Brig & Barnegat Light 12/29

Continuing our birding expedition with Sue today, we saved the best places for the day with "no" wind. Not to say it wasn't a bit breezy, but nothing compared to yesterday's 40 MPH gusts.

We started out at Brigantine and I'm happy to say it exceeded Sue's expectations. Highlights were an immature Bald Eagle stirring up the ducks, 4 Peregrine Falcons,  a hen Common Merganser, a drake American Wigeon (a new one for Sue), and 1 Western Sandpiper mixed in with a flock of Dunlins and 4 Black-bellied Plovers.

Photo: Shari Zirlin

Snow Geese were everywhere we looked, conservatively 3000. Flocks coming in to land in the impoundments were like smoke in the air. The next most abundant species was Northern Pintail.

Photo: Shari Zirlin

Brig's List:
33 species
Snow Goose  3000
Canada Goose  500
Mute Swan  1
Tundra Swan  20
Gadwall  10
American Wigeon  1
American Black Duck  200
Mallard  50
Northern Shoveler  100
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  25
Bufflehead  2
Hooded Merganser  15
Common Merganser  1
Pied-billed Grebe  3
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  1
Bald Eagle  1
Northern Harrier  3
Cooper's Hawk  1    Gull Pond
Peregrine Falcon  4
American Coot  300
Black-bellied Plover  4
Western Sandpiper  1
Dunlin  25
Ring-billed Gull  50
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  1
American Robin  50
Song Sparrow  1
Red-winged Blackbird  20
We drove up to Long Beach Island next to Barnegat Light SP. I was hoping we'd be able to see Harlequin Ducks along the concrete walk without having to jounce along the jetty, but, while I was able to locate them with the scope, they were way too far away for a satisfactory look. Since Sue hadn't seen a Harlequin in about 30 years, I left the scope with Shari (no fool she) and walk/jumped from boulder to boulder with Sue about 2/3 of the way out until we were able to get "field guide" looks at those beautiful ducks. 


While we were looking at the Harlequins I scanned beyond the inlet and found Northern Gannets plunge diving and pointed them out to Sue, not realizing that they were lifers for her. 


The only disappointment for the day was the lack of Purple Sandpipers. While we were still walking on the concrete, Shari called out that she had ruddies. Sue and I were both looking at the water for Ruddy Ducks, not realizing that Shari meant

Photo: Shari Zirlin

Ruddy Turnstones. Altogether there were five, a nice consolation prize. After seeing the Harlequins, Sue and I hightailed it back on the sand. Quality over quantity there today. 
14 species
Harlequin Duck  6
Surf Scoter  8
Long-tailed Duck  10
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  5
Northern Gannet  15
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Cormorant  2
Ruddy Turnstone  5
Bonaparte's Gull  3
Ring-billed Gull  500
Herring Gull  25
Great Black-backed Gull  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1    Parking Lot