May Birds

Cedar Waxwing, Whitesbog

May was by far the best birding month of the year so far. Of course, the New Mexico trip really boosted the numbers, but the month was bound to be great since it is the middle of migration and all kinds of warblers and shorebirds were flowing through New Jersey, most bound for more northern climes to breed, though a few others do stick around.

Highlights of the month, besides 6 life birds in New Mexico, were finding the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks calmly sitting on the shore of a little pond in Galloway Township, hearing a Great Horned Owl outside our door, and getting both Tennessee Warbler and Mourning Warbler within a few minutes of each other at the Oros Preserve, only a few minutes from the ancestral home. Ah, if only I'd been a birder when I was a kid, I'd have such a life list by now.

For the month I managed 202 species, quite a respectable number. I remember years ago a birder telling me at Jamaica Bay that he'd seen 200 species that month and the number just did not seem possible to me. Now, while it isn't routine, it is certainly imaginable.

Counties Birded:
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean
New Mexico: Bernallilo, Los Alamos, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe
New York: Kings
Texas: Tarrant

Species                First Sighting

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     Patriot Lake

Snow Goose     Brigantine

Brant     Island Beach SP

Canada Goose     Cattus Island County Park

Mute Swan     Brigantine

Tundra Swan     Brigantine

Wood Duck     Whitesbog OC portion

Gadwall     Brigantine

American Black Duck     Brigantine

Mallard     Cattus Island County Park

Greater Scaup     Brigantine

Bufflehead     Cattus Island County Park

Double-crested Cormorant     Cattus Island County Park

Great Blue Heron     Cattus Island County Park

Great Egret     Cattus Island County Park

Snowy Egret     Cattus Island County Park

Little Blue Heron     Cattus Island County Park

Tricolored Heron     Cattus Island County Park

Green Heron     Whitesbog OC portion

Black-crowned Night-Heron     Island Beach SP

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Blvd

Glossy Ibis     Brigantine

Turkey Vulture     White's Bogs

Osprey     Cattus Island County Park

Northern Harrier     Brigantine

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Cooper's Hawk     FREC

Northern Goshawk     Santa Fe NF

Bald Eagle     Cattus Island County Park

Red-tailed Hawk     FREC

Clapper Rail     Brigantine

American Coot     Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

American Oystercatcher     Brigantine

Black-bellied Plover     Brigantine

Semipalmated Plover     Brigantine

Killdeer     Prospertown Lake

Spotted Sandpiper     White's Bogs

Solitary Sandpiper     Butterfly Bogs

Greater Yellowlegs     Cattus Island County Park

Willet     Cattus Island County Park

Lesser Yellowlegs     Brigantine

Whimbrel     Brigantine

Ruddy Turnstone     Brigantine

Dunlin     Brigantine

Least Sandpiper     Cattus Island County Park

White-rumped Sandpiper     Brigantine

Semipalmated Sandpiper     Brigantine

Short-billed Dowitcher     Brigantine

Laughing Gull     Brigantine

Ring-billed Gull     Patriot Lake

Herring Gull     Cattus Island County Park

Great Black-backed Gull     Brigantine

Least Tern     Double Trouble State Park

Gull-billed Tern     Brigantine

Caspian Tern     Brigantine

Forster's Tern     Cattus Island County Park

Black Skimmer     Brigantine

Rock Pigeon     Delgado St, Santa Fe

Eurasian Collared-Dove     Santa Fe River Park

White-winged Dove     Madrid, NM

Mourning Dove     Cattus Island County Park

Yellow-billed Cuckoo     Colliers Mills WMA

Black-billed Cuckoo     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Great Horned Owl     35 Sunset Rd

Chuck-will's-widow     Brigantine

Eastern Whip-poor-will     35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift     Prospertown Lake

White-throated Swift     Bandelier NM -- Main Loop Trail

Ruby-throated Hummingbird     35 Sunset Rd

Black-chinned Hummingbird     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Broad-tailed Hummingbird     Delgado St, Santa Fe

Belted Kingfisher     Cattus Island County Park

Red-headed Woodpecker     Colliers Mills WMA

Acorn Woodpecker     Bandelier Entrance Rd

Red-bellied Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER     Santa Fe NF

Downy Woodpecker     Cattus Island County Park

Hairy Woodpecker     Cibola NF -- Sandia Crest

Northern Flicker     Cattus Island County Park

American Kestrel     Colliers Mills WMA

Peregrine Falcon     Brigantine

Eastern Wood-Pewee     Colliers Mills WMA

Willow Flycatcher     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Gray Flycatcher     Bandelier NM--Falls Trail

Black Phoebe     Cerillos, NM

Eastern Phoebe     White's Bogs

Great Crested Flycatcher     Whitesbog OC portion

Western Kingbird     Cerillos, NM

Eastern Kingbird     Whitesbog OC portion

White-eyed Vireo     White's Bogs

Plumbeous Vireo     Cibola NF -- Sandia Crest Rd.

