Thursday, October 31, 2019

October Wrap Up--2 Year Birds

Red-shouldered Hawk, Whitesbog
It seemed like a long month. We started out looking for migrating warblers then, almost imperceptibly, transitioned to looking for arriving sparrows and ducks. One day there were lots of Palm Warblers, the next day, none. But we still have a plethora of Yellow-rumped Warblers which I like to think of as unofficial sparrows. A week ago at Whitesbog, in Ditch Meadow, what I at first thought was going to be a sparrow bonanza on the path turned out, upon closer approach, to be about 50 yumpers feeding in the dirt.

I again spent at least half my birding days at Whitesbog--it's close, it's diverse, and there's often a surprise or two, like the Wilson's Phalarope I found early in the month, or the Red-shouldered Hawk I hunted down a few days ago at the back of Union Pond after hearing it call about a quarter mile away. I even got one of my two year birds for the month Whitesbog--a flyover American Pipit I was fortunate enough to hear and even more fortunate enough to be in the presence of someone who knew what it was.

The month was not without interest--there were some rarities like the Hudsonian Godwit in the Barnegat impoundments that was both a state & county year bird. I made a mad dash down from Woodbridge to find it and after some furious to and fro at the two viewing spots along Bayshore was able to see it just before it flew away. The two American White Pelicans at Brig last week were also state year bird and were, as always, an impressive sight. Some late birds were also recorded--a Blue Grosbeak Mike and I had at the Manasquan River WMA and just today, a Least Sandpiper on Stafford Avenue at the edge of the Manahawkin WMA.

Hudsonian Godwit, 3rd from left  
American White Pelicans
There are many holes in my list that are going to stay as lacunae for the rest of the year. My best hope to boost the year list is to track down any rarities that show up, especially in the waterfowl category (Pink-footed Goose hasn't made an appearance in the state yet), since the warblers I missed are gone 'til next year, as are the thrushes, flycatchers, and so forth. A rare hummingbird is also desired.

