Double Trouble, Eno's Pond, Forsythe-Barnegat, Barnegat Beach--12/26

It is great to wander around Ocean County looking for birds. As Shari says, so far this winter has been too pleasant to want to spend time indoors. Today was another relatively warm day though a bit breezy.

We started off in Double Trouble State Park, site of the former Double Trouble Cranberry Company. (The story goes that when one of the turf walls of the bogs would break, a worker there always said, "There's trouble." Once, when there were two breaks, he said, "There's double trouble.")

This park teases me; I feel like it should be a great spot for birds but so far nothing of note has turned up. The bogs were flooded today but only geese and Mallards were swimming around. Very little activity but it was a pleasant walk and I feel that the habitat, come spring, will yield lots of warblers and other passerines.
6 species
Canada Goose  45
Mallard  32
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
White-throated Sparrow  3

*

Next we headed over to Eno's Pond. This park is split between the county and Forsythe NWR. It was slow there at first though we were treated to a beautiful female Belted Kingfisher flying from branch to branch on the pond. Again, only Mallards on the pond. Lots of robins in the woods. But as we came out of the woods toward the parking lot we hit a little pocket of activity, the highlight being 4 Cedar Waxwings eating holly berries. I'd been checking the hollies for these birds and finally was rewarded. So, as far as I was concerned, the day was a success; any day with those lovely, lively birds is a good one. 
8 species (+1 other taxa)
Mallard  18
Turkey Vulture  1
gull sp.  5    too far to id. probably Ring-billed.
Belted Kingfisher  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
American Robin  25
Cedar Waxwing  4
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3

*

After lunch we decided to do the circuit of Bayshore Road and East Bay Avenue down in Barnegat. Forsythe's Barnegat division is along Bayshore. From the observation deck it was very disappointing--nothing but gulls. However, along Bayshore by the bay, there is a cut in the phragmites and there, finally, the birding got lively. Highlight there was our first Snowy Egret of the winter. Very surprising. Snowies don't usually hang around this late. 
15 species
Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  3
Mallard  10
Northern Shoveler  5
Green-winged Teal  3
Hooded Merganser  10
Ruddy Duck  1
Great Blue Heron  3
Snowy Egret  1
Turkey Vulture  6
American Coot  10
Ring-billed Gull  12
Downy Woodpecker  1
American Crow  2
European Starling  60    On telephone wires along Bayshore

*

Then we turned around, crossed the street and scoped out Barnegat Bay.
5 species
Long-tailed Duck  4
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Common Loon  1
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  1

                                                                             *

Then, happy, we went home.