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| USA, East coast - July to September 2007 |
| I spent the best part of 3 months on the east coast of the USA in summer/autumn 2007, based in Cape May, New Jersey. The highlights for me were the waders, which could be photographed at very close range (especially when lying flat out on my front!) in some very photogenic habitats. The colourful warblers were great to see, but proved difficult to photograph. Here are the photos: |
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| American Oystercatcher Not easy to photograph until a family gave themselves up on the beach at Cape May point |
| Semipalmated Sandpiper Very common once the juveniles start coming through, especially at Brigantine NWR |
| Least Sandpiper Adult Leasts were the most common peep at the beginning of my stay (July), plenty of neat juveniles coming through later |
| Western Sandpiper Often 1 or 2 among the peeps at Cape May Point State Park. A couple of juveniles showed very well |
| White-rumped Sandpiper A few adults passing through the State Park and on the beach |
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2007 was a very good autumn for this species at Cape May. The habitat at the State Park was just right |
| Baird's Sandpiper Up to 3 at the State Park |
| Solitary Sandpiper Often preferred the more vegetated habitat at Lily Lake |
| Spotted Sandpiper Photographed poorly at the State Park and Brigantine NWR |
| Greater Yellowlegs
Common |
| Lesser Yellowlegs Common |
| Hudsonian Whimbrel Singles or small groups seen at various places |
| Willet Plenty of Eastern Willets around Cape May early in my stay, Westerns photographed well on the beaches around Cape Hatteras, NC |
| Semipalmated Plover Common and obliging at all wetlands and beaches |
| Killdeer Not as tame as their reputation in the UK suggests! |
| American Barn Swallow Common |
| Gray Catbird Common |
| Osprey Remarkably common to someone from Suffolk! A nest platform right by the road near Cape May gives great photo opportunities |
| Vultures (Turkey and American Black) Turkey Vultures were especially common |
| Black Skimmer Often seen around the point |
| Royal Tern Pretty common on the beach towards the end of my stay |
| Yellow-crowned Night Heron Only seen in some trees near a place I can't remember the name of |
| Snowy Egret Very common |
| Great Egret Very common |
| Red-eyed Vireo Common |
| American Redstart Often the commonest warbler |
| Prothonotary Warbler A few seen |
| Nothern Parula Several seen, luckily photographed pretty well too |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird I didn't manage to get any shots of birds hovering, but it was great to see them |
| Purple Martin These beauitiful and popular hirundines were photographed at their nest boxes in the car park at the State Park |
| Prairie Warbler One photographed at Cape Hatteras |
| Black and White Warbler A fairly common warbler |
| Ovenbird Several seen |
| Yellow Warbler Often the commonest warbler |
| Black-capped Petrel Plenty on the pelagic off Cape Hatteras |
| Ring-billed Gull A few always on the beach at the Point |
| Laughing Gull The commonest gull |
| American Herring Gull Common |
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| Cory's Shearwater Plenty from the pelagics off Cape Hatteras |
| Audubon's Shearwater Several seen from the pelagics off Cape Hatteras |
| Double-crested Cormorant Common |
| Least Tern A colony on the beach at Cape May Point |
| American Black Tern A few in the mixed Tern flocks at the State Park and the Point |
| Bridled Tern Several seen on the pelagics off Cape Hatteras |
| Black Duck Plenty at Brigantine NWR, a few at the State Park |
| Assorted USA non-passerines Bald Eagle, Black-billed Cuckoo, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Flicker, Sooty Tern, White Ibis |
| Black-crowned Night Heron Common |
| Green Heron Fairly common, often very shy, particularly adults |
| Veery The only Catharus thrush seen |
| American Robin Very common |
| Mourning Dove Common |
| Eastern Wood Pewee A few at Higbees |
| Red-winged Blackbird Common |
| Brown-headed Cowbird Common |
| Northern Mockingbird Common |
| Song Sparrow Common |
| Blue Jay Common |
| Assorted USA passerines American Goldfinch, American Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, Common Grackle, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Great-crested Flycatcher, House Finch, Orchard Oriole, Brown Thrasher, White-eyed Vireo |
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| Assorted USA warblers Pine Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Palm Warbler, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Short-billed Dowitcher Common |