Cranberry Bogs 4/25--Chimney Swift, Eastern Kingbird, House Wren

House Wren

I always thought that the Second Law of Birding

           You will not see the bird until you have sincerely given up

was only in effect during the day you were chasing a bird. Today, I found out that it applies over the long term. 

This year I have visited, numerous times, the Cranberry Bogs on Dover Road, Shelter Cove in Toms River, the Ocean County side of Whitesbog, and any other place I thought might have a chance of turning up a Wilson's Snipe in the county. Having failed in all those places, I just told myself I wasn't going to see one around here and would have to be satisfied with the one I listed at Brig. At least it was on the year list. 

Today I went to the Cranberry Bogs to look for some new birds and of course, I flushed a snipe out the bog that I usually see them in, the bog I had peered into at least 10 times this year. Remember, your surrender must be sincere.

I had barely exited the car this morning when I got my first year bird there--a singing House Wren across Dover Road. The place I expect to find them, the dilapidated buildings just east of the bogs--a house is a house to a House Wren--had a singing one too that I was able to get a good look at. 

I headed out to the bogs, flushed the snipe, and saw, above a swarm of Tree Swallows, my second year bird of the day, a flying cigar, otherwise known as the Chimney Swift. Naturally, this time of year, almost all the waterfowl are gone. All I saw were Canada Geese, Mallards, and three Wood Ducks that I flushed from the same bog where a Snowy Egret and Great Egret were standing side by side. I tromped around in my muck boots out to the large reservoir and way in the back on a branch of dead tree in the water I found year bird #3, an Eastern Kingbird. I took one blurry picture and my camera battery died. I dislike carrying the camera, which is always slipping off my shoulder. I really dislike carrying a camera with a dead battery. A couple of other birds were semi-interesting, like the Merlin in a treetop on the large reservoir and the Glossy Ibis flying over the bogs, but that was it for the new and exciting.

44 species and no ticks. A good morning. 

Canada Goose  5
Wood Duck  3     
Mallard  3
Mourning Dove  12
Chimney Swift  1
Killdeer  2     Bogs
Wilson's Snipe  1     
Laughing Gull  17
Herring Gull  3
Double-crested Cormorant  1     Large Reservoir
Snowy Egret  1     
Great Egret  3
Great Blue Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  1     
Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Northern Flicker  1
Merlin  1     
Eastern Kingbird  1
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  1
Fish Crow  1
Common Raven  1     Flying & croaking over bogs
Carolina Chickadee  7
Tree Swallow  30
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
House Wren  2
Carolina Wren  1
European Starling  2
American Robin  1
House Finch  2
Chipping Sparrow  2
Field Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  7
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Brown-headed Cowbird  5
Common Grackle  10
Black-and-white Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  5
Pine Warbler  3
Northern Cardinal  1