Lakehurst NAES 6/19--Upland Sandpiper, Barred Owl, Horned Lark, Bank Swallow

Photos: Shari Zirlin

About the only reliable place in NJ to see Upland Sandpipers is off limits to most civilians most of the year: the former Lakehurst  Naval Aviation Engineering Station, now part of the huge McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Joint Base. You might run across them during migration on some of the sod farms in the central part of the state, but to seem them on their breeding grounds, Lakehurst is the place. Once a year NJ Audubon organizes a couple of trips there, where, with the assistance of the base biologist and arborist, you're brought to the jump circle which is managed by cutting and prescribed burning as habitat for this threatened species (its worldwide population probably numbers in the low 5 figures). Obviously, we went there today on a trip led by Pete Bacinski, Linda Mack and Scott Barnes and the sandpipers did not disappoint, appearing fairly quickly after our arrival and putting on a great aerial display, as seems appropriate for an airbase.

The other rare and threatened species we saw today was Grasshopper Sparrow--we go a year without seeing them then see them twice in a week.Also around the jump circle (yes, this is where they practice parachuting, so keeping it free of trees is essential) were a couple of other grassland birds--Eastern Meadowlark, singing like a rotary dial telephone (you kids can look it up), and a Horned Lark standing on the side of the road.

At another spot, at the end of a runway where giant cargo planes were practicing "touch and goes" Scott displayed his amazing owl mimicking ability, hooting like a Barred Owl, which eventually called back to him, perhaps a little irritably. The other new bird for the year was Bank Swallow, a bird I wouldn't normally think I'd see around here--I have probably misidentified a few as Norther Rough-winged Swallows which were also in the air today, though I missed that species. Glad to see the Bank Swallow, since the area we normally find them, Great Kills Park on Staten Island, no longer harbors the nesting colony that was there since Sandy destroyed the banks in which they dug their burrows.

In all we managed 32 species for the approximately 3 hours we were on the base--it would have been a great morning without the Uppies; with them it was spectacular.

32 species
Wild Turkey  2
Great Blue Heron  1
Green Heron  1
Black Vulture  1
Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Upland Sandpiper  2    
Mourning Dove  1
Barred Owl  1    Heard
Belted Kingfisher  1
American Kestrel  1
Eastern Phoebe  1    Heard
Eastern Kingbird  3
Horned Lark  1
Tree Swallow  5
Bank Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1    Heard
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  1    Heard
European Starling  1
Cedar Waxwing  1
Ovenbird  2    Heard
Pine Warbler  1    Heard
Chipping Sparrow  1    Heard
Grasshopper Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  2    Heard
Red-winged Blackbird  3
Eastern Meadowlark  4
Common Grackle  2
Orchard Oriole  1
American Goldfinch  1    Heard