2024 Wrap-up--83 Life Birds

Pomarine Jaeger, Barnegat Light SP

Four countries, 433 species, 83 life birds. So, the numbers look good, if you want to count up the check marks. But. When we were in Spain this year and I listed bird #1500 (I believe it was a Cinerous Vulture, but I can't be sure, which is part of the point I'm about to make), I said to our guide Pedro that I now had enough birds on my life list. We still had three more days to go on the trip, but I was ready to go home and walk around the bogs to see what I could find. He seemed perplexed. "But now you can aim for 2000," he said, and the prospect of that made me tired. There are 10,000+ species of birds. Does it matter if I have listed 15% of them or 20% of them? There are 350,000 to 400,000 species of beetles. My brother is an expert on beetles, but he sure doesn't think he's going find more than a tiny per cent of the described species. I know a birder who did a big world-wide year in 2024--more than 2000 species in one year, more than I've seen in the all the years I've been birding. It's an amazing achievement but not one that I envy. Looking back on my year list, already a lot of the birds I listed are vague in my mind--birds from Australia and South Africa even dimmer. I wonder how many of the 2000 birds on that list are really spectacular and "worth the trip" while the others are "padding." 

Mangrove Vireo, Puerto Morelos

As it happens, my two favorite lifers this year were the first and the last birds on the list. The first was a Mangrove Vireo which I found while walking along a--wait for it--mangrove in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, near where my friends live. No guide, no specific search, just attentiveness to a song I didn't recognize and after a little work, I finally found the bird and, once I knew the song, I could take Shari back the next morning and find it again. That, to me, was an accomplishment. Interestingly, while reading up on Mangrove Vireo, I found that it is not often found in mangroves! Just as the Prairie Warbler, which is not found on prairies, is misnamed, so is this bird to a certain extent. 

The last life bird for the year was the Pomarine Jaeger at Barnegat Light this month. It was a 45 minute drive away, which for me is a bit more traveling than I like to do of late, but it was a county bird, a state bird, and a bird that is usually seen far off-shore, so unlikely to be added to a landlubber's list--and I didn't have to eat mediocre food for 10 days to see it.

I tend to get negative anyway in December--it's not a great month to find much and certainly hard to find anything new and sometimes that attitude can bite you as it did this week. I was walking around Reeves Bogs on Sunday, finding what I'd expect to find and still had some time on my hands. I thought maybe I'd drive over to the Burlington County Fairgrounds to look for the Rough-legged Hawk, a bird that seems to return to the grasslands there every year, but then I said to myself, "Nah, I already have Rough-legged for the year, what's the point?" Instead, I headed home. Two hours later I got an alert that there was a Crested Caracara there and I burst out of the house to make the 40 minute drive there, but of course, the bird had flown 10 minutes before I got there. Had I felt that morning that searching for a Rough-legged might be fun, I'd have seen the caracara, year bird and county bird. But I didn't. I considered going to the Fairgrounds early on Monday, but thought it was low percentage, so instead I went to Whitesbog where I was when (of course) I got the alert that the caracara was back--30 minutes later I arrived, only to hear that the bird had flow off after 15 minutes. There had also been a Northern Shrike reported there but I already have Northern Shrike for the year and for the county, so I didn't care. It was still there today. The calendar flips tomorrow. I'm going to Sandy Hook to "Kick Off the Year List". On Thursday, I'll care about the shrike. New birds! Year birds! I'm playing a game I can't win. 

