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