June Was a Productive Month

Our trip to the great Northwest certainly added a slew of birds we'd normally wouldn't have, including a decent number of lifers, but it is the trips to Brigantine and Lakehurst that stand out for me this month. On June 2 at Brig, because we were birding with Pete Bacinski, we totaled about half the species we'd eventually get for the month. At at Lakehurst, a few days later, again with Pete, we got the elusive UPLAND SANDPIPER as well as GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, plus Common Nighthawk, Eastern Meadowlark, and Horned Lark. Those are all birds on any year's wish list.

We had 2 rarities this month. They were rare only because of time of the year--Northern Shoveler and Red-breasted Nuthatch should have moved on by early June.

I've written enough about Alaska this month not to have to rehash it here. There were a lot of BVD's there (Better Views Desired).

White-winged Scoters in Glacier Bay, Alaska
Photo: Shari Zirlin

Counties birded:
Alaska: Juneau, Ketchikan Gateway, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon, Sitka, Wrangell-Petersburg
British Columbia: Capital, Comox-Strathcona, Cowichan Valley, Mount Waddington
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean
Washington: King

142 Species for the Month:

Species                     Location

Canada Goose          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Mute Swan          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Wood Duck          Brigantine

American Black Duck          Brigantine

Mallard          Whiting WMA

Northern Shoveler          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

White-winged Scoter          Glacier Bay

Black Scoter          Juneau Harbor

Common Merganser          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Wild Turkey          35 Sunset Rd

Pacific Loon          Glacier Bay

Common Loon          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS          Aboard MS Westerdam

NORTHERN FULMAR          Aboard MS Westerdam

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL          Aboard MS Westerdam

Double-crested Cormorant          Brigantine

Pelagic Cormorant          Glacier Bay

Great Blue Heron          Brigantine

Great Egret          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Snowy Egret          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Little Blue Heron          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Cattle Egret          Brigantine

Green Heron          Double Trouble State Park

Black-crowned Night-Heron          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron          Brigantine

Glossy Ibis          Brigantine

White-faced Ibis          Brigantine

Turkey Vulture          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Osprey          Brigantine

Bald Eagle          Lakehurst NAES

Red-tailed Hawk          Whiting WMA

American Kestrel          Lakehurst NAES

Peregrine Falcon          Brigantine

Clapper Rail          Brigantine

Virginia Rail          Brigantine

Common Gallinule          Brigantine

Black-bellied Plover          Brigantine

Semipalmated Plover          Brigantine

Killdeer          Brigantine

American Oystercatcher          Brigantine

Spotted Sandpiper          Brigantine

Greater Yellowlegs          Brigantine

Willet          Brigantine

UPLAND SANDPIPER          Lakehurst NAES

Whimbrel          Brigantine

Semipalmated Sandpiper          Brigantine

White-rumped Sandpiper          Brigantine

Dunlin          Brigantine

Short-billed Dowitcher          Brigantine

Black-legged Kittiwake          Glacier Bay

Bonaparte's Gull          Juneau Harbor

Laughing Gull          Brigantine

Mew Gull          Juneau Harbor

Ring-billed Gull          Brigantine

Herring Gull          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL          North Seattle

Great Black-backed Gull          Brigantine

Least Tern          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Gull-billed Tern          Brigantine

Caspian Tern          Brigantine

Arctic Tern          Glacier Bay

Forster's Tern          Brigantine

Black Skimmer          Brigantine

Common Murre          Glacier Bay

Pigeon Guillemot          Pier 91 Seattle

MARBLED MURRELET          Glacier Bay

CASSIN'S AUKLET          Juan de Fuca Strait

RHINOCEROS AUKLET          Juan de Fuca Strait

TUFTED PUFFIN          Glacier Bay

Rock Pigeon          Juneau--downtown

Mourning Dove          Whiting WMA

Yellow-billed Cuckoo          Wells Mills Park

Common Nighthawk          Lakehurst NAES

CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW          Brigantine

Eastern Whip-poor-will          35 Sunset Rd

Ruby-throated Hummingbird          Crestwood Village

Belted Kingfisher          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Red-bellied Woodpecker          Brigantine

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Downy Woodpecker          Whiting WMA

