IBSP Reed's Rd 5/13--American Redstart, Black-throated Green Warbler, Canada Warbler

Reed's Rd, ending at Barnegat Bay

I've been avoiding going to Reed's Road because it always seems like I'm a day late there. I see reports of warblers one day, go the next, and of course, those have flown and nothing has replaced them. But, today was my last chance to get in early before summer hours restrict access until 8 AM, so I was walking up the road at 6:55 this morning. And naturally, it looked like I was a day late again. But what I can only call persistent moping paid off in 3 new warblers for the year.

Last year it took me until autumn migration to find a Black-throated Green Warbler in the grove north of the road; todayI found one in the same place. Northern Parulas were flitting through the trees and, while not a ne1w bird for the year, I was happy to find a Magnolia Warbler in with them. It took me, though, the whole length of the road (let's say a 1/4 mile) plus a trip up the beach before I added anything new. I don't feel like I was missing anything "by ear" because, aside from the catbirds and towhees, I wasn't hearing any songs.

Things got a bit better on the return trip. At the bayside of the road I found a male adult American Redstart and in the same tree a warbler that threw me for a moment until I realized I was looking at a female Canada Warbler. The redstart chased it away.

Three new warblers plus a few of the usual ones made it a worthwhile walk, but I still feel, compared to what I saw listed yesterday, that I was once again, the Ocean County Laggard.

27 species
Mallard  2     f/o
Osprey  1
Laughing Gull  10
Herring Gull  5
Mourning Dove  2
Merlin  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  1     Heard
Eastern Kingbird  3
Blue Jay  1     Heard
Tree Swallow  3
Carolina Chickadee  1     Heard
House Wren  1     Heard
Gray Catbird  25
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  6
American Redstart  1
Northern Parula  5
Magnolia Warbler  1    
Yellow Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Black-throated Green Warbler  1 
Canada Warbler  1
Eastern Towhee  5
Savannah Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Orchard Oriole  1     end of road