August Wrap Up

Greater Yellowlegs, Upper Reservoir, Whitesbog

Green Heron, Dogleg Bog, Whitesbog

At the beginning of the month, I thought August was shaping up to be a disappointment since the 3 front bogs at Whitesbog were not going to be drawn down. Every year I look forward to circling those bogs taking in the mixed flocks of shore birds along with egrets, herons, and the occasional gull or tern. Rarities always seem to sneak in. This year I still found myself going there a lot but my routine was quite different than previous years. I spent almost all my birding time on the Ocean County side, beyond the fabled double-laned road. In that section, I was able to find some shorebirds, mostly on the Upper Reservoir, which is about 2/3 drained since this winter's breach, but also on a little bog near the dogleg that I usually don't pay much attention to except in the winter since I have occasionally seen Rusty Blackbirds feeding there. For some reason mud flats emerged on this bog over the course of the month and I was able to find shorebirds on it--nothing rare, nothing special, but there were enough there to keep me interested. It also had plenty of swallows--I had 5 different species during the month there, and every once in a while a Green Heron would make an appearance.

The only rarity I found at Whitesbog this year was the Black Tern over Union Pond on the Burlington County side. A couple of days ago I was surprised to find five of them feeding on the Upper Reservoir--that made them year county birds. And on that side of the county line they're not rare--surprising, but not rare.

I did as much "sod farming" as I could stand and did well with the American Golden Plovers. I took one canoe trip with Greg out to Great Sedge Island but unfortunately, for me, the Marbled Godwits delayed their arrival there until a week after we went, so I still need that for the year.

Our weekend trip to Delaware netted (not literally) 4 year birds and my only trip to Brig this month got me Cattle Egret and two new shorebirds. For the month I added 10 species to the year list.

eBird has come out with the updated taxonomic order which I am having a hard time getting used to. Suddenly pigeons and doves, cuckoos, swifts, and hummingbirds are all more "primitive" than the shorebirds, the warblers have advanced over the icterids, and cardinals, grosbeaks and buntings are more modern than they used to be. And next year they'll shake it up again. Glad I'm not writing a field guide.

134 species for the month.
Counties birded:
Delaware: Kent, Sussex
New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Monmouth, Ocean

Species               First Sighting

Canada Goose   Great Bay Blvd

Mute Swan   Holly Lake

Wood Duck   Brig

Blue-winged Teal   Bombay Hook

Northern Shoveler   Bombay Hook

American Wigeon   Bombay Hook

Mallard   Great Bay Blvd

American Black Duck   Whitesbog

Northern Pintail   Bombay Hook

Common Eider   Island Beach SP

Black Scoter   Island Beach SP

Northern Bobwhite   Bombay Hook

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Rock Pigeon   Great Bay Blvd

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-billed Cuckoo   Whitesbog

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift   W. Cape May

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   35 Sunset Rd

Clapper Rail   Great Bay Blvd

American Avocet   Bombay Hook

American Oystercatcher   Cape May Point SP

Black-bellied Plover   Great Bay Blvd

American Golden-Plover   Reed Sod Farm 526 Spur

Semipalmated Plover   Great Bay Blvd

Piping Plover   Cape May Point SP

Killdeer   Cape May Point SP

Whimbrel   Brig

Hudsonian Godwit   Bombay Hook

Ruddy Turnstone   Great Bay Blvd

Stilt Sandpiper   Brig

Sanderling   Sunset Beach/Concrete Ship

Least Sandpiper   Great Bay Blvd

White-rumped Sandpiper   Whitesbog

Pectoral Sandpiper   Brig

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Great Bay Blvd

Western Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Great Bay Blvd

Long-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Spotted Sandpiper   Great Bay Blvd

Solitary Sandpiper   Whitesbog

Greater Yellowlegs   Great Bay Blvd

Willet   Island Beach SP

Lesser Yellowlegs   Great Bay Blvd

Laughing Gull   Great Bay Blvd

Ring-billed Gull   Cape May Point SP

Herring Gull   Great Bay Blvd

Great Black-backed Gull   Great Bay Blvd

Least Tern   South Cape May Meadows

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Caspian Tern   Brig

Black Tern   Whitesbog

Common Tern   Great Bay Blvd

Forster's Tern   Great Bay Blvd

Royal Tern   Cape May Point SP

Black Skimmer   Great Bay Blvd

Double-crested Cormorant   Great Bay Blvd

Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP

Great Blue Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Great Egret   Great Bay Blvd

Snowy Egret   Great Bay Blvd

Little Blue Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Tricolored Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Cattle Egret   Brig

Green Heron   Brig

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Glossy Ibis   Great Bay Blvd

Black Vulture   Cape Island--Sea Grove Ave.

