Brigantine 4/14--Little Blue Heron, Glossy Ibis, Lesser Yellowlegs, Purple Martin, American Pipit

Snowy Egrets
Photos: Shari Zirlin

One of the attractions of living down here was the proximity to Brigantine, so this morning, when we were discussing where to go, Shari said let's just go to Brig and 45 minutes later, there we were. And it didn't disappoint.

Immediately upon arrival we saw our first Purple Martins of the year swirling around the martin housing complex between the parking lot and refuge headquarters. A trip down the road to the Gull Pond and there were our first Glossy Ibises. Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets were in abundance today, many gathered together as above. In one of the channels along the Wildlife Drive we came upon another FOY, Little Blue Heron. Our first go-round of the Drive didn't produce very many ducks. Our 2nd trip produced plenty. We also added both yellowlegs the 2nd trip around with  the tide going out producing some mud for them to hunt on. Lesser Yellowlegs, identified by its more delicate appearance, shorter bill, and two note call, was also a first for the year.

But the most exciting bird, by far, was when I got out of the car while Shari was photographing the snowies pictured. I saw a sparrow like bird walking on the matted down reeds, (like the ones the snowies are standing on). My first reaction was Savannah Sparrow but then the checklist started to kick in: walking, bobbing it's tail, a little bigger than a sparrow...American Pipit!  I haven't seen one of these in years, not since one appeared in Prospect Park. I called Shari over to look, but she couldn't find it--it was perfectly camouflaged against the reeds. Then, what would normally irk me but in this case turned out to be a boon, someone slammed their car door, startling the bird, giving Shari a good look as it flew away, toward the egrets and disappeared in the brown and tan grass and reeds. Not only an FOY, but a new one for my NJ list.

We had a Heinz day at Brigantine: 57 varieties. Add Wood Duck and Pied-billed Grebe on a short look/see at Lily Lake, plus the turkeys we saw today and we had 60 on the day.

The day's list:
Comments:    Twice around the drive, Akers trail, Gull Pond, Leeds Eco Trail
Brant  56
Canada Goose  10
Mute Swan  4
Wood Duck 2   Lily Lake
American Black Duck  10
Mallard  10
Blue-winged Teal  6    SE Pool
Northern Shoveler  28
Northern Pintail  2
Green-winged Teal  88
Bufflehead  14
Ruddy Duck  12
Wild Turkey 2 Home & Rt 539
Pied-billed Grebe  1  Lily Lake
Double-crested Cormorant  30
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  25
Snowy Egret  35
Little Blue Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  7
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  9
Northern Harrier  2
Bald Eagle  2
American Oystercatcher  2
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  50
Great Black-backed Gull  15
Caspian Tern  2
Forster's Tern  25
Mourning Dove  2    Heard
Belted Kingfisher  1    Exit Pond
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1    Akers Trail
Peregrine Falcon  1
Blue Jay  3    Heard
Fish Crow  3
Purple Martin  20
Tree Swallow  10
Barn Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard Akers Trail
Carolina Wren  2    Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1 Picnic Tables
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1 Akers Trail
American Robin  6
Northern Mockingbird  1
American Pipit  1    Along north dike
Eastern Towhee  2    Heard
Chipping Sparrow  3    Parking lot
Field Sparrow  1    Leeds Eco Trail
Savannah Sparrow  3    North dike
Song Sparrow  2    Heard
Northern Cardinal  4    Heard
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Boat-tailed Grackle  1    North dike
Brown-headed Cowbird  1    Picnic tables
House Finch  2    Picnic tables
House Sparrow  1    In martin house

And what trip to Brigantine is complete without Shari's favorite

American Oystercatcher