Brigantine 5/15

We drove down to Brig today hoping to see the Bar-tailed Godwit that's been reporter there the last few days. We didn't see it, of course ("it was here at 7 o'clock this morning, then again at 9") but since it wasn't a life bird (we've seen in the mosquito-infested Camargue in Provence) we weren't really that disappointed.

However, we did find Gull-billed Terns, Least Terns & Black Skimmers in the impoundments, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and both a male and female Blue Grosbeak on one of the trails, a Great Crested Flycatcher in the parking lot and 2 Marsh Wrens in (guess where) the marshes.

Today was the World Series of Birding, so the place was jumping with crazed birders trying to build up their lists. We had 61 species today, which, considering that the winning team will have around 220 for the entire state isn't bad. On the other hand, a group from Atlantic County Audubon who were doing a "Big Stay" at the Gull Tower (you stay in one place all day thus minimizing your carbon footprint instead of scurrying all over the state burning tanks of gasoline) had 71 species by around 10 A.M. On the other other hand, they started at 4:30 this morning.

The List
E.B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine Unit)

Number of species:     61

Brant     2

Canada Goose     25

Mute Swan     1

American Black Duck     5

Mallard     6

Double-crested Cormorant     1

Great Blue Heron     1

Great Egret     25

Snowy Egret     10

Tricolored Heron     1

Glossy Ibis     20

Turkey Vulture     4

Osprey     10

Peregrine Falcon     1

Clapper Rail     1

Black-bellied Plover     8

Semipalmated Plover     9

American Oystercatcher     2

Solitary Sandpiper     1

Greater Yellowlegs     3

Willet     50

Lesser Yellowlegs     20

Whimbrel     4

Ruddy Turnstone     2

Semipalmated Sandpiper     100

Least Sandpiper     200

Dunlin     150

Short-billed Dowitcher     25

Laughing Gull     50

Herring Gull     30

Great Black-backed Gull     10

Least Tern     2

Gull-billed Tern     4

Forster's Tern     100

Black Skimmer     20

Mourning Dove     6

Ruby-throated Hummingbird     2

Eastern Wood-Pewee     1

Great Crested Flycatcher     1

Eastern Kingbird     4

Blue Jay     3

American Crow     6

Fish Crow     1

Purple Martin     10

Tree Swallow     15

Barn Swallow     4

Tufted Titmouse     1

Carolina Wren     3

Marsh Wren     2

American Robin     1

Gray Catbird     10

Yellow Warbler     5

Common Yellowthroat     6

Chipping Sparrow     1

Song Sparrow     3

Northern Cardinal     4

Blue Grosbeak     2

Red-winged Blackbird     50

Common Grackle     1

Boat-tailed Grackle     2

Brown-headed Cowbird     5