Turkey Vulture   Crestwood Village

Osprey   Great Bay Blvd

Cooper's Hawk   Union Transportation Trail

Bald Eagle   Great Bay Blvd

Red-tailed Hawk   GSP MM 36

Belted Kingfisher   Whitesbog

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Great Bay Blvd

Downy Woodpecker   Whitesbog

Pileated Woodpecker   Bombay Hook

Northern Flicker   Whitesbog

Peregrine Falcon   Brig

Eastern Wood-Pewee   Brig

Eastern Phoebe   Whitesbog

Great Crested Flycatcher   Cape May Point SP

Eastern Kingbird   Cape May Point SP

White-eyed Vireo   Whitesbog

Warbling Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-eyed Vireo   Double Trouble State Park

Blue Jay   GSP MM 24

American Crow   Brig

Fish Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Horned Lark   Reed Sod Farm

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Whitesbog

Purple Martin   Cape May Point SP

Tree Swallow   Great Bay Blvd

Bank Swallow   Whitesbog

Barn Swallow   Great Bay Blvd

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Whitesbog

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Brown-headed Nuthatch   Big Stone Beach

House Wren   Cape May Point SP

Sedge Wren   Woodland Beach

Marsh Wren   Brig

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Whitesbog

Eastern Bluebird   Brig

American Robin   35 Sunset Rd

Gray Catbird   Great Bay Blvd

Northern Mockingbird   35 Sunset Rd

European Starling   Great Bay Blvd

Cedar Waxwing   Cloverdale Farm

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Field Sparrow   Magnesite Plant

Seaside Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd

Saltmarsh Sparrow   Island Beach SP

Song Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd

Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog

Eastern Towhee   35 Sunset Rd

Bobolink   Woodland Beach

Red-winged Blackbird   Great Bay Blvd

Brown-headed Cowbird   Whitesbog

Boat-tailed Grackle   Great Bay Blvd

Black-and-white Warbler   Whitesbog

Common Yellowthroat   Great Bay Blvd

Yellow Warbler   Great Bay Blvd

Pine Warbler   Whitesbog

Prairie Warbler   Whitesbog

Northern Cardinal   Great Bay Blvd

Blue Grosbeak   Brig

Indigo Bunting   South Cape May Meadows

House Sparrow   Ocean View Rest Stop Short-billed Dowitcher, Upper Reservoir, Whitesbog

Whitesbog 8/26--Red-breasted Nuthatch

A good weekend for nuthatches! Yesterday I got, thanks to Shari, a Brown-headed Nuthatch in Delaware just beyond the edge of their northernmost range. Today, while kicking around the Ocean County portion of Whitesbog, I heard, above the incessant calling of either a cicada or katydid, a little "yank, yank." At first, I didn't make an association with it as a bird call because of the insect's volume, but looking up into an oak tree I saw something moving around. I was stunned to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch (and even more stunned that I was able to get a photo). Red-breasted Nuthatches are an irruptive species. Some years there are lots of them around--a couple of years ago they were a reliable feeder bird. Most years they are scarce and this has been one of those years, so far. However, migration is beginning and looking at eBird I see three other reports of RBNU in widely scattered locations in the county, so perhaps this year they'll be easier to come across. As it is, this time of year they are listed as rare.

After two days looking at thousands of shorebirds on the mud flats of Bombay Hook and Prime Hook, it was a peculiar feeling to walk around the bogs and reservoirs of Whitesbog and be pleased to find a couple of plovers, one sandpiper, and all of four Spotted Sandpipers. I sorely wish the bogs there were drawn down, but it isn't going to happen this year and I have to make do with whatever little areas of dirt and sand that get exposed. Today the plovers were on the Upper Reservoir, the sandpiper on the dogleg bog and 3 spotties were there too as well with the other in one of the cross-dike reservoirs. Prairie Warbler is hanging in there and I saw my first Black-and-white Warbler of the month.

