But we didn't do that. Instead, Shari checked her Blackberry at a rest stop and we saw that the kite had been seen not 20 minutes ago. I was hesitant to chase the bird because I thought we'd be investing too much time for 1 species which we might not see, but Shari prevailed and, of course, she was right. We found the Barnegat Municipal dock without any problem and I picked up the bird right away sitting in a snag, way, way across the water. If that had been all the looks we got, then yeah, I could add it to the life list, but it certainly wouldn't have been satisfying. But then the bird started to fly, to hover, to "kite," attacking at one point a Red-Tailed Hawk and chasing it out of a tree. At times when the kite was lit by the sun in just the right way, it's white tail could be clearly seen, and the bird's flight was distinctive. We watched it for about 20 minutes with 25 or so other birders.
There was one bird photographer there we knew--last year we had flagged him down in Brigantine when we spotted the Roseate Spoonbill and asked him to document it (only the 3rd recorded sighting in NJ). I nodded to him but I he didn't recognize me. That's okay--a lot of birders look vaguely familiar to me and I don't feel like I have to talk to each one.
But then I heard him talking to another guy about cameras and why, even if the pictures aren't high quality they can still be very useful. "When Larry & Shari Zirlin stopped me last year to take a picture of the Roseate Spoonbill," he was saying, so I popped up from looking through the scope and waved my arms to get his attention. I was wearing a different kind of hat than I usually do and that, apparently threw him off. It's always odd to hear yourself talked about--takes you out of your solipsism and proves you really exist in the world.
We'd never been to this part of the Forsythe Refuge so after getting all we could out of the kite we decided to look around for the 3 avocets that had also been reported there. Didn't find them, but did pick up some birds in the impoundments and on the beach of Barnegat Bay.
E. B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat
Number of species: 18
Canada Goose 10
Mute Swan 5
American Black Duck 10
Mallard 6
Northern Shoveler 4
Northern Pintail 4
Double-crested Cormorant 6
Great Blue Heron 1 Off Bayshore Road
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 6 Kettle
White-tailed Kite 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 Viewing Platform
Carolina Wren 1 Heard on Municipal Dock
Northern Cardinal 1 Viewing Platform
House Finch 6 On railing of public beach on Bayshore Road.
Then since it was too late to drive all the way down to Avalon, we decided to switch things around and go to Brig instead. The day had started off sunny, but by the time were doing the circuit at Brig it had clouded up and become a bit breezy. We only did one loop of the impoundments. Lots of ducks, as would be expected. The only disappointment was that we didn't find any Tundra Swans.
 |
| Greater Yellowlegs Photo: Shari Zirlin |
Number of species: 36
Snow Goose 250
Brant 3000
Canada Goose 75
Mute Swan 2
Gadwall 20
American Black Duck 200
Mallard 100
Northern Shoveler 10
Northern Pintail 50
Green-winged Teal 10
Hooded Merganser 5
Double-crested Cormorant 10
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Northern Harrier 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot 10
Black-bellied Plover 9
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Dunlin 300
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 5
American Robin 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Savannah Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 5
American Goldfinch 2
Snow Goose 250
Brant 3000
Canada Goose 75
Mute Swan 2
Gadwall 20
American Black Duck 200
Mallard 100
Northern Shoveler 10
Northern Pintail 50
Green-winged Teal 10
Hooded Merganser 5
Double-crested Cormorant 10
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 1
Snowy Egret 1
Northern Harrier 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
American Coot 10
Black-bellied Plover 9
Greater Yellowlegs 14
Dunlin 300
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 10
Great Black-backed Gull 3
Downy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 5
American Robin 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Savannah Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird 5
American Goldfinch 2
By this time it was almost 5 and time to check into the hotel we had booked in
Historic Smithtown
We'd been passing Smithtown every time we went to Brigantine and talked about staying there so we could carry out our original plan of getting an early start. We didn't know anything about the place other than that the Smithville Inn which was off Rt 9 looked fancy and that there were 80 shops (or shoppes) to "explore."
Shari booked us a room in "The Barn" of the Colonial Inn which is a pseudo B&B. She wanted to look at the stores; I, of course, had no interest, so I stayed in the room and played checkers against myself. I won. Then I read about the town (or towne as they insist on spelling it) in the welcome material. Not too long after Shari returned, a little disappointed, saying that she had the feeling of being in one of Disney World's fake towns.
Not too far off, I told her. The Smithville Inn has a history going back to 1796. All the other stores and in fact the whole towne is part of two corporations. The story goes that the Smithville Inn, after having fallen into disrepair and abandonment in the late 1870's (and why wouldn't it--there isn't much there now, what could there have been there 140 years ago?), was discovered bought by Fred & Ethel Noyes (not Mertz) in 1947, and who in 1951 had fixed up the place and started a restaurant. Over the years the Inn expanded and Fred & Ethel went around south Jersey, buying up old buildings and transporting them back to the land they had also bought with the Smithville Inn.
Fred & Ethel did pretty well and in 1974 sold the whole kit and caboodle to the National Broadcasting Company for 7 million dollars, not bad money in those days. NBC in turn sold the company to some investors in Philadelphia, who flipped the property and by the late 80's things weren't go so well and the whole towne was bought by a local bank for $150,000 at a sheriff's auction. Even in the 80's $150,000 wasn't a lot of money. So later the bank sold the property to yet another corporation and somehow the land was split between the "old" towne and the newer part called Village Greene (spelled with an "e" naturally). And yet, inexplicably, the Federal government has designated the whole phony construction an historic landmark.
