Tuesday, December 31, 2013

December Wrap-up and List

Redhead, Manasquan Reservoir
I ended the month of December with 162 species, my 2nd best month of the year after May's 180 count. Significantly both months had large blocks of birding time in states far from NJ--this month's trip to Florida gave us lots of birds we hadn't seen since summer, and of course, lots of birds we'd only see down south. 

While we didn't do any field trips this month, we did spend a lot of time birding with others, including our first Christmas Bird Count in which we wound through the suburban streets and parks of Toms River and Brick Township on "official Audubon business." We did bird a lot with friends, both up here in NJ and even down in Florida where we met some pals from the north who also happened to be in the area. While I like birding with others (and it has the advantage of there almost always being a better set of eyes and ears on the trip), I did miss the solitude of birding alone, walking long miles through quiet (but please, not too quiet) woods or along Whitesbog's impoundments. 

The week in Florida did help to take the edge off the cold weather we've encountered of late. But now, with the distractions of the holidays out of the way, I realize that this cold weather is here for a long time. My last birding of the month and year was spent on a windy dune crossing at Island Beach SP. The sun was setting behind me, and even though the wind was at my back, it seemed like a good time and place to wrap up the year. What was the last bird I saw this year? Probably a Long-tailed Duck. 

This month's list. 
Bold italics=FOY. BOLD CAPS=Life bird
Species     First Sighting
Snow Goose     Brigantine
Brant     Brigantine
Canada Goose     Brigantine
Mute Swan     Brigantine
Trumpeter Swan     Assunpink WMA
Tundra Swan     Brigantine
Gadwall     Brigantine
American Wigeon     Brigantine
American Black Duck     Brigantine
Mallard     Brigantine
Mottled Duck     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Northern Shoveler     Brigantine
Northern Pintail     Brigantine
Green-winged Teal     Brigantine
Canvasback     Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Redhead     Brigantine
Ring-necked Duck     Brigantine
Lesser Scaup     Assunpink WMA
Common Eider     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
White-winged Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Black Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Long-tailed Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Bufflehead     Brigantine
Hooded Merganser     Brigantine
Red-breasted Merganser     Point Ybel Lighthouse Park
Ruddy Duck     Brigantine
Wild Turkey     35 Sunset Rd
Red-throated Loon     Great Bay Blvd
Common Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Pied-billed Grebe     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Horned Grebe     Great Bay Blvd
Wood Stork     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Magnificent Frigatebird     Song of the Sea Beach
Northern Gannet     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Double-crested Cormorant     Song of the Sea Beach
Great Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Anhinga     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
American White Pelican     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Brown Pelican     Song of the Sea Beach
Great Blue Heron     Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530
Great Egret     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Snowy Egret     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Little Blue Heron     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Tricolored Heron     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Reddish Egret     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Cattle Egret     Immokalee Rd
Green Heron     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Black-crowned Night-Heron     Six Mile Cypress Slough
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
White Ibis     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Glossy Ibis     Harns Marsh Preserve
Roseate Spoonbill     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Black Vulture     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Turkey Vulture     Brigantine
Osprey     Song of the Sea Beach
Snail Kite     Harns Marsh Preserve
Northern Harrier     Brigantine
Sharp-shinned Hawk     35 Sunset Rd
Cooper's Hawk     35 Sunset Rd
Bald Eagle     Brigantine
Red-shouldered Hawk     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Short-tailed Hawk     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Red-tailed Hawk     Brigantine
Common Gallinule     Harns Marsh Preserve
American Coot     Brigantine
Limpkin     Harns Marsh Preserve
Sandhill Crane     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
American Oystercatcher     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Black-bellied Plover     Brigantine
Wilson's Plover     Bunche Beach
Semipalmated Plover     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Piping Plover     Bunche Beach
Killdeer     Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve
Spotted Sandpiper     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Greater Yellowlegs     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Willet     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Marbled Godwit     Bunche Beach
Ruddy Turnstone     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Red Knot     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Sanderling     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Dunlin     Brigantine
Purple Sandpiper     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Least Sandpiper     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Western Sandpiper     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Short-billed Dowitcher     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Long-billed Dowitcher     Bunche Beach
Wilson's Snipe     Harns Marsh Preserve
Bonaparte's Gull     Manasquan Inlet North Side
Laughing Gull     Song of the Sea Beach
Ring-billed Gull     Brigantine
Herring Gull     Brigantine
ICELAND GULL     Manasquan Inlet North Side
Lesser Black-backed Gull     Song of the Sea Beach
Great Black-backed Gull     Brigantine
Caspian Tern     Bunche Beach
Forster's Tern     Song of the Sea Beach
Royal Tern     Song of the Sea Beach
Sandwich Tern     Song of the Sea Beach
Black Skimmer     Bunche Beach
Rock Pigeon     Southwest Florida International Airport
Eurasian Collared-Dove     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Mourning Dove     Crestwood Village
Common Ground-Dove     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Snowy Owl     Brigantine
Burrowing Owl     Cape Coral Public Library
Belted Kingfisher     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Red-bellied Woodpecker     Horicon Lake
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Downy Woodpecker     Brigantine
Hairy Woodpecker     Riverwood Park
Northern Flicker     Toms River
Pileated Woodpecker     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Merlin     Brigantine
Peregrine Falcon     Brigantine
Eastern Phoebe     Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve
Great Crested Flycatcher     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Loggerhead Shrike     Charlotte Harbor Buffer Preserve
White-eyed Vireo     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Blue-headed Vireo     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Blue Jay     35 Sunset Rd
American Crow     Brigantine
Fish Crow     East Gulf Drive
Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd
Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd
White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
Brown Creeper     Winding River Park
House Wren     Song of the Sea Beach
Winter Wren     Riverwood Park
Carolina Wren     35 Sunset Rd
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
Golden-crowned Kinglet     Brigantine
Eastern Bluebird     Brigantine
Hermit Thrush     Crestwood Village
American Robin     Brigantine
Gray Catbird     Brigantine
Northern Mockingbird     Horicon Lake
European Starling     Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530
Cedar Waxwing     Brigantine
Snow Bunting     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Black-and-white Warbler     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Common Yellowthroat     Great Bay Blvd
Palm Warbler     Song of the Sea Beach
Pine Warbler     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Yellow-rumped Warbler     Brigantine
Yellow-throated Warbler     J. N. Ding Darling NWR
American Tree Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
Chipping Sparrow     Ocean County Memorial Park
Field Sparrow     N Bay Av Power Line Cut
Savannah Sparrow     Brigantine
Song Sparrow     Brigantine
Swamp Sparrow     Brigantine
White-throated Sparrow     Horicon Lake
Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd
Northern Cardinal     Horicon Lake
Painted Bunting     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Common Grackle     Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Boat-tailed Grackle     Harns Marsh Preserve
House Finch     35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd
House Sparrow     Jerry's Supermarket
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2014 at 8:20 AM

    Happy New Year, Larry! Regards to Shari!
    Mary D.

    ReplyDelete

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