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| Sharp-shinned Hawk, backyard |
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| Redhead, Manasquan Reservoir
I ended the month of December with 162 species, my 2nd best month of the year after May's 180 count. Significantly both months had large blocks of birding time in states far from NJ--this month's trip to Florida gave us lots of birds we hadn't seen since summer, and of course, lots of birds we'd only see down south.
While we didn't do any field trips this month, we did spend a lot of time birding with others, including our first Christmas Bird Count in which we wound through the suburban streets and parks of Toms River and Brick Township on "official Audubon business." We did bird a lot with friends, both up here in NJ and even down in Florida where we met some pals from the north who also happened to be in the area. While I like birding with others (and it has the advantage of there almost always being a better set of eyes and ears on the trip), I did miss the solitude of birding alone, walking long miles through quiet (but please, not too quiet) woods or along Whitesbog's impoundments.
The week in Florida did help to take the edge off the cold weather we've encountered of late. But now, with the distractions of the holidays out of the way, I realize that this cold weather is here for a long time. My last birding of the month and year was spent on a windy dune crossing at Island Beach SP. The sun was setting behind me, and even though the wind was at my back, it seemed like a good time and place to wrap up the year. What was the last bird I saw this year? Probably a Long-tailed Duck.
This month's list.
Bold italics=FOY. BOLD CAPS=Life bird
|
 |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Great Bay Blvd. |
Species First Sighting
|
Pink-footed Goose St Joe's Soccer Field
|
Greater White-fronted Goose New Egypt
|
Snow Goose New Egypt
|
Brant Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Canada Goose Horicon
Lake
|
Mute Swan Cattus
Island County Park
|
Tundra Swan Colliers Mills WMA
|
Wood Duck Colliers
Mills WMA
|
Gadwall Marshall's
Pond
|
American Wigeon
Marshall's Pond
|
American Black Duck
Riverfront Landing
|
Mallard Crestwood
Village
|
Northern Shoveler
Barnegat Beach
|
Northern Pintail Cedar Run Dock Rd.
|
Green-winged Teal
Stafford Forge WMA
|
Canvasback Riverfront
Landing
|
Ring-necked Duck
Riverfront Landing
|
Greater Scaup
Riverfront Landing
|
Lesser Scaup
Riverfront Landing
|
Common Eider Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Harlequin Duck
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
Surf Scoter Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
White-winged Scoter
Island Beach SP
|
Black Scoter Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Long-tailed Duck
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
Bufflehead Horicon
Lake
|
Common Goldeneye Cattus Island County Park
|
Hooded Merganser
Horicon Lake
|
Red-breasted Merganser
Cattus Island County Park
|
Ruddy Duck Riverfront
Landing
|
Northern Bobwhite
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Wild Turkey Crestwood
Village
|
Red-throated Loon Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Common Loon Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Pied-billed Grebe
Riverfront Landing
|
Horned Grebe Cedar Run
Dock Rd.
|
Northern Gannet
IBSP--Beach
|
Double-crested Cormorant
Riverfront Landing
|
Great Cormorant Cattus
Island County Park
|
Brown Pelican Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Great Blue Heron
Crestwood Village
|
Great Egret Great Bay
Blvd.
|
Snowy Egret Great Bay
Blvd.
|
Little Blue Heron
Cattus Island County Park
|
Tricolored Heron
Bayview Ave Park
|
Green Heron Lakehurst
NAES
|
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Great Bay Blvd.
|
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Great Bay Blvd.
|
Glossy Ibis Barnegat
Impoundments
|
Black Vulture New
Egypt
|
Turkey Vulture
Crestwood Village
|
Osprey Cedar Run Dock
Rd.
|
Northern Harrier New
Egypt
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk New
Egypt
|
Cooper's Hawk 35
Sunset Rd
|
Bald Eagle Rt 539 New
Egypt
|
Red-shouldered Hawk Rt
530 Lacey
|
Broad-winged Hawk 35
Sunset Rd
|
Red-tailed Hawk New
Egypt
|
Clapper Rail Great Bay
Blvd.
|
Virginia Rail Great
Bay Blvd.
|
American Coot
Marshall's Pond
|
Sandhill Crane New Egypt
|
Black-necked Stilt Manahawkin WMA
|
American Oystercatcher
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
Black-bellied Plover Great
Bay Blvd.
|
êNorthern Lapwing New Egypt
|
Semipalmated Plover Barnegat
Impoundments
|
Piping Plover Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Killdeer New Egypt
|
Spotted Sandpiper Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Greater Yellowlegs
Stafford Forge WMA
|
Willet Great Bay Blvd.
|
Lesser Yellowlegs Barnegat
Impoundments
|
Upland Sandpiper
Lakehurst NAES
|
Whimbrel Great Bay
Blvd.
|
Ruddy Turnstone Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Red Knot Holgate (Long
Beach Island)
|
Sanderling Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Dunlin Great Bay Blvd.
|
Purple Sandpiper
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
Least Sandpiper Barnegat
Impoundments
|
Pectoral Sandpiper New
Egypt
|
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Cattus Island County Park
|
Short-billed Dowitcher
Great Bay Blvd.
|
Wilson's Snipe New
Egypt
|
American Woodcock
Horicon Lake
|
PARASITIC
JAEGER Island Beach SP
|
Razorbill Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Bonaparte's Gull
Island Beach SP
|
Laughing Gull
Graveling Point
|
Ring-billed Gull
Crestwood Village
|
Herring Gull Cattus
Island County Park
|
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Holgate (Long Beach Island)
|
Great Black-backed Gull
Riverfront Landing
|
Least Tern Horicon
Lake
|
Caspian Tern Holgate
(Long Beach Island)
|
Common Tern Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Forster's Tern Cattus
Island County Park
|
Royal Tern Barnegat
Lighthouse SP
|
Black Skimmer Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Rock Pigeon Bayview
Marina
|
Mourning Dove 35
Sunset Rd
|
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Black-billed Cuckoo
Whiting WMA
|
Great Horned Owl
Whiting WMA
|
Barred Owl Lakehurst
NAES
|
Common Nighthawk
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Chuck-will's-widow E.
