Barnegat Light SP 5/16--Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Petrel at bottom gulls on top for size comparison

Whatever weather event out over the Atlantic that pushed in all the Arctic Terns over the weekend, seems to have also affected a large number of Wilson's Storm-Petrels, pushing flocks of them much closer to shore than normal. This morning, at Barnegat Light, I was amazed to see one immediately upon climbing up to the concrete walkway, dancing on the water as they will, in the middle of the inlet. I had prepared myself to spend a fair amount of time seawatching, and I while I had heard they were between the jetties, I expected them to be out at the mouth of the inlet, not a mile in. When I saw a second one there, with the diagnostic white rump and caught some good looks at their funny tubenoses. It was great to see them so close in--they're only about the size of a crow, so trying to scope them as they skip around far out on the waves is no fun. I did that last year at Manasquan Inlet. These were much better looks. 

I then walked the beach, which this time of year has the inland pond cordoned off to protect nesting birds, particularly the Piping Plovers. Again, instead of having to search for these perfectly camouflaged, sand-colored plovers, I found one practically at my feet as soon as I got near the protected area.  When I got to the shore and looked out over the jetty, there were, as I had originally hoped, a small flock of petrels hopping around on the water--I counted 6 which I thought was a pretty good number until I saw reports later in the day from Point Pleasant of counts above 70. I didn't even try to photograph those birds with my slow-focusing camera, but when I walked south along the beach, I saw another petrel much closer to the beach and said what the heck, pulled out the camera, and just aimed the camera in the direction of the petrel. Amazingly, I captured a couple of images, demonstrating the old blind squirrel/acorn trope. 

Maybe because I had more time to pay attention to non-shorebirds, I found some species of birds that were new for me as patch birds at Barnegat Light, like Northern Rough-winged Swallow, American Redstart, and Eastern Pewee. In all I counted 43 species.

Brant  4
Canada Goose  3
Mallard  3
Mourning Dove  2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2
American Oystercatcher  4
Black-bellied Plover  1
Piping Plover  4
Ruddy Turnstone  6
Sanderling  21
Willet  1
Laughing Gull  80
Herring Gull  100
Great Black-backed Gull  75
Common Tern  50
Wilson's Storm-Petrel  7     
Double-crested Cormorant  20
Osprey  3
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1     Seen & heard Maritime Forest
Great Crested Flycatcher  2
White-eyed Vireo  2     Heard
Red-eyed Vireo  1
American Crow  2
Fish Crow  1     Heard
Carolina Chickadee  1     Heard
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  2     Construction area
Tree Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  1
Carolina Wren  1     Heard
European Starling  4
Gray Catbird  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
American Robin  1
House Sparrow  8
Song Sparrow  5
Eastern Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Boat-tailed Grackle  15
Common Yellowthroat  4
American Redstart  1
Yellow Warbler  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler   1
Northern Cardinal  3