April Birding During a Pandemic

Ovenbird, Whiting WMA

Birding ethically and legally during a pandemic was hard enough; the weather this month made it doubly difficult. I remember April that started out with snowstorms heavy enough to cancel baseball's Opening Day, but I don't recall an April as relentlessly cold, windy, and rainy as this past month. Many days I awoke to miserable conditions and many days I forced myself to go out in less than ideal weather for my walk. I can never tell if the winds are propitious for migration. All I know is that there were winds and winds keep the birds down.

The only real bright spot was our backyard where the turkeys, the whip-poor-will, and, toward the end of the month, the hummingbird, kept us entertained. Especially the turkeys which we found strutting around our yard almost every day, the big Toms displaying, while a gang of four "Terror Turkeys" would stand in the middle of the street and stop traffic, two standing in the road while the other two would rush over from the side and attack a car's tires. Very amusing, even when it happened to me.

I, for the most part, stuck close to the house, either exploring parts of the WMA that, even after 8 years here, I'd never bothered to walk to, or else edge birding along the power line cut that runs along the edge of the development.

I did make a few forays farther afield, to other WMAs around the county and once to Brig with Shari, but avoided the parks, even when they were open. Not only is it hard to social distance on the narrow park trails, but all those people discourage any kind of serious birding.

So, what did I find? 26 new species for the year, a couple right here in the back yard, but about half of them in our one loop around Brig. From what I can glean from my sporadic reading of others' reports (I've turned off the alerts app on my phone because I got tired of the ceaseless chatter about next to nothing), migration has been slow this year. However, every year, it seems, migration is slow. Might that be because of the supposedly billions of birds that no longer exist? Seems logical to me.

For the month I recorded 106 species. As a comparison, last year I listed 172 species. Going all the way back to 2016, my worst April was 137 species. So, Covid-19, wind and rain, not mention occasional car trouble, all managed to reduce me to a pitiable number.  But, on the other hand, I am healthy, Shari is healthy. I assume, if you're reading this, you are too. Stay that way.

Species         First Sighting

Brant   Brig

Canada Goose   Meadow View Ln

Mute Swan   Double Trouble State Park

Wood Duck   Meadow View Ln

Blue-winged Teal   Manahawkin WMA

Mallard   Meadow View Ln

American Black Duck   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Brig

Ring-necked Duck   Colliers Mills WMA

Hooded Merganser   Crestwood Village

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   35 Sunset Rd

American Coot   Brig

American Oystercatcher   East Bay Av

Black-bellied Plover   Brig

Killdeer   Colliers Mills WMA

Whimbrel   Brig

Red Knot   Brig

Stilt Sandpiper   Brig

Dunlin   Brig

White-rumped Sandpiper   Brig

Pectoral Sandpiper   Brig

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Greater Yellowlegs   Manahawkin WMA

Willet   Brig

Lesser Yellowlegs   Brig

Laughing Gull   Brig

Ring-billed Gull   Brig

Herring Gull   Manahawkin WMA

Great Black-backed Gull   Brig

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Forster's Tern   Brig

Double-crested Cormorant   Manahawkin WMA

Great Blue Heron   Meadow View Ln

Great Egret   Double Trouble State Park

Snowy Egret   Manahawkin WMA

Green Heron   Manahawkin WMA

Glossy Ibis   Manahawkin WMA

Black Vulture   Colliers Mills WMA

Turkey Vulture   Crestwood Village

Osprey   Whiting WMA

Northern Harrier   Rt 539 New Egypt

Cooper's Hawk   Meadow View Ln

Bald Eagle   Meadow View Ln

Red-shouldered Hawk   Meadow View Ln

Red-tailed Hawk   Crestwood Village

Belted Kingfisher   Meadow View Ln

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Meadow View Ln

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Meadow View Ln

Downy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker   Whiting WMA

Pileated Woodpecker   Meadow View Ln

Northern Flicker   Meadow View Ln

American Kestrel   Rt 539 New Egypt

Eastern Phoebe   Meadow View Ln

Eastern Kingbird   Manasquan River WMA

White-eyed Vireo   Meadow View Ln

Blue Jay   Meadow View Ln

American Crow   Whiting WMA

Fish Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Chickadee   Meadow View Ln

