Cape May Warbler at Mingo Point

Resort Naturalist (and my birding partner in crime), Matt Arnold, spotted a Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) today at Mingo Point.

Cape May Warblers are not an unusual bird to see on Kiawah Island this time of year, as some will stop here to rest and refuel during their migration south from breeding grounds in the boreal forests of Canada and the northern United States. After their stopover on Kiawah Island, these wood-warblers continue migrating south until they reach their wintering grounds in the West Indies. 

With that said, Cape Mays are not very common here, even during the right time of year (i.e. fall migration). So, it is always a thrill to see one on the island.

While visually stunning during the breeding season, adult male Cape May Warblers in the fall are slightly less breathtaking. They still retain those distinctive black "tiger" stripes on their yellow breast, throat, and sides. (*note: those distinctive "tiger" stripes are a decent field mark and they always remind me of the species name "tigrina"). However, the overall color of fall, male Cape May Warblers is duller and they lack the distinctive orange-brown/chestnut cheek patches of the breeding plumage. Adult females and hatch-year birds will also be duller, with paler yellow coloration on the underside and an overall grayish or olive-gray appearance. 

Previous Cape May Warbler sightings on Kiawah Island:

 -The bird banding station on Captain Sam's Spit catches a handful of Cape May Warblers every fall.  -Several years ago, I spotted a Cape May Warbler near the Mingo Point kayak outpost, where it was foraging low to the ground at the woodland edge. 

Below are photos of Cape May Warblers taken at the Kiawah Island Banding Station. 

After-hatch year, female              Hatch-year, female                  After-hatch year, male

 (Sept 24, 2012)                               (Sept. 24, 2012)                          (Sept. 27, 2013)

      

Mingo Point: A Kiawah Island birding hotspot

Local and visiting birders searching for "birdy" areas on Kiawah Island are often directed by Kiawah Naturalists to Mingo Point.

Perhaps best known as the site of the resort's Monday Night Oyster Roast and BBQ, Mingo Point is also an excellent place for birding. Resort Naturalists maintain a variety of bird feeders (including sunflower, njyer, and nectar feeders) near their kayak outpost. 

In recent years, a number of rare or uncommon birds have been observed at or near Mingo Point. Some recent birds of note include: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Roseate Spoonbill, Philadelphia Vireo, Canada Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Magnificent Frigatebird (from the river near Mingo Point), and American White Pelican.

During the breeding season, Mingo Point is a solid spot for Brown-headed Nuthatch, Painted Bunting, Pileated, Downy, and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Fish Crow, Clapper Rail, wading birds, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, and, occasionally, Summer Tanager. 

Overview of Mingo Point:

Habitat: Mingo Point consists primarily of three plant communities: salt marsh, salt shrub thicket, and maritime forest.

Location: southwest end of the island. Located after the Kiawah River Bridge but before the first security gate. It is approximately 4 minutes (or 1.7 miles) from the traffic circle by Freshfields Village as you drive to the entrance of Kiawah Island.

**Owner: Mingo Point is private property-- owned and operated by the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The golf resort runs fishing charters, motorboat, kayak, and paddleboard tours from this property. Mingo Point is not open to the public for unsupervised, personal fishing, shrimping, crabbing, or motorized boat launches (even if you are a Kiawah Island Property owner or resort guest). What does that mean? Simple: if you want to play, you have to pay. And you must pay and have permission from the resort in order to launch your own kayak, canoe, or paddleboard from Mingo Point. If you have questions about what you are allowed to do at Mingo Point, call the Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Note: Resort Security regularly checks the property for trespassers, nefarious characters, illegally parked cars, and the like.
You can still visit the property and look around and ask questions. And birders are always welcome there.
Birding at Mingo Point can be done by walking around the parking lots and visiting the feeders near the Kayak Outpost which is located to the far left (southwest) side of the property. 

Bobolink Flyover

While walking to the bird banding station this morning on Captain Sam's Spit, Aaron pointed out a Bobolink after it let out a flight call.
While they do not breed around here, we do occasionally see a Bobolink or two during spring and fall migrations.
I personally have not seen a live Bobolink on Kiawah Island since the spring of 2009. That is when I started working as a Naturalist for the Kiawah Island Nature Program. I can vividly recall hearing dozens of Bobolinks in the live oaks around the Nature Center at Night Heron Park. The distinctive song of the male Bobolink is hard to forget, as it sounds like a sped-up cassette tape.

Maybe we will get lucky and catch some of these fantastic birds at the banding station.

A decent place to look for Bobolinks on Kiawah Island is all the way out at the Ocean Course (east end of the island), especially on the front 9 holes behind the dunes.