With my aversion to crowds, it took me until the 30th to go back (with Mike) where it made a nice showing, but Shari has seen it twice while visiting our friends who happen to live directly across the street from where the stakeout hotspot pin has been placed.
It is inexplicable how this rarity of rarities wound up in our obscure little community, but as Myron Cohen once said, "Everybody's gotta be someplace."
But at least that "someplace" is relatively convenient. I used to say to Shari that I dreaded a rare bird ever turning up in our backyard (something I no longer have to worry about, odds against being even longer now) because of the chaos that would presumably ensue. However, this bird turned up where the parking is convenient--had something like this occurred in our yard, I doubt a lot of birders would be willing to walk the whole quarter mile that we are from Schoolhouse Road.
I read an article this week about a French street artist who goes by the name "Invader." He has cemented more than 4000 mosaics to buildings, bridges, pillars, subway stations, benches, railing, pipes and so forth in 172 cities in 32 countries. He calls them "invaders." He has also created a game, sort of an artistic Pokemon Go, in which you photograph ("flash") the mosaic and list it on the site. There is an even a list of top 100 "flashers" on the site, just like on eBird. The writer follows a group of people who travel from France through Switzerland to Slovenia, stopping at various sites and taking pictures of his invades. She makes them out as slightly crazed, eccentric nerds, who go to extreme lengths to find all 40 mosaics in the city they're visiting. Frankly, it didn't seem any sillier to me than doing a big day or chasing a little bird from Finland that happened to plunk down in the Pine Barrens.
Since it looks likely that the bird will winter here, it seems obligatory that I put it on my 2024 list. As to the rest of the month, there has been a lot of rain of late, so my new pair of muck boots has been put to almost constant use. The cranberry bogs on Dover Road are flooded, Whitesbog has pools where I've never seen them and, combined with the busy beavers, bogs are overflowing, pouring swift currents onto roads. Ditto with Reeves Bogs where the water coming out of the bogs is so rapid that I've considered that I might get knocked over by the force of the stream. I have 115 birds for the month, a little better than last year. Despite the Bluetail, the Black-headed Gull at Barnegat Light, and the Townsend's Warbler at Eno's Pond, the bird rarity that pleased me most was the Dickcissel I found at the Dover Road cranberry bogs. Why? Because I found it myself.
For the year, 368 species, boosted up our Oregon trip. Only 9 lifebirds for the year, 7 in Oregon, and 2 in New Jersey--the Bluetail and Cory's Shearwater off of Island Beach SP. In addition to those two, I added 3 more birds to the state list--Gray Kingbird at Barnegat Lighthouse SP, Sandwich Tern at Point Pleasant, and the Limpkin (which was the celebrity bird of November) in Manasquan, another unlikely locale, especially for a bird that lives on apple snails.
Month
Species First Sighting
Snow Goose Brig
Brant Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Canada Goose Whitesbog
Mute Swan Assunpink WMA
Trumpeter Swan Assunpink WMA
Tundra Swan Whitesbog
Wood Duck Whitesbog
Northern Shoveler Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Gadwall Bunker Hill Bogs
American Wigeon Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Mallard GSP MM 88
American Black Duck Cranberry Bogs
Northern Pintail Brig
Green-winged Teal Brig
Ring-necked Duck Butterfly Bogs WMA
Greater Scaup Great Bay Blvd
Lesser Scaup Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Harlequin Duck Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Black Scoter Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Long-tailed Duck Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Bufflehead Whitesbog