The life birds for the year more or less in order listed:

Species                 Location
Mangrove Vireo   Puerto Morelos (Mexico)
Pallid Swift   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Green Sandpiper   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Great Spotted Woodpecker   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Eurasian Jay   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Iberian Magpie   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Eurasian Blue Tit   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Willow Warbler   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Sardinian Warbler   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Eurasian Nuthatch   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Spotless Starling   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Eurasian Blackbird   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Spotted Flycatcher   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
European Pied Flycatcher   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
European Stonechat   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Northern Wheatear   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Yellow-crowned Bishop   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
White Wagtail   Quinta da Atalaya (Portugal)
Common Redshank   RN Estuario do Tejo (Portugal)
Short-toed Treecreeper   RN Estuario do Tejo (Portugal)
Eurasian Oystercatcher   RN Sapal Castro Marim e VRSA (Portugal)
Kentish Plover   RN Sapal Castro Marim e VRSA (Portugal)
Spotted Redshank   RN Sapal Castro Marim e VRSA (Portugal)
Slender-billed Gull   RN Sapal Castro Marim e VRSA (Portugal)
Audouin's Gull   RN Sapal Castro Marim e VRSA (Portugal)
Iberian Gray Shrike   A-49, Ayamonte ES-Huelva (Spain)
Tawny Owl   Villamanrique de la Condesa (Spain)
Black Stork   Chg-Bg-03,Sevilla (Spain)
Booted Eagle   Chg-Bg-03,Sevilla (Spain)
Black-headed Weaver   Carretera Sur del Colector (Spain)
Marbled Duck   Camino Muro de los Portugueses (Spain)
Common Snipe   Camino Muro de los Portugueses (Spain)
Little Ringed Plover   Camino Muro de los Portugueses (Spain)
Western Swamphen   Brazo del Este PjeNat (Spain)
Short-toed Snake-Eagle   Carretera Sur del Colector (Spain)
European Robin   Villamanrique de la Condesa (Spain)
Eurasian Curlew   Marismas del Odiel (Spain)
Eurasian Wryneck   Marismas del Odiel PNat (Spain)
Long-tailed Tit   Donana PN (Spain)
Wood Lark   Donana PN (Spain)
Eurasian Wren   Donana PN (Spain)
Red Kite   Muro de la Confederacian Hidrografica del Guadalquivir (Spain)
Whinchat   Muro de la Confederacian Hidrografica del Guadalquivir (Spain)
Eurasian Griffon   Donana PN (Spain)
Mediterranean Short-toed Lark   Donana PN (Spain)
Common Redstart   Donana PN (Spain)
Gray Wagtail   Donana PN (Spain)
Eurasian Linnet   Donana PN (Spain)
Corn Bunting   Donana PN (Spain)
Common Kingfisher   Lagunas de Martin Miguel (Spain)
White-headed Duck   Lagunas de Camino Colorado (Spain)
Temminck's Stint   Lagunas de Camino Colorado (Spain)
Northern Bald Ibis   11150, Vejer de la Frontera (Spain)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk   11150, Vejer de la Frontera (Spain)
Balearic Shearwater   El Estrecho PNat (Spain)
Spanish Sparrow   El Estrecho PNat (Spain)
Blue Rock-Thrush   Observatorio de Cazalla (Spain)
Egyptian Vulture   Los Alcornocales PNat (Spain)
European Shag   El Estrecho PNat (Spain)
Red-legged Partridge   Embalse de Alange (Spain)
Thekla's Lark   Embalse de Alange (Spain)
Eurasian Crag-Martin   Embalse de Alange (Spain)
European Red-rumped Swallow   Embalse de Alange (Spain)
Meadow Pipit   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Cinereous Vulture   Monfrague PN (Spain)
Crested Tit   Monfrague PN (Spain)
Great Bustard   Roadside 39.45384-6.19309 (Spain)
Spanish Eagle   Roadside 39.45384-6.19309 (Spain)
Little Owl   Roadside 39.45384-6.19309 (Spain)
Calandra Lark   Roadside 39.45384-6.19309 (Spain)
Black-bellied Sandgrouse   Roadside 39.46188-6.18491 (Spain)
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse   Magasca ZEPA (Spain)
Hawfinch   Monfrague PN (Spain)
Stock Dove   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Water Rail   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Eurasian Penduline-Tit   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Bluethroat   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Common Chiffchaff   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Eurasian Thick-knee   Embalse de Arrocampo (Spain)
Bonelli's Eagle   Lezaria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira (Portugal)
Blue-crowned Parakeet   Parque Eduardo VII (Portugal)
Pomarine Jaeger   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

