February Summary

Tundra Swans over the cranberry bogs in South Toms River

The extra day in February didn't help me add any birds, despite looking all over Whitesbog this morning for Wood Ducks which I'm still missing. I know they're there--I just couldn't find them. I added 16 birds to the year list this month and most of them are considered rarities--some just for the date, but many, like Greater White-front Goose, Sandhill Crane, and HARRIS'S SPARROW (our adventures regarding this lifer are detailed here & here) are rarities any time of year in NJ.

Today, I listed my 60th species for Bird A Day. It was a Northern Harrier. My choices were the harrier, Bald Eagle, or Killdeer (I'm staying away as long as possible from birds I could seen through the window). Already it is getting difficult to find a unique bird and many appointments in March is going to make this contest a challenge until spring migration gets up to speed.

For the month I listed 118 species. Once again, I didn't leave the state.
Counties birded: Atantic, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean

Species                                   First Sighting

Greater White-fronted Goose   Island Heights baseball field

Snow Goose   New Egypt

Brant   Manasquan Inlet

Canada Goose   Double Trouble State Park

Mute Swan   Manasquan Reservoir IBA

Tundra Swan   Cranberry Bogs--Dover Rd

Gadwall   Lake Takanassee

American Wigeon   Lake Takanassee

American Black Duck   Great Bay Blvd

Mallard   Double Trouble State Park

Northern Shoveler   Brig

Northern Pintail   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Poplar St Boat Launch

Canvasback   Riverfront Landing

Ring-necked Duck   Riverfront Landing

Greater Scaup   Brig

Lesser Scaup   Harvey Cedars--Sunset Park

Common Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter   Monmouth Beach

White-winged Scoter   Sandy Hook

Black Scoter   Monmouth Beach

Long-tailed Duck   Monmouth Beach

Bufflehead   Double Trouble State Park

Common Goldeneye   Harvey Cedars--Sunset Park

Hooded Merganser   Double Trouble State Park

Common Merganser   Trenton Sewer Utility

Red-breasted Merganser   Great Bay Blvd

Ruddy Duck   Lake Takanassee

Red-throated Loon   Monmouth Beach

Common Loon   Monmouth Beach

Pied-billed Grebe   Sands Point--Dock Ave

Horned Grebe   Waretown--Baltic Av

Western Grebe   Allenhurst--Corlies Ave

Northern Gannet   Seven Presidents Park

Double-crested Cormorant   Sands Point Preserve

Great Cormorant   Monmouth Beach South

Great Blue Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Black Vulture   Lake Takanassee

Turkey Vulture   New Egypt

Northern Harrier   New Egypt

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Lake Takanassee

Cooper's Hawk   Great Bay Blvd

Bald Eagle   Sands Point--Dock Ave

Red-shouldered Hawk   Brig

Red-tailed Hawk   Crestwood Village

American Coot   Lake Takanassee

Sandhill Crane   New Egypt

American Avocet   Absecon Creek

Black-bellied Plover   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Killdeer   Brig

Greater Yellowlegs   Eno’s Pond

Lesser Yellowlegs   Absecon Creek

Ruddy Turnstone   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling   Allenhurst--Corlies Ave

Dunlin   Sands Point Preserve

Purple Sandpiper   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Razorbill   Manasquan Inlet

Bonaparte's Gull   Manasquan Inlet

Ring-billed Gull   Monmouth Beach

Herring Gull   Monmouth Beach

Great Black-backed Gull   Great Bay Blvd

Rock Pigeon   Manasquan Inlet

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Belted Kingfisher   Eno’s Pond

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Colliers Mills WMA

Downy Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Hairy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Northern Flicker   Poplar St Boat Launch

Merlin   Monmouth Beach

Peregrine Falcon   Brig

Blue Jay   Colliers Mills WMA

American Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Fish Crow   Trenton Sewer Utility

Common Raven   Rt 539-MDL

Horned Lark   Jackson Liberty HS

Tree Swallow   Trenton Sewer Utility

Carolina Chickadee   Colliers Mills WMA

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Bamber Lake

White-breasted Nuthatch   Colliers Mills WMA

Brown Creeper   Trenton Sewer Utility

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Trenton Sewer Utility

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Trenton Sewer Utility

Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA

American Robin   Colliers Mills WMA

Gray Catbird   Assunpink WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Sandy Hook

European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA

Orange-crowned Warbler   Manasquan Reservoir IBA

Nashville Warbler   Trenton Sewer Utility

Palm Warbler   Trenton Sewer Utility

Pine Warbler   Trenton Sewer Utility

Yellow-rumped Warbler   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-throated Warbler   Trenton Sewer Utility

American Tree Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Chipping Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Fox Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Dark-eyed Junco   Colliers Mills WMA

White-crowned Sparrow   Assunpink WMA

HARRIS'S SPARROW   Old Washington Crossing Rd

White-throated Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Savannah Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Song Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Towhee   Brig

Northern Cardinal   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-winged Blackbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Common Grackle   New Egypt

Boat-tailed Grackle   Great Bay Blvd

Brown-headed Cowbird   New Egypt

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch   Old Washington Crossing Rd

Pine Siskin   35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow   New Egypt

Snow Geese in New Egypt