Delaware in Ocean County 6/14--Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet

American Avocet

Barnegat Light seemed like the most interesting place to go this morning; the prospect of some county year birds was the attraction. The forecast was for cloudy skies all day. Cloudy is good when you're looking at water--cuts down on the glare. 

I knew that an American Avocet had been reported the last couple of days. Easy to see in Delaware, a rarity most parts of this state, including Ocean County. Since it is Piping Plover nesting season, the pond that was created in the dunes a few years back is stringed off and can only be viewed from some openings in the dunes. But if you go into the maritime forest and stop at its highest point, there is a good panoramic view of the pond, and I found the bird almost immediately.  I took a few digiscope photos, then walked the beach. As it happened, I was also able to see the bird through one of the gaps, framed by two Great Black-backed Gulls. 

I walked down to the end of the jetty, hoping to find some Great Shearwaters, also reported of late, but despite diligent scoping of the many gulls (and a few terns) flying around the fishing boats, none turned up for me. Nor did any of the bigger terns like Caspian or Royal. 

I was going to walk the beach down to the sunken mast about 1/2 mile north when I noticed that it seem a little cloudier than before. And windier. And colder. I looked at weather map on my phone and saw that a big blotch of rain was heading right at me and I had maybe 20 minutes to get back to the car. I started walking back, when I saw a big bolt of lightning crack the gray sky. Oh great, and here I am with a big metal object on my shoulder (the scope and tripod). Why don't I just walk the beach with a lightning rod? 

The 20 minutes I thought I had turned out to be more like 10 and by the time I got back to the car I was thoroughly soaked, though unelectrocuted. At least I got the avocet, along with 30 or so expected species.

By the time I got off the island, the storm had passed. I briefly thought about stopping at Manahawkin, but 1) I was soaked and 2) I was soaked in short pants and Manahawkin this time of year is like a loud clock: TICK TICK TICK TICK.

I got home, walked in the WMA behind the house, had lunch, read a book, when an alert came in that another Delaware specialty had shown up in county: 2 Black-necked Stilts at, where else, Manahawkin (although everyone was listing it as Bridge to Nowhere, which is wrong, since the impoundment is in the WMA and the Bridge to Nowhere marsh is the other side of the road, but I seem to be the only one to make the distinction).

Normally, I wouldn't rush out of the house and go all way back to Manahawkin for a rarity. I might hope that it stuck around for tomorrow, but I could already tell, I didn't feel like going there tomorrow, plus the symmetry was too appealing of having two birds I normally go to Bombay Hook to see be in the county on the same day. I changed into my permethrin treated pants, put on my muck boots and drove down. They weren't hard to find. They were standing on a sandbar in the middle of the impoundment. I could have ticked them from the little hill at the entrance to the path, but I wanted a picture, so I walked into the waist-high and higher vegetation until I could find a space between the waving phragmites and took some decent photos. Thank the birding gods for permethrin, because I seem to have come back without any ticks clinging to me.

Black-necked Stilts

Interestingly, I think the only other sighting I've had of Black-necked Stilt in this county was at Manahawkin a number of years ago. That day it was in the back impoundment. I thought today that as long as I was there, I might as well walk back there and see if there was anything else interesting, but I looked down at my tick-free pants and decided not to press my luck.