North Coast Ponds & Inlets 2/1--Laughing Gull, Merlin

Laughing Gull, Manasquan Inlet

I drove up to Point Pleasant Beach for Carole's NJ Audubon trip to the ponds and inlets on what you might call the "Southern North Coast," which ends at PPB and starts at the Shark River, though we do the trip in the reverse. Because I was early, I made my first stop Lake of the Lilies. In the large scaup flock (stipulated: there are both greater and lesser in the flock) I was hoping for a Redhead to slip in but, as was the case on Wednesday, no. However, a bird I wasn't expecting zipped right by me--a Merlin on a mission flying low and fast over the pond and behind a house.

There was no construction going on at the Manasquan Inlet so we were able to access the jetty. The attraction there was the very cooperative Razorbill that was bobbing at the mouth of the inlet. The looks were fairly close, which was very satisfying since it was a lifer for one of the members of our group. After a trip back to Lake of the Lilies and a lesson on scaup identification (all of which I know but most of the time cannot apply), we returned to the inlet, birding the western part along the parking lot. There, right in front of where I parked my car, was an immature Laughing Gull, which I didn't notice until Carole pointed it out. This is probably the same gull I didn't find on Wednesday. A LAGU in mid-winter is very unusual in these parts but the weather has been warm which must be part of the explanation.

It is certainly the explanation for the dearth of ducks on the ponds and inlets. In the autumn ducks get physiologically ready to migrate but they don't actually move until they have to--a propensity I have to say I share with them. So, not only is warm down here, but it is warm up there and that's where, I'll wager, all the ducks are. Of course, warm for a duck and warm for me are two different climates--I could use another 30 degrees tacked on to today's high. Wreck Pond had very little on it, aside from a hefty flock of Gadwalls, Lake Como and Silver Lake had geese and gulls, the Shark River inlet had a few loons, and the Shark River Marina had the usual stupendous numbers of Mute Swans and Brants, along with the expected Buffleheads & Red-breasted Mergansers.

Eurasian Wigeon with American Black Duck (digiscope)

My final stop (I had to cut out a little early to go up to Iselin) was Maclearie Park where we hoped to find the ever-present Eurasian Wigeon. I plunked down my scope and before I could even begin a scan of the American Wigeon flock, Carole announced that she had the bird. It was sleeping on a little patch of beach in front of a concrete block encasing culverts. That was easy. This must be the same drake returning for the 3rd or 4th year or else there is something mysteriously attractive about this stretch of the water along Rt 35 between the park and the Shell station to Eurasian Wigeons.

My last bird of the day was a Northern Mockingbird up at the family homestead in Iselin.
44 species to start the month.

Species   First Sighting

Brant   Manasquan Inlet

Canada Goose   Lake of the Lilies

Mute Swan   Wreck Pond

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

Greater Scaup   Lake of the Lilies

Lesser Scaup   Lake of the Lilies

Surf Scoter   Spring Lake

White-winged Scoter   Manasquan Inlet

Black Scoter   Manasquan Inlet

Long-tailed Duck   Manasquan Inlet

Bufflehead   Manasquan Inlet

Hooded Merganser   Lake of the Lilies

Red-breasted Merganser   Manasquan Inlet

Ruddy Duck   Lake of the Lilies

Mourning Dove   Lake of the Lilies

American Coot   Lake of the Lilies

Purple Sandpiper   Manasquan Inlet North Side

Razorbill   Manasquan Inlet

Laughing Gull   Manasquan Inlet

Ring-billed Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Herring Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Great Black-backed Gull   Lake of the Lilies

Red-throated Loon   Manasquan Inlet

Common Loon   Manasquan Inlet

Double-crested Cormorant   Lake of the Lilies

Great Blue Heron   Lake of the Lilies

Bald Eagle   MacLearie Park

Red-tailed Hawk   MacLearie Park

Merlin   Lake of the Lilies

Fish Crow   Manasquan Inlet North Side

Carolina Wren   Wreck Pond

Northern Mockingbird   18 Aberdeen Avenue

House Sparrow   Lake of the Lilies

Song Sparrow   Lake Como

Common Grackle   Wreck Pond

Boat-tailed Grackle   Manasquan Inlet

Northern Cardinal   Lake Como