After a couple of semi-productive stops in New Egypt (Jumping Brook Preserve & the Brynmore Road "pastures"), I intended only a quick walk at Colliers Mills. Mostly, I was hoping to find a kestrel on the power lines along Success Road. But what always happens is this: As long as I'm all the way up here on Success, I may as well cut over to the woods east of the police range and look again for a Red-headed Woodpecker. Well, as long as I'm in the woods, I may as well walk a little bit more see what ducks are on Turnmill Pond. Well, as long as I'm here counting a huge flock of Ring-necked Ducks, I may as well walk along the berm...and I reached the end of the berm and it appears I'm circling the pond and it has become a 2-mile hike.
And I'm glad I did because I got a little surprise on Hawkin Road. Besides the juncos, the Brown Creeper, the Hermit Thrush, and the Fox Sparrow that were all along the edge of the road, suddenly a gray flycatcher with a brown head appeared at the top of a leafless bush--my first Eastern Phoebe of the year.
I was surprised to find it flagged as "rare" on eBird. Phoebes do overwinter occasionally in Ocean County--I remember seeing one at Double Trouble in January the day after Shari & I discovered the lapwings at the aforementioned Brynmore Road "pastures"--but this one must be early, because I have walked that stretch of Hawkin Road at least 10 times this year and never saw a phoebe until yesterday. Today, I notice, there are a couple of more reports from other parts of the county, so one more sliver of evidence that migration is beginning earlier and earlier each year.
No bird photos, but assuming you're not eating while reading this, here is a photo from the "pasture" I've titled "Hmm Hmmm Hm, Good Eatin'!"
My Colliers Mills list for yesterday:
Colliers Mills WMA, Ocean, New Jersey, US
Mar 5, 2022 10:07 AM - 12:09 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
30 species
Canada Goose 41
Ring-necked Duck 118 Not unusual to have large flocks on Turnmill Pond in late winter
Lesser Scaup 1 With RNDU
Hooded Merganser 3 Colliers Mills Lake
Mourning Dove 4
Turkey Vulture 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Heard
Northern Flicker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 2
Carolina Chickadee 1 Heard
Tufted Titmouse 4 Heard
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Brown Creeper 1 Off Hawkin Road
Carolina Wren 1 Heard
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 2
Hermit Thrush 1 Hawkin Road
American Robin 100
Field Sparrow 1 Success Road
Fox Sparrow 3 Success Road & Hawkin Road & burnt area behind parking lot
Dark-eyed Junco 10
White-throated Sparrow 15
Song Sparrow 12
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 40
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Berm
Northern Cardinal 1 Burnt area behind parking lot
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