BC Fairground 1/3--Rough-legged Hawk

 A .333 batting average is great in the Major Leagues. Chasing birds, not so much. I started the morning at Franklin Parker Preserve. A Northern Shrike has been there since late December, but I figured I'd wait for the new year to go look for it. A shrike has been spotted there for the last 3 years, though this is the first time it has been around the reservoir. FPP is vast (at one time I believe it was the largest cranberry bog in NJ), but the shrike has been reported in a specific, easy to find area, around the observation deck. I spent, off and on, about an hour on the deck, and the rest of the time wandering around the reservoir. No Lucky Shrike for me today. 

Then I saw that the Ross's Goose that has been in the Mt Laurel vicinity was spotted again this morning. It was something like 25 miles away from FPP, but I figured I give it a shot. I should have looked at the map more closely. I thought I'd be looking at flock of Canada Geese on a farm field, which is where it was originally reported, but today the pin was dropped at the entrance to a housing development where there are a couple of small retention ponds on the main road. NO TRESPASSING signs everywhere. And only about 50 geese. No Ross's among them. 

I had one more idea for a rarity today. Another half-hour drive up the BC Fairgrounds to look for the continuing, semi-reliable Rough-legged Hawk. When I got there a couple of birders I know were also setting up scopes. They had seen the Ross's, just a bit beyond where I was, in a field behind a barn. If I knew my way around that part of Burlco, I probably would have felt comfortable exploring a bit more, but I don't. We thought we had the Rough-legged, but the light was terrible--hazy & shimmering. While I was reasonably sure the hawk I scoped on the radio tower and then saw flying was the target, it was such a lousy look that I was debating if I wanted to list it. 

Another guy I know came up. He also had just seen the Ross's in a slightly different section of that field. He also had the shrike yesterday. So, as I'm gnashing my teeth, we looked for the Rough-legged. A woman drove up and told us she'd just seen the hawk west of where we were standing, so we drove a quarter of a mile and set up again joined by another searcher. Still nothing. It was well past my lunch time by then, so I got in the car and was pulling out when the guy held up his hand. The bird was in the field, hunkered down. I cut the engine and got out again.  I couldn't see it but then it flew up and around the field giving great views, unmistakable, as they say. It hover-hunted over the field, like a gigantic kestrel. No pics, as you can see. But at least I felt I could legitimately list it for the year. 

Other new birds there were a Black Vulture and Eastern Meadowlarks, a very handsome bird that I don't get to see all that much. The year's count is 70. Not a lot for all the driving I've done. 

BC Fairgrounds 11/5--Rough-legged Hawk

I have been informed that
this is actually a Red-tailed Hawk.
However, I did see the real
Rough-legged in flight later

The universe went back into sync the other day when a Rough-legged Hawk showed up at the Burlington County Fairgrounds. Every year the grasslands of the former Mercer Sod Farm hosts this tundra breeding species, but this winter, one didn't show up. The Fairgrounds are where Shari & I got our lifer Rough-leg, after numerous trips, and almost every year since then, I've stopped by to find one, a kind of sentimental journey. 

This morning, early, I made the trip out there and immediately ran into a couple of birders I know that I hadn't seen in quite a while. I was hanging around the little pond (which has signage around it that says "Meadow Habitat" which is like labeling my lawn a forest), hoping to see the American Bittern that had also been reported. I thought it might be a little early for the hawk to be up and about as there were no thermals yet. We exchanged phone numbers and they went off to search out the hawk while I circled the pond. Just as I had made one turn around it I got a call that they thought they had the bird. I drove over and looked in their scope and saw a preening hawk with a dark belly and the distinctive white at the base of the tail. I put the bird in my scope (ain't official until it's in my scope) and managed a decent digiscope. Great, a really good-looking hard-to-find bird on the list.  (That makes 2 for the month; yesterday the sharp eyes & identification skills of Jason D found a Parasitic Jaeger at IBSP on Scott's NJA trip). 

