September Review

Red-breasted Nuthatches have been abundant this month

Although I have a month list totaling 163 species, I never felt in sync with migration during September. A combination of stubbornness--I went birding  in places I like to be rather than in places that promised the most birds--and Zirlin's Third Law of Bird (Wherever you are you should be someplace else) yielded a lot relatively small lists for each day, which over time accumulated to a decent number. But I never had one those "Wow" days where the warblers are just dripping from the trees and you don't know which way to look.

There were a lot of wet, dreary days during the month which made birding dispiriting at times. Whitesbog was pretty much a bust because the bogs weren't drawn down this year and while Sandy Hook had a couple of year birds, the winds, when I was there, were always wrong. I went up on Friday, for instance, for a few hours and found nothing of note. Saturday, apparently, there was a fallout while I was kicking around
Whitesbog for the nth time--thus Zirlin's Third Law.

Dunlins, Brig

Brig, early in the month was good for shorebirds. When I was there last week the only shorebirds I saw were a few yellowlegs and 3 Dunlins that popped into the impoundment for a few minutes then flew off. I guess that's to be expected since shorebird migration starts around late June, but it just didn't seem like migration was an event--more of a process.

Then the warblers started to come back from their breeding grounds but again, I picked up a few here and there and missed the rarities that usually appear like Connecticut Warbler.

I bought a new camera this month, nothing really fancy, but any camera know is essentially a hand-held computer so there are a lot of different settings to get used to. I've spent the last couple of weeks taking pictures of birds, most of them not very good and never I'm never sure whether I should blame the camera or me--most of the time I think ME. But, stopping so often to take photos of birds (I usually only take pictures when there's a rarity or oddity) has reinforced what could become Zirlin's Fourth Law of Birding--You can't bird and take photos at the same time.

So often these last couple of weeks I've been so intent on getting a picture of a bird (or getting the setting right to get a picture of a bird) that I've lost sight of the bird itself and I've also missed other birds that were flying around in the vicinity. Today I was at the Manasquan River WMA (where I should have been last week instead of Reed's Road on Island Beach) and I was trying to get a picture of a Northern Parula. Now, warblers are hard because they don't sit still for a moment. Later, looking at the photo I took I saw that there were actually two parulas in the tree--no wonder I was having such a hard time getting a bird in the frame!

Two Northern Parulas, Manasquan River WMA

Close-up of parula

I still have to find the optimal settings for the camera or alternately, give up the idea of optimal settings and get quick enough with the controls to set the camera up for the specific situation. So how did this happen--the camera is not really automatic if I have to consider the scene before I click the shutter.

All this would be a lot less aggravating if I was actually interested in photography. Instead, all I really want are pictures good enough not to offend your eye dear reader and photos good enough to proof I actually saw the bird I say I saw.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Whitesbog

Six birds were added to the year list this month.
Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean

Species   First Sighting

Canada Goose   Brig

Mute Swan   Brig

Wood Duck   Brig

Blue-winged Teal   Brig

Northern Shoveler   Brig

American Wigeon   Lake of the Lilies

Mallard   Brig

American Black Duck   Brig

Northern Pintail   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Brig

Common Eider   Island Beach SP

Black Scoter   Island Beach SP

Ruddy Duck   Brig

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Pied-billed Grebe   Brig

Rock Pigeon   Jumping Brook Preserve

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-billed Cuckoo   Whitesbog

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift   Union Transportation Trail

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Brig

Clapper Rail   Brig

Virginia Rail   Brig

American Coot   Lake of the Lilies

American Oystercatcher   Island Beach SP

Black-bellied Plover   Brig

Semipalmated Plover   Brig

Piping Plover   Holgate

Killdeer   Whitesbog

Whimbrel   Sandy Hook

Hudsonian Godwit   Brig

Marbled Godwit   Island Beach SP

Ruddy Turnstone   Island Beach SP

Stilt Sandpiper   Brig

Sanderling   Island Beach SP

Dunlin   Brig

Baird's Sandpiper   Brig

Least Sandpiper   Brig

White-rumped Sandpiper   Brig

Pectoral Sandpiper   Brig

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Brig

Western Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Wilson's Phalarope   Brig