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Martin   Meadow View Ln

Tree Swallow   Meadow View Ln

Barn Swallow   Brig

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Colliers Mills WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Double Trouble State Park

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Double Trouble State Park

House Wren   Whiting WMA

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA

Gray Catbird   Manasquan River WMA

Brown Thrasher   Manahawkin WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Bluebird   Meadow View Ln

Hermit Thrush   Meadow View Ln

Wood Thrush   Manasquan River WMA

American Robin   Crestwood Village

House Sparrow   Crestwood Village

House Finch   Meadow View Ln

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow   Meadow View Ln

Field Sparrow   Double Trouble State Park

Dark-eyed Junco   Meadow View Ln

White-throated Sparrow   Meadow View Ln

Seaside Sparrow   Brig

Song Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Swamp Sparrow   Double Trouble State Park

Eastern Towhee   Double Trouble State Park

Red-winged Blackbird   Meadow View Ln

Brown-headed Cowbird   35 Sunset Rd

Common Grackle   Crestwood Village

Boat-tailed Grackle   East Bay Av, Stafford Township

Ovenbird   Manahawkin WMA

Common Yellowthroat   Colliers Mills WMA

Palm Warbler   Double Trouble State Park

Pine Warbler   Meadow View Ln

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Meadow View Ln

Prairie Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Northern Cardinal   Meadow View Ln Blue Grosbeak   Manasquan River WMA

Palm Warbler, Whiting WMA

Manasquan River WMA 4/30--Eastern Kingbird, Wood Thrush, Prairie Warbler, Blue Grosbeak

Blurry Blue Grosbeak

On the last day of the month I decided to get away from the local area and see what the Manasquan River WMA had to offer. I added 4 year birds, but the two specialties I was hoping for--Louisiana Waterthrush and Blue-winged Warbler--were not to be found. Frustrating, especially since I know from another birder that I talked to there that Blue-winged was around.

However, I did see a Wood Thrush, which doesn't happen every year, and I tracked down a Blue Grosbeak by song, which made me proud. I heard a Prairie Warbler, which was disappointing in a way; I like to find my first one at Colliers Mills in the spot off Hawkin Road where they breed. 

The waterthrush is probably gone, but the Blue-winged Warblers hang around which means another trip up to Brick. I thought it might be empty in this WMA, yet I had to step aside for someone else on the trail more times than I liked.

34 species

Canada Goose  3

Mourning Dove  2

Herring Gull  15

Double-crested Cormorant  25

Turkey Vulture  2

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  3

Northern Flicker  1

Eastern Kingbird  1

Blue Jay  2    Heard

Carolina Chickadee  3

Tufted Titmouse  4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1

White-breasted Nuthatch  1    Heard

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4

House Wren  1

Carolina Wren  1    Heard

Gray Catbird  2

Eastern Bluebird  5

Wood Thrush  1

American Robin  25

American Goldfinch  1

Field Sparrow  7

White-throated Sparrow  1    Heard

Eastern Towhee  5

Red-winged Blackbird  10

Common Grackle  1

Ovenbird  10    Heard

Common Yellowthroat  5    Heard

Palm Warbler  2

Pine Warbler  1

Prairie Warbler  1    Heard

Northern Cardinal  1    Heard 

Blue Grosbeak

Whiting WMA 4/29--House Wren

House Wren

There's a saying about baseball (& oh these empty nights) that in any game you watch you will see something, some play, some sequence of events, that you've never seen before and I think that for the most part that applies to birding too; it's just not as apparent as it is in the structure of a game.

Today's loop through the WMA started out well almost immediately when I heard a bird not far from the house that I couldn't quite place. I stood in one spot long enough to finally see the bird, a House Wren, fly in and sing it's rapid song. I'm more used to hearing them scold me from thickets and tangles than I am hearing them sing, and while it certainly isn't a rare bird, it did feel good to finally hear and see one.