I then walked the fence line, looking for more hawks and what-not (the what-not turned out to be a couple of Eastern Meadowlarks, always a nice bird to see). A birder stopped and said that the bittern had been showing nicely a few minutes ago, so I quick-stepped it back there only to hear that it had slunk back into the reeds. Then I got a phone call from another birder who told me that he had just seen it--he drove up and said we were in the right place (but it was the wrong time). I hung out for a while, walked halfway around the pond, and the bittern still didn't come out. 

I went back to my car, scoped some more, saw the Rough-legged Hawk soaring over Rt 206, found a Merlin on the weather station tower, then drove back to the pond for a third try at the bittern. While I stood there I thought, "I've seen a couple of bitterns this year. I've seen bittern in Burlington County in the past. Is it going to make a difference in my life if I see an American Bittern in Burlington County this year? Did it make a difference in my life that last time I saw an American Bittern in Manahawkin? In Budd's Bogs?" When you start having these kinds of thoughts, the only thing to do is what I did next: get in the car and go. 

August Wrap-up--Shorebirds Edition

Marbled Godwit, Whitesbog

The most exciting bird of the month was the last new bird for the month--the first recorded Marbled Godwit in Burlington County, at Whitesbog, where shorebird season has been in full swing for a month and seems like it might continue to reward well into September. I was just putting on my boots this morning when the alert popped up on my phone at exactly 7 AM.  Yesterday, I had been at Whitesbog for half an hour by then, but today I got a late start and thus became a chaser instead of a finder. Still, it is a terrific bird to end the month with. Much excitement on the bogs today, as the godwit, unlike Saturday's Whimbrel, stayed the whole day, long enough for one intrepid birder to make his way from Philadelphia in rush hour traffic to put it on his list. 

Whimbrel, Whitesbog

In August you look for shorebirds and for the month I tallied 27 species--mostly at Whitesbog, but also at Brig, Bombay Hook, and one--Upland Sandpiper--at the BC Fairgrounds. The last couple of years I did a "Whitesbog Challenge" where I tried to list at least 100 species for the month there, but I skipped it this year because I knew I'd be in Delaware for 4 days. But even with that hiatus, I had 94 species there for the month--with a little more poking around I might have actually reached 100 again. 

Monk Parakeet, Sylvan Lake

In terms of year birds (bold italics)it was a slow month--only 4 added. In terms of rarities (underlined on the list), it was great, though the rarities were for the most part either rare for the area or rare for the date (i.e the Hooded Merganser on my local pond). I also made one side trip back to Sylvan Lake so I could get a decent picture of the Monk Parakeet that was building a nest atop a disconnected utility pole. Haven't heard much about the parakeet lately, come to think of it.  Either everyone who wanted to see it saw it, or else it realized that Monk Parakeets don't live alone, but in colonies. 

