Island Beach SP 5/17--Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Chestnut-sided Warbler

Finally a warm day. I know it's a cliche; every year we go from winter to summer and "there was no spring." I don't care. I'd rather have July in May than March in May. So there was plenty of sun and heat to bring out the bugs to bring out the birds along Reed's Road, the blind trail across from the main parking lot, and Spizzle Creek. Not as many warblers as I'd have like (there never are) but enough to keep me engaged. I added 3 year birds today (one at each location I birded) plus 3 county birds.

Along Reed's Road I found a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I was expecting the black-billed variety (because one had been sighted yesterday) but this one was clearly yellow-billed. I may have seen the black-billed cuckoo at the bowl up the bay, but I never got a decent look at it. Apparently I arrived at the bowl a little too early, because another birder I spoke to who birded it after I did had a lively time there, while my time was pretty much spent pishing to no avail.

Swainson's Thrush

Along the unnamed blind trail about a mile south of Reed's Road, I was happy to find my county Swainson's Thrush. Miraculously, I got one picture of it. I bring new meaning to the phrase "point and shoot." I tried to get a photo of my FOY Chestnut-sided Warbler that I also found on this short trail, but all I got was leaves and branches.

Spizzle Creek was busy; I finally got a Black-crowned Night-Heron for the county, there were a couple of oystercatchers, a couple of very nice, full breeding plumage Black-bellied Plovers, and a female Scarlet Tanager that it took a while for the penny to drop for identification. The Marsh Wrens were loud, as were the many blackbirds. So loud that I almost missed the "fitz-bew" of a couple of Willow Flycatchers calling in the marsh. It took a few moments to realize I was hearing what I was hearing.

For my travels I tallied 56 species. It felt good to have sun block on. It didn't feel good to have Off on, but, having learned my lesson along Reed's, the stuff really worked at Spizzle. Another month or so and that trail will be unwalkable, Off or no Off.

1 Brant
1 Canada Goose
1 Mallard 
3 Double-crested Cormorant 
6 Great Egret
2 Snowy Egret 
1 Little Blue Heron 
1 Tricolored Heron 
1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 
8 Glossy Ibis
11 Osprey 
2 American Oystercatcher 
2 Black-bellied Plover 
11 Spotted Sandpiper 
4 Willet 
18 Laughing Gull 
7 Herring Gull 
1 Great Black-backed Gull 
3 Forster's Tern
4 Mourning Dove 
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 Chimney Swift 
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 
2 Eastern Wood-Pewee 
2 Willow Flycatcher
9 Great Crested Flycatcher 
2 Eastern Kingbird 
1 White-eyed Vireo 
1 American Crow 
2 Fish Crow 
1 Tree Swallow 
1 Carolina Chickadee 
3 Marsh Wren 
1 Swainson's Thrush 
2 American Robin
45 Gray Catbird 
1 Brown Thrasher 
2 Northern Mockingbird 
11 Common Yellowthroat 
1 American Redstart
1 Northern Parula 
1 Magnolia Warbler 
7 Yellow Warbler 
1 Chestnut-sided Warbler 
3 Blackpoll Warbler 
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Yellow-throated Warbler 
3 Song Sparrow
7 Eastern Towhee
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Northern Cardinal
20 Red-winged Blackbird 
1 Common Grackle 
2 Boat-tailed Grackle
2 American Goldfinch