Brig 5/27--BCNH, COGA, WRSA, GBTE

A couple of loops around the drive, a visit to the Gull Pond  tower,a short walk on the Leeds boardwalk and lunch near the Visitor's Ctr, turned up 62 species today, the most interesting being two Common Gallinules by the tower, a couple of Gull-billed Terns, and 1 (that we could find) White-rumped Sandpiper. Thousands of Semipalmated Sandpipers were present, with good numbers of Dunlins, Black-bellied Plovers, and Short-billed Dowitchers. 

Common Gallinule, Brig 5/27
Photo: Shari Zirlin

Common Gallinule until recently was called Common Moorhen but, since there are no moors in North America and it seems silly to have 1/2 the population call hens when they're males, the name change was a good idea, though birders seem to be having a hard time assimilating it. 


And finally, finally, we found our first Black-crowned Night-Herons of the year. When we lived in NY this bird was a gimme by the end of January, either at Prospect Park or Jamaica. This year it took almost 5 full months to find a couple--embarrassing.


The day list, not including the Wild Turkey we zipped by on Route 539 on our way to Brigantine. 
Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  3
American Black Duck  3
Mallard  4
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  50
Snowy Egret  5
Black-crowned Night-Heron  2
Glossy Ibis  30
Turkey Vulture  3
Osprey  8
Bald Eagle  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Clapper Rail  4
Common Gallinule  2    Gull Pond Tower
Black-bellied Plover  250
Semipalmated Plover  6
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Willet  40
Ruddy Turnstone  60
Semipalmated Sandpiper  2000
Least Sandpiper  50
White-rumped Sandpiper  1    Southeast Pool
Dunlin  200
Short-billed Dowitcher  50
Laughing Gull  250
Herring Gull  50
Great Black-backed Gull  50
Least Tern  1
Gull-billed Tern  2
Caspian Tern  1
Common Tern  3
Forster's Tern  50
Black Skimmer  15
Mourning Dove  3    Road to Gull Pond Tower
Northern Flicker  1    Heard, Visitor's Ctr
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1    Heard, Visitor's Ctr
Eastern Phoebe  1    Heard, Visitor's Ctr
Great Crested Flycatcher  1    Heard, Visitor's Ctr
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue Jay  2
Fish Crow  2
Purple Martin  20    Visitor's Ctr
Tree Swallow  10
Barn Swallow  20
Carolina Chickadee  1    Visitor's Ctr
Tufted Titmouse  1    Upland trail
Carolina Wren  1    Visitor's Ctr
Marsh Wren  2    Leeds Trail
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2    Visitor's Ctr
American Robin  1    Visitor's Ctr
Gray Catbird  2
European Starling  1    Visitor's Ctr
Common Yellowthroat  2    Heard
Yellow Warbler  1    Heard
Chipping Sparrow  2    Visitor's Ctr
Northern Cardinal  2    Visitor's Ctr
Red-winged Blackbird  150
Brown-headed Cowbird  3    Visitor's Ctr
House Finch  5    Visitor's Ctr
American Goldfinch  1    Upland trail