Yesterday I got a call on my cell from Greg: He was at Double Trouble and had re-found the Louisiana Waterthrush he'd seen a couple of weeks ago. However, since I was at Brig, I could only hope the bird would stick around another day. This morning I went over there and started my search on the canal near the old sawmill, with no results. I did, however, hear plenty of Ovenbirds and Common Yellowthroats, came up with lots of Black-and-white Warblers, a Palm Warbler, and a couple of the more common warblers.
After a while I decided to take my long walk. I had met a photographer new to the park, so I took him out to the bogs where the sun shines warmly on the pines with perfect light for photography should any birds show up. I then walked around out to the back bogs, coming up with only the usual birds, though three calling Greater Yellowlegs were a hair unusual.
I made my way back to the spot were on the canal where Greg had seen the birds and met up with the Terence, the photographer. We were reviewing what we had and hadn't seen when Greg called. He saw my car in the parking lot and wanted to know where I was. "Right at the spot you told me about." He came over in a few minutes and three of us started searching for birds. Again, not much. Then Greg spotted the waterthrush. At first I only got a glimpse of it. I had to construct the bird, first from it's lightly streaked breast, then a quick look at the bright pink legs, then a view of its bobbing tail. It was a bird that was easily spooked. We trailed it up and down the canal and finally we all three got good looks at as it walked along the bank--buffy flanks, white eyebrow, pink legs. Finally, on my 3rd trip to find this new Ocean County bird--and a very rare one it is in the county--I had it, thanks to Greg.
Normally, LAWA like swift running water (though the one I saw in Belleplain on Saturday was on a slow stream too) and we were wondering if the fast-moving creek on the other side of the path was what originally attracted the bird, while it did it's hunting on the calmer water. We were also wondering if this was the same bird Greg had originally seen. We'll never know because, incredibly, farther along the path, we found another one! We were able to get better, closer looks at this bird though it too was very skittish. We made certain it wasn't the very similar Northern Waterthrush which should just be arriving this time of year. It wasn't. You can't sex LAWA so I suppose there is a possibility of nesting.
Greg saw another bird fly up from the stream and located it along a bare branch over the trail and posing nicely we both had our first Great Crested Flycatcher of the year. So things perked up nicely after Greg arrived.
I left around noon and Greg continued. Later he emailed me to let me know he'd found an Eastern Kingbird near one of the reservoirs. That makes the 3rd Eastern Kingbird I've missed in 3 days. Weather permitting, I may have to go back tomorrow and get that bird before it becomes a nemesis.
For my 4 hours and 3 something miles I had 34 species:
Canada Goose 4
Great Egret 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Greater Yellowlegs 3
Mourning Dove 1 Heard
Belted Kingfisher 1
Eastern Phoebe 1 Heard
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Blue Jay 1 Heard
Tree Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 5
Carolina Chickadee 1 Heard
Tufted Titmouse 1 Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 15
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 2
Brown Thrasher 1 Heard
Ovenbird 10 Heard
Louisiana Waterthrush 2
Black-and-white Warbler 12
Common Yellowthroat 10 Heard
Palm Warbler 3
Pine Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Prairie Warbler 1 Heard
Eastern Towhee 2 Heard
Chipping Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 1 Village
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 1
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 Heard
American Goldfinch 1 Sweetwater Lane
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