July Wrap-up

The month ended on a successful note, finally adding one life bird (the GRAY-HOODED GULL, below, was the 250th bird of the year & #575 on the life list). This month's heat was a hindrance for birding (last weekend was lost). We got up to Massachusetts early in the month and were able to bird  some places we'd never been and see a few interesting birds while adding Veery and bluebird to the year list. Brigantine was fairly active when we were there, but not as active as it apparently is now. I birded Mount Loretto three times (once in the 100+ degree heat) and finding the Bobolink made the brain-boiling heat worth it. Today's excursion to the East Pond didn't work out as well as I would have liked--I was hoping to add some cool birds stopping over on their way south, but the water level is still too high out there.

This month I started 2 lists--one for the backyard our of new house and one for the WMA that is right behind it. I'm  looking forward to being able to do daily birding of the one small and one large area.

For the month 96 species which is just okay, not great, but not embarrassing either.

Counties birded:
Massachusetts: Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire
New Jersey: Atlantic, Ocean
New York: Kings, Queens, Richmond

Species	First Sighting
Brant	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Canada Goose	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Mute Swan	JBWR--West Pond
Wood Duck	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Gadwall	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
American Black Duck	JBWR--West Pond
Mallard	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Greater Scaup	JBWR--West Pond
Ruddy Duck	Brigantine
Wild Turkey	Bromley Rd, Chester
Double-crested Cormorant	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Great Blue Heron	Quabbin Reservoir
Great Egret	Marine Park--Southwest
Snowy Egret	Marine Park--Southwest
Little Blue Heron	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Green Heron	Prospect Park
Black-crowned Night-Heron	JBWR--West Pond
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	JBWR--West Pond
Glossy Ibis	JBWR--West Pond
Turkey Vulture	Upper Valley Road RR Tracks
Osprey	Marine Park--Southwest
Bald Eagle	Quabbin Reservoir
Peregrine Falcon	Brigantine
Killdeer	Mount Loretto Unique Area
American Oystercatcher	Marine Park--Southwest
Spotted Sandpiper	JBWR--West Pond
Greater Yellowlegs	Brigantine
Willet	Brigantine
Lesser Yellowlegs	Brigantine
Whimbrel	Brigantine
Semipalmated Sandpiper	Brigantine
Least Sandpiper	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Short-billed Dowitcher	JBWR--West Pond
Long-billed Dowitcher	Brigantine
GRAY-HOODED GULL	Coney Island Beach
Laughing Gull	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Ring-billed Gull	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Herring Gull	Marine Park--Southwest
Great Black-backed Gull	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Least Tern	Marine Park--Southwest
Common Tern	Marine Park--Southwest
Forster's Tern	Marine Park--Southwest
Black Skimmer	Marine Park--Southwest
Rock Pigeon	Marine Park--Southwest
Mourning Dove	Norwottuck Rail Trail
Chimney Swift	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Brigantine
Belted Kingfisher	Upper Valley Road RR Tracks
Hairy Woodpecker	Norwottuck Rail Trail
Northern Flicker	Upper Valley Road RR Tracks
Eastern Wood-Pewee	Cross Place Road
Willow Flycatcher	Marine Park--Southwest
Eastern Phoebe	Quabbin Reservoir
Eastern Kingbird	Cross Place Road
Warbling Vireo	Upper Valley Road RR Tracks
Blue Jay	Coles Brook Farm
American Crow	Quabbin Reservoir
Fish Crow	Brigantine
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Cross Place Road
Purple Martin	Brigantine
Tree Swallow	Marine Park--Southwest
Barn Swallow	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Carolina Chickadee	35 Sunset Rd
Black-capped Chickadee	Cross Place Road
Tufted Titmouse	Brigantine
White-breasted Nuthatch	Whiting WMA
Carolina Wren	Brigantine
Marsh Wren	JBWR--West Pond
Eastern Bluebird	Norwottuck Rail Trail
Veery	Norwottuck Rail Trail
Wood Thrush	Coles Brook Farm
American Robin	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Gray Catbird	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Northern Mockingbird	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Brown Thrasher	Marine Park--Southwest
European Starling	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Cedar Waxwing	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Yellow Warbler	Cross Place Road
Yellow-rumped Warbler	Cross Place Road
Northern Waterthrush	Cross Place Road
Common Yellowthroat	Cross Place Road
Eastern Towhee	Marine Park--Southwest
Chipping Sparrow	Quabbin Reservoir
Song Sparrow	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One
Swamp Sparrow	Marine Park--Southwest
Dark-eyed Junco	Coles Brook Farm
Northern Cardinal	Norwottuck Rail Trail
Indigo Bunting	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Bobolink	Mount Loretto Unique Area
Red-winged Blackbird	Cross Place Road
Common Grackle	Marine Park--Southwest
Boat-tailed Grackle	JBWR--West Pond
Brown-headed Cowbird	Quabbin Reservoir
Orchard Oriole	Mount Loretto Unique Area
American Goldfinch	Cross Place Road
House Sparrow	Brooklyn Bridge Park--Pier One