Cape May Outing

Sunday the 19th.....unlike Saturday the 18th. Do you remember Saturday where the wind was harmless and temp was 70? Well...Sunday the definition of 'wind' was appropriate as many birds were chased down. 

But 15 of us did the walk and now we can talk the talk. Tom Baxter led the group and our first stop was the beach. We poked our head up from the dunes and managed to see a couple of oyster catchers nestled behind an outcropping which provided shelter from the wind. They appeared satisfied to sit and wait it out. And of course, not to mention New Jersey Boobies far out to sea, otherwise knows as Northern Gannets. 

Surprisingly with all of the wind, the windiest locale was not on the bare beach but on the walkway between Bunker Pond and the beachhead. The wind just funneled it's way in and kept many birds deep in the vegetation. Our 'haunting' bird this day had to be a Palm Warbler with the image provided by Tom B. We  first caught piece-meal sighting of this bird on the walkway between Bunker Pond and the beach head and that bird managed to follow us all the way around the walk. It showed itself in glimpses only on that walkway...... managed to enlighten our view just a bit more mid-way thru in the pine trees, and then as we sssss'ed our way in return fashion to the lot, there it was again although this time it displayed well for us. It sat up nicely on this twigged bush showing us in splendor the colors of spring. 

There is nothing like the mating colors of spring.....the Tuxedo'd allure of the Yellow-rumped Warbler to the testosterone'd Swan who swam in speed to meet 'someone' in the neighboring water. It makes us "humans" feel like "teenagers" (an oxymoron) Ah yes....the memories of teaching school refresh my mind casually and soon disappear, for there is no reason to bring up years of hyper, hormonic individuals.....yet....I find myself surrounded now in days like this field trip, firmly pitted against hyper warblers, testosterone swans, hormonic gnatcatchers, kinglets on a sugar high.....  The circle of life returns....