Spotting the Purp

Laura and two fellow members--Emelia and Catherine--of the elite squad of birders known as the Seaside Sparrows had a major coup yesterday: they spotted and ID'd an elusive Purple Gallinule at Cape May Point State Park. Here is the exciting play-by-play, courtesy of Mike Crewe at View from the Cape:



Shortly before 6:30PM this evening, Tom Reed received word of a probable Purple Gallinule at the plover ponds at Cape May Point State Park on Saturday evening. Three of our keen regulars had been taking an evening walk, spotted what appeared to be a Common Moorhen and quickly realised there was no racing stripe down the side... Some of us were well into a meal at one of our favorite crab shacks, so Tom dutifully did the honors and graciously waited until we had finished eating before re-finding the bird at the same location this evening. It appeared to go to roost in a line of bayberries at the north-west corner of the second pond, so hopefully will be around tomorrow morning.



It was.



The Purple Gallinule continues at Cape May Point State Park this morning, now in the marshy area just north of the second plover pond having probably roosted overnight in the bayberry hedge there.



This may not be gripping news to you urban plebians but down here it's pure excitement in birding, making the Rare Bird Alert. Jonathan Franzen's a birder, he'd understand.

And I do believe the sighting was made possible by yesterday's rescuing of the turtle, setting a small karma carom in motion.

Source: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2011/06/spotting-the-purp.html

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