Horicon Lake 4/24--White-eyed Vireo, Prairie Warbler

During migration in a place like Prospect Park, 6 species of warblers and a vireo would be unimpressive. But here in the Pine Barrens (or Pinelands if you're a real estate developer) that's pretty damn good.

And my ears were picking them out first, which always pleases me. Walking along a path that parallels the road I first heard what I remembered ascending buzzy notes of a Prairie Warbler. Looking through the pine trees I saw a small branch shake and found it. Then it sang so I was able to match sight and sound. A few minutes later, by the swamp I heard another bird--one whose song I'd studied a couple of days ago.  I don't have a great aural memory and zip patience, so trying to memorize a dozen birds at a time is futile. But I can target on one or two likely species and then try to find them. So when I heard something like "chuck per wee err" I was pretty certain a White-eyed Vireo was around and sure enough, there it was dancing around a tall bush. I also heard a few of  the"easy" warblers this morning: Black-and White Warbler, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat. Having already seen both, I didn't spend a lot of time staring into the trees and brush to find them. To round out the warbler report, I also saw a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Pine Warbler.

No ducks, not even a Mallard. A couple of Purple Martins, my first in Ocean County this year, flying over the lake. I've seen martin houses in the neighborhood over there so I'm surprised that this is the first time I've noticed them. In all, 34 species for my morning walk in Lakehurst.
Canada Goose  2
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Mourning Dove  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1    Heard
White-eyed Vireo  1
Fish Crow  1
Purple Martin  2
Tree Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  4
Carolina Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  2    Heard
Carolina Wren  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  7
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  1
Ovenbird  1    Heard
Black-and-white Warbler  2    Heard
Common Yellowthroat  3    Heard
Pine Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Prairie Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  5
Chipping Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  1
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  7
American Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  2