Great Bay Blvd 5/28--Black Skimmer

Black Skimmers

Normally, I wouldn't go down to Great Bay Blvd on a weekend--too many fishermen on the beach, too many Jet-skis roaring through the channels, scaring away the birds, but we've entered the time of year when it is hard to find any potentially productive spot that isn't also full of non-birders. Island Beach SP is going to be free this summer; my reaction was, "That's just great, more people in the way." 

There aren't many places in the county to find Black Skimmer. Tuckerton is one of the reliable spots, if the tide is right and if no one is motoring around in the cove north of the mitigation bulwark. Today, those conditions were met and a quick glance from the parking spot revealed a quartet of skimmers roosting on a sliver of beach. With them, I considered the trip a success. 

Ruddy Turnstone

The tide was higher than it was on Tuesday, but shorebirds, aside from Semipalmated Sandpipers, weren't as prevalent as earlier in the week. Maybe because of the aforementioned non-birders. I saw no Black-bellied Plovers, and the Red Knots were not on the beach, much to the disappointment of a birder from central Jersey who'd come down to see them, hoping to avoid a trip to Cape May. Short-billed Dowitchers were in short supply, as were Dunlins. 

Seaside Sparrow

It wasn't all dreary though. That central Jersey birder (from my hometown, no less), also needed Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, and Least Tern. We found a few of the first, lots of the second, and couple of the third. So, he was happy. 

Willow Flycatcher

I took my walk up the road, checking the salt pans and mud flats along the way. Disappointingly, no night-herons of either flavor today in the cedar roosts. However, I did hear and see a Willow Flycatcher just south of the first wooden bridge. While yesterday, on Scott's trip to Island Beach, I'd heard a couple and gotten a crappy look at one, this bird made it official in my mind. I don't know why, but most of my county Willows have been in Tuckerton. I've always found them farther south than where I had one today, and I always superstitiously check the wires over the wind monitoring station for them, but we're talking a difference of 1/2 a mile here. 

42 species
Mallard  2     Middle of the road.
Mourning Dove  2
Clapper Rail  1     Heard
American Oystercatcher  1
Semipalmated Plover  4
Ruddy Turnstone  8
Dunlin  2
Least Sandpiper  2
White-rumped Sandpiper  2
Semipalmated Sandpiper  75
Short-billed Dowitcher  5
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Willet  6
Laughing Gull  100
Herring Gull  25
Great Black-backed Gull  5
Least Tern  3
Forster's Tern  6
Black Skimmer  5
Common Loon  1     Breeding plumage
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Great Blue Heron  2
Great Egret  27
Snowy Egret  14
Tricolored Heron  1
Osprey  3
Willow Flycatcher  1
Eastern Kingbird  1     North of 2nd wooden bridge
Fish Crow  6
Tree Swallow  3     One of them coming out of hole in piling at boat launch
Barn Swallow  100
Marsh Wren  1     Heard
Gray Catbird  8
Seaside Sparrow  15
Saltmarsh Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  10
Red-winged Blackbird  75
Boat-tailed Grackle  50
Common Yellowthroat  10
Yellow Warbler  5
Northern Cardinal  1