Ocean County 2/10--Greater Yellowlegs, Fox Sparrow, NOPI, NSHO, SASP

We did some hit & run birding today, starting out at Stafford Forge WMA, which I wanted Shari to see. Still no Tundra Swans there (the impoundment looks to be about half frozen) but there were a couple of surprises. As soon as we parked it was evident that there were quite a few sparrows around. When I walked down the short path to the water I flushed a few Song Sparrows and juncos and one much bigger sparrow--our first Fox Sparrow of the year, a real beaut, very reddish and a bruiser compared to the other birds. Scanning the water we did find Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and one Bufflehead hen. We were looking in the trees and ground for more sparrows (and found a couple of Savannah Sparrows along the way) when we heard what we at first thought were goldfinches. Looking up in the trees we didn't see any activity and they didn't sound exactly right for goldfinches. Over our shoulders we heard the birds flying in and they turned out to be Greater Yellowlegs calling "do-do-do, do-do-do." They settled in open water on the far shore, but not too far way to see them well in the scope. Yellowlegs aren't an "alert the list" species, but they are unusual in the winter.

Every road in the area seems to be some derivation of either "Stafford" or "Forge": Forge Road, which we came in on, Stafford Forge road, on which we continued, Old Forge Road which looks to be a sand road, and Stafford Avenue, which leads to the Bridge to Nowhere. Stafford Forge Road on the Google maps looks like it runs through the woods but, after going under the Parkway, turns out to be a pleasant residential road which dumps you out on Rt 9. Our next stop was a little north on 9, Cedar Run Dock Road, which runs through marshes until it ends at Barnegat Bay. Some severe Sandy damage is still in evidence along this road, houses and a restaurant boarded up, and the end of the road where we used to park is flooded. The road must have subsided in the storm, allowing the bay to come up the past the boat ramp that used to be there. But we were able to scope the bay and found a couple of Horned Grebes, lots of Hooded Mergansers and Buffleheads, and our first Northern Pintails of the year.

Continuing north on Route 9 we took a right on Stafford Avenue and drove down to the Bridge to Nowhere. There were lots of birds to be seen from the ruins at the end of the road, but even with the scope they were too far to identify in the shimmering light on the water. There were 5 Great Blue Herons in the marshes.

Next we drove up to Barnegat Beach. More devastation, one  small house that had been right on the beach was completely off its foundation and looked like a demolition crew had had at it with sledge hammers. Scanning the bay (the marsh across the street was frozen) I saw a few ducks that for moment stumped me. Shari looked and said "Northern Shovelers" and, of course, she was right. I just hadn't seen them in so long and since I think of them as "puddle ducks," my mind wasn't ready for them on the bay.

Finally, after lunch, we took a walk around Eno's Pond. Lots of the usual winter passerines. The highlight there was two Belted Kingfishers. We watched one dive into the pond and immediately fly up to a branch shaking water out of its feathers and chattering, as if to say "What the hell did I do that for, the water is cold!"

Including the Red-breasted Nuthatch we had at the sunflower seed feeder this morning, we had 37 species for out day of wandering around Ocean County. I finally got my year total over 100.

Locations:   35 Sunset Rd; Barnegat Beach; Bridge to Nowhere; Cedar Run Dock Rd.; Eno's Pond; Stafford Forge WMA

Canada Goose     9 

Mallard     36

Northern Shoveler     9     

Northern Pintail     2          

Ring-necked Duck     4      

Lesser Scaup     2   

Bufflehead     41     

Hooded Merganser     62   

Red-breasted Merganser     2       

Common Loon     1 

Pied-billed Grebe     1         

Horned Grebe     2  

Great Blue Heron     6        

Turkey Vulture     1 

Northern Harrier     1           

Greater Yellowlegs     5    

Ring-billed Gull     10         

Herring Gull     20    

Belted Kingfisher     2         

Downy Woodpecker     1    

Blue Jay     3

American Crow     1

Carolina Chickadee     6    

Tufted Titmouse     2           

Red-breasted Nuthatch     1          

White-breasted Nuthatch     1       

American Robin     10        

Northern Mockingbird     2 

Savannah Sparrow     2    

Fox Sparrow     1    

Song Sparrow     10

White-throated Sparrow     2         

Dark-eyed Junco     7         

Northern Cardinal     4       

House Finch     1    

American Goldfinch     2    

House Sparrow     1