I walked around a few of the big empty square fields that have been cut into the woods of WMA which are perfect for edge birding. The local bluebird society has put up well over 20 boxes in these various fields and the bluebirds were using them today. But it wasn't until I got to the big pond, about 3/4 of the way around that I saw the unique event. Sometimes that pond, particularly in the winter, has a number of ducks on it, but today there was only a pair of Mallards. The ducks were agitated and started flying around; I saw an Osprey fly over the pond but normally that wouldn't upset ducks. Osprey are relatively uncommon over that pond, but I have seen them there. I saw a woman heading my way, so I walked around the bend of the path to keep our distance. She asked me if I had seen the bluebirds; I answered in the affirmative. Then, just as I was about to walk off she said, "Excuse me, is that a Bald Eagle in the lake?" I said I'd just seen an Osprey, but I came back, stood about 6 feet away and sure enough, an eagle had just flow in and landed atop a dead tree, which would explain the ducks' behavior. An Osprey won't eat a duck; an eagle might.

When I walked up the hill to take better photos of the eagle, I saw, in the pond, sitting on a stump, the Osprey. And there was the special event: I have seen eagles at the pond (I once even flushed a pair of them that were behind some brush which scared the hell out of me) and I have, as I said, on occasion seen Osprey, but I have never, at the same time simultaneously seen both birds there.

With things the way they are, you take your thrills where you find them.

29 species

Mallard  2    Pond

Mourning Dove  6

Osprey  1

Bald Eagle  1    

Red-bellied Woodpecker  1    Heard

Blue Jay  3

American Crow  2

Fish Crow  2

Carolina Chickadee  2    Heard

Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard

Tree Swallow  7    open fields

White-breasted Nuthatch  2    Heard

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4

House Wren  1    Singing

Carolina Wren  1    Heard

Eastern Bluebird  5    Open fields

American Robin  4

House Finch  5

American Goldfinch  1    Heard

Chipping Sparrow  15

White-throated Sparrow  1    Heard

Song Sparrow  1    Heard

Eastern Towhee  12

Brown-headed Cowbird  3    open field

Ovenbird  10    Heard

Common Yellowthroat  2    Heard

Palm Warbler  1

Pine Warbler  1    Heard

Northern Cardinal  2    Heard

Another Walk in Crestwood Village 4/28

Black Vulture and Black Cat

As I said, back to power line cuts for me. I took yet another walk through my development and along the power line cut today and didn't meet a soul and found quite a number of birds in the bargain.

The warblers, besides Pine Warblers, are starting to show up again around here--I had Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroat today; had them yesterday too, along with Palm Warbler in the WMA. Probably the most interesting bird, because it seemed out of place on a suburban street, was the Hairy Woodpecker I tracked down banging away in the crook of a deadish looking tree. But by far, the most amusing sight was the little flock of Black Vultures I found hanging around a house about two blocks from here.

How'd you like to come home and find this guy waiting at your door? 

The cat didn't look very happy about seeing the vultures. The vultures certainly weren't intimidated by the cat. In the photo it looks like the bird and cat are about the same size and I don't think that's trick of perspective.

I'd be hard pressed right now to find this many birds in Colliers Mills, so a successful walk

34 species

Canada Goose  2

Mourning Dove  12

Herring Gull  10

Black Vulture  6

Turkey Vulture  2

Red-tailed Hawk  1

Red-bellied Woodpecker  2    Heard

Downy Woodpecker  1

Hairy Woodpecker  1    Long beak no spots on outer tail feathers

Northern Flicker  1

Eastern Phoebe  1    Heard

Blue Jay  10

American Crow  1    Heard

Fish Crow  10

Carolina Chickadee  5

Tufted Titmouse  4    Heard

White-breasted Nuthatch  2    Heard

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1

Carolina Wren  1    Heard

European Starling  2

Northern Mockingbird  1    Heard

American Robin  6

House Finch  1    Heard

American Goldfinch  2

Chipping Sparrow  15

Song Sparrow  5

Eastern Towhee  4

Red-winged Blackbird  2    Heard

Brown-headed Cowbird  5

Common Grackle  4

Ovenbird  1    Heard

Common Yellowthroat  1    Heard

Pine Warbler  1

Northern Cardinal  10    Heard

Brig | Backyard 4/25--Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Whimbrel, Red Knot, Stilt Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Gull-billed Tern, Forster's Tern, Barn Swallow, Seaside Sparrow

