spite of the rain. I would've dearly loved to have done something similar, myself.
What a cool sick (cough-sniff) day!
That's so neat that you got to meet some oother bloggers. Hmm...
maybe we should get a bunch together for a birding/social weekend next year! I really think we should think about that! What a blast that would be...
There you are! Blogger.com was jinxed the last two times I came by to say hi. I loved your bunnies so much, esp. Peeper with dewlap, that I wanted to comment. Boomer, pumpkin pie and nap sounds like anthropomorphic thinking to me! :-)
When I still had the "hundred acre woods" behind Wit's End many birders would come this time of year- and sometimes they would be lucky enough to also see loons on their way to the Outer Banks. Now I just have these insistent sparrows...
Susan: The Birdchick is all that - and kind of short!
Bunnygirl: Guess you don't like Limas? Not a favorite of mine either!
Lynne: It would be a treat to meet you all in person! And to do it in a place with good birds! We should think about it, no?
Vicki: Sounds like a great place you had. Can anyplace with loons be bad?
Sorry we didn't cross paths! Beautiful pic! I seriously thought it was a painting. I think I heard once that there used to be a fee to use the Beanery back in the day. I can't remember where I heard that though.
Thanks Patrick! The wonders of photoshop for improving a so-so pic.
Have you birded the beanery much? What do you think? Know a better place for prothonotary?
I've only birded the Beanery a few times. I know there's a trail in Belleplain Forest that is almost a guarantee for Prothonotary because they breed there. I don't know exactly how to get to it though. Someone else always takes me there.
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