Kicking the Year Off with Razorbills and a Cackling Goose

Cackling Goose (center), Lake Takanassee

First bird of the new year: American Crow, heard while I was packing the car for us to go to Sandy Hook for Scott's Kick Off the New Year Trip. Second bird: Turkey Vulture. Not an auspicious beginning.

The bird I most wanted to see today was Razorbill, which I missed completely last year. On our way up, Bob Auster texted me that he was seeing plenty of them from the Fisherman's Beach. Plus, he saw a Dovekie. That, being a life bird, became the bird I most wanted to see, but I knew the chances of it were nil. I have to admit that hearing about that flyby put me a sour mood.

Kicking off the new year.

There were over 40 people at Lot B for the start of the trip and I felt like I knew most of them so a lot of handshakes and "Happy New Years" as descended onto the beach. The air temperature was warm, in the 50's. The wind, unfortunately, also felt like it was in the 50's. This made scanning the ocean a rather unpleasant endeavor. However, in addition to the expected, scoters, gulls, gannets and loons,  we did manage to see one distant flying football and scoped one football sitting on the water and that was my Razorbill experience for the day.

The only non-marine species we recorded there were a Peregrine Falcon, a Bald Eagle flying north over the ocean, and one Carolina Wren, heard, at the Fisherman's Beach.

I have to say the most entertaining sight at the Hook was this car, stuck in the sand at Lot C, where it never should have been and why the driver thought it would be a good idea to driver there will remain a mystery, though I was very tempted to go over there as he and his friends fruitlessly tried to dig out the car's wheels and ask him what he was thinking at the time. Because the park is only semi-open due to the endless government shutdown, perhaps he thought there were no rules to abide by or at least that they wouldn't be enforced. And aside from the laws of physics, he was probably right.

We then caravanned south, as we usually do, looking for some protection from the wind. However, at Monmouth Beach and Seven Presidents Park there was nothing new of note. It wasn't until we got down to Lake Takanassee that the birding picked up, with a number of ducks to add to the year list, like Gadwall, Hooded Merganser, and American Wigeon, as well as American Coot and Pie-billed Grebe. But the highlight, of course, the little Cackling Goose amidst the Canada Geese, very obvious with its stubby bill, blocky head, and much smaller size. Since I am loathe to call a Cackling Goose on my own, it was great to get this bird out of the way, onto the list. Now I just have to find one in Ocean County.

I wound up with 36 species on the day. There were probably a couple of chip notes I let go by instead of listing them.

Species   First Sighting

Brant   Sandy Hook

Cackling Goose   Lake Takanassee

Canada Goose   Seven Presidents Park

Mute Swan   Lake Takanassee

Northern Shoveler   Monmouth Beach

Gadwall   Lake Takanassee

American Wigeon   Lake Takanassee

Mallard   Lake Takanassee

Surf Scoter   Sandy Hook

White-winged Scoter   Sandy Hook

Black Scoter   Sandy Hook

Long-tailed Duck   Sandy Hook

Bufflehead   Sandy Hook

Hooded Merganser   Lake Takanassee

Red-breasted Merganser   Sandy Hook

Ruddy Duck   Lake Takanassee

Pied-billed Grebe   Lake Takanassee

Mourning Dove   Seven Presidents Park

American Coot   Lake Takanassee

Razorbill   Sandy Hook

Ring-billed Gull   Lake Takanassee

Herring Gull   Sandy Hook

Great Black-backed Gull   Sandy Hook

Red-throated Loon   Monmouth Beach

Common Loon   Sandy Hook

Northern Gannet   Sandy Hook

Great Blue Heron   Lake Takanassee

Turkey Vulture   35 Sunset Rd

Cooper's Hawk   Lake Takanassee

Bald Eagle   Sandy Hook

Peregrine Falcon   Sandy Hook

American Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Wren   Sandy Hook

European Starling   South Toms River

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd