Cape May - Sunday afternoon

We spent an hour or so in our motel room watching the rain but it did stop so we headed back out, this time to the CMBO visitors' centre on the south-western corner of the peninsula, close to the lighthouse. It turns out this was the migration hotspot of the moment. As we approached, a large group of Swedish birders were watching a mixed flock of warblers. They pointed out a Tennessee Warbler (new species) which we watched for a while but it had gone by the time I dashed back to grab my camera.

We also saw and photographed a Red-eyed Vireo (new species):

Magnolia Warbler:

The Swedish birders told us that a Dickcissel had been seen associating with House Sparrows at the Hawk Watch, so we headed there promptly to see if we could find it.

At the Hawk Watch a Monarch Butterfly tagging demonstration was being run by CMBO naturalists, there being plenty of habitat and therefore large numbers of said butterfly - hundreds of them gathering for their own migration to Mexico:



The Dickcissel stayed in cover for a long time but did gradually emerge, these are two good photos, from about eighty, taken under leaden skies as the bird made its way out from cover:

Having enjoyed seeing and recording this bird we headed back to the CMBO centre to see if anything else was about. There we added Cape May Warbler to our list:

first a female, then a male:

A Black-throated Blue Warbler:

American Redstart:

And finally another Blue Jay wondering why everyone is looking at all the other birds:

This spot pepped up our visit list and helped us make the most of a very wet afternoon.