Hooded Merganser Assunpink WMA
Common Merganser Assunpink WMA
Red-breasted Merganser Waretown
Ruddy Duck Whitesbog
Wild Turkey 35 Sunset Rd
Pied-billed Grebe Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Horned Grebe Great Bay Blvd
Rock Pigeon South Toms River
Mourning Dove 35 Sunset Rd
American Coot Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Black-bellied Plover Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Killdeer Jackson Liberty HS
Wilson's Snipe Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs Great Bay Blvd
Dunlin Great Bay Blvd
Purple Sandpiper Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Bonaparte's Gull Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Black-headed Gull Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Ring-billed Gull Crestwood Village
Herring Gull Whitesbog
Great Black-backed Gull Lake of the Lilies
Common Loon Assunpink WMA
Great Cormorant Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Double-crested Cormorant Lake of the Lilies
Black-crowned Night Heron Brig
Great Egret Lake of the Lilies
Great Blue Heron Colliers Mills WMA
White-faced Ibis Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Turkey Vulture Manchester
Osprey Eno's Pond Park
Northern Harrier Assunpink WMA
Sharp-shinned Hawk Eno's Pond Park
Cooper's Hawk Pinelands Preservation Alliance Headquarters
Bald Eagle Eno's Pond Park
Red-shouldered Hawk Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk Crestwood Village
Belted Kingfisher Assunpink WMA
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Whitesbog
Red-headed Woodpecker Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker 35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker Assunpink WMA
Northern Flicker Whitesbog
Merlin Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Blue Jay Crestwood Village
American Crow 35 Sunset Rd
Common Raven Assunpink WMA
Carolina Chickadee 35 Sunset Rd
Tufted Titmouse 35 Sunset Rd
Horned Lark Jackson Liberty HS
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Assunpink WMA
Golden-crowned Kinglet Whitesbog
White-breasted Nuthatch 35 Sunset Rd
Brown Creeper 35 Sunset Rd
Winter Wren Cranberry Bogs
Carolina Wren 35 Sunset Rd
European Starling Toms River
Gray Catbird Eno's Pond Park
Northern Mockingbird Crestwood Village
Eastern Bluebird Pinelands Preservation Alliance Headquarters
Hermit Thrush Whitesbog
American Robin 35 Sunset Rd
RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL Crestwood Village
Cedar Waxwing Cranberry Bogs
House Sparrow 35 Sunset Rd
House Finch 35 Sunset Rd
Purple Finch Eno's Pond Park
Pine Siskin Whitesbog
American Goldfinch Whitesbog
Snow Bunting Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Chipping Sparrow Patriots County Park
Field Sparrow Whitesbog
American Tree Sparrow Whitesbog
Fox Sparrow Whitesbog
Dark-eyed Junco Whitesbog
White-crowned Sparrow Pinelands Preservation Alliance Headquarters
White-throated Sparrow 35 Sunset Rd
Savannah Sparrow Cranberry Bogs
Song Sparrow Whitesbog
Swamp Sparrow Cranberry Bogs
Eastern Towhee Bunker Hill Bogs
Baltimore Oriole Eno's Pond Park
Red-winged Blackbird Assunpink WMA
Common Grackle Sloop & Potter Creek Marshes
Boat-tailed Grackle Great Bay Blvd
Pine Warbler 35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-rumped Warbler Crestwood Village
Townsend's Warbler Eno's Pond Park
Northern Cardinal 35 Sunset Rd
Dickcissel Cranberry Bogs
Snow Goose Holgate
Greater White-fronted Goose Jackson Liberty HS
Brant Sandy Hook
Canada Goose Seven Presidents Park
Mute Swan Bridge to Nowhere
Trumpeter Swan Assunpink WMA
Tundra Swan Whitesbog
Wood Duck Cranberry Bogs
Blue-winged Teal Bombay Hook
Cinnamon Teal Philomath Sewage Ponds
Northern Shoveler Marshall's Pond
Gadwall Ocean Acres Pond
Eurasian Wigeon Marshall's Pond
American Wigeon Marshall's Pond
Mallard Sandy Hook
American Black Duck Sandy Hook
Northern Pintail Brig
Green-winged Teal Brig
Canvasback Brig
Redhead Riley Pond