Which is not to say the place was terrible. The room was fine if a little pricey and the Smithville Inn's food was pretty good. We may even stay there again. Let me not forget to mention the little train they have that circles the whole towne--$2 buys you a ride.
And now, back to birding.
 |
| Shari on the Hooterville Express |
We decided to drive down to Cape May and try our luck there. We didn't do badly, though we never find the 80 or 90 species that other birders seem to.
 |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler Photo by Shari Zirlin |
First stop was Cape May State Park and look at Lighthouse Pond. I was happy to see Ring-necked Ducks there.
Number of species: 17
Mute Swan 1
Gadwall 50
American Wigeon 50
Mallard 10
Northern Shoveler 10
Green-winged Teal 20
Ring-necked Duck 6
Ruddy Duck 20
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 25
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Mute Swan 1
Gadwall 50
American Wigeon 50
Mallard 10
Northern Shoveler 10
Green-winged Teal 20
Ring-necked Duck 6
Ruddy Duck 20
Turkey Vulture 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
American Coot 25
Northern Flicker 1
American Crow 1
Carolina Chickadee 2
Carolina Wren 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Dark-eyed Junco 1
 |
| Peregrine Falcon Photo by Shari Zirlin |
Then we spent around 40 minutes at the Hawkwatch. The Gull Pond had the usual ducks, Turkey Vultures abounded and we had our FOY Red-Shouldered Hawks.
Number of species: 20
Canada Goose 10
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 2
Northern Shoveler 10
Green-winged Teal 10
Bufflehead 1
Ruddy Duck 10
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 2
American Crow 2
Carolina Wren 1
American Robin 4
Song Sparrow 2
House Sparrow 5
Canada Goose 10
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 2
Northern Shoveler 10
Green-winged Teal 10
Bufflehead 1
Ruddy Duck 10
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Turkey Vulture 15
Red-shouldered Hawk 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 2
American Crow 2
Carolina Wren 1
American Robin 4
Song Sparrow 2
House Sparrow 5
A little tradition we have is that Shari stops in a the Cape May Bird Observatory store and I bird along the edges of Lily Lake while she does. There I found Gray Catbird and one Ruby-crowned Kinglet nicely displaying its little crown, as well as goldfinches and common waterfowl on the lake.
Then it was off to the Meadows which is Nature Conservancy land. We haven't liked this place as much as we once did, ever since they cut down a lot of trees and shrubs and "opened" up the land. There doesn't seem to be as much habitat for passerines as there once was and the place is just uglier than it has to be. Nothing of note was on the beach except for a passel of Great-blacked Gulls. And wouldn't you like to have these guys sitting on the roof of your expensive vacation home?
 |
| Turkey Vultures on House Across from Meadows Photo by Shari Zirlin |
Cape May Migratory Bird Sanctuary (Meadows)
Number of species: 23
Canada Goose 30
Mute Swan 10
Gadwall 100
Mallard 10
Northern Pintail 10
Green-winged Teal 50
Bufflehead 1
Hooded Merganser 6
Ruddy Duck 20
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 9
Northern Harrier 2
American Kestrel 2
American Coot 10
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Tree Swallow 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 12
Red-winged Blackbird 60
American Goldfinch 1
Canada Goose 30
Mute Swan 10
Gadwall 100
Mallard 10
Northern Pintail 10
Green-winged Teal 50
Bufflehead 1
Hooded Merganser 6
Ruddy Duck 20
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 1
Turkey Vulture 9
Northern Harrier 2
American Kestrel 2
American Coot 10
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull 55
Tree Swallow 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler 12
Red-winged Blackbird 60
American Goldfinch 1
And so, after lunch at the State Park we left Cape Island and started to make our way back to Saturday's original destination of the Avalon Seawatch.
 |
| Northern Harrier at Wetlands Institute Photo by Shari Zirlin |
We stopped off at the Wetlands Institute on Stone Harbor Causeway, but aside from a Northern Mockingbird, there was nothing new there.
At Stone Harbor Point it was little interesting--gannets and Sanderlings, but no ducks that we could identify; just long black strings of birds flying above the horizon.
Number of species: 9
Brant 8
Northern Gannet 10
Sanderling 25
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Mourning Dove 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Song Sparrow 1
Brant 8
Northern Gannet 10
Sanderling 25
Herring Gull X
Great Black-backed Gull X
Mourning Dove 1
Northern Mockingbird 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8
Song Sparrow 1
Finally, we made it up to the Avalon Seawatch. The whole weekend I'd been hoping to find ducks on open water, especially scoters, eiders, Redheads and/or Canvasbacks. And so far I'd seen none. But at Avalon we were finally able to add all 3 scoters, including the hard to find White-winged Scoter, and Common Eiders. 4 out of 6, 66%, not bad. By this time, because of the end of DST (I felt like we'd stolen an hour from the hotel) it was going to get dark soon, so we heading up the Garden State Parkway and got back to Brooklyn around 7. 68 species for the weekend, including 1 lifer. Again, not bad, but sometime I really want to be able to get 80 or 90. I think I have to look harder at flocks of birds and not just assume that all the ducks or sparrows or gulls are the same species.
Number of species: 7
Common Eider 10
Surf Scoter 10
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 10
Northern Gannet 10
Sanderling 1
Herring Gull X
Common Eider 10
Surf Scoter 10
White-winged Scoter 1
Black Scoter 10
Northern Gannet 10
Sanderling 1
Herring Gull X
No comments:
Post a Comment