Cedar Bonnet Island | Barnegat Light SP 5/5--Semipalmated Sandpiper, Gray Kingbird, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula

Gray Kingbird

Gray Kingbird at Barnegat Light ticked a lot of boxes today: Country Bird (I've seen it many times in the Bahamas, PR, and T&T, but never in the USA) and then it follows, State Bird, and County Bird, and of course, Year Bird. It is funny how this rarity slowly bubbled to the surface of birder awareness. It was originally reported on Sunday by an out-of-state birder, with no photo, and not on eBird, until mid-week. Then yesterday two other out-of-state birders found it and posted photographs. I knew I'd chase this bird because for one thing, flycatchers tend to stay in one place and for another, the area it was in was relatively small.

I started the morning at Cedar Bonnet Island, figuring there was no really hurry--either the bird was at Barnegat Light or it wasn't. I don't usually do well at Cedar Bonnet--I suspect it is because I always feel like I have to get to the next stop, so I don't give it the time I should. And I wasn't doing all the great this morning until I was walking out when I finally saw a couple of year birds--a Red-eyed Vireo and a trio of Northern Parulas. 

At the Light, the kingbird had been reported hanging around the lighthouse and the visitor's center. When I got there, a birder friend of mine was in front of the lighthouse--she had seen the bird, perched on a bench, no less, but lost it when she went to report its location. This seemed typical to me, a variety of the "OH, you just missed it" statement. We wandered the area a little and a couple of other birder acquaintances showed up, and we stood near the lighthouse, and nothing was shaking there. I said I was going to walk in the maritime forest which is very small and across from the visitor center. My reasoning was that I've never seen any kind of kingbird that wasn't out in the open, and from the top of the hill in the forest, we could look out on to the dunes. My reasoning was correct. At the steps of the forest we came across a Swainson's Thrush (FOY), a Palm Warbler (all of sudden flagged as "rare"), and an Eastern Kingbird that fooled us for a second. A few step up the path, though, we came upon the Gray Kingbird, and for the rest of the day, it was an easy bird to find as it hawked insects from the top of the trees. By this time, many more birders were arriving, to the point where we had to make room for everyone to see it. 

Piping Plover

I hadn't planned on a long stay at the Light. I figured I'd get the bird, take a walk out to the ocean, and scram. But the forest was surprisingly full of birds--Barnegat Light is not a popular destination for birders except in winter--so the park is probably underbirded. After spending longer than I had planned in the forest, I did take my walk on the beach, where I added Semipalmated Sandpiper to the list. I also wanted to find a Piping Plover or two, just for the challenge of it, and I was successful in that enterprise too. Walking back I ran into Steve and couple of other birder friends, so I turned around and walked back to end of the jetty with them, stopping for Semi Sand, since I wanted to confirm my i.d.--there was something about it that just didn't look right, but sandpipers are always in some kind of confusing molt as far as I can tell. 

One more walk in the forest was suggested and I'm glad I stayed, because, besides the almost laughingly easy-to-find kingbird, there was a beautiful Cape May Warbler at the entrance, and later, high up in the canopy, my first Blue-headed Vireo and Yellow-throated Vireo, the latter, a relatively difficult bird for the area. 

So that made 8 year birds for the day. Instead of the 2 hours I planned on at Barnegat I was there for more than 4. But it was well worth it, well worth it, indeed. And yet, so many more birds are popping up on my "needs" alerts. Including the Worm-eating Warbler that I missed there--others with more luck and/or patience did see it. 

The Barnegat Light list: 

43 species
Brant  80
Canada Goose  2
Rock Pigeon   3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
American Oystercatcher  4
Piping Plover  3
Ruddy Turnstone  14
Sanderling  1
Purple Sandpiper  4
Semipalmated Sandpiper  1     Jetty
Bonaparte's Gull  2     End of jetty & in the water
Laughing Gull  2
Ring-billed Gull  3
Herring Gull  50
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  20
Double-crested Cormorant  5
Little Blue Heron  1
Osprey  1
Merlin  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Gray Kingbird  1    
White-eyed Vireo  1
Yellow-throated Vireo  1     
Blue-headed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  1
Fish Crow  9
Carolina Chickadee  3
Barn Swallow  10
Carolina Wren  1
European Starling  1
Gray Catbird  3
Swainson's Thrush  2     Maritime Forest & parking lot
House Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1
Baltimore Oriole  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Black-and-white Warbler  6
Cape May Warbler  1     
Northern Parula  1
Palm Warbler  1     
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Northern Cardinal  2