Brig | Lake of the Lilies 6/27--Wilson's Phalarope, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Wilson's Phalarope, Brig

 A couple of times yesterday, Shari forwarded me alerts about a Ruff down at Brig. The second time she did, when I was already home, I texted back, "Should I run down there?" Her reply was, "Will you kick yourself if you wait and it's not there tomorrow?" And my answer was, "No, I won't." A couple of years ago I probably would have, but now, now I have perspective. 

Which is not to say that I wouldn't like to see a Ruff this year, just that I was willing to take a chance on it hanging on overnight--which it didn't. In fact, had I gone down there yesterday, I might not have seen since it seems to have disappeared mid-afternoon. But a Wilson's Phalarope was also reported yesterday and appeared to be the consolation prize for those who missed the Ruff. At 7:40 this morning, I found it at the dogleg, mixed in with yellowlegs, peeps, and one Dunlin. 

From the dogleg I drove down to Jen's Trail where I parked the car and took a walk along the upland part of the drive down to the parking lot and back. I was just about to try to find a chat in the usual spot when Shari texted me that there were Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at Lake of the Lilies in Point Pleasant Beach, a mere 56 miles away. I love Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. They're so goofy looking with the white circle like a lifesaver around their eyes. But now I was kicking myself, because my original plan for the day was to go to Lake of Lilies, which is mostly a winter birding spot, to see if anything unusual might show up in the summer. And obviously the answer was yes. 

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Lake of the Lilies

I fast-walked back to the car and drove up to the lake. I had no idea what part they were on, but it isn't a big lake (it isn't even a lake but a glorified retention pond) and I could walk around it pretty quickly. I first looked at the corner of Newark & Chicago where a few years a Common Gallinule was found, but when they weren't there, I called Shari for more info--they were over on Elizabeth. While walking there, I noticed a very late Ruddy Duck hanging out close to shore--not a good sign for diving duck to be where it can't dive. I walked up Elizabeth, gazed about at the address Shari had relayed to me, and found them hunkered down in the grass. I didn't expect them to put on a show, but I wished they at least would have stood up. And they were easier to find this time than last year when one showed up at an obscure marina in Toms River on the 4th of July. 

The Brig list from my abbreviated visit:

57 species
Canada Goose  75
Mute Swan  42
Mallard  5
Mourning Dove  20
Clapper Rail  3
Short-billed Dowitcher  50
Wilson's Phalarope  1     
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Willet  10
Greater Yellowlegs  20
Dunlin  1     Dogleg.
Semipalmated Sandpiper  20
Laughing Gull  100
Herring Gull  5
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Black Skimmer  25
Caspian Tern  1
Forster's Tern  3
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Black-crowned Night Heron  1
Snowy Egret  8
Great Egret  25
Great Blue Heron  6
Glossy Ibis  11
Turkey Vulture  4
Osprey  6
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Eastern Kingbird  1
White-eyed Vireo  5
Red-eyed Vireo  1     Recorded Jen’s Trail
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  3
Fish Crow  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  3
Tree Swallow  1
Purple Martin  20
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  4
House Wren  1
Marsh Wren  6
Carolina Wren  5
European Starling  20
Gray Catbird  15
American Robin  6
American Goldfinch  1
Field Sparrow  2
Seaside Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird  20
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Ovenbird  1     Jen’s Trail heard
Common Yellowthroat  3
Pine Warbler  1
Indigo Bunting  1