22 species
Chimney Swift 1
Semipalmated Plover 2
Least Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Green Heron 1 Dogleg Bog
Turkey Vulture 1 Over Upper Reservoir
Eastern Wood-Pewee 5 Calling all around
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 3 Family group, two adults and juvenile
American Crow 1 Heard
Purple Martin 120
Tree Swallow 50
Barn Swallow 10
Carolina Chickadee 1 Heard
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Road along Upper Reservoir
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
Gray Catbird 13
American Goldfinch 2
Eastern Towhee 2 Heard
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Prairie Warbler 1

Delaware 8/24-25--Northern Bobwhite, Hudsonian Godwit, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sedge Wren

Brown-headed Nuthatch in a Loblolly Pine

Shari & I spent Friday & Saturday birding in Delaware. On Friday we joined Scott & Linda for the 2nd day of their NJAS field trip. We met the group at the parking lot of Bombay Hook NWR but we immediately headed north to a place we'd never been before--the Aquatic Research Center at Woodland Beach. For the last week or so Sedge Wrens had been reported in a field there and Sedge Wrens are a tough bird to find on the east coast. The only other Sedge Wren that Shari & I have seen was one a few years ago that was in a field at Bombay Hook and that was only a brief glimpse. I've give their little "tick-tick" calls a number of times in NJ, but it still wasn't on this year's list.

It was only about a 15 minute drive to the field and a quick walk out into the field. It didn't take very long for Scott to get a bead on one that was teed up on tall blade of grass. We were able to get great scope views of the bird which didn't disappear as coveted birds so often do. I was also able to get a lousy distant photo of the bird starting my series of distant, lousy photos of birds that continued through the weekend.

Sedge Wren (distant)

Then it was back to Bombay Hook where we spent about an hour at Raymond Pool, sorting through the thousands upon thousands of shorebirds pecking away in the flats. I guestimated about 1000 each of Black-bellied Plovers and Semipalmated Plovers, and maybe 4000 Semipalmated Sandpipers, along with 150 American Avocets (always a highlight of a trip to Bombay Hook). I later saw on eBird that Scott put down 30,000 Semi Sands--which I wouldn't doubt but it did reverberate through today because when Shari & I went back there for one last go around the refuge before heading home we ate lunch next to a large group that was reviewing its morning tallies. The group leader said, "Well, we didn't see thirty thousand Semipalmated Sandpipers, but we did see around ten thousand." 

It was an impressive sight (and one, that sadly, you rarely if ever see at our much-vaunted Brig) especially when a family of Peregrine Falcons swooped through and got all the birds in the air. They flew in a tight ball formation, looking very much like fireworks bursts, changing colors from gray to white and back again. But the best flyover was when Scott spotted a Hudsonian Godwit above the tree line. I got a look at the bird but it was a "if you say so" bird until it turned an flew right over our heads, giving all the requisite field marks. 

The third year bird of the day was back at the visitor's center right after eating lunch when we all heard a Northern Bobwhite calling in the field on the other side of the parking lot. We looked for it briefly but while its call was clear it remained unseen. 

After the trip I was talking to Scott about where Shari & I might bird today. I was a little concerned with shore traffic, so I was certain I wanted to go all the way down to Prime Hook (which we eventually did do today). Scott told me about a place call Big Stone Beach Road which wasn't too far down the bay coast from Dover and there was an enticing rarity to be found there.  But you had to look for it in the Loblolly Pines. I can identify hundreds of different birds but if I could recognize 10 kinds of trees I'd be surprised, so last night we Googled "Loblolly Pine" and found some interesting factoids: It is the 2nd most common tree in the country, out-numbered only by the Red Maple; its name derives from a southernism for "mud puddle;" it is a southern species of pine with its northermost reach being Delaware. 

