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