Ring-necked Duck Manahawkin Lake
Greater Scaup East Bay Av
Lesser Scaup Lake of the Lilies
King Eider Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Eider Sandy Hook
Harlequin Duck Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter Sandy Hook
White-winged Scoter Sandy Hook
Black Scoter Island Beach SP
Long-tailed Duck Sandy Hook
Bufflehead Sandy Hook
Common Goldeneye Sandy Hook
Hooded Merganser Bridge to Nowhere
Common Merganser Assunpink WMA
Red-breasted Merganser Sandy Hook
Ruddy Duck East Bay Av
California Quail Philomath Sewage Ponds
Wild Turkey Jumping Brook Preserve
Pied-billed Grebe Lake Shenandoah County Park
Horned Grebe Sandy Hook
Eared Grebe Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Western Grebe Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Clark's Grebe Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Rock Pigeon Wawa South Toms River
Band-tailed Pigeon Reeher CCC Camp
Eurasian Collared-Dove NW Salzwedel Rd
Mourning Dove Cedar Bridge Rd
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Cranberry Bogs
Common Nighthawk Double Trouble SP
Chuck-will's-widow Collinstown Road
Eastern Whip-poor-will 35 Sunset Rd
Chimney Swift Cranberry Bogs
Vaux's Swift Country Inn
White-throated Swift Fort Rock SP
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 35 Sunset Rd
Black-chinned Hummingbird Summer Lake Rest Area
Anna's Hummingbird Summer Lake Rest Area
Rufous Hummingbird Reeher CCC Camp
Clapper Rail Great Bay Blvd
Virginia Rail Beach Ave
Sora Summer Lake Wildlife Area
American Coot Lake of the Lilies
Limpkin Manasquan
Sandhill Crane Cascade Lakes Hwy
Black-necked Stilt Brig
American Avocet Bombay Hook
American Oystercatcher Holgate
Black Oystercatcher Haystack Rock
Black-bellied Plover Sandy Hook
Killdeer Lake Barnegat
Semipalmated Plover Island Beach SP
Piping Plover Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Snowy Plover Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Upland Sandpiper Reed Sod Farm
Whimbrel Brig
Bar-tailed Godwit Brig
Marbled Godwit Holgate
Short-billed Dowitcher Bombay Hook
Long-billed Dowitcher Lake Barnegat
American Woodcock Budd's Bogs
Wilson's Snipe Cranberry Bogs
Wilson's Phalarope Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Red-necked Phalarope Brig
Spotted Sandpiper IBSP Marina
Solitary Sandpiper Manasquan River WMA
Lesser Yellowlegs Island Beach SP
Willet Great Bay Blvd
Greater Yellowlegs Bridge to Nowhere
Ruddy Turnstone Barnegat Lighthouse SP
BLACK TURNSTONE Seaside Cove
Red Knot Great Bay Blvd
SURFBIRD Seaside Cove
Stilt Sandpiper Brig
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Reed Sod Farm
Sanderling Sandy Hook
Dunlin Holgate
Purple Sandpiper Manasquan Inlet
Baird's Sandpiper Summer Lake Wildlife Area
White-rumped Sandpiper Cedar Bonnet Island
Least Sandpiper Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Pectoral Sandpiper Brig
Western Sandpiper Necanicum Estuary
Semipalmated Sandpiper Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Parasitic Jaeger Island Beach SP
Rhinoceros Auklet Seal Rock
Tufted Puffin Haystack Rock
Marbled Murrelet Seal Rock
Pigeon Guillemot Haystack Rock
Razorbill Sandy Hook
Dovekie Island Beach SP
Common Murre Manasquan Inlet
Bonaparte's Gull Sandy Hook
Black-headed Gull Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Laughing Gull Island Beach SP--Reed's Road
Franklin's Gull Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Heermann's Gull Seaside Cove
Ring-billed Gull Wawa South Toms River
Western Gull Necanicum Estuary
Herring Gull Sandy Hook
Great Black-backed Gull Sandy Hook
Lesser Black-backed Gull Island Beach SP
California Gull Cascade Locks
Glaucous-winged Gull Cascade Locks
Black Skimmer Brig
Least Tern Brig
Gull-billed Tern Brig
Caspian Tern Great Bay Blvd
Black Tern Silver Lake
Forster's Tern IBSP Marina
Common Tern Brig
Roseate Tern IBSP Marina
Sandwich Tern Baltimore Avenue
Royal Tern Shark River Inlet
Red-throated Loon Sandy Hook
Pacific Loon Seal Rock
Common Loon Sandy Hook
