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