Northern Flicker          North Seattle

Eastern Wood-Pewee          Whiting WMA

Eastern Phoebe          Whiting WMA

Great Crested Flycatcher          Whiting WMA

Eastern Kingbird          Whiting WMA

Blue Jay          Whiting WMA

American Crow          Brigantine

NORTHWESTERN CROW          Juneau Harbor

Fish Crow          Whiting WMA

Common Raven          Juneau--downtown

Horned Lark          Lakehurst NAES

Purple Martin          Brigantine

Tree Swallow          Whiting WMA

Barn Swallow          Brigantine

Carolina Chickadee          Whiting WMA

Black-capped Chickadee          North Seattle

Chestnut-backed Chickadee          Sitka Nat. Historical Park

Tufted Titmouse          Whiting WMA

Red-breasted Nuthatch          35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch          Whiting WMA

Carolina Wren          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

Bewick's Wren          North Seattle

House Wren          Whiting WMA

Marsh Wren          Brigantine

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher          Whiting WMA

Eastern Bluebird          Whiting WMA

Swainson's Thrush          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Hermit Thrush          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Wood Thrush          Wells Mills Park

American Robin          Whiting WMA

Varied Thrush          Mt. Roberts Tramway

Gray Catbird          Whiting WMA

Northern Mockingbird          Edwin B. Forsythe NWR--Barnegat

European Starling          Brigantine

Cedar Waxwing          Whiting WMA

Ovenbird          Whiting WMA

Black-and-white Warbler          Whiting WMA

Common Yellowthroat          Whiting WMA

Yellow Warbler          Brigantine

Pine Warbler          Whiting WMA

Prairie Warbler          Whiting WMA

Townsend's Warbler          Sitka Nat. Historical Park

Spotted Towhee          North Seattle

Eastern Towhee          Whiting WMA

Chipping Sparrow          Whiting WMA

Field Sparrow          Brigantine

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW          Lakehurst NAES

Seaside Sparrow          Brigantine

Song Sparrow          Brigantine

Lincoln's Sparrow          Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Dark-eyed Junco          North Seattle

Northern Cardinal          Whiting WMA

Indigo Bunting          Brigantine

Red-winged Blackbird          Whiting WMA

Eastern Meadowlark          Lakehurst NAES

Common Grackle          Whiting WMA

Boat-tailed Grackle          Brigantine

Brown-headed Cowbird          35 Sunset Rd

Orchard Oriole          Brigantine

House Finch          Whiting WMA

American Goldfinch          Brigantine

House Sparrow          North Seattle

Ketchikan, Alaska
Photo: Shari Zirlin

Double Trouble--Green Heron

I've seen lots of 'em in New York. I've seen 'em in Delaware, Virginia, and Massachusetts. I've seen 'em coast to coast in California and Florida. I've seen 'em in Puerto Rico. The Bahamas. I've seen 'em in Canada. They're not rare. But until today I had never seen a Green Heron in New Jersey. I don't know how one has eluded me this long.

This morning I took a long walk in Double Trouble State Park. I wanted to be out of the house, doing something I enjoy instead of waiting for the Supreme Court to render its decision on the health care bill. I was coming down Sweetwater Road, scanning the bog's water, when I saw a bird flying like a crow that wasn't a crow. Yellow legs, bluish green back, rusty breast--yes, finally, my first NJ Green Heron.

Every thing else I saw or heard today was an "expected" bird. Still, good to find warblers, especially the Black-and White Warblers which seem particularly active today, as if they were looking for food for their young.

After 2 hours and 20 minutes I was filling out my list in the car. I was happy to have my heron. 10 o'clock. I turned on the radio. A minute or so later I was even happier.

24 species:
Great Egret  1    f/o
Green Heron  1    Bog on Sweetwater Road
Mourning Dove  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  2
Blue Jay  1    Heard
Barn Swallow  12
Carolina Chickadee  1    Heard
Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard
Carolina Wren  1
Wood Thrush  2    Heard
American Robin  10
Gray Catbird  5
Northern Mockingbird  3
Ovenbird  4    Heard
Black-and-white Warbler  4
Common Yellowthroat  5    Heard
Prairie Warbler  1    Heard
Eastern Towhee  3
Chipping Sparrow  10
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Common Grackle  10
American Goldfinch  5

Wells Mills Park 6/24--Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Ocean County has the best parks system that I can imagine. Each one we go to has a beautiful nature center, good trails, and is impeccably maintained. All the habitats in the county are represented within the system. It is just amazing to me how much acreage has been set aside for parks (and non-development) for a county that doesn't have a huge population. Today, we finally went to Wells Mills Park, where we'd planned to go June 2 until the lure of Brigantine that day pulled us south.

