October Wrap-up

White-crowned Sparrow (juvenile) Great Bay Blvd.

Out with the warblers, in with the sparrows. This month I saw 13 sparrow species against 6 warbler species and preponderance of the latter were Yellow-rumped Warblers, which I think of as honorary sparrows anyway, since they arrive with the sparrows and often associate with them.

Of the 5 new species for the month, 3 were sparrows. There was one outstanding warbler: Orange-crowned Warbler, another late fall migrant and one I'd never seen in NJ. While I did get a Nelson's Warbler for the year up at Sandy Hook, that species continued to elude me Ocean County despite 5 (count 'em--5) trips to Great Bay Blvd, supposedly the most reliable site for them roundabouts.

One bird I did manage to add to the county list this month was found after numerous trips this autumn to impoundments in Barnegat--3 American Avocets. I was alerted to their presence when Karmela kindly called me to let me they'd shown up again and I was able to spot them (and take mediocre digital photos) in the rapidly fading light. One of my favorite birds and I like them even better this time of year when they lost their cinnamon colored breeding plumage and are start black & white birds.

American  Avocets with Black Ducks

White Peafowl

During my one non-birding excursion this month, to The Grounds for Sculpture up near Trenton, we came across this specimen, which I certainly can't count, but which seems
like a living oxymoron--an albino peacock.

I found myself yearning for ducks this month and while a couple of trips to Brig found a decent amount, what I really want is huge flocks to pick through. That will probably happen this month. But I'll also probably be looking at them in a stiff, on-shore breeze with my eyes tearing and my nose running. Ah, winter birding--that time of  year where I really question my sanity.

For the month I managed 125 species, down quite a bit from last month when migration was at its peak.

Counties birded:
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean
New York: New York
Species                    Location
Brant     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Canada Goose     Horicon Lake
Mute Swan     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Wood Duck     Whitesbog
Gadwall     Forsythe--Barnegat
American Wigeon     Brig
American Black Duck     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Mallard     Eno’s Pond
Blue-winged Teal     Brig
Northern Shoveler     Forsythe--Barnegat
Northern Pintail     Forsythe--Barnegat
Green-winged Teal     Assunpink WMA
Ring-necked Duck     Brig
Surf Scoter     Sandy Hook
Hooded Merganser     Eno’s Pond
Ruddy Duck     Assunpink WMA
Northern Bobwhite     Colliers Mills WMA
Wild Turkey     Whitesbog
Red-throated Loon     Island Beach SP
Common Loon     Sandy Hook
Pied-billed Grebe     Horicon Lake
Northern Gannet     Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Brown Pelican     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Great Blue Heron     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Great Egret     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Snowy Egret     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Tricolored Heron     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Green Heron     Cedar Run Dock Rd.
Black-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Black Vulture     Sandy Hook
Turkey Vulture     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Osprey     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Northern Harrier     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Sharp-shinned Hawk     Whitesbog
Cooper's Hawk     Forsythe--Barnegat
Bald Eagle     Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk     Colliers Mills WMA
Common Gallinule     Brig
American Coot     Assunpink WMA
American Avocet     Forsythe--Barnegat
American Oystercatcher     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Black-bellied Plover     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Semipalmated Plover     Forsythe--Barnegat
Killdeer     Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Lesser Yellowlegs     Cedar Run Dock Rd.
Dunlin     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Semipalmated Sandpiper     Brig
Western Sandpiper     Brig
Laughing Gull     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Ring-billed Gull     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Herring Gull     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Great Black-backed Gull     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Forster's Tern     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Royal Tern     Sandy Hook
Rock Pigeon     Bridge to Nowhere
Mourning Dove     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Chimney Swift     Assunpink WMA
Belted Kingfisher     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker     Whitesbog
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Colliers Mills WMA
Downy Woodpecker     Whiting WMA
Hairy Woodpecker     Whitesbog
Northern Flicker     Colliers Mills WMA
American Kestrel     Colliers Mills WMA
Merlin     35 Sunset Rd
Peregrine Falcon     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Eastern Phoebe     Whitesbog
Blue-headed Vireo     Sandy Hook
Blue Jay     Horicon Lake
American Crow     Horicon Lake
Fish Crow     Cedar Run Dock Rd.
Tree Swallow     Bridge to Nowhere
Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd
Black-capped Chickadee     Central Park
Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd
Red-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
Brown Creeper     Sandy Hook
House Wren     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Winter Wren     Ocean County Parks Offices
Carolina Wren     Whitesbog
Golden-crowned Kinglet     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Eastern Bluebird     Colliers Mills WMA
Gray-cheeked Thrush     Double Trouble State Park
Swainson's Thrush     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Hermit Thrush     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
American Robin     Whitesbog
Gray Catbird     Horicon Lake
Northern Mockingbird     Colliers Mills WMA
European Starling     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Cedar Waxwing     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Orange-crowned Warbler     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Common Yellowthroat     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Northern Parula     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Palm Warbler     Assunpink WMA
Pine Warbler     Colliers Mills WMA
Yellow-rumped Warbler     Assunpink WMA
Eastern Towhee     Whitesbog
Chipping Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd
Clay-colored Sparrow     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Field Sparrow     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Savannah Sparrow     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Nelson's Sparrow     Sandy Hook
Seaside Sparrow     Sandy Hook
Song Sparrow     Horicon Lake
Lincoln's Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
Swamp Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
White-throated Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
White-crowned Sparrow     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Dark-eyed Junco     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Northern Cardinal     35 Sunset Rd
Red-winged Blackbird     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Eastern Meadowlark     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Common Grackle     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Boat-tailed Grackle     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Brown-headed Cowbird     Brig
House Finch     35 Sunset Rd
Purple Finch     Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Pine Siskin     Sandy Hook
American Goldfinch     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
House Sparrow     Assunpink WMA