For the month I tallied 144 species, mostly in Ocean and Burlington Counties, with a few forays to the north and south.
Counties Birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean.
Species   First Sighting
Brant   Sandy Hook
Canada Goose   Whitesbog
Mute Swan   Manahawkin WMA
Wood Duck   Whitesbog
Northern Shoveler   Sandy Hook
Gadwall   Manahawkin WMA
American Wigeon   Brig
Mallard   Island Beach SP
American Black Duck   Sandy Hook
Northern Pintail   Brig
Green-winged Teal   Island Beach SP
Ring-necked Duck   Brig
Greater Scaup   Sandy Hook
Surf Scoter   Island Beach SP
Black Scoter   Island Beach SP
Ruddy Duck   Assunpink WMA
Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd
Pied-billed Grebe   Brig
Rock Pigeon   Wrangle Brook
Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd
Clapper Rail   Great Bay Blvd
American Coot   Brig
American Oystercatcher   Island Beach SP
Black-bellied Plover   Island Beach SP
Semipalmated Plover   Sandy Hook
Killdeer   Whitesbog
Hudsonian Godwit   Forsythe--Barnegat
Marbled Godwit   Island Beach SP
Ruddy Turnstone   Sandy Hook
Sanderling   Island Beach SP
Dunlin   Island Beach SP
Least Sandpiper   Manahawkin WMA
Pectoral Sandpiper   Whitesbog
Wilson's Phalarope   Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs   Whitesbog
Lesser Yellowlegs   Whitesbog
Laughing Gull   Sandy Hook
Ring-billed Gull   Island Beach SP
Herring Gull   Sandy Hook
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Great Black-backed Gull   Sandy Hook
Caspian Tern   Island Beach SP
Forster's Tern   Forsythe--Barnegat
Royal Tern   Sandy Hook
Common Loon   Great Bay Blvd
Double-crested Cormorant   Sandy Hook
American White Pelican   Brig
Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP
Great Blue Heron   Whitesbog
Great Egret   Island Beach SP
Snowy Egret   Forsythe--Barnegat
Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron   Cedar Bonnet Island
Green Heron   Sandy Hook
Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd
Black Vulture   35 Sunset Rd
Turkey Vulture   35 Sunset Rd
Osprey   Sandy Hook
Northern Harrier   Sandy Hook
Sharp-shinned Hawk   Sandy Hook
Cooper's Hawk   Whitesbog
Bald Eagle   Whitesbog
Red-shouldered Hawk   Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk   Robert J Miller Air Park
Short-eared Owl   BC Fairgrounds
Belted Kingfisher   Whitesbog
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Sandy Hook
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker   Whitesbog
Hairy Woodpecker   BC Fairgrounds
Northern Flicker   Whitesbog
American Kestrel   Whitesbog
Merlin   Sandy Hook
Peregrine Falcon   Island Beach SP
Eastern Wood-Pewee   Sandy Hook
Eastern Phoebe   Whitesbog
White-eyed Vireo   Island Beach SP
Blue-headed Vireo   Manasquan River WMA
Red-eyed Vireo   Island Beach SP
Blue Jay   Whitesbog
American Crow   Whitesbog
Fish Crow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Common Raven   Sandy Hook
Carolina Chickadee   Whitesbog
Black-capped Chickadee   Sandy Hook
Tufted Titmouse   Whitesbog
Tree Swallow   Sandy Hook
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
White-breasted Nuthatch   Whitesbog
Brown Creeper   Island Beach SP
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Island Beach SP
House Wren   Bunker Hill Bogs
Carolina Wren   Whitesbog
European Starling   Whitesbog
Gray Catbird   Whitesbog
Brown Thrasher   Whitesbog
Northern Mockingbird   Whitesbog
Eastern Bluebird   Cloverdale Farm
Hermit Thrush   Island Beach SP
American Robin   Sandy Hook
Cedar Waxwing   Island Beach SP
House Sparrow   Tip Seaman County Park
American Pipit   Whitesbog
House Finch   35 Sunset Rd
Pine Siskin   Cloverdale Farm
American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd
Grasshopper Sparrow   BC Fairgrounds
Chipping Sparrow   Whitesbog
Field Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Dark-eyed Junco   Island Beach SP
White-crowned Sparrow   Island Beach SP
White-throated Sparrow   Sandy Hook
Seaside Sparrow   Sandy Hook
Nelson's Sparrow   Sandy Hook
Saltmarsh Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd
Savannah Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Song Sparrow   Whitesbog
Lincoln's Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog
Eastern Towhee   Whitesbog
Eastern Meadowlark   Island Beach SP
Baltimore Oriole   Double Trouble State Park
Red-winged Blackbird   Island Beach SP
Brown-headed Cowbird   BC Fairgrounds
Common Grackle   Whitesbog
Boat-tailed Grackle   Island Beach SP
Northern Waterthrush   Island Beach SP
Black-and-white Warbler   Manasquan River WMA
Nashville Warbler   Bunker Hill Bogs
Common Yellowthroat   Whitesbog
American Redstart   Whitesbog
Northern Parula   Island Beach SP
Bay-breasted Warbler   Island Beach SP
Blackpoll Warbler   Sandy Hook
Black-throated Blue Warbler   Island Beach SP
Palm Warbler   Cloverdale Farm
Pine Warbler   Whitesbog
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Island Beach SP
Prairie Warbler   Island Beach SP
Black-throated Green Warbler   Island Beach SP
Northern Cardinal   Whitesbog
Blue Grosbeak   Manasquan River WMA
Indigo Bunting   Island Beach SP
                                                            
Pectoral Sandpiper, Whitesbog

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Sandy Hook 10/25--Nelson's Sparrow

It's been a hard month for new year birds. Even an exciting sighting, like yesterday's American White Pelicans at Brig only counts for a state year bird, since I saw over a hundred of them in Utah/Idaho. I did hear an American Pipit last week at Whitesbog, but a "pip" flying overhead that I would have missed if Jim hadn't been standing next to me doesn't yield a lot of material for me. So, while the going out and looking for birds parts of the month have been for the most fun and interesting, the sitting at home and reviewing the database aspect has been pretty dull.

Mike trying not to step on a Nelson's Sparrow
Friday, Mike and I went up to Sandy Hook for one of Scott's half-day Fridays walks and there were abundant birds--especially if you like Yellow-rumped Warblers--but nothing new, again, until after the trip ended at Spermaceti Cove, when Mike & I went a little farther south to Plum Island, historical location of Nelson's Sparrow, the most elusive, in New Jersey, of the saltmarsh sparrows. We knew, from others on the walk, that a few had been seen there in the morning. We walked along the edges of the reeds and within a few minutes one flushed up, gave us a good look at its diagnostic blurry breast, flew off, reappeared a couple of times very briefly, then disappeared altogether, despite Mike walking through the marsh, trying to push it out for a couple of other birders who got there after we'd seen it,while at the same time being careful not to step on one of these mouse-like birds.