Counties birded

Delaware: Kent, New Castle

New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean

Species               First Sighting
Canada Goose  Whitesbog
Mute Swan  Brig
Wood Duck  Whitesbog
Mallard  Whitesbog
American Black Duck  Whitesbog
Green-winged Teal  Brig
Hooded Merganser  Pond on Schoolhouse Road
Wild Turkey  35 Sunset Rd
Rock Pigeon  Lake Como
Mourning Dove  Whitesbog
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  Colliers Mills WMA
Common Nighthawk  Whitesbog
Eastern Whip-poor-will  Whitesbog
Chimney Swift  Whitesbog
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  35 Sunset Rd
Clapper Rail  Brig
Virginia Rail  Bombay Hook
Sora  Bombay Hook
Black-necked Stilt  Bombay Hook
American Avocet  Brig
American Oystercatcher  Brig
Black-bellied Plover  Brig
American Golden-Plover  Bombay Hook
Semipalmated Plover  Whitesbog
Killdeer  Whitesbog
Upland Sandpiper  BC Fairgrounds
Whimbrel  Brig
Marbled Godwit  Whitesbog
Ruddy Turnstone  Brig
Stilt Sandpiper  Brig
Sanderling  Spring Lake
Dunlin  Bombay Hook
Least Sandpiper  Whitesbog
White-rumped Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  Bombay Hook
Pectoral Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Western Sandpiper  Brig
Short-billed Dowitcher  Whitesbog
Wilson's Phalarope  Brig
Spotted Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Solitary Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Willet  Brig
Lesser Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Bonaparte's Gull  Bombay Hook
Laughing Gull  Whitesbog
Ring-billed Gull  Wawa New Castle
Herring Gull  Brig
Great Black-backed Gull  Brig
Least Tern  Brig
Gull-billed Tern  Whitesbog
Caspian Tern  Brig
Black Tern  Bombay Hook
Common Tern  Brig
Forster's Tern  Brig
Royal Tern  Brig
Black Skimmer  Brig
Double-crested Cormorant  Brig
Brown Pelican  Island Beach SP
Great Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Great Egret  Whitesbog
Snowy Egret  Brig
Little Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Tricolored Heron  Island Beach SP
Green Heron  Whitesbog
Black-crowned Night-Heron  Brig
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  Brig
White Ibis  Brig
Glossy Ibis  Brig
Black Vulture  Pond on Schoolhouse Road
Turkey Vulture  Whitesbog
Osprey  Brig
Cooper's Hawk  Whitesbog
Bald Eagle  Brig
Red-shouldered Hawk  Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk  Jumping Brook Preserve
Eastern Screech-Owl  Whitesbog
Belted Kingfisher  Whitesbog
Red-headed Woodpecker  Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Northern Flicker  Whitesbog
Merlin  Whitesbog
Peregrine Falcon  Brig
Monk Parakeet  Sylvan Lake
Eastern Wood-Pewee  Whitesbog
Acadian Flycatcher  Bombay Hook
Eastern Phoebe  Whitesbog
Great Crested Flycatcher  Whitesbog
Eastern Kingbird  Whitesbog
White-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Red-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Blue Jay  Whitesbog
American Crow  Whitesbog
Fish Crow  Wawa Galloway
Common Raven  Jumping Brook Preserve
Carolina Chickadee  Whitesbog
Tufted Titmouse  Whitesbog
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  Whitesbog
Purple Martin  Whitesbog
Tree Swallow  Whitesbog
Bank Swallow  Brig
Barn Swallow  Whitesbog
White-breasted Nuthatch  35 Sunset Rd
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  Whitesbog
House Wren  Whitesbog
Marsh Wren  Brig
Carolina Wren  Whitesbog
European Starling  Whitesbog
Gray Catbird  Whitesbog
Brown Thrasher  Whitesbog
Northern Mockingbird  Lakewood
Eastern Bluebird  Whitesbog
Wood Thrush  Whitesbog
American Robin  Whitesbog
Cedar Waxwing  Whitesbog
House Sparrow  Lake Como
House Finch  35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch  Whitesbog
Chipping Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Field Sparrow  Brig
Seaside Sparrow  Brig
Song Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Swamp Sparrow  Whitesbog
Eastern Towhee  Whitesbog
Bobolink  Jumping Brook Preserve
Eastern Meadowlark  BC Fairgrounds
Red-winged Blackbird  Whitesbog
Brown-headed Cowbird  Whitesbog
Common Grackle  Whitesbog
Boat-tailed Grackle  Brig
Ovenbird  Whitesbog
Northern Waterthrush  Whitesbog
Black-and-white Warbler  Whitesbog
Common Yellowthroat  Whitesbog
American Redstart  Whitesbog
Yellow Warbler  Jumping Brook Preserve
Pine Warbler  Whitesbog
Prairie Warbler  Whitesbog
Northern Cardinal  Whitesbog
Blue Grosbeak  Whitesbog 

