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