Clay-colored Sparrow and banded oystercatcher turn up at Cape May Meadows, with warblers streaming through
Early October migration is running strong at the Cape: easterly weather on Oct 4 dropped warblers, catbirds and flickers into the thickets. This edition draws on dated NJ Audubon field-trip lists; eBird alerts and iNaturalist were not opened this run, so nothing here is a committee-reviewed record.
The 30-second version
Clay-colored Sparrow (1) at Cape May Meadows on Oct 5, reported by NJ Audubon trip leaders.
Cape May Warblers at Cox Hall Creek, Higbee and the Point; 46 Palm Warblers at Cox Hall Creek Oct 4.
Meadows beach flooded by nor'easter lake; Black Skimmers (12) and a juvenile Sora there Oct 2.
01NJ Audubon trip · Oct 5
Clay-colored Sparrow at Cape May Meadows, with a banded oystercatcher
A Clay-colored Sparrow (1) was listed by the Group 1 field-trip party at the Meadows on Oct 5 (51 species; 60°F, NW 5 mph, cloudy). The report is a leader-compiled trip list, not a photographed or committee-reviewed record, and gives no photo of the sparrow.
The trip also photographed American Oystercatcher J-34, banded at the Meadows in June 2023 per the post, among 5 oystercatchers. Warblers included Orange-crowned (1, Group 2), Magnolia (1) and 10 and 25 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) across the two groups, plus a Veery (1).
For your outing: Walk the Meadows trails on a clear NW-wind morning and scan sparrow flocks and the shoreline for the banded oystercatcher.
Rain and east wind produce a warbler stream at Cox Hall Creek
On Oct 4 (light rain, 65°F, E 15 mph) leaders counted 46 Palm Warblers (Western), 5 Yellow-rumped (Myrtle), 4 American Redstart, 2 Pine, 2 Black-and-white, and single Cape May Warbler and Northern Parula at Cox Hall Creek WMA, plus 30 unidentified warblers. The leaders noted they likely missed birds through wet binoculars.
Gray Catbird (28), Blue Jay (20) and Northern Flicker (10) were moving too, and Peregrine Falcon and American Kestrel were on the move. 38 species total; trip-leader list, unphotographed.
For your outing: Go early after an easterly or rainy night, when thickets and edges hold the most birds, and dress for wet.
Point-area counts: Dickcissel, Blackpolls and White Ibis on Oct 3
The Raptor Migration workshop (Cape May Point State Park hawkwatch platform and nearby stops) logged a Dickcissel (1) at the platform at 10:25am. At the CMBO Northwood Center at 1:58pm the list included 12 Blackpoll, 6 Cape May, 8 American Redstart and 3 Magnolia Warblers, plus Nashville (1) and Black-throated Blue (2). Leader-compiled lists; counts are per stop and not summed.
At the Coral Ave. dune crossing (8:43am): 10 White Ibis, 11 Brown Pelican, 19 Black Scoter, 16 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 17 American Kestrel and 4 Peregrine Falcon. The hawkwatch platform at 10:25am had 27 American Kestrel and 15 Sharp-shinned Hawk.
For your outing: Start at the Coral Ave. dune crossing for early sea and raptor movement, then check the platform mid-morning.
Higbee Beach: 40 flickers, 7 Brown Thrashers and Cape May Warblers
The Oct 2 Higbee Beach trip (32 species, leader-compiled, unphotographed) counted 40 Northern Flicker, 25 Blue Jay, 7 Brown Thrasher and 5 Red-eyed Vireo. Warblers: 4 Cape May, 4 Northern Parula, 2 American Redstart, and singles of Tennessee, Blackpoll and Black-throated Blue.
For your outing: Higbee's thickets repay a dawn visit; check the Cape May Warblers and parulas in the edges.
Nor'easter lake blocks the Meadows beach but holds skimmers and a Sora
The Oct 2 afternoon trip reported the Meadows beach still inaccessible because of the lake left by the recent nor'easter. Gulls clustered around it, and Group 2 counted 12 Black Skimmers and 2 Forster's Terns; both groups had Lesser Black-backed Gull (12). A juvenile Sora (1) was seen from the blind. The Group 1 butterfly list included Monarch, Common Buckeye and Fiery Skipper.
This is a trip-leader report from Oct 2; conditions may have changed since. Check current access before you go.
For your outing: Scope the flooded beach edge from the trails and blind rather than expecting to reach the shore; verify access first.