Whitesbog 10/26--Vesper Sparrow

Last week on my walk around Whitesbog, I didn't lug the scope, figuring there would be no need for it and I was wrong. So today I carried it and it paid off a couple of times. I would never have been able to identify the fairly large flock of Pectoral Sandpipers (rare this time of year) in drained Union Pond. My first reaction when I saw them was Least Sandpiper--interesting that later, when I looked them up in Sibley, he writes that they resemble large Leasts. I was able to get a couple of mediocre digiscoped photos before the camera battery punked out on me:

I walked way back to the Upper Reservoir which I'm pretty certain is actually in Ocean County. If I ever see a bird back there that I need for my home county list I'll make the distinction on eBird. It was back there that the scope came in handy again--the only duckage I saw today was floating way out in the middle of the water--3 American Wigeons and a Ruddy Duck. 

Sparrows were abundant on the dikes today--I flushed lots more than I could safely identify though most of those that went unnamed were likely Song Sparrows, judging from how many I was able to call. However, one I flushed that I at first assumed was yet another Song Sparrow, flew a brief distance before disappearing behind a grassy mound showing conspicuous white outer tail feathers in flight--since it wasn't a junco, that made it a Vesper Sparrow, my first of year and first in NJ.  I only saw it briefly, but I have no doubt it was a VESP. 

Cold today--started off at the freezing mark, but with no wind until late morning, the conditions were fine for a long 4 1/2 mile walk. 

34 species (+1 other taxa)
American Wigeon  3    
Ruddy Duck  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Turkey Vulture  1
Killdeer  25
Greater Yellowlegs  10
Lesser Yellowlegs  4
Pectoral Sandpiper  15    
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue-headed Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  1
American Crow  10
crow sp.  3
Carolina Chickadee  1    Heard
Tufted Titmouse  3
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Carolina Wren  1    Heard
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Eastern Bluebird  1
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  1    Heard
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  15
Pine Warbler  1    In parking lot
Yellow-rumped Warbler  20
Chipping Sparrow  5
Vesper Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  10
Swamp Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  2
Dark-eyed Junco  3
Northern Cardinal  1    Parking lot