Just Ducky

If you like ducks, as we do, there are few better places to be in the Winter than South Jersey.  We are lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time at Cape May, and have gone looking for ducks several times already this year.  Our favorite Cape May spots for Winter Duck Hunting – don't worry, our weapons are cameras and binoculars! – are Cape May Harbor and Lake Lily, and going up the coast, the Avalon Seawatch and Forsythe NWR (aka "Brig").


Lake Lily is small enough, and attractive enough to the birds, that it affords magnificent views of some very special waterfowl.  We have made several trips this year attempting to see the Cackling Goose, as well as the Dickcissels that have been seen in the area, and while we struck out on these, we have seen some pretty special birds there.  They're often so close that you don't even need binoculars.


Right around the corner, the ponds at Cape May Point State Park have been full of ducks, although you will need binoculars, or even a scope, to be able to tell what you have in front of you.  We had a spectacular sight there on Saturday, when scores of ducks suddenly took flight.  We were wondering what had spooked them, when an adult Bald Eagle flew in, circled the ponds, and then flew east towards the Meadows.  Within two minutes, all of the ducks had returned.


Here's an unordered list of our sightings this Presidents' Day Weekend:


Saturday 2/19 - at Cape May, Cape May Harbor, Lake Lily, CM Point State Park:
American Robin
Northern Cardinal
European Starling
Common Grackle
Bufflehead
Black Scoter
Brant
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Hooded Merganser
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Shoveler
Mallard
Gadwall
Ring-necked Duck
Redhead
American Wigeon
Coot
Blue-winged Teal
Bald Eagle

Sunday, 2/20, from GS Parkway and at Forsythe NWR:
European Starling
Common Grackle
Turkey Vulture
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret (!)
Coot
Northern Harrier
Northern Shoveler
Pintail
Common Moorhen (!)
Black Duck
Great Black-backed Gull
Mallard
Herring Gull
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Hooded Merganser
Snow Goose
Double-crested Cormorant
Pied-billed Grebe
Bufflehead
Green-winged Teal
Gadwall
Common Merganser