Red-necked Phalarope   Brig

Spotted Sandpiper   Whitesbog

Greater Yellowlegs   Brig

Willet   Island Beach SP

Lesser Yellowlegs   Brig

Laughing Gull   Brig

Ring-billed Gull   Brig

Herring Gull   Brig

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP

Great Black-backed Gull   Brig

Least Tern   Brig

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Caspian Tern   Brig

Common Tern   Island Beach SP

Forster's Tern   Brig

Royal Tern   Island Beach SP

Black Skimmer   Brig

Common Loon   Island Beach SP

Double-crested Cormorant   Brig

Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP

Least Bittern   Brig

Great Blue Heron   Brig

Great Egret   Brig

Snowy Egret   Brig

Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP

Tricolored Heron   Brig

Green Heron   Brig

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Brig

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Brig

White Ibis   Brig

Glossy Ibis   Brig

White-faced Ibis   Brig

Turkey Vulture   Crosswicks Creek Park

Osprey   Brig

Northern Harrier   Brig

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Cape May Point SP

Cooper's Hawk   Manasquan River WMA

Bald Eagle   Brig

Red-tailed Hawk   Brig

Belted Kingfisher   Mercer Corporate Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker   BC Fairgrounds

Downy Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Hairy Woodpecker   Whitesbog

Northern Flicker   Island Beach SP

American Kestrel   Pinehurst Rd

Merlin   Brig

Peregrine Falcon   Brig

Eastern Wood-Pewee   35 Sunset Rd

Eastern Phoebe   Whitesbog

Great Crested Flycatcher   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Kingbird   Colliers Mills WMA

White-eyed Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-eyed Vireo   Island Beach SP

Blue Jay   Whitesbog

American Crow   Brig

Fish Crow   Brig

Common Raven   Sandy Hook

Purple Martin   Whitesbog

Tree Swallow   Brig

Bank Swallow   Brig

Barn Swallow   Brig

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Black-capped Chickadee   Sandy Hook

Tufted Titmouse   Union Transportation Trail

Red-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

House Wren   Colliers Mills WMA

Winter Wren   Whitesbog

Marsh Wren   Island Beach SP

Carolina Wren   Brig

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Colliers Mills WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog

Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA

Veery   Colliers Mills WMA

Wood Thrush   Sandy Hook

American Robin   Colliers Mills WMA

Gray Catbird   Whitesbog

Brown Thrasher   Great Bay Blvd

Northern Mockingbird   Great Bay Blvd

European Starling   Brig

Cedar Waxwing   Brig

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch   Sandy Hook

American Goldfinch   Brig

Chipping Sparrow   Crosswicks Creek Park

Field Sparrow   Crosswicks Creek Park

Lark Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Seaside Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd

Saltmarsh Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd

Savannah Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd

Song Sparrow   Crosswicks Creek Park

Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog

Eastern Towhee   Whitesbog

Yellow-breasted Chat   Manasquan River WMA

Bobolink   Sandy Hook

Baltimore Oriole   Brig

Red-winged Blackbird   Brig

Brown-headed Cowbird   35 Sunset Rd

Common Grackle   Crosswicks Creek Park

Boat-tailed Grackle   Great Bay Blvd

Blue-winged Warbler   Assunpink WMA

Black-and-white Warbler   Union Transportation Trail

Common Yellowthroat   Whitesbog

American Redstart   Union Transportation Trail

Northern Parula   Assunpink WMA

Yellow Warbler   Great Bay Blvd

Blackpoll Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Plainsboro Preserve

Palm Warbler   Island Beach SP

Pine Warbler   Brig

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Whitesbog

Prairie Warbler   Double Trouble State Park

Black-throated Green Warbler   Island Beach SP

Scarlet Tanager   Sandy Hook

Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Sandy Hook

Blue Grosbeak   Brig

Indigo Bunting   Crosswicks Creek Park

House Sparrow   Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530

Sandy Hook 9/16--Purple Finch

The best thing about fall* (and early winter) birding is that you get a second chance at birds you missed in the winter & spring. Red-breasted Nuthatches, which were non-existent the first 3 or 4 months of the year, are now a ho-hum bird this season. Another bird I missed earlier in the year appeared today at Sandy Hook, where Shari & I went for Scott's field trip--a Purple Finch seen in a tree next to a Scarlet Tanager. The tanager was seen well, eating a dragonfly-type insect; the Purple Finch was not seen so well by me, the tail feathers at first, then a brief silhouette, then a flying away bird. If I hadn't heard it call (a funny little warble) I probably wouldn't have even counted the bird.

