October Review--Winter Finch Edition

Pine Siskin, Assunpink

The month started in Cape May and ended in Assunpink. So I ranged farther afield this month than any since the pandemic began. And it showed in my results, 11 year birds and 170 species for the month. 

The big bird news was the incredible irruption of winter finches in New Jersey. Their heralds, the Red-breasted Nuthatches, were everywhere in September. They're still pretty easy to find, but their numbers are nothing like the Pine Siskins that have swarmed feeders all over New Jersey. And while Purple Finches have had a happy scattering, including a couple of females at our feeders, the really big surprise was the return in fairly impressive numbers of Evening Grosbeaks. While we still haven't had any at our feeders, they are popping up everywhere and not just only as flyovers. On Tuesday, I returned to Wells Mills Park with Shari so she could see the Evening Grosbeak that spent a few days at their feeder and we weren't disappointed. At least not in the bird. But by the third day, I guess all the hard core Ocean County birders had made the trip to see the bird and most of the viewers there were on Tuesday were photographers with their long lenses and obsession with the light. And by the way, I got some great shots while I was there.

Evening Grosbeak, Wells Mills Park

Most of the other interesting birds I saw this month have already been documented below. I wound up at Assunpink today because my original destination, Colliers Mills, was jam-packed with hunters. There must have been 100 at the little parking area by the lake. I expect hunters this time of year, but not an army. I found out later, from a hunter at Assunpink, that today started youth hunting for pheasants. While it also applied to Assunpink, and there were supposedly almost as many hunters there as at Colliers Mills, I find that at Assunpink, I can co-exist nicely with the hunters, who don't seem to hunt where I bird, while at Colliers Mills, I feel like my blaze orange is just another target. 

At Assunpink today, waterfowl was back on the lake: Geese, swans, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, and wigeons, along with coots and Pied-billed Grebes. It was also cold, below freezing when I started; the first time I've worn gloves this season. Winter birding already here. 

Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Monmouth, Ocean

Species   First Sighting
Brant   Holgate
Cackling Goose   Shelter Cove Park
Canada Goose   South Cape May Meadows
Mute Swan   Cape May Hawkwatch
Wood Duck   Island Beach SP
Blue-winged Teal   South Cape May Meadows
Northern Shoveler   South Cape May Meadows
American Wigeon   Assunpink WMA
Mallard   Cape May Hawkwatch
American Black Duck   Island Beach SP
Northern Pintail   Brig
Green-winged Teal   Whitesbog
Ring-necked Duck   Assunpink WMA
White-winged Scoter   Island Beach SP
Black Scoter   Island Beach SP
Bufflehead   Whitesbog
Hooded Merganser   Whitesbog
Ruddy Duck   Assunpink WMA
Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd
Pied-billed Grebe   South Cape May Meadows
Rock Pigeon   Sandpiper Inn
Mourning Dove   CMBO Northwood Center
Chimney Swift   Whitesbog
Clapper Rail   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Common Gallinule   Cape May Hawkwatch
American Coot   Assunpink WMA
American Avocet   Brig
American Oystercatcher   Island Beach SP
Black-bellied Plover   Island Beach SP
American Golden-Plover   Island Beach SP
Semipalmated Plover   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Killdeer   BC Fairgrounds
Hudsonian Godwit   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Ruddy Turnstone   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Sanderling   Island Beach SP
Dunlin   Brig
Least Sandpiper   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Pectoral Sandpiper   Island Beach SP
Semipalmated Sandpiper   Island Beach SP
Short-billed Dowitcher   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Long-billed Dowitcher   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Greater Yellowlegs   The Wetlands Institute
Lesser Yellowlegs   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Laughing Gull   Higbee Beach WMA
Ring-billed Gull   Holgate
Herring Gull   Higbee Beach WMA
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Great Black-backed Gull   Higbee Beach WMA
Caspian Tern   Island Beach SP
Forster's Tern   Brig
Royal Tern   Island Beach SP
Black Skimmer   Sandpiper Inn
Red-throated Loon   Island Beach SP
Common Loon   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant   Higbee Beach WMA
Brown Pelican   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Great Blue Heron   Cape May Hawkwatch
Great Egret   Garden State Parkway N,
Snowy Egret   Island Beach SP
Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Black Vulture   Cape May Hawkwatch
Turkey Vulture   Higbee Beach WMA
Osprey   Higbee Beach WMA
Northern Harrier   Cape May Hawkwatch
Sharp-shinned Hawk   South Cape May Meadows
Cooper's Hawk   Cape May Hawkwatch
Bald Eagle   Higbee Beach WMA
Red-shouldered Hawk   Whitesbog
Broad-winged Hawk   Cape May Hawkwatch
Red-tailed Hawk   BC Fairgrounds
Great Horned Owl   BC Fairgrounds
Belted Kingfisher   Island Beach SP
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Island Beach SP
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Higbee Beach WMA
Downy Woodpecker   Island Beach SP
Hairy Woodpecker   Whitesbog
Northern Flicker   Beach Plum Farm
American Kestrel   BC Fairgrounds
Merlin   South Cape May Meadows
Peregrine Falcon   Cape May Hawkwatch
Eastern Wood-Pewee   Island Beach SP
Least Flycatcher   Whitesbog
Eastern Phoebe   Higbee Beach WMA
Blue-headed Vireo   Island Beach SP
Red-eyed Vireo   Higbee Beach WMA
Blue Jay   Higbee Beach WMA
American Crow   Sandpiper Inn
Fish Crow   Higbee Beach WMA
Common Raven   Island Beach SP
Carolina Chickadee   Higbee Beach WMA
Tufted Titmouse   Higbee Beach WMA
Tree Swallow   Sandpiper Inn
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
Red-breasted Nuthatch   Higbee Beach WMA
White-breasted Nuthatch   Beach Plum Farm
Brown Creeper   Beach Plum Farm
House Wren   Higbee Beach WMA
Winter Wren   Island Beach SP
Carolina Wren   Higbee Beach WMA
European Starling   Higbee Beach WMA
Gray Catbird   Higbee Beach WMA
Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP
Northern Mockingbird   Cape May Point SP
Eastern Bluebird   Whitesbog
Veery   Island Beach SP
Hermit Thrush   Island Beach SP
Wood Thrush   Beach Plum Farm
American Robin   Island Beach SP
Cedar Waxwing   Higbee Beach WMA
House Sparrow   Beach Plum Farm
American Pipit   BC Fairgrounds
Evening Grosbeak   Wells Mills Park
House Finch   35 Sunset Rd
Purple Finch   BC Fairgrounds
Pine Siskin   Island Beach SP
American Goldfinch   Beach Plum Farm
Chipping Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd
Clay-colored Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Field Sparrow   Reeves Bogs
Lark Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Dark-eyed Junco   Island Beach SP
White-crowned Sparrow   Island Beach SP
White-throated Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Vesper Sparrow   Brig
Seaside Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Nelson's Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Saltmarsh Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd WMA
Savannah Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Song Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Lincoln's Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Swamp Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Eastern Towhee   Island Beach SP
Bobolink   Cedar Bonnet Island
Eastern Meadowlark   Island Beach SP
Baltimore Oriole   Whitesbog
Red-winged Blackbird   Island Beach SP
Brown-headed Cowbird   BC Fairgrounds
Rusty Blackbird   Reeves Bogs
Common Grackle   Higbee Beach WMA
Boat-tailed Grackle   Island Beach SP
Ovenbird   Island Beach SP
Northern Waterthrush   Beach Plum Farm
Golden-winged Warbler   Beach Plum Farm
Black-and-white Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Tennessee Warbler   Whitesbog
Orange-crowned Warbler   Beach Plum Farm
Nashville Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Common Yellowthroat   Higbee Beach WMA
American Redstart   Higbee Beach WMA
Cape May Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Northern Parula   Higbee Beach WMA
Magnolia Warbler   Beach Plum Farm
Yellow Warbler   Island Beach SP
Chestnut-sided Warbler   Island Beach SP
Blackpoll Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Black-throated Blue Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Palm Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Pine Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Beach Plum Farm
Prairie Warbler   Island Beach SP
Black-throated Green Warbler   Higbee Beach WMA
Scarlet Tanager   Higbee Beach WMA
Northern Cardinal   Higbee Beach WMA
Painted Bunting   Island Beach SP
Dickcissel   Island Beach SP