My Sandy Hook list came out to 45 species. Mike had a few more, but nothing that I coveted.
Brant  30
Canada Goose  25
American Black Duck  3
Greater Scaup  1    Spermaceti Cove
Surf Scoter  10
Mourning Dove  3
Black-bellied Plover  30
Herring Gull  10
Great Black-backed Gull  3
Royal Tern  3
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  5
Great Blue Heron  2
Great Egret  1
Black Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  5
Merlin  2
Eastern Phoebe  3
Blue-headed Vireo  2
Red-eyed Vireo  1    Bike path
Tree Swallow  175
Golden-crowned Kinglet  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  4
Brown Creeper  1
Carolina Wren  6    Heard
European Starling  1
Northern Mockingbird  10
Hermit Thrush  2
American Robin  10
House Sparrow  1    Heard
House Finch  3
Field Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
White-throated Sparrow  1    Heard
Nelson's Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  40
Swamp Sparrow  2
Eastern Towhee  5
Yellow-rumped Warbler  50

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Crash


Shari bought new curtains for the bedroom. Very nice curtains with birds in the pattern. This is the top sheet that came with them. However, I don't plan on having any of my guests walking through my window.  As Mike pointed out, anyone walking through my window is not a guest. 

"Wow" indeed. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Whitesbog 10/15--2nd Shorebird Season

Wilson's Phalarope (right) with Lesser Yellowlegs, Union Pond
It looks like we're going to get a second shorebird season at Whitesbog. For the last month or so the drawn down bogs have been empty of any birds, save for the occasional Killdeer, but Union Pond, just on the other side of the road, has been slowly draining, exposing fresh mud and vegetation.

Pectoral Sandpipers
This morning, I could hear the Killdeer calling from the Pond when I was on the other side of the middle bog. Walking over there, sans scope, since I wasn't expecting to need it, I saw a big flock of them. My first count was 30, but then I noticed that some were not Killdeer. I continued around the pond and despite having the sun almost directly in my eyes, I could see that there were 5 shorebirds that I at first took for Dunlins (which are rare in Burlco) but then decided, after some thought, that they were Pectoral Sandpipers. I continued my walk, satisfied with adding Pec to the month list. It was fairly active around Union Pond and Ditch Meadow, with a good influx of the common fall warblers like Yellow-rumps, Palms, Pines, and a couple of "Yellowstarts."  The most interesting warbler though was in the bog behind the village (I was putting in the miles today) where I found an immature Nashville Warbler.

Walking back out to the bogs, I decided to recheck Union Pond to see if anything new had come in. At first I was disappointed to see that most of the Killdeer had flown off, along with half the Pecs. But, some new, interesting shorebirds had indeed come in, including one Dunlin and some Lesser Yellowlegs. In with the yellowlegs was another shorebird that struck me as really odd. Because the light was harsh and I didn't have my scope, I wasn't willing to put out an alert until I got home to view my photos and to get a second opinion from the Burlco eBird reviewer, who confirmed my strong suspicion that the smaller bird with the white face, gray back and needle-like bill was a Wilson's Phalarope, a rarity in the state, never mind the county and pretty late to boot. Two rare birds on that pond is pretty good work for one day.

Dopey Duck
One of the first birds I saw today, just after dawn, was a Bald Eagle perched up in a tree on the northern side of Union Pond. And below it, persisting for more than a month despite the eagle's presence was the bird I've come to call "Dopey Duck." Someone released this big, white, domestic duck and I and the regulars thought it didn't have much of a survival chance with the all the raptors around, but somehow Dopey has managed to thrive. For the first month or so, it was accompanied by what looked like a Mallard/Black Duck hybrid, but that duck seems not to have made it.

Not counting Dopey Duck, I had 39 species for my walk around the bogs and the village, which is a very good number for the date and the place.

Mallard (Domestic type)  1    Dopey Duck 
Mourning Dove  2    Village
Killdeer  25
Dunlin  1    Brown/gray sandpiper with slightly curved Bill, smaller than pecs, killdeer
Pectoral Sandpiper  5
Wilson's Phalarope  1    White face, pale breast, gray back, needle like bill
Lesser Yellowlegs  7
Great Blue Heron  2
Turkey Vulture  8
Northern Harrier  1    Ditch Meadow
Bald Eagle  1    Union Pond
Belted Kingfisher  1    Union Pond
Red-bellied Woodpecker  4
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1    Lower Bog
Blue Jay  10
American Crow  2
Carolina Chickadee  3
Tufted Titmouse  3
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1    Heard
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Carolina Wren  1    Heard
European Starling  12
Gray Catbird  1    Heard
Eastern Bluebird  1    Heard
American Robin  10
Chipping Sparrow  2
Field Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  10
Swamp Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  4
Red-winged Blackbird  1    Flyover, middle bog
Nashville Warbler  1    Immature
American Redstart  2    Yellowstarts
Palm Warbler  7
Pine Warbler  10
Yellow-rumped Warbler  15
Northern Cardinal  3

