Cape May's Hot Birds: Greater Shearwater

by George Myers

Where: South Cape May Meadows

When: Friday evening, July 15, 2005, about 7PM. (the bird was again seen off Cape May Point State Park the next morning.)

What: A Greater Shearwater in very close to shore feeding with a flock of Laughing Gulls, Common Terns, and Least Terns. At times it sat on the water grabbing fish from the surface.

Why is it hot? Greater Shearwaters are pelagic birds. One usually has to go a few miles or more out on a boat to see this and other shearwater species.

More details: For the past week, quite a few shearwaters have been seen close to shore because fish have been feeding in the 'rips' where Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Besides this species, Cory's and Manx Shearwaters have been observed as well. Look for concentrations of feeding gulls and terns and scan through the flock for these birds.

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