September in Cape May, New Jersey

Cape May New Jersey is a bucket-list destination for many North American birders. Nearly 400 different species of birds have been seen in the area. Our group saw 137 different species, although only two were new for my year list: Connecticut Warbler and Roseate Tern.

If you are not a good photographer, it really pays to travel with one. Peter Wilson was part of our group and he generously offered to let me post some of his pictures. The photos not credited to him were taken by me.

Migrating warblers are the star attraction in fall and Peter captured some great pictures of them.

Connecticut Warbler - Photo by Peter Wilson

Yellow Warbler - photo by Peter Wilson

Prairie Warbler - photo by Peter Wilson

American Redstart - photo by Peter Wilson

When the redstart fans its tail insects tend to move making them easy prey.

Black-throated Blue Warbler - photo by Peter Wilson

Black and White Warbler - photo by Peter Wilson

The undertail pattern is distinct and unique.

Palm Warbler - Photo by Peter Wilson

Ovenbird - photo by Peter Wilson

Ovenbirds like to walk in thick underbrush and rarely emerge from the shadows.

Northern Waterthrush - Photo by Peter Wilson

Like the ovenbird, the Northern Waterthrush is a member of the warbler family in spite of its name.

The hawk watch "tower" is one of the best places in America for a close-up view of migrating raptors. It's really more of a platform than a tower.

This sharp-shinned hawk was banded and released.

A close-up view of the deadly talons that are used to capture smaller birds.

Peregrine Falcon - Photo by Peter Wilson

Northern Harrier - photo by Peter Wilson

Osprey - Photo by Peter Wilson

The shorelines and surrounding waters of Cape May attract a variety of shorebirds, gulls, terns and other avian wonders.

Great Egret

A Young Black Skimmer - Photo by Peter Wilson

The black skimmer looks a bit odd with its lower mandible (bill) being longer than the upper. It flies along the water with its longer lower mandible under water. The bill snaps shut when it hits something - hopefully a fish and not a rock.

Black Skimmer skimming - Photo by Peter Wilson

Willets - Photo by Peter Wilson

Willets appear to be cryptically colored until they spread their wings.

Clapper Rail - Photo by Peter Wilson

Rails are seldom heard and almost never seen. They are "as thin as rails" and they are almost undetectable as they walk in long grass near water. This was the first clapper rail I actually saw, and I love Peter's picture!

Laughing Gull, winter plumage - photo by Peter Wilson

Nice size comparison between Great Black-backed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Photo by Peter Wilson

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Semipalmated Plover - Photo by Peter Wilson

Semipalmated is a fancy way to say the feet are partially webbed.

Ruddy Turnstone - Photo by Peter Wilson

Lesser Yellowlegs - Photo by Peter Wilson

Spotted Sandpiper

Sanderlings

American Pipit

Green-winged Teal

We even saw a few things that weren't birds.

This sign greeted us as we drive to Cape May from the airport.

Many of the houses are almost as pretty as the birds.

This spider was bigger than the palm of my hand.

Dragonflies seemed to be everywhere. We even saw a merlin catch one in midair and eat it in midair.

Horseshoe crab

Black Witch moth - a large, rare tropical moth.

I flew directly to California for my final tour of the year. It will be a few days before I post again. Sneak preview: I added 22 birds to my year list and ended the California trip with 699 for the year.