Island Beach SP 10/13--Lincoln's Sparrow

Herring Gulls, American Oystercatcher, Marbled Godwit,
Beach at A21

BVD! While on Scott's trip up and down Island Beach SP we stumbled upon a couple of Lincoln's Sparrows. However, a combination of narrow trails and a large group, along with the essential shyness of the birds, made getting a decent look at them near impossible. The first one, at the end of the Johnny Allen Cove trail, I missed completely. The second one, on the entrance path at Spizzle Creek, I caught glimpses of, mostly of the head, but if you put all my glimpses together, you'd probably have a whole bird. It isn't like the bird would pop up and perch on a tree top. Instead, we kept pushing it along and it kept diving into "deep" grass (compared to the bird) or else into the shrubbery lining the path. It was my first year bird of the month. Not that unusual I suppose, given how far into the year we are, but it feels odd to go a couple of weeks without adding anything to the list.

It's a difficult time of the year to find places to bird. While the crowds have left the beaches of Sandy Hook and Island Beach, the hunters have started to take over the WMAs and while I'm not that scared of being shot, persistent gun fire can make the birding experience very unpleasant.

The two most "interesting" birds to me on Sunday, leaving aside the frustrating Lincoln's, were the Eastern Meadowlark off the dune crossover at the first bathing beach that Scott speculated had been blown in off the ocean and the continuing Marbled Godwit on the southern end of the park. A few in our group had never seen a Marbled Godwit and it was fun to get them on this rather impressive sandpiper.

Other "rarities" for the day included a singing White-eyed Vireo on Reed's Road and a Bay-breasted Warbler along with a Northern Waterthrush at Spizzle Creek. Their rarity is based on their lateness, not their scarcity.

We birded the place hard, starting around 9 and finishing up around 4, looking around at almost all the hot spots in the park from Reed's Road down to the Winter Anchorage. In that time I listed 66 species and I missed at least 5 that Mike saw.

Surf Scoter  1    Off first bathing beach
Black Scoter  10
American Oystercatcher  4
Black-bellied Plover  5
Semipalmated Plover  1    Heard flyover
Marbled Godwit  1    Continuing large cinnamon colored godwit with bicolored bill.
Laughing Gull  15
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull  100
Lesser Black-backed Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  15
Caspian Tern  1
Royal Tern  2
Double-crested Cormorant  200
Brown Pelican  25
Great Egret  6
Tricolored Heron  1    Winter Anchorage
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  2
Cooper's Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  5
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  2
Eastern Phoebe  2
White-eyed Vireo  1    Heard, clearly, on Reed's Road. Singing multiple times
Blue Jay  1    Heard
Carolina Chickadee  2    Heard
Tree Swallow  500
Golden-crowned Kinglet  4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2
Brown Creeper  1    Spizzle Creek
Carolina Wren  2    Heard
European Starling  5
Gray Catbird  6
Brown Thrasher  1
Northern Mockingbird  2
Hermit Thrush  1    Spizzle Creek
American Robin  10
House Sparrow  2
House Finch  25
Chipping Sparrow  20
Field Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  1
White-crowned Sparrow  1    Road to Winter Anchorage
White-throated Sparrow  20
Savannah Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  40
Lincoln's Sparrow  1    Spizzle Creek
Swamp Sparrow  1    Spizzle Creek
Eastern Towhee  3
Eastern Meadowlark  1    Off boardwalk of first bathing beach
Red-winged Blackbird  5
Boat-tailed Grackle  6
Northern Waterthrush  1    Spizzle  Briefly seen heard chip note multiple times
American Redstart  1    Interpretive Center
Northern Parula  2    Spizzle Creek
Bay-breasted Warbler  1    Fat warbler, wing bar, still had some color Spizzle Creek
Black-throated Blue Warbler  1    Female, Johnny Allen trail
Palm Warbler  2
Pine Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Prairie Warbler  1    Spizzle Creek
Black-throated Green Warbler  1    Reed's Road
Northern Cardinal  1    Heard