Wilson's Storm-Petrel Manasquan Inlet
CORY'S SHEARWATER Island Beach SP
Northern Gannet Sandy Hook
Brandt's Cormorant Haystack Rock
Pelagic Cormorant Seaside Cove
Great Cormorant Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant East Bay Av
American White Pelican Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Brown Pelican Island Beach SP
American Bittern Manahawkin WMA
Least Bittern Reeves Bogs
Yellow-crowned Night Heron Ocean City Welcome Center
Black-crowned Night Heron Great Bay Blvd
Little Blue Heron Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron Shelter Cove Park
Snowy Egret Island Beach SP
Green Heron Pond on Schoolhouse Road
Great Egret Bridge to Nowhere
Great Blue Heron Beach Ave
White Ibis Ocean City Welcome Center
Glossy Ibis Bombay Hook
White-faced Ibis Meadowedge Park
Black Vulture Crestwood Village
Turkey Vulture Sandy Hook
Osprey Cattus Island County Park
Golden Eagle Brothers
Northern Harrier Bridge to Nowhere
Sharp-shinned Hawk Cattus Island County Park
Cooper's Hawk Ridge av
Bald Eagle Beach Ave
Red-shouldered Hawk Bridge to Nowhere
Broad-winged Hawk Cranberry Bogs
Swainson's Hawk Fort Rock
Red-tailed Hawk Bridge to Nowhere
Rough-legged Hawk BC Fairgrounds
Ferruginous Hawk Silver Lake
Eastern Screech-Owl Beach Ave
Great Horned Owl Beach Ave
Barred Owl Beach Ave
Long-eared Owl Imlaystown Rd
Short-eared Owl Manahawkin WMA
Belted Kingfisher Bridge to Nowhere
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Stafford
Red-breasted Sapsucker Marys River Park
Lewis's Woodpecker Whispering Pine Campground
Red-headed Woodpecker Colliers Mills WMA
Acorn Woodpecker NW Salzwedel Rd
Red-bellied Woodpecker Bridge to Nowhere
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER McKenzie Hwy
Downy Woodpecker Bridge to Nowhere
Hairy Woodpecker Bridge to Nowhere
WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER Sisters Tie Trail
Northern Flicker Manahawkin WMA
American Kestrel Budd’s Bogs
Merlin Budd’s Bogs
Peregrine Falcon Manasquan Inlet
Olive-sided Flycatcher Reeher CCC Camp
Western Wood-Pewee NW Salzwedel Rd
Eastern Wood-Pewee Double Trouble SP
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Whitesbog
Acadian Flycatcher Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Willow Flycatcher Cranberry Bogs
Least Flycatcher Jumping Brook Preserve
Hammond's Flycatcher Forest Service Road 5590
Gray Flycatcher Cabin Lake
Dusky Flycatcher Santiam Hwy
Western Flycatcher Reeher CCC Camp
Black Phoebe Philomath Sewage Ponds
Eastern Phoebe Cranberry Bogs
Great Crested Flycatcher Manasquan River WMA
Western Kingbird McKenzie Hwy
Eastern Kingbird Colliers Mills WMA
Gray Kingbird Barnegat Lighthouse SP
White-eyed Vireo Manahawkin WMA
Hutton's Vireo Reeher CCC Camp
Yellow-throated Vireo Barnegat Lighthouse SP
CASSIN'S VIREO Marys River Park
Blue-headed Vireo Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Warbling Vireo Colliers Mills WMA
Red-eyed Vireo Cedar Bonnet Island
Loggerhead Shrike Fort Rock SP
Canada Jay NW Cochran Rd
Pinyon Jay Cabin Lake
Steller's Jay NW Cochran Rd
Blue Jay Wawa South Toms River
California Scrub-Jay Radisson Hotel Lake
Black-billed Magpie Three Sisters Viewpoint
Clark's Nutcracker McKenzie Hwy
American Crow 35 Sunset Rd
Fish Crow New Egypt
Common Raven Whitesbog
Carolina Chickadee Bridge to Nowhere
Black-capped Chickadee Sandy Hook
Mountain Chickadee Best Western Lot
Chestnut-backed Chickadee Reeher CCC Camp
Tufted Titmouse Bridge to Nowhere
Horned Lark Sandy Hook
Bank Swallow Colliers Mills WMA
Tree Swallow Cranberry Bogs
Violet-green Swallow Radisson Hotel Lake
Purple Martin Jakes Branch County Park
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Great Bay Blvd
Barn Swallow Cranberry Bogs
Cliff Swallow Wesley Lake
Wrentit Cummins Peak Rd
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Whitesbog
Golden-crowned Kinglet Sandy Hook
White-breasted Nuthatch 35 Sunset Rd
Pygmy Nuthatch Best Western Lot
Brown-headed Nuthatch Big Stone Beach Rd.
