Sandy Hook 12/28--Wood Stork

A couple of weeks ago, on the Sandy Hook CBC, a pair of Wood Storks were discovered at Spermaceti Cove. What a fantastic record for that Christmas Count. While Wood Storks are not unprecedented in NJ (or Sandy Hook for that matter) a pair of them in winter is astounding. 

Determined not to dither about these birds as I did the Western Kingbird, I was at Sandy Hook the next morning. And didn't see the birds because the rising tide had flushed them to a stand of trees deep in the marsh. I wasn't too upset, except for the long ride to the Hook, where there is nothing I can't see at Island Beach or Barnegat Light except the garbage on the beach. 

I didn't expect the storks would hang around very long, a cold marsh not being their ideal habitat. But, so long as birds have food, it takes truly extreme weather to really bother them. Great Blue Herons are here all winter, why shouldn't a big bird like a stork continue on so long as it doesn't have to break through ice to find nourishment? Which is what has happened and after seeing, for the last two weeks, dozens of reports of the storks, I just got sick of not having them on my year list, and, seeing that low tide was in the morning, I drove up there again today. I found one bird pretty quickly, but it was far out in the marsh, on the water's edge, behind high reeds, in sun glare. Hardly ideal viewing conditions, but then a few minutes later the other stork appeared closer in, still in a vicious glare, but close enough to get good looks with the scope and close enough to document in photos. 

Having ticked that species for the year, I visited various spots on the Hook, walking as much as possible and staying out of the wind too, so no extended sea watches, and no sorting through huge flocks of gulls. I leave that for the fanatics. I did walk North Beach for a bit, hoping for Snow Buntings. I found one. It is actually harder to find one bunting than a flock of them, but I managed it. A small flock of Horned Larks were also on the beach, eating god knows what, but unfortunately, no longspurs were mixed in. 

Horned Larks

I suspect that concludes my list for the year. There's a Northern Lapwing in Cumberland County but Cumberland County, as far as I'm concerned is Delaware with sales tax. It would have to be something pretty special to get me to chase again this year. But next week, if those storks continue, you can bet I'll be up on the Spermaceti boardwalk, getting a full head of steam up for the 2022 list.