Scarlet Tanager (male in basic plumage) eating an insect

While the warbler situation wasn't as dire as it had been on Friday, they were still scarce. More frustrating than anything was the report of a Connecticut Warbler which we got when we were close by the location. These warblers are hard to find under the best of circumstances--I didn't like the chances of 15 birds bushwhacking through dense shrubbery to find the bird and I was right. A few of our group saw movement, or a piece of the bird, but despite sitting there for what seemed a very long time, I didn't even see that. 

Still, a fun day with my wife and friends and a few new month and county birds for the obsessive lister aspect of my personality.

46 species
Canada Goose 43
Rock Pigeon 2
Mourning Dove 4
American Oystercatcher 7 Spermaceti Cove
Black-bellied Plover 10 Spermaceti Cove
Whimbrel 1 Spermaceti Cove
Spotted Sandpiper 1 Plum Island
Greater Yellowlegs 4 Spermaceti Cove flyover
Willet 2 Spermaceti Cove
Laughing Gull 20
Herring Gull 25
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Double-crested Cormorant 13
Great Blue Heron 3
Great Egret 2 Spermaceti Cove
Snowy Egret 3 Spermaceti Cove
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1 Spermaceti Cove
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 1
American Kestrel 1 Spermaceti Cove
White-eyed Vireo 2 Heard
Tree Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 6
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 1 Heard
Veery 1 Tennis Courts
Gray Catbird 2
Northern Mockingbird 2
European Starling 1
House Finch 9
Purple Finch 1 Officer's Club with SCTA
American Goldfinch 2
Chipping Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 2
Seaside Sparrow 1 Plum Island
Song Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 1 Heard
Red-winged Blackbird 10 Plum Island
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 1 Officer's Club
Scarlet Tanager 1 Officer's Club
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Female, briefly seen, heard call.

*I know that technically it is still summer, but once that calendar flips over to September, it is fall to me.

Sandy Hook 9/14--Lark Sparrow

Lark Sparrow

There's an east wind coming, Watson
                                                   --Sherlock Holmes

I don't pay much attention to wind direction since I can never really tell where the wind is coming from anyway, but when I go to Sandy Hook in the middle of migration and don't see one warbler, I know the winds are bad. The miserable weather for the last week has kept the winds coming from the east, so I'm told, and even I know that for fall migration a northwest wind is a favorable condition. 

I should have gleaned this information yesterday when I went to Island Beach and didn't find any warblers either, but even had I figured out the winds were lousy, I still would have gone up to Sandy Hook for a Half-day Friday with Scott and Company. And glad that I did, because, like our Delaware trip last month, we got the good bird out of the way early and everything else that followed was gravy.

As the group gathered in the parking lot of Guardian Park, one of our number was alerted to a rare bird up at the Hawkwatch platform--a Lark Sparrow. How this mid-western bird found its way here on unfavorable winds is a mystery. Instead of walking the bike trail and the Road to Nowhere as we usually do on these trips, we all piled into our cars and drove the five minutes up to the Hawkwatch where the birder who'd found it was still there and within a minute the bird made its appearance. While we stood there a Bobolink flew overhead and a couple of Red-breasted Nuthatches were in attendance, so it was a good spot all around. We also had a couple of vireo species, but amazingly, not one warbler, not even a Common Yellowthroat.

We went back south and walked our normal route without finding very much if you exclude the eagle, the Baltimore Oriole, Belted Kingfisher, and Green Heron. Down at Spermaceti Cove it was the same story--many of the expected birds like oystercatchers and egrets, a slightly unusual sighting of 6 Black Skimmers (all immature birds) and scores of Tree Swallows flowing overhead. The winds, again I'm told, are expected to stay easterly until sometime in the middle of next week and Hurricane Florence is not on a path to blow anything unusual up our way (not that I enjoy trying to pick out a rarity in horizontal rain), so migration may be very late this year or somewhere else.

For the day I listed 38 species. I didn't bother to take my scope today, so missed a few birds out on the sandbar at Spermaceti.