Green Heron, Whitesbog

BC Fairgrounds 2/12--American Kestrel

Usually, almost a month and a half into the year, I'll have seen a kestrel, even if it is just quick look at one perched on a wire on Colliers Mills Road while I'm driving between spots in New Egypt. But that hasn't happened this year. To rectify this lacuna on the year list, I made a few of stops in Burlco after spending 5+ hours birding Whitesbog with Jim & Matt, where, of course, no kestrels were present (though two Sharp-shinned Hawks, one of them just at dawn, were cool).  

I drove over to the Pemberton MUA grounds, where I've seen kestrels in the past and where they've been fairly regular of late, according to Jim. Of course, not there. Then I drove around the other side to the Early Learning Center, kind of hoping for Sandhill Cranes, but at least a kestrel hunting the fields or on a utility pole. No. 

Big Sigh. I drove up the BC Fairgrounds. There's at least one kestrel box at the fairgrounds. They like to hang out on the mysterious antenna in the middle of the field. They perch atop the lamp poles. No, no, & no. I walked the length of the parking twice without seeing one. I didn't even care if I saw the Rough-legged Hawk, which I didn't, though I felt bad for the birder with the Massachusetts plates who'd come to look for it. Finally, as I was leaning against my car, catching up with the Thick-billed Murre sightings at Barnegat Light (80 listings today and counting), a couple I'd spoken to earlier drove over toward me and honked the horn. As they were driving out, they'd seen an American Kestrel in the tree over its box and had watched it fly back toward me. It was sitting, obscured by branches, in a bare sweetgum tree over the pond. With my scope I could barely make it out. "Ah," says I to myself, "the Year of Lousy Looks continues relentlessly." But after a while the bird flew out of the tree, giving me at least enough of look to determine that it was a female. It perched at the back of the field on a slanted pole. The photos aren't much to look at. Had I truly given up on seeing the bird? Perhaps not totally, as I thought there was a chance I'd see one driving out, but essentially yes, at least enough for the Second Law of Birding to take effect.

BC Fairgrounds 1/11--Rough-legged Hawk

This seems to be the Year of Lousy Looks. The Trumpeter Swans at Stone Tavern Lake were far off in a corner, The Eurasian Wigeon was a prime example of Ducks at a Distance, and yesterday's Long-billed Dowitchers made a determined effort not to be on the side of the lake where I was. Today's Rough-legged Hawk at the BC Fairgrounds extended the pattern.  

The old sod farm grounds beyond the Fairgrounds parking lot is an historical location for Rough-legged Hawk. (Aside: not "traditional." Birds have histories, they don't have traditions). It where Shari and I got our life Rough-legged and every year since then I think I have returned to find one in the winter. 

Today was bitterly cold, but I walked the Ocean County side of Whitesbog despite the frigid temperatures. I didn't have much to show for my efforts, so I decided to see if I could find the hawk at the Fairgrounds, with the luck from inside my warm car. 

Northern Harrier, digiscoped

The first bird I saw was a beautiful Gray Ghost Northern Harrier sweeping low along the grass. A couple of others were sitting at the back edge of the field and I found another perched up on a tree closer to 206. A couple of Bald Eagles were playing/fighting with each, one an adult, one immature, and an unidentified falcon was getting into the act too. But the dark morph Rough-legged wasn't apparent. 

A photographer told me he'd seen it on the left side of the pond roosting in a tree. It was only about 500 feet away from where I'd parked so I walked over there. He drove and by the time I was halfway there he told me it had flown. Then he told me about how he'd photographed it yesterday and that it was around, I just had to "put in the time." Oh, thanks loads for the advice, why didn't you tell me you saw it earlier when you saw my scope? 