Blue-headed Vireo     Cattus Island County Park

Warbling Vireo     Santa Fe River Park

Red-eyed Vireo     Island Beach SP

PINYON JAY     Pecos, NM

Steller's Jay     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Blue Jay     Cattus Island County Park

Western Scrub-Jay     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE     Santa Fe River Park

American Crow     35 Sunset Rd

Fish Crow     Cattus Island County Park

Common Raven     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Northern Rough-winged Swallow     Whitesbog OC portion

Purple Martin     Whitesbog OC portion

Tree Swallow     Cattus Island County Park

Violet-green Swallow     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Barn Swallow     Cattus Island County Park

Cliff Swallow     Cerillos, NM

Carolina Chickadee     Cattus Island County Park

Black-capped Chickadee     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Mountain Chickadee     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Juniper Titmouse     Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Tufted Titmouse     Cattus Island County Park

Bushtit     Delgado St, Santa Fe

Red-breasted Nuthatch     Cibola NF -- Sandia Crest

White-breasted Nuthatch     Cattus Island County Park

Pygmy Nuthatch     Santa Fe NF

Brown Creeper     Santa Fe NF

Rock Wren     Bandelier NM--Falls Trail

House Wren     Whitesbog OC portion

Marsh Wren     Brigantine

Carolina Wren     35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     White's Bogs

AMERICAN DIPPER     Santa Fe NF

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Santa Fe NF

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Bluebird     White's Bogs

Western Bluebird     Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD     Cerillos, NM

Townsend's Solitaire     Santa Fe NF

Veery     William Warren County Park

Gray-cheeked Thrush     William Warren County Park

Swainson's Thrush     William Warren County Park

Hermit Thrush     Cibola NF -- Nine Mile Picnic Site

Wood Thrush     FREC

American Robin     Cattus Island County Park

Gray Catbird     Cattus Island County Park

Brown Thrasher     Cattus Island County Park

Northern Mockingbird     White's Bogs

European Starling     White's Bogs

Cedar Waxwing     William Warren County Park

Ovenbird     White's Bogs

Northern Waterthrush     Whitesbog OC portion

Blue-winged Warbler     Colliers Mills WMA

Black-and-white Warbler     White's Bogs

Tennessee Warbler     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Orange-crowned Warbler     Santa Fe NF

Virginia's Warbler     La Cueva Valley

MacGillivray's Warbler     Bandelier NM--Falls Trail

Mourning Warbler     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Common Yellowthroat     Cattus Island County Park

American Redstart     Double Trouble State Park

Northern Parula     Whitesbog OC portion

Magnolia Warbler     Double Trouble State Park

Bay-breasted Warbler     Island Beach SP

Yellow Warbler     Whitesbog OC portion

Chestnut-sided Warbler     William Warren County Park

Blackpoll Warbler     Island Beach SP

Black-throated Blue Warbler     Island Beach SP

Palm Warbler     Whitesbog OC portion

Pine Warbler     Cattus Island County Park

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Whitesbog OC portion

Prairie Warbler     White's Bogs

Black-throated Gray Warbler     La Cueva Valley

Canada Warbler     Island Beach SP

Wilson's Warbler     Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Yellow-breasted Chat     Assunpink WMA--Navigation Beacon

Green-tailed Towhee     Santa Fe NF

Spotted Towhee     Delgado St, Santa Fe

Eastern Towhee     Cattus Island County Park

Canyon Towhee     Santa Fe Canyon Preserve

Chipping Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park

Field Sparrow     FREC

Savannah Sparrow     Brigantine

Grasshopper Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA

Saltmarsh Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd

Seaside Sparrow     Brigantine

Song Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park

Swamp Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park

White-throated Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park

White-crowned Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

Dark-eyed Junco     Santa Fe NF

Hepatic Tanager     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Scarlet Tanager     FREC

Western Tanager     Santa Fe River Park

Northern Cardinal     Cattus Island County Park

Rose-breasted Grosbeak     Whitesbog OC portion

Black-headed Grosbeak     Randall Davey Audubon Ctr

Blue Grosbeak     Prospertown Lake

Indigo Bunting     Assunpink WMA--Navigation Beacon

Red-winged Blackbird     Cattus Island County Park

Brewer's Blackbird     Pecos, NM

Common Grackle     White's Bogs

Boat-tailed Grackle     Brigantine

Great-tailed Grackle     DFW

Brown-headed Cowbird     White's Bogs

Orchard Oriole     Whitesbog OC portion

Baltimore Oriole     Lake Enno

House Finch     Cattus Island County Park

Pine Siskin     Delgado St, Santa Fe Feeder

Lesser Goldfinch     Cerillos, NM

American Goldfinch     Cattus Island County Park

EVENING GROSBEAK     Delgado St, Santa Fe

House Sparrow     Brigantine