Brigantine 9/7--Baird's Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Western Sandpipers
Photos: Shari Zirlin

We had what Scott Barnes called "a peep sweep" at Brigantine today; 4 of the hard to get (in NJ) shorebirds, as well as most of the more common sandpipers. We had 17 species of shorebirds--we missed a couple that others in the group had, but we got all the "good" ones: American Golden Plover, Western Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The last two were FOY for us. The Baird's was especially satisfying since we kept missing the reported ones closer to home--it's a tough bird to identify anyway, but the two we saw today were pretty obvious in their russet plumage which looked as if they were wearing hoodies. When we first arrived at the dogleg and everyone was calling out both the Baird's and Buff-breasted, I felt slightly overwhelmed--which to look for first. I found the Baird's fairly close in and then in the same scope view, the Buff-breasted came into the field. Someone else had the same look and proclaimed, "You're not going to see that too often!" Damn straight! In fact, we hadn't seen a Baird's in years, not since the East Pond at Jamaica Bay and this was only the second time we'd seen Buff-breasted--both times with Scott and Linda. Unfortunately, "close in" is relative--close in for the scope, but not close enough for even Shari's long lens to get decent photos.

We were fortunate today in that we car-pooled with Pete Bacinski and Mike Mandracchia--great birders who don't miss much while at the same time keeping up a steady banter of good and bad puns. My favorite of the day was Pete's description of the Marsh Wren's song as a "wrendition." Shari countered that Pete had "wrendered her speechless." We had a rollicking good time with them.

Another favorite bird that we were happy to see today was Bobolink, one on the first trip around the drive and then a small flock on our second go-round.  Even out of their "reverse tuxedo" breeding plumage these are handsome birds, a warm gold that seems appropriately autumnal.

Bobolink

They, along with the Baird's and Buff-breasted are on their way to the pampas of Argentina. It's a hell of a life being a bird.

Our day list was 66 species-- the group list was 91--aside from the Whimbrels we missed, I'm happy with our total.
Canada Goose  100
Mute Swan  1
American Black Duck  X
Mallard  X
Blue-winged Teal  10
Northern Pintail  1    North Dike
Double-crested Cormorant  25
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  100
Snowy Egret  50
Little Blue Heron  5    Beginning of drive
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  5
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  10
Northern Harrier  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Black-bellied Plover  100
American Golden-Plover  3
Semipalmated Plover  50
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Lesser Yellowlegs  20
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  500
Western Sandpiper  5
Least Sandpiper  25
White-rumped Sandpiper  3
Baird's Sandpiper  2    At dogleg, one closer in, one farther out in flock of gulls.
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Dunlin  2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  2
Short-billed Dowitcher  50
Long-billed Dowitcher  5
Laughing Gull  10
Herring Gull  100
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Gull-billed Tern  1
Caspian Tern  25
Forster's Tern  100
Black Skimmer  2
Mourning Dove  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1    Heard, parking lot
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1    Heard, picnic tables
Eastern Kingbird  2
White-eyed Vireo  1    Heard, upland section
Blue Jay  1    Heard
American Crow  1
crow sp.  5
Tree Swallow  50
Bank Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  10
Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard, upland section
Marsh Wren  1    Heard, north dike
Carolina Wren  2    Heard
Gray Catbird  2    Heard, upland section
European Starling  50
American Redstart  1    Picnic tables
Pine Warbler  1    Picnic tables
Saltmarsh Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  1    Picnic tables
Bobolink  5
Red-winged Blackbird  200
Boat-tailed Grackle  4