Thursday, December 31, 2015

Ocean County Year List

There are lists...and there are lists. Aside from my life list, the list I care most about, for no rational reason, is my home county list. When I lived in Brooklyn, my Kings County list always had priority. Now that I live in Ocean County, a "good" bird is a lot better if I find it with the borders of New Jersey's second largest (by area) county. And then there is the somewhat understated competition that goes on with the other county birders. I used to finish a lot higher in the rankings than I do now that some really good birders in the county have turned their attention to "eBirding." This year I finished 5th. Last year I finished 2nd. Two years ago I was first. But I have a larger list this year, finishing at #5 than I did in 2013, when I was number one. So the competition is tougher.

What is amusing to me about the so-called competition is that, if you were to take a "bird's eye" view of Ocean County, what you would see is 5 or 6 crazy people chasing each other's sightings around the county. Someone lists a Ross's Goose at Marshall's Pond on New Year's Day and we're all there like a shot to see it. I find the first Green Heron of the year at some out of the way park in the northernmost part of the county and the next day, there it is, showing up on everyone else's list. I did have one bird to myself this year--I found the county's only Dickcissel at Island Beach. The teeth-gnashers were missing the Thick-billed Murre at two places (with about 100 miles of driving into the bargain) and whiffing on the Bohemian Waxwing at Island Beach. Those would be great birds for the county and for the county life list (where I stand at #4).

A couple of other rarities that showed up in the county that I did manage to list were
Cattle Egret at Meadowedge Park in Barnegat &
a couple of White-faced Ibises at Forsythe-Barnegat, a much sought after bird that I was finally able to get thanks to my friend Karmela Moneta (who lives nearby & who took the above photo).

