February--11 Year Birds

Ruddy Turnstones, Barnegat Light SP

February is an historically slow month for birds. After the New Years rush of January, when almost every day brings new year birds onto the list, February tends to be deja vu all over again. So with that consideration, 11 year birds, with almost half of them considered "rare" is not bad, plus I had quite a few repeat rarities for the month, like Cackling Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, and Ash-throated Flycatcher, along with 3 separate sightings of Eastern Phoebe, which sure won't be rare in a month or so. When I saw the Ash-throated Flycatcher again in New Egypt, I wasn't even looking for it. I was passing by the area it and the phoebe had been frequenting, looking for American Kestrel for my county list, when I glanced out the car window and saw the phoebe. 10 seconds later, I looked a little to the right of the phoebe and saw the Ash-throated perched on a stick. Nice, but I was happier to finally find a kestrel on Long Swamp Road a few minutes later, having driven up and down West Colliers Mills Road seemingly for 2 months without finding one.

Tundra Swan, Whitesbog

I haven't added up the trips, but it felt like I split the majority of the month between Colliers Mills/New Egypt and Whitesbog, with a couple of trips down to Brig (Golden Eagle, Yellow-breasted Chat) and only one trip to Assunpink. I didn't get to either Sandy Hook or Island Beach SP, leaving the freezing my face off trips for Barnegat Light where I finally saw a King Eider (drake) after failing to find the hen multiple times in January.

House Sparrow

The turkeys returned this month to our backyard, along with quite a few other notable species: Pine Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, along with one species yesterday that I'd rather not see--House Sparrow. It was only one male and I hope it stays that way. Checking my records, its the first House Sparrow beneath our feeders since September of 2017. They are actually scarce around here, especially since the addlepated neighbor, who use to have a bird house they colonized, was taken away for her own safety. Secret admission--I find them to be very handsome little birds. If they just weren't so aggressive! I also admire starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds.

For the month I tallied 126 species, down from January's result of 135. Of course, there were 2 fewer days in this month.

Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean

Species            First Sighting

Snow Goose   Brig

Brant   Manasquan Inlet

Cackling Goose   Deer Head Lake

Canada Goose   Lake of the Lilies

Mute Swan   Wreck Pond

Trumpeter Swan   Assunpink WMA

Tundra Swan   Whitesbog

Wood Duck   Whitesbog

Northern Shoveler   Wreck Pond

Gadwall   Wreck Pond

Eurasian Wigeon   MacLearie Park

American Wigeon   MacLearie Park

Mallard   Lake of the Lilies

American Black Duck   Manasquan Inlet

Northern Pintail   Forsythe-Barnegat

Green-winged Teal   Forsythe-Barnegat

Canvasback   Colliers Mills WMA

Redhead   Riverfront Landing

Ring-necked Duck   Holly Lake

Greater Scaup   Lake of the Lilies

Lesser Scaup   Lake of the Lilies

King Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Common Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter   Spring Lake

White-winged Scoter   Manasquan Inlet

Black Scoter   Manasquan Inlet

Long-tailed Duck   Manasquan Inlet

Bufflehead   Manasquan Inlet

Common Goldeneye   LBI Bayside

Hooded Merganser   Lake of the Lilies

Common Merganser   Prospertown Lake

Red-breasted Merganser   Manasquan Inlet

Ruddy Duck   Lake of the Lilies

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Pied-billed Grebe   Manasquan Reservoir IBA

Horned Grebe   Raritan Bay Waterfront Park

Eared Grebe   Lakes Bay

Rock Pigeon   Wawa South Toms River

Mourning Dove   Lake of the Lilies

American Coot   Lake of the Lilies

Black-bellied Plover   Forsythe-Barnegat

Killdeer   Ephraim P. Emson Preserve

Ruddy Turnstone   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling   Raritan Bay Waterfront Park

Dunlin   Forsythe-Barnegat

Purple Sandpiper   Manasquan Inlet

American Woodcock   Collinstown Rd

Greater Yellowlegs   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Razorbill   Manasquan Inlet

Laughing Gull   Manasquan Inlet

Ring-billed Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Herring Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Raritan Bay Waterfront Park

Great Black-backed Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Red-throated Loon   Manasquan Inlet

Common Loon   Manasquan Inlet

Northern Gannet   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Cormorant   Raritan Bay Waterfront Park

Double-crested Cormorant   Lake of the Lilies

Great Blue Heron   Lake of the Lilies

Black Vulture   Brig

Turkey Vulture   Deer Head Lake

Golden Eagle   Motts Creek

Northern Harrier   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Manahawkin WMA

Cooper's Hawk   New Egypt

Bald Eagle   MacLearie Park

Red-shouldered Hawk   Meadowedge Park

Red-tailed Hawk   MacLearie Park

Belted Kingfisher   Manahawkin WMA

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Cattus Island County Park

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Downy Woodpecker   Wells Mills Park

Hairy Woodpecker   Manahawkin WMA

Northern Flicker   Manahawkin WMA

American Kestrel   New Egypt

Merlin   Lake of the Lilies

Peregrine Falcon   Ken Buchanan Riverfront Park

Eastern Phoebe   Meadowedge Park

Ash-throated Flycatcher   New Egypt

Blue Jay   Crestwood Village

American Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Fish Crow   Manasquan Inlet

Common Raven   New Egypt

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Tree Swallow   Brig

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Colliers Mills WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog

White-breasted Nuthatch   Wells Mills Park

Brown Creeper   Colliers Mills WMA

Winter Wren   Whitesbog

Carolina Wren   Wreck Pond

European Starling   Wells Mills Park

Gray Catbird   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Brown Thrasher   New Egypt

Northern Mockingbird   18 Aberdeen Avenue

Eastern Bluebird   Cattus Island County Park

Hermit Thrush   Wells Mills Park

American Robin   Wells Mills Park

House Sparrow   Lake of the Lilies

House Finch   Wells Mills Park

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Field Sparrow   Brig

American Tree Sparrow   Assunpink WMA

Fox Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Dark-eyed Junco   35 Sunset Rd

White-throated Sparrow   Tip Seaman CP

Savannah Sparrow   Cream Ridge

Song Sparrow   Lake Como

Swamp Sparrow   Manahawkin WMA

Eastern Towhee   Brig

Yellow-breasted Chat   Brig

Eastern Meadowlark   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-winged Blackbird   Tip Seaman CP

Brown-headed Cowbird   Collinstown Rd

Rusty Blackbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Common Grackle   Wreck Pond

Boat-tailed Grackle   Manasquan Inlet

Palm Warbler   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Pine Warbler   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Wells Mills Park

Northern Cardinal   Lake Como