Bay Ave, Barnegat
|
Eastern Whip-poor-will
35 Sunset Rd
|
Chimney Swift Horicon
Lake
|
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
35 Sunset Rd
|
Belted Kingfisher
Horicon Lake
|
Red-headed Woodpecker
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Horicon Lake
|
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Double Trouble State Park
|
Downy Woodpecker 35
Sunset Rd
|
Hairy Woodpecker 35 Sunset
Rd
|
Northern Flicker
Horicon Lake
|
American Kestrel New
Egypt
|
Merlin Crestwood
Village
|
Peregrine Falcon Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Double Trouble State Park
|
Acadian Flycatcher
Double Trouble State Park
|
Willow Flycatcher Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Least Flycatcher 35
Sunset Rd
|
Eastern Phoebe Double
Trouble State Park
|
Great Crested Flycatcher
Crestwood Village
|
Eastern Kingbird
Horicon Lake
|
White-eyed Vireo
Horicon Lake
|
Blue-headed Vireo 35
Sunset Rd
|
Warbling Vireo
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Red-eyed Vireo Double
Trouble State Park
|
Blue Jay 35 Sunset Rd
|
American Crow Whiting
WMA
|
Fish Crow Riverfront
Landing
|
Horned Lark Lakehurst
NAES
|
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cattus Island County Park
|
Purple Martin Horicon
Lake
|
Tree Swallow Horicon
Lake
|
Bank Swallow Lakehurst
NAES
|
Barn Swallow Great Bay
Blvd.
|
Carolina Chickadee 35
Sunset Rd
|
Tufted Titmouse 35
Sunset Rd
|
Red-breasted Nuthatch Whiting WMA
|
White-breasted Nuthatch
35 Sunset Rd
|
Brown Creeper Whiting
WMA
|
House Wren Whiting WMA
|
Winter Wren Horicon
Lake
|
Marsh Wren Cattus
Island County Park
|
Carolina Wren
Crestwood Village
|
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Double
Trouble State Park
|
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Crestwood Village
|
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Double Trouble State Park
|
Eastern Bluebird
Crestwood Village
|
Veery Double Trouble
State Park
|
Swainson's Thrush
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Hermit Thrush
Crestwood Village
|
Wood Thrush Double
Trouble State Park
|
American Robin Whiting
WMA
|
Gray Catbird Horicon
Lake
|
Brown Thrasher Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Northern Mockingbird
Horicon Lake
|
European Starling
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
American Pipit Island
Beach SP
|
Cedar Waxwing 35
Sunset Rd
|
Snow Bunting Island
Beach SP
|
Ovenbird Whiting WMA
|
Northern Waterthrush
Cattus Island County Park
|
Black-and-white Warbler
Horicon Lake
|
Common Yellowthroat
Horicon Lake
|
American Redstart
Crestwood Village
|
Northern Parula
Whiting Power line cut
|
Magnolia Warbler
Crestwood Village
|
Yellow Warbler Cattus
Island County Park
|
Blackpoll Warbler
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Cattus Island County Park
|
Palm Warbler Bayview
Ave Park
|
Pine Warbler Cattus
Island County Park
|
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Barnegat Lighthouse SP
|
Prairie Warbler
Horicon Lake
|
Black-throated Green Warbler
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Eastern Towhee Whiting WMA
|
American Tree Sparrow
Double Trouble State Park
|
Chipping Sparrow 35
Sunset Rd
|
Field Sparrow Whiting
WMA
|
Savannah Sparrow
Stafford Forge WMA
|
Grasshopper Sparrow
Lakehurst NAES
|
Saltmarsh Sparrow Great
Bay Blvd.
|
Seaside Sparrow Cattus
Island County Park
|
Fox Sparrow Stafford
Forge WMA
|
Song Sparrow Crestwood
Village
|
Swamp Sparrow Whiting Power
line cut
|
White-throated Sparrow
35 Sunset Rd
|
White-crowned Sparrow New
Egypt
|
Dark-eyed Junco 35
Sunset Rd
|
Scarlet Tanager
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Northern Cardinal 35
Sunset Rd
|
Blue Grosbeak Cattus
Island County Park
|
Indigo Bunting
Colliers Mills WMA
|
Red-winged Blackbird
Bayview Marina
|
Eastern Meadowlark
Lakehurst NAES
|
Rusty Blackbird Whitesbog Ocean County portion
|
Common Grackle New
Egypt
|
Boat-tailed Grackle
Bayview Marina
|
Brown-headed Cowbird New
Egypt
|
Orchard Oriole Double
Trouble State Park
|
Baltimore Oriole
Colliers Mills WMA
|
House Finch Whiting
WMA
|
Pine Siskin Whiting
WMA
|
American Goldfinch 35
Sunset Rd
|
House Sparrow Horicon
Lake
|
