Tag Archives: cape may warbler

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Birding trips at Cape May New Jersey

Cape May Warbler migration

By Sally Siko

Happy to spend a couple nice moments last month in Raleigh NC photographing migrating Cape May Warblers.
I love their cheerful bright yellow plumage and spunky personalities.
Though they tend to move quickly through the leaves I enjoy the challenge of trying to grab a few shots.



These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
 Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.
It’s one of my favorite places to lead birding tours too!

Birding Tours at Cape May, NJ


There’s so much to see there warbler-wise that I think it’s pretty cool that there’s actually a species named for such a special place.

 Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.


Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.

Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.
They’ll stick around NC for another couple weeks so if you’d like to catch a glimpse of one for yourself, get out there this week before they move on down south for the winter.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Cape May Warbler Autumn migration in Orange County NC

By Sally Siko

Check out this pair of Cape May Warblers which I photographed while leading a recent birding tour in Orange Co. NC.
Though they are dressed in their winter “drab” plumage, I think they are just gorgeous!



These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.

Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.

Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.
Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.

Look for these feathered gems in areas near water or along the tree lines adjacent to open fields, particularly in spots where caterpillars and other insects are present.


Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Enjoying the Cape May Warblers at Jordan Lake SRA

It’s not often that I’ll post the same species of bird twice in a week but there were tons of Cape May Warblers putting on a show at Ebenezer Point at Jordan Lake in Pittsboro North Carolina recently.
It was great to see so many of them flitting through the trees, chasing each other while feasting any six or eight legged snack that dared cross their path in the canopy.



These lovely warblers were named for the county of Cape May, NJ where the species was first noted in scientific literature.
Sitting at the southern tip of New Jersey, bordering the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic, Cape May county is the premier destination for migrating birds along the east coast of the US.

Though Cape May Warblers stop in NJ when traveling between their breeding & wintering grounds, they are hardly alone as hundreds of different bird species are found in Cape May county every year during each migration cycles.
It seems like an odd name to give these beauties as it hardly describes any of the species unique characteristics.



Given the Cape May’s preference for nesting & feeding in conifer forests, perhaps a better name might be spruce warbler or maybe even tiger warbler since they sport those bold black stripes on it’s warm yellow breast.
Moniker choice aside, these feathered gems are standout birds in my eyes and I’m always grateful to catch a glimpse of Cape May every autumn.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Out There with the Expert

Cape May Warblers at Bynum Bridge Pittsboro NC

The Cape May Warblers have returned to central NC and I couldn’t be happier to see these sweet birds again.


I spotted this one and several others at Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro a few weeks ago after a quick trip to Brumley North.
It was neat to watch them as they flitted through the branches in search of a meal.

Cape Mays are lovely creatures.
They breed across northern Canada in forests of spruce and balsam fir, especially in areas where their favorite food (the spruce budworm) is abundant.
Every spring, thousands of them make the journey north to their nesting grounds stopping in western NC along the way.
When autumn arrives they tend to spread out a bit more and are often sighted in central and eastern NC as well.

Usually the Cape May’s are spotted hunting in the upper canopy layer of the trees which is why having access to an elevated viewing area (as which is found at Bynum Bridge) is helpful if you’d like to get a good look at one.
That being said, they’ll be headed to their wintering grounds in the West Indies and Central America soon so get out there while you can through mid October.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the mighty mirrorless monster of a camera, the @canonusa
#R5

Field Notes, The Adventures of your bird watching Admin

Old Bynum bridge Birding: A cape May warbler encounter in Pittsboro NC

If you’re looking for a place to find a nice variety of migrating warblers in the Triangle tomorrow morning, the Old Bynum Bridge in Pittsboro N.C. is the place to be!
I was pleased to see 7 different species this morning including this gorgeous Cape May Warbler foraging in the tree tops.



A brief visitor to the Tarheel stare in spring & autumn, these little guys breed in boreal coniferous forests throughout Canada, from Alberta to Quebec and in the northern United States from Minnesota to Maine.
Although they will dine on most kinds of insects, Cape May Warblers favorite food is the Spruce Budworm. In fact, this warbler’s population fluctuations may directly correlated to the boom and bust of the spruce budworms. The Cape May’s are actually pretty important to the coniferous forest ecosystem since the Spruce Budworm insects cause periodic widespread defoliation of spruces and firs. By eating the Budworms, they actually are preserving the very trees that they need for breeding and shelter.



Cape May Warblers spend the summer months in southern Canada and pass through North Carolina during September & early October on the way to their wintering grounds in the Caribbean.
Look for them in the mid to high canopies of trees in areas near water where there is still likely an abundance of insects to be found.
They will only stick around here for a short time so get out there and find them soon or you’ll have to wait until April to see ‘em 🙂

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame 50MP DSLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds

PS. I also got to meet some fellow birders / photographers (that I follow on Insta and even some who follow me here on FB) in person for the first time.
It’s neat to experience the magic of autumn migration with my kind of people 😉
Shout out to @apexbirdluver @krchauvaux