Linden Hawk Rise Sanctuary 9/15--Bay-breasted Warbler

I joined an Audubon walk led by Scott Barnes at this refuge carved out of the marshes around a dump in an industrial area of Linden. I have a sentimental attachment to the Linden, since my father was born there and I spent a lot of time with family there, way before my birding days.

I got there a little early and did an experiment. First I walked around to the platform in the middle of the marsh, seeing what birds I could find. Highlights: Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white Warbler, 3 Palm Warblers. Then, going out with better birders, I was curious to see what I hadn't seen. Where I found the yellowthroat a couple of Magnolia Warblers appeared. At the platform, a couple of kestrels flew by. Woodpeckers emerged for the group where I alone had not seen or heard any. And, completely unexpected, a Bay-breasted Warbler was found by Scott high in a tree, occasionally appearing against the trunk in a shaft of sunlight giving it enough contrast in order for me to say, "Okay, Bay-breasted." 3 Blue Grosbeaks, that were brown (young or female) flew over us earlier. Another "OK" bird. A decent morning of birding (sure pushed me up on the Union County top 100 list) and only a 15 minute drive to have lunch with my mother.

30 species
Canada Goose  5
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Osprey  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Semipalmated Plover  1
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Rock Pigeon  6
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  2
Blue Jay  3     Heard
Black-capped Chickadee  1     Heard
Tufted Titmouse  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  2     Heard
Carolina Wren  1     Heard
Swainson's Thrush  1
American Robin  4
Gray Catbird  2
European Starling  3
Black-and-white Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  2
Magnolia Warbler  4
Bay-breasted Warbler  1
Palm Warbler  3
Song Sparrow  1
Blue Grosbeak  3     Brown
American Goldfinch  1     Heard