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Importance of the Cape Long Ago Dawned on Birders

by Jaat Tanatkovk One of four "dawn choniiea” assembled at Higbee Beach in first light last Saturday morning. A dozen or so of some 180 adults may have initially greeted with wry sntUes the schedules they'd received listing 5:30 a.m. events there and on the sand at Diamond Beach but they now seemed pleased to constitute a disciplined elect of sorts who had Higbee all to themselves. Cape May Bird Observatory’s director Peter Dunne led the group — consisting of a physician from the central Adirondacks of New York, a wine salesman from Newark, a mother and son from Montclair, a trio of local residents: an English teacher, a social worker, a reporter; plus a few others. Dunne pointed out Common Loon,_ American Keatrel, and Great Blue Heron in the sky overhead, a Bobolink in a field, and a Yeltow breaeted Chat in aidistant.unidentified tree. The less experienced and unprepared merhbers pointed out mosquitos virtually everywhere, and were given a brief lesson in ecology. Once th«i critical relationship between birds and their food source was elucidated, they decided to persevere in spit^ of temporary discomfort even as they resolved to invent in insect repellent for the next day's trips. "LETS BACKUP A FEW YARDS," Dunne suggested as they moved along the woods' edge. "Whenever, you see movement resembling a hyperkinetic three-year old in F.A.O. Schwartz, look for warblers " Brilliant Bluewinged and Prairie Warblers were spotted, along with Blue Gros-beaks, a White-eyed Vireo, a Scarlet Tanager, and an Indigo Bunting — ‘life birds" for some, almost old friends for veterans. Less than 10 hours earlier, Dunne had introduced the seven other field trip leaders for CMBO's Spring Birding Weekend, which — like the October nature Weekend it hosts for the N.J. Audubon Society — has become an annual event. They included faculty of Wheaton College in Dandelions (Page 30 Please) game called "Clocks"? The number of huffs it took to empty the dried flower head told the hour of day. It didn’t of course, but that was when time didn’t matter.! John A. rightly says the dandelion gets its name from "tooth of the lion" — (a corruption of the French "dent de lion") — may because of the deeply indented or jagged leaves, maybe from the golden yellow flowers which were linked "to the golden teeth of the heraldic lion." My favorite name for the dandelion is the fairly common one of Blow Ball. One of the memorable couplets of W.H. Davies, the Welsh lyric poet, is this: "Foo/rJiove their second childhood, but the great Retain their first, and know no second state!" How many other grown up children remember playing "Clocks" with “Blow Balls"? R. Leslie Chrismer is a resident of Cape May. Speak Up! (Page 30 Please) fiendishly that it blinds, what can have any reality for us that does not flow through our past, if we are true to ourselves? In short, that we do have a soul which ought to constitute for island people, an anchor not only in the significant past, but present and future too — with some imaginative affection for private homes and a little space around for decent living. I do not see the "virtue" of silence, secrecy and circumspection, about this. Why have our spirit and aspirations quenched in the service of a vulgar and usurping faction, the unprincipled realestate manipulator, building contractor, and the sycophantic politician? Wittingly these cynics follow the maxim of Hazfiz (paraphrased): "// cottagers beguiless and unskilled and play for shekels for silver and gold Take their pelf, my sons, praising Allah: The fools were made to be sold!" Arthur Murray Appell is a resident ofSSth St. in Sea Isle City.

Massachusetts and N J.'s County College of Morris and Stockton; a curator of the Newark Museum; a Connec ticut wildlife artist currently recording bird songs for Cor nell University's Laboratory of Ornithology; the producer of the birding hotline originating at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia; the vice president of timer Ornithological Society; as weU as David Ward of Avalon, a naturalist and member of the town's Environmental Commission; and Gay Sutton of Goshen, director of Environmental Health for Cape May County, who was the featured speaker for the presentation which followed on the "Kites of the Santee River Delta of S.C." FIELD TRIPS WERE SLATED throughout the weekend and garnered a combined total of some 160 species. All of the best locations in the county were included, such as South Cape May Meadows, Higbee Beach, the Beanery, Cape May Point State Park, Stone Harbor Blvd and Heronry, Nummy Island. Reed’s Beach. Cape Slay County Park, and local farm fields and pastures. » Those heading home on Sunday afternoon to locations throughout New Jersey and eight surrounding states could elect to tour the vast stretches of marsh along life Delaware Bay shore in Cape May and Cumberland counties, or the dikes of Brigantine Wildlife Refuge, or they could return to the world of the barrier beach and salt ‘Tip rtf Cape’ Slide Show CAPE MAY PT. - The gram entitled "The Tip of Civic Club will have Sue the Cape" consisting of Learning of Cape May as slides showing the. early speaker tomorrow (Thurs-^days of Sea Grove (now day) at its noon meeting in Cape May Point), Steamthe Fire Hbuse. Mrs. boat Landing and South Learning will present a pro- Cape May.

