And Here We Go Again

Snowy Owl, Island Beach SP

Usually,we kick off the New Year with a birding trip, trying to jump start the year list, but New Year's Day was just too bitterly cold to do anything other than occasionally look out our friend's window on Long Island and find the most common of birds.

Today wasn't much better, but when the temperature read 20 degrees at mid-morning, I had to give it a try. After ticking off our common yard birds, I drove to Island Beach SP, stopping first at Riverfront Park in Toms River where I got Canvasbacks onto the list.

The air temperature may have read mid-20's in the afternoon, but on the beach, with the wind, it was a lot colder. I made a couple of trips through the dune paths to the ocean, but there was hardly a bird to be found. I stopped at the Winter Anchorage on the bay side and was pleased to find a hen Common Goldeneye, not a duck I expect at that location, and another one that I usually make a special trip to find. I also spotted a good flock of Dunlins and a single Black-bellied Plover, a giant among shorebirds at this time of year.

I drove to end southern end of the park, planning to do a a quick seawatch there. On the beach access sand road I saw a couple of photographers pointing cameras at a dune--so here was my Snowy Owl out of the way for the year. I never feel comfortable viewing one of these owls so close even though I know that research shows that they're not ill, weak, or particularly vulnerable. Still, I shot some pictures from a respectable distance and then scooted out of there. And now I don't need to search for one for the rest of the year.

I did do a quick look at the ocean--a nice flock of Long-tailed Ducks were in the breakers and a large group of Sanderlings were feeding on the beach. My right hand was starting to become painful from the exposure of carrying the scope and since, as usual, I was having no luck finding Snow Buntings, I decided I was done for the day. The day list was 35. That's enough.

Checklists included in this summary:
(1): Backyard
(2): Riverfront Landing
(3): Island Beach SP
(4): SE Central Ave, Berkeley

(5): Tunney Bridge

(6): Toms River

15 Brant  (3)
10 Canada Goose  (2)

10 Mute Swan—(5)
70 Mallard  (2)
150 American Black Duck  (3)
20 Canvasback  (2)
30 Ring-necked Duck  (2)
50 Long-tailed Duck  (3)
40 Bufflehead  (3)
1 Common Goldeneye  (3)
35 Ruddy Duck  (2)
1 Common Loon  (3)
1 Double-crested Cormorant  (4)
1 Black-bellied Plover  (3)
100 Sanderling  (3)
50 Dunlin  (3)

1 Turkey Vulture (6)
5 Ring-billed Gull  (3)
100 Herring Gull  (3)
1 Great Black-backed Gull  (3)
1 Mourning Dove  (1)
1 Snowy Owl  (3)
1 Downy Woodpecker  (1)
3 Carolina Chickadee  (1),(3)
1 Tufted Titmouse  (1)
2 White-breasted Nuthatch  (1)

1 Carolina Wren (1)

10 Yellow-rumped Warbler  (3)
11 Dark-eyed Junco  (1)
1 White-throated Sparrow  (1)
1 Song Sparrow  (2)
1 Swamp Sparrow  (3)
1 Northern Cardinal  (1)
12 House Finch  (1),(3)
4 American Goldfinch  (1)

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Winter Anchorage