Bunker Hill Bogs 5/13--Prothonotary Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler

"Sweet Sweet Sweet," it was this morning in Bunker Hill Bogs, a site I haven't visited for quite some time. I went in from Butterfly Road, what I think of as the "back way" after first visiting FREC and Butterfly Bogs. I had just seen a striking Scarlet Tanager in a pine tree as I came out on to the abandoned bogs. I first heard it singing but didn't know what it was or where it was; then, with my head swiveling in all directions I saw the brilliant red against the green tree. A few more steps brought me to the edge of the bog where I usually find Wood Ducks. I had just been thinking that I hadn't seen a Yellow Warbler and would expect to when I heard a song. "Oh, there's one," I said to myself and immediately corrected myself when I realized the song wasn't a Yellow's "Sweet, Sweet, I'm so sweet," but the "Sweet sweet sweet" etc of the Prothonotary Warbler. I could see the bird flitting about in the thicket but it wouldn't come out to show any field marks. I was very confident in my i.d. since the bird and song on my phone app were identical, to the point where I wasn't sure when my phone was playing and when the real bird was singing.

I walked through the boggy area and into the forested area. I wasn't see that much until, as so often happens, I came to one spot where all the birds seemed to be congregating--Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and my first Black-throated Green Warbler of the year. Usually, I find this species in the "bowl" north of Reeds Road on IBSP, but I'm avoiding that narrow path right now--too popular--so I was happy to find the bird in another spot.

On the way back I was surprised by 4 Glossy Ibises flying out of the back bog. Never see them in this area of Ocean County.

FREC and Butterfly Bogs were also spots I hadn't visited in a long time. Both had enough birds to keep me occupied but nothing of note.

The day list for the 3 spots which are all within a mile of each other yet have very different habitats.
Number of Taxa: 45
15 Canada Goose 
1 Wood Duck 
2 Mallard 
1 Mourning Dove
1 Great Egret 
4 Glossy Ibis 
3 Turkey Vulture 
3 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Northern Flicker 
5 Great Crested Flycatcher 
6 White-eyed Vireo 
1 Warbling Vireo 
1 Red-eyed Vireo 
2 American Crow 
2 Fish Crow 
5 Carolina Chickadee 
1 Tufted Titmouse
35 Tree Swallow
2 White-breasted Nuthatch 
8 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 
3 House Wren 
2 Carolina Wren 
4 European Starling 
27 Gray Catbird
5 Eastern Bluebird 
3 Wood Thrush
10 American Robin 
2 House Finch 
2 American Goldfinch 
3 Chipping Sparrow 
1 Song Sparrow 
6 Eastern Towhee 
30 Red-winged Blackbird 
10 Common Grackle 
7 Ovenbird 
5 Black-and-white Warbler 
1 Prothonotary Warbler
12 Common Yellowthroat 
1 Northern Parula 
2 Pine Warbler -
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler 
1 Black-throated Green Warbler 
1 Scarlet Tanager 
5 Northern Cardinal