Canada Goose 55
Green-winged Teal 4 Spermaceti Cove
Mourning Dove 1
Chimney Swift 1
American Oystercatcher 8 Spermaceti Cove
Black-bellied Plover 4 Spermaceti Cove
Laughing Gull 1
Herring Gull 2
Great Black-backed Gull 18
Common Tern 3
Royal Tern 3 Spermaceti Cove
Black Skimmer 6
Double-crested Cormorant 8
Great Blue Heron 1
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 5
Green Heron 1 Horseshoe Cove
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Osprey 4
Bald Eagle 1
Belted Kingfisher 3
Merlin 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 Hawkwatch
White-eyed Vireo 2 Heard
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Tree Swallow 150
Red-breasted Nuthatch 3
Carolina Wren 2
Wood Thrush 1 Heard Guardian Park
Gray Catbird 2
Cedar Waxwing 25
Chipping Sparrow 10
Field Sparrow 2
Lark Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 2
Eastern Towhee 5
Bobolink 1
Baltimore Oriole 1 Horseshoe Cove

Island Beach SP 9/7--Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit

Luck was with me today.

I've been out to Island Beach on several occasions this last month, once even in a canoe with Greg, looking for my year Marbled Godwit--supposedly rare in the county but an annual occurrence at the south end of the park--usually out on the Sedge Islands. Until today I hadn't found one, but when I saw yesterday that my friend Steve had had one on the beach, I decided to schlep out there one more time.

First I was lucky in that the tide was low out at the boat launch of the Winter Anchorage, so there was a sand bar I could scope.  More luck when it didn't take but a moment for me to find two godwits out there with a slew of oystercatchers. I digiscoped some photos and if my luck hadn't continued, one of those terrible pictures would be illustrating this entry.

So I had the bird for the year list, but what I really wanted was an up close view like Steve had, which meant a walk on the beach. The weather was cool enough for that but the prospect of looking for just one bird wasn't that enticing. Beaches can tend to be deserts. I was about to make the turn south out of the parking lot when I car slowed up and stopped. I thought he was just letting me exit but then, more luck, I saw that it was Steve himself.

Steve has a "beach buggy" permit, meaning he can drive on the beach and he invited me along. Normally, when I walk down to the inlet, I make a right a walk west for about a quarter of mile to view the rocks and beach where sometimes birds roost. I don't got farther because it is a long way back as it is. But since we drove, Steve showed me how far back you can walk and along the way we picked up some interesting birds, like my first Palm Warbler of the season, a single Black Scoter, a Common Eider, solo, the only straggler remaining of the flock of 7 that spent the summer there, and, always fun to see, 36 Brown Pelicans.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

On the way out Steve had driven high up on the beach; on the way back he drove close to the surf and along the way we had turnstones, plovers, sandpipers, and Willets (likely the western subspecies as the eastern ones migrated about a month ago) mixed in with hundreds of Sanderlings. And in the first group of Willets, almost in exactly the same spot he saw it yesterday, was another Marbled Godwit, beautifully colored cinnamon on the breast and flanks.

The last interesting bird we found was a little north of the road to the parking where we came across two adult and one immature Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Not rare, but always a good find.

New year bird, new spot to look at, beach not a desert at all...all in all a very satisfying morning of birding.

The day list:

Common Eider   1

Black Scoter   1

Mourning Dove   3

American Oystercatcher   25

Black-bellied Plover   16

Semipalmated Plover   6

Marbled Godwit   3

Ruddy Turnstone   10

Sanderling   500

Semipalmated Sandpiper   5

Spotted Sandpiper   2

Willet   15

Laughing Gull   60

Ring-billed Gull   1

Herring Gull   70

Lesser Black-backed Gull   3

Great Black-backed Gull   40

Caspian Tern   6

Common Tern   50

Forster's Tern   100

Royal Tern   6

Double-crested Cormorant   84

Brown Pelican   40

Great Egret   3

Osprey   7

Northern Flicker   1

Merlin   1

White-eyed Vireo   1

Marsh Wren   1

Carolina Wren   1

Gray Catbird   3

Northern Mockingbird   2

American Goldfinch   2

Song Sparrow   5

Palm Warbler   1