Forster's Terns

Today, the potentially only nice day until Tuesday, Shari & I went to Brig, where it was too crowded with cars and walkers for me to feel comfortable or to concentrate very well on the flocks of shorebirds in front of us. Fortunately, we ran into Jason, and while keeping the recommended distance between us, he pointed out a few shorebirds I’m certain I would have overlooked—White-rumped Sandpiper, Red Knot, Pectoral Sandpipers, as well as a couple of Gull-billed Terns. To our credit, I found a Stilt Sandpiper & Shari picked out a Semipalmated Sandpiper at the very edge of a large flock of Black-billed Plovers and Dunlins.

I’m sure there were a lot more birds to be found than the 50 we came up with, but I didn’t feel comfortable in the upland area where there seemed to be a continuous stream of strollers with babies and dogs and it was hard to listen for birds when we parked because the drive felt more like a highway than a wildlife drive as cars rushed to the exit after having seen the watery part of the refuge.

Maybe it was so active because it was a Saturday, though in the lockdown, every day seems the same, but perhaps on a weekday some people would still have jobs to do. But even Forsythe is closing down parts of its refuge, like Cedar Bonnet Island and the deCamp trail (as they should) because too many people were crowding onto those narrow paths. But the closures just keep concentrating anyone who wants to be outside into fewer and fewer areas, which make them too crowded, which leads to shutdowns.

Back to power line cuts and obscure WMAs for me.

When we got home we found the most exciting bird of the day—a Ruby-throated Hummingbird finally made an appearance at our feeder. At first glance I thought it was the shadow of another bird on the seed feeder but then I saw the hovering and the glint of ruby in the sun.  It had become so late in the season (or so it seemed to me), that I was just about ready to ask our neighbors if they’d seen any. When we mentioned that we saw one today to our next door neighbor, he said he’d been seeing them since Wednesday. Even though I know we get them every year, until I actually hear the whippoorwill or see the hummingbird or the turkeys, I always wonder if this is the year we won’t have one. It would only be a speck of the unusual in such a crazy year.

50 species

Brant  6

Canada Goose  60    with goslings

Mute Swan  4    Gull Pond

Blue-winged Teal  2

Mallard  2

American Black Duck  4

Green-winged Teal  4

American Coot  1

Black-bellied Plover  175    flocks of 25, 50, 100. Stopped counting after that

Whimbrel  15

Red Knot  1    With black-bellied plovers, salmon breast, much shorter bill than dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper  1    Yellow legs, curved beak, feeding like an oil derrick

Dunlin  25

White-rumped Sandpiper  1    Smaller than Dunlin with crossed tail tips

Pectoral Sandpiper  12    Exact count

Semipalmated Sandpiper  1    Small sandpiper w black legs, relatively short bill

Short-billed Dowitcher  60

Greater Yellowlegs  25

Willet  30

Lesser Yellowlegs  20

Laughing Gull  2

Ring-billed Gull  10

Herring Gull  100

Great Black-backed Gull  1

Gull-billed Tern  2    Thick bodied terns with heavy all black bills

Forster's Tern  50

Double-crested Cormorant  140

Great Blue Heron  3

Great Egret  20

Snowy Egret  15

Turkey Vulture  1

Osprey  8

White-eyed Vireo  1    Heard

Fish Crow  3

Carolina Chickadee  1    Heard

Tufted Titmouse  3

Purple Martin  10

Tree Swallow  25

Barn Swallow  1

Carolina Wren  1    Heard

American Robin  1

American Goldfinch  1    Heard

Chipping Sparrow  1    Heard

Field Sparrow  1    Heard

Seaside Sparrow  1    Heard

Song Sparrow  2    Heard

Eastern Towhee  3    Heard

Red-winged Blackbird  50

Common Yellowthroat  4    Heard

Northern Cardinal  1    Heard