marshes of Stone Harbor and Nummy Island in a,final search for the unusual adult White Ibis - sighted several times in the area although out of its normal range to the south. Birding expertise, sophistication of optical equipment, and preferences for shorebirds over waterbirds, passerines over raptors, were richly divergent The unify ing theme throughout the weekend was surely Cape May itself, an area fortunate to possess a well-documented ornithological tradition extending back nearly 200 years, and blessed with a great diversity of habitat for its size. ITS EXELLENCE AS A MIGRATORY junction in both spring and fall knows few rivals, this fact was at least tacitly understood by most of'the participants, but a few spoke of spending a few days birding in Cape May during spring or fall migration as being on a par with birding trips to the tropics in Central and South America John Kricher’s Saturday evening presentation. ”Birding in the Tropics: While It Lasts" helped put a potential dichotomy between tropical and temperate birding into perspective Many of the birds which migrate through or breed in southern New Jersey winter in tropical rain forest, hence the adverse effects of rapid destruction of this habitat depicted by Dr. Kricher which is going on. especially in the more concentrated area of Central America, will not be confined there Coupled with Gay Sutton's insights from the Santee River delta - an area whose current diverse habitat he feels resembles what southern New Jersey had once been like before it became extensively developed - the weekend perhaps offered object lessons for those who chose to acknowledge them Birding in Cape May is undoubtedly a superlative form of recreation, but in the words of Peter Dunne can also prpvide "an illuminating window through which to view the environment as a whole "

5-*^ Saturday’s Bird-a-thon A Blitzkrieg for Conservation

CAPE MAY POINT - New Jersey's diverse habitats will be subject to unusually intense scrutiny on Saturday, 16 May, as a network of observers combs the state for as many species of resident, migratory, and rare birds as can be located. Those engaged in the quest, the New Jersey Audubon Society’s third annual Bird-A-Thon, will range from top-notch professionals, to dedicated amateurs and casual observers who

simply want to put a day’s birding to good account. Field participants may* sponsor themselves and solicit additional pledges to back their efforts. Favorite local areas or proven state “hotspots" can be selected. Armchair enthusiasts will become key participants by sponsoring one or more of N.J. Audubon's staffers or a birder of their choice with pledges of 5c, 10c, 25c. or any other amount for each species seen. NEW JERSEY Audubon is the state's oldest conservation society, and its founding predates that of National Audubon, from

which it is independent Proceeds from the bird-a thon will support continuing program of the society in environmental educa tion, conservation, and research Cape May Bird Observatory is the southernmost of New Jersey Audubon's five nature centers, and it has attained national recognition since its founding in 1975 tor its research, most notably to date on hawk migration CMBO's Naturalist Director Peter Dunne will commence his bird-a-thon participation at one second after midnight on Saturday with an itinerary that will

Tracking County’s Wildlife with Book

MIDDLE TWP. - Those interested in the wildlife of the county (not activities along the Wildwood Strip or Diamond Beach) will find a treasure trove in a new book announced by the Wetlands Institute on Stone Harbor Blvd. here. "The Wildlife of Cape May County, A Habitat Guide to the Vertebrate Fauna" was published in conjunction with* Stockton

State College, and is crammed with hints on finding the wild creatures of woods and waves. THE BOOK'S text and centerfold map of the county indicate the best locations and habitats to explore. Wildlife listings reference each species by season, abundance and habitat. The 93-page field guide describes over 600 species

lingMm. toltolfr

of wildlife occurring in the —* county and u I' y southern vCr\,,-'New Jersey. '/ 'll , * \ It is il- ' 1;. V lustra ted by b 60 black and w h i t.e photographs of fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. The book is available by mail at the Institute, Box 398, Stone Harbor 08247

cover the state from Cape May Point to the Kittatinny Ridge. His goiil is to sight 170 species during the 24-hour period, and his chances will depend on weather, logistics, and luck — in addition to experUM. r

AN OVERNIGHT CMNt

and camping trip la tta Pine Barrens, for twa, wMk

professional guida Arhlicke of Willinj will be awarded to I dividual who earn*

most dollars in pledgm. A free day at the Philadelphia Zoo with behind-the-scenes tours of the bird and reptile houses will be given to the birder under 16 years of age (and his or her family) who sees the greatest number of species. Prizes will also go to the indivudual obtaining the most sponsors and to , the non-NJAS staffer seeing the highest number of

species

FURTHER information on the bird-a-thon and pledge forms may be obtained by contacting Cape May Bird Observatory at 884-2736. The results of the event will be recorded on the Cape May Birding Hotline. 864-2626

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