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