234 species for the county. To put it in some perspective: I had 276 species for the entire state.
Species                Location
Snow Goose     Harry Wright Lake
Ross's Goose     Marshall's Pond
Brant     Bridge to Nowhere
Cackling Goose     Marshall's Pond
Canada Goose     Crestwood Village
Mute Swan     Marshall's Pond
Tundra Swan     Double Trouble State Park
Wood Duck     Whitesbog
Gadwall     Marshall's Pond
Eurasian Wigeon     Marshall's Pond
American Wigeon     Marshall's Pond
American Black Duck     Cedar Run Dock Rd.
Mallard     Marshall's Pond
Blue-winged Teal     Colliers Mills WMA
Northern Shoveler     Forsythe--Barnegat
Northern Pintail     Bayview Ave Park
Green-winged Teal     Marshall's Pond
Canvasback     Riverfront Landing
Redhead     Riverfront Landing
Ring-necked Duck     Riverfront Landing
Greater Scaup     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Lesser Scaup     Riverfront Landing
Common Eider     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
White-winged Scoter     Manasquan Inlet
Black Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Long-tailed Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Bufflehead     Little Silver Lake
Common Goldeneye     Harvey Cedars--Sunset Park
Hooded Merganser     Marshall's Pond
Common Merganser     Poplar St Boat Launch
Red-breasted Merganser     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Ruddy Duck     Riverfront Landing
Wild Turkey     35 Sunset Rd
Red-throated Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Pied-billed Grebe     Marshall's Pond
Horned Grebe     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Red-necked Grebe     Manasquan Inlet
Northern Gannet     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Double-crested Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Great Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Brown Pelican     Island Beach SP
American Bittern     Whitesbog
Great Blue Heron     Crestwood Village
Great Egret     Lake of the Lilies
Snowy Egret     Forsythe--Barnegat
Little Blue Heron     Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron     Cattus Island County Park
Cattle Egret     Meadowedge Park
Green Heron     Bunker Hill Bogs
Black-crowned Night-Heron     Bayview Ave Park
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Glossy Ibis     Bridge to Nowhere
White-faced Ibis     Forsythe--Barnegat
Black Vulture     Dover Road, Berkeley
Turkey Vulture     Toms River
Osprey     Seaside Heights
Mississippi Kite     Waretown
Northern Harrier     Cedar Run Dock Rd.
Sharp-shinned Hawk     Marshall's Pond
Cooper's Hawk     35 Sunset Rd
Bald Eagle     Stafford--Hilliard & Route 9
Red-shouldered Hawk     Colliers Mills WMA
Broad-winged Hawk     Lakehurst NAES
Red-tailed Hawk     Bridge to Nowhere
Rough-legged Hawk     Eno’s Pond
Clapper Rail     Great Bay Blvd WMA
American Coot     Lake of the Lilies
American Avocet     Forsythe--Barnegat
American Oystercatcher     Gull Island Park
Black-bellied Plover     Manasquan Inlet
Semipalmated Plover     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Piping Plover     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Killdeer     Sands Point Preserve (Bay Pkwy)
Spotted Sandpiper     Colliers Mills WMA
Solitary Sandpiper     Pine Park
Greater Yellowlegs     Eno’s Pond
Willet     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Lesser Yellowlegs     Forsythe--Barnegat
Upland Sandpiper     Lakehurst NAES
Whimbrel     Bayview Marina
Marbled Godwit     Island Beach SP
Ruddy Turnstone     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Red Knot     Island Beach SP
Sanderling     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Dunlin     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Purple Sandpiper     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Least Sandpiper     Forsythe--Barnegat
Pectoral Sandpiper     Island Beach SP
Semipalmated Sandpiper     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Short-billed Dowitcher     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Long-billed Dowitcher     Great Bay Blvd WMA
American Woodcock     Crestwood Community Gardens
Parasitic Jaeger     Island Beach SP
Razorbill     Manasquan Inlet
Bonaparte's Gull     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Laughing Gull     Brick
Ring-billed Gull     Marshall's Pond
Herring Gull     Lake of the Lilies
Great Black-backed Gull     Lake of the Lilies
Least Tern     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Gull-billed Tern     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Caspian Tern     Island Beach SP
Common Tern     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Forster's Tern     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Royal Tern     Island Beach SP
Black Skimmer     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Rock Pigeon     Lake of the Lilies
Mourning Dove     35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-billed Cuckoo     Double Trouble State Park
Black-billed Cuckoo     Double Trouble State Park
Eastern Screech-Owl     Manahawkin WMA
Great Horned Owl     Bridge to Nowhere
Snowy Owl     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Nighthawk     Lakehurst NAES
Chuck-will's-widow     Collinstown Rd
Eastern Whip-poor-will     35 Sunset Rd
Chimney Swift     Butterfly Bogs
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     35 Sunset Rd
Belted Kingfisher     Bridge to Nowhere
Red-headed Woodpecker     Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     35 Sunset Rd
Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker     Double Trouble State Park
Northern Flicker     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
American Kestrel     Whitesbog
Merlin     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Peregrine Falcon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Eastern Wood-Pewee     Wells Mills Park
Acadian Flycatcher     Double Trouble State Park
Alder Flycatcher     Bridge to Nowhere
Willow Flycatcher     Cattus Island County Park
Eastern Phoebe     Whiting WMA
Great Crested Flycatcher     Colliers Mills WMA
Eastern Kingbird     Double Trouble State Park
White-eyed Vireo     Island Beach SP
Yellow-throated Vireo     Jackson Memorial HS
Blue-headed Vireo     Collinstown Rd
Warbling Vireo     Colliers Mills WMA
Red-eyed Vireo     Bridge to Nowhere
Blue Jay     Crestwood Village
American Crow     Whiting
Fish Crow      Schoolhouse Rd.
Common Raven     Double Trouble State Park
Horned Lark     Lakehurst NAES
Northern Rough-winged Swallow     Cattus Island County Park
Purple Martin     Manchester Blvd
Tree Swallow     Crestwood Village
Bank Swallow     Cattus Island County Park
Barn Swallow     Colliers Mills WMA
Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd
Black-capped Chickadee     Jackson
Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd
Red-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
Brown Creeper     Eno’s Pond
House Wren     Island Beach SP
Winter Wren     Bunker Hill Bogs
Marsh Wren     Forsythe--Barnegat
Carolina Wren     35 Sunset Rd
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     Colliers Mills WMA
Golden-crowned Kinglet     Double Trouble State Park
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Double Trouble State Park
Eastern Bluebird     Double Trouble State Park
Veery     Stafford Avenue
Hermit Thrush     Manahawkin WMA
Wood Thrush     FREC
American Robin     Crestwood Village
Gray Catbird     Colliers Mills WMA
Brown Thrasher     Whitesbog
Northern Mockingbird     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
European Starling     35 Sunset Rd
American Pipit     Sands Point Preserve
Cedar Waxwing     Island Beach SP
Snow Bunting     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Ovenbird     Double Trouble State Park
Louisiana Waterthrush     Double Trouble State Park
Northern Waterthrush     Bunker Hill Bogs
Black-and-white Warbler     Double Trouble State Park
Prothonotary Warbler     Lakehurst Railroad Tracks
Common Yellowthroat     Double Trouble State Park
Hooded Warbler     Double Trouble State Park
American Redstart     Island Beach SP
Northern Parula     Colliers Mills WMA
Magnolia Warbler     Bunker Hill Bogs
Yellow Warbler     Double Trouble State Park
Black-throated Blue Warbler     Collinstown Rd
Palm Warbler     Colliers Mills WMA
Pine Warbler     35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-rumped Warbler     Marshall's Pond
Yellow-throated Warbler     Colliers Mills WMA
Prairie Warbler     Bunker Hill Bogs
Black-throated Green Warbler     Island Beach SP
Canada Warbler     Island Beach SP
Grasshopper Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
Nelson's Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Saltmarsh Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park
Seaside Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA
American Tree Sparrow     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Chipping Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd
Clay-colored Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Field Sparrow     Colliers Mills WMA
Fox Sparrow     Bayview Ave Park
Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd
White-crowned Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park
White-throated Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd
Vesper Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA
Savannah Sparrow     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Song Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd
Swamp Sparrow     Bridge to Nowhere
Eastern Towhee     Double Trouble State Park
Scarlet Tanager     Bunker Hill Bogs
Northern Cardinal     35 Sunset Rd
Rose-breasted Grosbeak     35 Sunset Rd
Blue Grosbeak     35 Sunset Rd
Indigo Bunting     Colliers Mills WMA
Dickcissel     Island Beach SP
Red-winged Blackbird     Marsha Dr & Rt 72
Eastern Meadowlark     Bridge to Nowhere
Rusty Blackbird     Whitesbog
Common Grackle     New Egypt
Boat-tailed Grackle     Bridge to Nowhere
Brown-headed Cowbird     New Egypt
Orchard Oriole     Bunker Hill Bogs
Baltimore Oriole     Lake Enno
House Finch     35 Sunset Rd
Purple Finch     35 Sunset Rd
Common Redpoll     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Pine Siskin     35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd
House Sparrow     Riverfront Landing

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