The wind was whipping in the open lot and I wasn't feeling happy. I saw another birder back by the 206 side; I had notion of who it was and when I got closer it turned out I did know him. Of course, he was looking for the Rough-legged too. Maybe his eyes weren't tearing as much from the wind as much as mine were, but he spotted a hawk in a far-off tree but once we got it in the scope it turned out to be just a Red-Tailed Hawk. I could tell from the belly band. Then he saw another hawk fly into the tree next to the Red-tail's, at about the same level. I couldn't spot it at first until it moved out of the denser branches. Putting the scope on it proved it to be our target, with just enough field marks to make the case, but if this had been a life bird I would have to think carefully about counting it. As it is, it is just another bird on the list. As Mike sometimes says, "It isn't amazing that we can identify birds from so far away now," I always reply, "Yes, but it isn't any fun." 

August Recap--Whitesbog Edition

Short-billed Dowitcher, Middle Bog

Even though I was at Whitesbog 30 out of 31 days, I did do some birding outside those friendly confines. Not much though. I successfully chased the Roseate Spoonbill down at Manahawkin early in the month. It subsequently relocated to Brig. We know this because of a tell-tale chip in its bill. Every day I get eBird rare bird alerts telling me the spoonbill continues at the dogleg but that bird is dead to me. I also made a couple of trips to the BC Fairgrounds, one of which was another successful chase for my year Upland Sandpiper. The other two year birds for the month were found at Whitesbog.

I made one trip to Tuckerton where the highlight for me was finding a Brown Pelican perched upon a piling where Tree Swallows nest earlier in the season. Nice to see a multi use facility down there.

I also added a Wawa bird this month. Yes, I keep a list of all the birds I've seen at Wawas. This month, across the street from the BC Fairgrounds a Cattle Egret was spending time in a farm field. Unfortunately, there was no place to pull over as it was on the corner of Rt 206 and Jobstown Road, a very busy intersection. But there is a Wawa across the highway, so I pulled in there, walked toward the front of the parking lot and was able to see the Cattle Egret in flight as it came over the road. 

Today I started out at Reeves Bogs, mostly because I wanted to see how bad the latest blowout is there. It's big, but because the two thirds of that trail is overgrown and leads to a yet another blow out (this one quite old), it doesn't really change my normal route. I found 13 Great Egrets feeding in the inadvertently drawn down bog there, so now I know where all the egrets we use to see at Whitesbog are. 

I made two trips around the Middle Bog after my stint at Reeves and surprised myself by adding species #104--a Peregrine Falcon which was stirring up the peeps. I expected to see the Merlin which has been dining well on shorebirds this month but this bird was huge in comparison and once it landed at the edge of the bog the facial markings were obvious. 

Because I can, I added up the hours spent and miles covered at Whitesbog this month: 160 hours, 145 miles. I could have walked to Northern NJ and back. Almost an entire week out of the month was spent there. I guess this is called doing what you love. 

For the month, birding only BuCoOcCo, I had 123 species:

