March Birds

By far the most exciting bird of the month was the one day wonder Common Redpoll that visited our feeder on the 2nd. Even though we saw literally hundreds of them in Minnesota, it is something else to have one of them pose for you right outside your window.

I tacked on 18 birds to my year list, my favorite coming just this last weekend with the addition of American Avocet while we were in Delaware.

It was a very good month in terms of species seen--128--the most for a month so far this year. It's early. Migration starts soon (or perhaps has already started and I've just been missing it.)

I haven't been doing that well in-county, but the good thing about winter birds is that you get two shots at seeing them, so a few that I missed I can try for come November/December. But I don't want to even think about cold months right now.

Counties birded:
Delaware: Kent, Sussex
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem

Species               First Sighting

Snow Goose     Assunpink WMA

Brant     Sands Point Preserve

Canada Goose     Sands Point Preserve

Mute Swan     Sands Point Preserve

Trumpeter Swan     Assunpink WMA

Tundra Swan     Whitesbog

Wood Duck     Whitesbog--Ocean Co.

Gadwall     Poplar St Boat Launch

Eurasian Wigeon     Sylvan Lake

American Wigeon     Sands Point Preserve

American Black Duck     Poplar St Boat Launch

Mallard     Sands Point--Dock Ave

Blue-winged Teal     Brig

Northern Shoveler     Mannington Marsh

Northern Pintail     Poplar St Boat Launch

Green-winged Teal     Assunpink WMA

Canvasback     West Creek Dock Rd.

Redhead     Bayview Marina

Ring-necked Duck     West Creek Dock Rd.

Greater Scaup     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Lesser Scaup     Sands Point--Dock Ave

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     Sands Point Preserve

Bufflehead     Sands Point Preserve

Common Goldeneye     Bayview Marina

Hooded Merganser     Eno’s Pond

Common Merganser     Eno’s Pond

Red-breasted Merganser     Sands Point Preserve

Ruddy Duck     Sands Point--Dock Ave

Wild Turkey     Assunpink WMA

Red-throated Loon     Brig

Common Loon     Sands Point Preserve

Pied-billed Grebe     Lake Como

Horned Grebe     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Red-necked Grebe     Bayview Marina

Double-crested Cormorant     Eno’s Pond

Great Cormorant     Sands Point Preserve

Great Blue Heron     Sands Point Preserve

Great Egret     West Creek Dock Rd.

Snowy Egret     Forsythe--Barnegat

Black Vulture     Waretown

Turkey Vulture     Forked River

Osprey     Seaside Heights

Golden Eagle     Brig

Northern Harrier     Sands Point Preserve

Sharp-shinned Hawk     35 Sunset Rd

Cooper's Hawk     Poplar St Boat Launch

Bald Eagle     Poplar St Boat Launch

Red-shouldered Hawk     Pedricktown Marsh

Red-tailed Hawk     Eno’s Pond

Rough-legged Hawk     Eno’s Pond

American Coot     Assunpink WMA

American Avocet     Bombay Hook NWR

American Oystercatcher     Gull Island Park

Black-bellied Plover     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Killdeer     Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Greater Yellowlegs     Eno’s Pond

Lesser Yellowlegs   Prime Hook Beach Rd.

Ruddy Turnstone     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling     Fowler Beach Rd.

Dunlin     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Woodcock     Crestwood Community Gardens

Bonaparte's Gull     Seven Presidents Park

Laughing Gull     Prime Hook Beach Rd.

Ring-billed Gull     Vessel Dr.

Herring Gull     Sands Point Preserve

Lesser Black-backed Gull     Assunpink WMA

Great Black-backed Gull     Sands Point Preserve

Forster's Tern     Prime Hook Beach Rd.

Rock Pigeon     Bayview Marina

Mourning Dove     35 Sunset Rd

Short-eared Owl     Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Belted Kingfisher     Eno’s Pond

Red-bellied Woodpecker     Poplar St Boat Launch

Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker     Whitesbog

Northern Flicker     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Kestrel     Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Merlin     Lake Takanassee

Peregrine Falcon     Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Eastern Phoebe     Whiting WMA

Blue Jay     Poplar St Boat Launch

American Crow     Sands Point Preserve

Fish Crow     Schoolhouse Rd.

Horned Lark     Sandy Hook

Tree Swallow     Whitesbog

Barn Swallow     Colliers Mills WMA

Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd

Red-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper     35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Wren     Bridge to Nowhere

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Whiting WMA

Eastern Bluebird     Colliers Mills WMA

Hermit Thrush     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Robin     Sands Point Preserve

Northern Mockingbird     River Walk

European Starling     35 Sunset Rd

Snow Bunting     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Pine Warbler     35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Tree Sparrow     Brig

Chipping Sparrow     Assunpink WMA

Field Sparrow     Assunpink WMA

Savannah Sparrow     West Creek Dock Rd.

Fox Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

Song Sparrow     Bridge to Nowhere

Swamp Sparrow     Forsythe--Barnegat

White-throated Sparrow     Sands Point--Dock Ave

White-crowned Sparrow     Assunpink WMA

Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Cardinal     Bridge to Nowhere

Red-winged Blackbird     Sands Point Preserve

Eastern Meadowlark     Bridge to Nowhere

Rusty Blackbird     Prime Hook NWR

Common Grackle     River Walk

Boat-tailed Grackle     Bridge to Nowhere

Brown-headed Cowbird     Horicon Lake

House Finch     River Walk

Common Redpoll     35 Sunset Rd

Pine Siskin     35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow     Barnegat Lighthouse SP