Red-breasted Nuthatch Bridge to Nowhere
Brown Creeper Budd’s Bogs
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Cranberry Bogs
Rock Wren Picture Rock Pass
Canyon Wren Picture Rock Pass
House Wren Cranberry Bogs
PACIFIC WREN Ellmaker SP
Winter Wren Bridge to Nowhere
Sedge Wren Beach Ave
Marsh Wren Cattus Island County Park
Carolina Wren 35 Sunset Rd
Bewick's Wren Cummins Peak Rd
American Dipper NW Cochran Rd
European Starling Wawa South Toms River
Gray Catbird Manahawkin WMA
Brown Thrasher Manahawkin WMA
Sage Thrasher Fort Rock SP
Northern Mockingbird Wawa South Toms River
Eastern Bluebird Whitesbog
Western Bluebird Round Top summit
Mountain Bluebird Fremont Hwy,
Townsend's Solitaire Round Top summit
Varied Thrush Forest Service Road 5500
Veery Manasquan River WMA
Gray-cheeked Thrush Island Beach SP
Swainson's Thrush Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Hermit Thrush Bridge to Nowhere
Wood Thrush Double Trouble SP
American Robin Sandy Hook
RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL Crestwood Village
Cedar Waxwing Island Beach SP
House Sparrow Wawa South Toms River
American Pipit Whitesbog
Evening Grosbeak NW Cochran Rd
House Finch Sisters
Purple Finch Eno's Pond Park
Cassin's Finch McKenzie Hwy
Red Crossbill Stafford Forge WMA
Pine Siskin Cascade Lakes Hwy
Lesser Goldfinch Best Western Lot
American Goldfinch Stafford
Lapland Longspur Sandy Hook
Snow Bunting Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Grasshopper Sparrow Laurel Run Park
Chipping Sparrow Ocean County Fairgrounds
Clay-colored Sparrow Cattus Island County Park
Field Sparrow Assunpink WMA
Brewer's Sparrow Fort Rock SP
Lark Sparrow Island Beach SP
American Tree Sparrow Bridge to Nowhere
Fox Sparrow Manahawkin WMA
Dark-eyed Junco Stafford
White-crowned Sparrow Hancock Field
Harris's Sparrow Hancock Field
White-throated Sparrow Stafford
SAGEBRUSH SPARROW Fort Rock
Vesper Sparrow Great Bay Blvd
Seaside Sparrow Cedar Bonnet Island
Nelson's Sparrow Great Bay Blvd
Saltmarsh Sparrow Cattus Island County Park
Savannah Sparrow Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Song Sparrow 35 Sunset Rd
Lincoln's Sparrow Union Transportation Trail
Swamp Sparrow Bridge to Nowhere
Green-tailed Towhee Trout Creek Butte Rd
Spotted Towhee Reeher CCC Camp
Eastern Towhee Budd’s Bogs
Yellow-breasted Chat Assunpink WMA
Yellow-headed Blackbird Summer Lake Wildlife Area
Bobolink Cedar Bonnet Island
Western Meadowlark Silver Lake
Eastern Meadowlark Budd’s Bogs
Orchard Oriole Jumping Brook Preserve
Baltimore Oriole Colliers Mills WMA
Red-winged Blackbird Bridge to Nowhere
Brown-headed Cowbird Ridge av
Rusty Blackbird Budd’s Bogs
Brewer's Blackbird Cascade Locks
Common Grackle Bridge to Nowhere
Boat-tailed Grackle Bridge to Nowhere
Ovenbird Whitesbog
Louisiana Waterthrush Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Northern Waterthrush Cedar Bonnet Island
Blue-winged Warbler Manasquan River WMA
Black-and-white Warbler Colliers Mills WMA
Prothonotary Warbler Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Orange-crowned Warbler Forest Service Road 2690,
Nashville Warbler Reeves Bogs
Connecticut Warbler Island Beach SP
MacGillivray's Warbler Reeher CCC Camp
Kentucky Warbler Island Beach SP
Common Yellowthroat Colliers Mills WMA
Hooded Warbler Colliers Mills WMA
American Redstart Double Trouble SP
Cape May Warbler Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Cerulean Warbler Cedar Bonnet Island
Northern Parula Cedar Bonnet Island
Magnolia Warbler Island Beach SP
Bay-breasted Warbler Island Beach SP
Blackburnian Warbler Cedar Bonnet Island
Yellow Warbler Meadowedge Park
Chestnut-sided Warbler Island Beach SP
Blackpoll Warbler Island Beach SP
Black-throated Blue Warbler Island Beach SP
Palm Warbler Jumping Brook Preserve
Pine Warbler 35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-rumped Warbler Sandy Hook
Prairie Warbler Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Townsend's Warbler Eno's Pond Park
Hermit Warbler Reeher CCC Camp
Black-throated Green Warbler Island Beach SP
Canada Warbler Reeves Bogs
Wilson's Warbler NW Cochran Rd
Scarlet Tanager Island Beach SP
Western Tanager Crestwood Village
Northern Cardinal 35 Sunset Rd
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Island Beach SP
Black-headed Grosbeak Reeher CCC Camp
Blue Grosbeak Manasquan River WMA
Indigo Bunting IBSP Marina
Dickcissel Island Beach SP
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