There is an extensive trail system within this park and we walked a couple that ran along the main feature of the park, Wells Mills Reservoir. The exciting bird for the day was Yellow-billed Cuckoo Shari found, first sitting on a log until we followed it up into a tree. There was a possible Black-billed Cuckoo too, but Shari's look wasn't good enough to call and my i.d. was simply "bird."

Still, that was a surprise and seeing Black-and-White Warblers feeding a juvenile was also a good discovery. In all we had 26 species and said what we always seem to say: this place will be great during migration.

Day list:
Canada Goose  6
Turkey Vulture  1
Laughing Gull  1
Mourning Dove  1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  3
Tree Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  5
Wood Thrush  1    Heard
American Robin  2
Gray Catbird  6
Ovenbird  5    Heard
Black-and-white Warbler  4
Common Yellowthroat  2    Heard
Pine Warbler  1
Prairie Warbler  1    Heard
Chipping Sparrow  10
Northern Cardinal  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
House Finch  1    Could be female or juvenile
American Goldfinch  2    Heard

Alaska Trip List & Blog Links

Below are links to each day's entry for our cruise to southeast Alaska.
North (Seattle) to Alaska
Aboard MS Westerdam
Juneau
Glacier Bay
Sitka
British Columbia







Lists for each state/province:

Washington

Great Blue Heron	North Seattle
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL	North Seattle
Caspian Tern	Pier 91
Pigeon Guillemot	Pier 91
Northern Flicker	North Seattle
Black-capped Chickadee	North Seattle
Red-breasted Nuthatch	North Seattle
Bewick's Wren	North Seattle
American Robin	North Seattle
European Starling	North Seattle
Spotted Towhee	North Seattle
Dark-eyed Junco	North Seattle
House Sparrow	North Seattle

British Columbia

Canada Goose	Ogden Point Breakwater
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS	Aboard MS Westerdam
NORTHERN FULMAR	Aboard MS Westerdam
LEACH'S STORM-PETREL	Aboard MS Westerdam
Glaucous-winged Gull	Juan de Fuca Strait
Common Murre	Juan de Fuca Strait
Pigeon Guillemot	Ogden Point Breakwater
CASSIN'S AUKLET	Juan de Fuca Strait
RHINOCEROS AUKLET	Juan de Fuca Strait
Rock Pigeon	Ogden Point Breakwater
Northwestern Crow	Beacon Hill Park
Common Raven	Beacon Hill Park
Barn Swallow	Ogden Point Breakwater
American Robin	Beacon Hill Park
European Starling	Beacon Hill Park
Song Sparrow	Beacon Hill Park
House Finch	Beacon Hill Park
House Sparrow	Beacon Hill Park

Alaska

Canada Goose	Tongass Narrows
White-winged Scoter	Glacier Bay
Black Scoter	Juneau Harbor
Common Merganser	Starrigavan Estuary
Pacific Loon	Glacier Bay
Common Loon	Starrigavan Estuary
Double-crested Cormorant	Chatham Strait
Pelagic Cormorant	Glacier Bay
Great Blue Heron	Juneau Harbor
Bald Eagle	Juneau Harbor
Black-legged Kittiwake	Glacier Bay
Bonaparte's Gull	Juneau Harbor
Mew Gull	Juneau Harbor
Glaucous-winged Gull	Glacier Bay
Arctic Tern	Glacier Bay
Common Murre	Glacier Bay
Pigeon Guillemot	Juneau Harbor
MARBLED MURRELET	Glacier Bay
TUFTED PUFFIN	Glacier Bay
Rock Pigeon	Juneau--downtown
Belted Kingfisher	Starrigavan Estuary
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER	Starrigavan Estuary
NORTHWESTERN CROW	Juneau Harbor
Common Raven	Juneau--downtown
Tree Swallow	Juneau--downtown
Barn Swallow	Juneau--downtown
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Sitka Nat. Historical Park
Swainson's Thrush	Starrigavan Estuary
Hermit Thrush	Starrigavan Estuary
American Robin	Mt. Roberts Tramway
Varied Thrush	Mt. Roberts Tramway
Townsend's Warbler	Sitka Nat. Historical Park
Lincoln's Sparrow	Starrigavan Estuary