With that bare bones knowledge we set off this morning for Big Stone Beach Road, found it with little trouble and also found a big stand of the pines. But, aside from a four Blue Grosbeaks, nothing much of interest was apparent. Years ago, when we were in Chincoteague, Shari played the song of the Brown-headed Nuthatch just for me to hear it and inadvertently called one in. These birds like to stay at the top of the pines and can be very hard to see. Today, she stuck her phone out the window, played the song and almost immediately we heard one calling back. Since breeding season is over this is probably only slightly unethetical (though no less ethical than pishing) and I was happy just hear one but then we looked up and there was the singing bird! Above is a lousy picture of the nuthatch and below one that is lousy in a different way. But again, like the wren, we were able to watch the bird and listen to it for a long time while I shot crappy photo after crappy photo.

For the weekend we had 79 species (and two good Indian dinners), added another tree species to our knowledge base and covered a good chunk of the Delaware hot spots. Our list is below. Click any photo to enlarge its awfulness.

Species               First Sighting

Canada Goose   Bombay Hook

Mute Swan   Bombay Hook

Blue-winged Teal   Bombay Hook

Northern Shoveler   Bombay Hook

American Wigeon   Bombay Hook

Mallard   Bombay Hook

American Black Duck   Bombay Hook

Northern Pintail   Bombay Hook

Northern Bobwhite   Bombay Hook

Mourning Dove   Woodland Beach

Clapper Rail   Bombay Hook

American Oystercatcher   DuPont Nature Center

American Avocet   Bombay Hook

Black-bellied Plover   Bombay Hook

Semipalmated Plover   Bombay Hook

Killdeer   Woodland Beach

Hudsonian Godwit   Bombay Hook

Ruddy Turnstone   Bombay Hook

Sanderling   DuPont Nature Center

Least Sandpiper   Broadkill Marsh

Stilt Sandpiper   Bombay Hook

White-rumped Sandpiper   Bombay Hook

Pectoral Sandpiper   Bombay Hook

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Bombay Hook

Western Sandpiper   Bombay Hook

Short-billed Dowitcher   Bombay Hook

Long-billed Dowitcher   Bombay Hook

Greater Yellowlegs   Bombay Hook

Lesser Yellowlegs   Bombay Hook

Laughing Gull   Bombay Hook

Herring Gull   Bombay Hook

Great Black-backed Gull   DuPont Nature Center

Caspian Tern   Bombay Hook

Forster's Tern   Bombay Hook

Royal Tern   DuPont Nature Center

Black Skimmer   Broadkill Marsh

Double-crested Cormorant   Bombay Hook

Great Blue Heron   Bombay Hook

Great Egret   Bombay Hook

Snowy Egret   Woodland Beach

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Bombay Hook

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Bombay Hook

Black Vulture   Dover

Turkey Vulture   Bombay Hook

Osprey   Bombay Hook

Cooper's Hawk   Hay Point Landing Road

Bald Eagle   Bombay Hook

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Prime Hook

Pileated Woodpecker   Bombay Hook Belted Kingfisher   Bombay Hook

Peregrine Falcon   Bombay Hook

Eastern Wood-Pewee   Bombay Hook

Eastern Phoebe   Prime Hook

Eastern Kingbird   Bombay Hook

Blue Jay   Bombay Hook

American Crow   Big Stone Beach

Fish Crow   Dover

Purple Martin   Woodland Beach

Tree Swallow   Woodland Beach

Barn Swallow   Prime Hook

Bank Swallow   Bombay Hook

Carolina Chickadee   Big Stone Beach

Brown-headed Nuthatch   Big Stone Beach

Sedge Wren   Woodland Beach

Marsh Wren   Bombay Hook

Carolina Wren   Woodland Beach

Gray Catbird   Bombay Hook

Northern Mockingbird   Bombay Hook

European Starling   Prime Hook

American Goldfinch   Bombay Hook

House Finch   Prime Hook

Field Sparrow   Woodland Beach

Seaside Sparrow   Bombay Hook

Song Sparrow   Big Stone Beach

Bobolink   Woodland Beach

Brown-headed Cowbird   Scotts Corner Road

Common Yellowthroat   Bombay Hook

Blue Grosbeak   Big Stone Beach

Indigo Bunting   Whitehall Neck Rd.