November Summary

As the year progresses it obviously gets harder to add "year birds," so I'm pleased with this month's results--quality over quantity, with only 8 new birds but what birds they were! Three of the eight count as rarities: yesterday's Eared Grebe, the elusive Northern Shrike of Whitesbog, and the Black-headed Gull at the waste treatment plant in Delaware. Add in the rare (but previously encountered) Ross's Goose at Brig and the Western Kingbird in Virginia, along with some favorite birds like American White Pelican, Snow Bunting and Lapland Longspur and I'll count the month as a success.

We roved around a lot this month--many spots in NJ as well as the long weekend on the Delmarva Peninsula which really helped the bird count. Winter is not my favorite time of the year, so I don't expect spectacular results this next month. I keep buying warmer shoes, warmer gloves, adding layers, but I would still rather be inside.

Some miscellaneous birds seen this month:

Ross's Goose at Brig. I broke the speed limits to make sure I got this bird before the field trip started so I wouldn't get antsy until the group got to the spot, well along on the drive.

Purple Finch at our feeder. Finally!

Immature Bald Eagle, digiscoped 11/30 at Brig.

Boat-tailed Grackles take over the bridge at Great Bay Blvd.

Ring-necked Pheasant at Assunpink. He showed no fear of me. Which is why they're easy to kill. 

For the month I listed 149 species.
Counties birded:
Delaware: Kent, Sussex
Maryland: Worcester
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean
Virginia: Accomack, Northampton

Species              Location

Snow Goose     Bombay Hook

Ross's Goose     Brig

Brant     Great Sedge Island

Canada Goose     Assunpink WMA

Mute Swan     Assunpink WMA

Tundra Swan     Bombay Hook

Wood Duck     Magothy Bay Preserve

Gadwall     Mercer Corporate Park

American Wigeon     Chincoteague NWR

American Black Duck     Bombay Hook

Mallard    Corines Millpond

Blue-winged Teal     Brig

Northern Shoveler     Bombay Hook

Northern Pintail     Bombay Hook

Green-winged Teal     Bombay Hook

Ring-necked Duck     Assunpink WMA

Lesser Scaup     Brig

Common Eider     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter     DuPont Nature Center

White-winged Scoter     Island Beach SP

Black Scoter     Chincoteague NWR

Long-tailed Duck     Island Beach SP

Bufflehead     Assunpink WMA

Common Goldeneye     LBI Bayside--24th St

Hooded Merganser     Magothy Bay Preserve

Red-breasted Merganser     Avalon Seawatch

Ruddy Duck     Assunpink WMA

Northern Bobwhite     Townsend

Ring-necked Pheasant     Assunpink WMA

Wild Turkey     35 Sunset Rd

Red-throated Loon     Chincoteague NWR

Common Loon     Island Beach SP

Pied-billed Grebe     Assunpink WMA

Horned Grebe     Island Beach SP

Red-necked Grebe     Sandy Hook

Eared Grebe     Sandy Hook

Northern Gannet     Island Beach SP

Double-crested Cormorant     Assunpink WMA

Great Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American White Pelican     Prime Hook NWR

Brown Pelican     Kiptopeke SP

American Bittern     Brig

Great Blue Heron     Assunpink WMA

Great Egret     Assunpink WMA

Snowy Egret     Chincoteague NWR

Little Blue Heron     Chincoteague NWR

Tricolored Heron     Chincoteague NWR

Black-crowned Night-Heron     Chincoteague NWR

White Ibis     Chincoteague NWR

Black Vulture     Rt 539 New Egypt

Turkey Vulture     Assunpink WMA

Golden Eagle     Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR

Northern Harrier     Great Sedge Island

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Island Beach SP

Cooper's Hawk     Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR

Bald Eagle     Assunpink WMA

Red-shouldered Hawk     Magothy Bay Preserve

Red-tailed Hawk     Assunpink WMA

Virginia Rail     Saxis WMA

American Coot     Assunpink WMA

American Avocet     Bombay Hook

American Oystercatcher     Chincoteague NWR

Black-bellied Plover     Great Sedge Island

Semipalmated Plover     Great Sedge Island

Killdeer     Saxis

Greater Yellowlegs     Bombay Hook

Willet     Queen Sound Flats

Lesser Yellowlegs     Prime Hook NWR

Marbled Godwit     Bombay Hook

Ruddy Turnstone     Prime Hook NWR

Sanderling     Great Sedge Island

Dunlin     Great Sedge Island

Purple Sandpiper     Avalon Seawatch

Western Sandpiper     Chincoteague NWR

Long-billed Dowitcher     Chincoteague NWR

Bonaparte's Gull     Great Sedge Island

Black-headed Gull     Wolfe Neck WTP

Laughing Gull     Island Beach SP

Ring-billed Gull     Double Trouble State Park

Herring Gull     Great Sedge Island

Great Black-backed Gull     Great Sedge Island

Forster's Tern     Great Sedge Island

Royal Tern     Great Sedge Island

Rock Pigeon     Maddox Blvd

Eurasian Collared-Dove     Magotha Road

Mourning Dove     35 Sunset Rd

Belted Kingfisher    Corines Millpond

Red-bellied Woodpecker     Double Trouble State Park

Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Flicker     Chincoteague NWR

American Kestrel     Seaside Rd

Merlin     Sandy Hook

Peregrine Falcon     Great Sedge Island

Eastern Phoebe     Island Beach SP

Western Kingbird     Seaside Rd

Northern Shrike     Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)

Blue Jay     35 Sunset Rd

American Crow     Double Trouble State Park

Fish Crow    Corines Millpond

Horned Lark     Cartanza Road

Tree Swallow     Chincoteague NWR

Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd

Brown-headed Nuthatch     Chincoteague NWR

Brown Creeper     Stone Harbor Point

Winter Wren     Double Trouble State Park

Marsh Wren     DuPont Nature Center

Carolina Wren     Double Trouble State Park

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Double Trouble State Park

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Bombay Hook

Eastern Bluebird     Chincoteague NWR

Hermit Thrush     Chincoteague NWR

American Robin     Double Trouble State Park

Gray Catbird     Assunpink WMA

Brown Thrasher     Prime Hook NWR

Northern Mockingbird     Assunpink WMA

European Starling     Assunpink WMA

Cedar Waxwing     Assunpink WMA

Lapland Longspur     Island Beach SP

Snow Bunting     Avalon Seawatch

Common Yellowthroat     Chincoteague NWR

Palm Warbler     Brig

Pine Warbler     35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Double Trouble State Park

Eastern Towhee     Double Trouble State Park

American Tree Sparrow     Sandy Hook

Chipping Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd

Field Sparrow     Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR

Savannah Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

Nelson's Sparrow     DuPont Nature Center

Fox Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd

Song Sparrow     Assunpink WMA

Swamp Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

White-throated Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

White-crowned Sparrow     Assunpink WMA

Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Cardinal     Assunpink WMA

Red-winged Blackbird     Assunpink WMA

Eastern Meadowlark     Bombay Hook

Common Grackle     Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Boat-tailed Grackle     Chincoteague NWR

Brown-headed Cowbird     Cartanza Road

House Finch     35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch     Chincoteague NWR

Pine Siskin     Assunpink WMA

American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow     Avalon Seawatch