Species                 Location
Canada Goose  Whitesbog
Wood Duck  Whitesbog
Mallard  Whitesbog
American Black Duck  Whitesbog
Green-winged Teal  Whitesbog
Bufflehead  Whitesbog
Wild Turkey  35 Sunset Rd
Rock Pigeon  Whitesbog
Mourning Dove  Whitesbog
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  Whitesbog
Common Nighthawk  Whitesbog
Eastern Whip-poor-will  35 Sunset Rd
Chimney Swift  Whitesbog
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  35 Sunset Rd
Clapper Rail  Great Bay Blvd
Semipalmated Plover  Whitesbog
Killdeer  Whitesbog
Upland Sandpiper  BC Fairgrounds
Stilt Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Sanderling  Whitesbog
Baird's Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Least Sandpiper  Whitesbog
White-rumped Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Pectoral Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Short-billed Dowitcher  Whitesbog
Wilson's Snipe  Whitesbog
Wilson's Phalarope  Whitesbog
Spotted Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Solitary Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Lesser Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Laughing Gull  Whitesbog
Herring Gull  Whitesbog
Great Black-backed Gull  Great Bay Blvd
Gull-billed Tern  Whitesbog
Caspian Tern  Whitesbog
Forster's Tern  Great Bay Blvd
Double-crested Cormorant  Whitesbog
Brown Pelican  Great Bay Blvd
Great Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Great Egret  Whitesbog
Snowy Egret  Manahawkin WMA
Little Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Tricolored Heron  Great Bay Blvd
Cattle Egret  Columbus Wawa
Green Heron  Whitesbog
Black-crowned Night-Heron  Whitesbog
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  Great Bay Blvd
Glossy Ibis  Manahawkin WMA
Roseate Spoonbill  Manahawkin WMA
Black Vulture  Whitesbog
Turkey Vulture  Whitesbog
Osprey  Whitesbog
Northern Harrier  Whitesbog
Cooper's Hawk  Whitesbog
Bald Eagle  Whitesbog
Red-shouldered Hawk  Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk  BC Fairgrounds
Eastern Screech-Owl  Whitesbog
Belted Kingfisher  Whitesbog
Red-bellied Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Northern Flicker  Whitesbog
American Kestrel  BC Fairgrounds
Merlin  Whitesbog
Peregrine Falcon  Whitesbog
Eastern Wood-Pewee  35 Sunset Rd
Eastern Phoebe  Whitesbog
Great Crested Flycatcher  Whitesbog
Eastern Kingbird  Whitesbog
White-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Red-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Blue Jay  35 Sunset Rd
American Crow  35 Sunset Rd
Fish Crow  Whitesbog
Common Raven  Whitesbog
Carolina Chickadee  Whitesbog
Tufted Titmouse  Whitesbog
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  Whitesbog
Purple Martin  Whitesbog
Tree Swallow  Whitesbog
Bank Swallow  Whitesbog
Barn Swallow  Whitesbog
White-breasted Nuthatch  35 Sunset Rd
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  Whitesbog
House Wren  Whitesbog
Carolina Wren  35 Sunset Rd
European Starling  Whitesbog
Gray Catbird  Whitesbog
Brown Thrasher  Whitesbog
Northern Mockingbird  BC Fairgrounds
Eastern Bluebird  35 Sunset Rd
American Robin  Whitesbog
Cedar Waxwing  Whitesbog
House Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
House Finch  Whitesbog
American Goldfinch  Whitesbog
Chipping Sparrow  Whitesbog
Field Sparrow  Whitesbog
Seaside Sparrow  Great Bay Blvd
Song Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Swamp Sparrow  Whitesbog
Eastern Towhee  Whitesbog
Bobolink  Whitesbog
Orchard Oriole  Whitesbog
Baltimore Oriole  Whitesbog
Red-winged Blackbird  Whitesbog
Brown-headed Cowbird  Whitesbog
Common Grackle  Whitesbog
Boat-tailed Grackle  Great Bay Blvd
Ovenbird  Whitesbog
Black-and-white Warbler  Whitesbog
Prothonotary Warbler  Whitesbog
Common Yellowthroat  Whitesbog
Hooded Warbler  Great Bay Blvd
Yellow Warbler  Whitesbog
Pine Warbler  35 Sunset Rd
Prairie Warbler  Whitesbog
Northern Cardinal  Whitesbog
Blue Grosbeak  Whitesbog

Green Heron, Whitesbog

BC Fairgrounds 8/8--Upland Sandpiper

Upland Sandpiper just to the right of the tall grass

Bad weather birding: I usually avoid it but today I found myself predawn at Whitesbog in a driving rain with Jim and Matt because the forecast was for an end to precipitation shortly after sunrise and the hope was that the combination of NE winds and rain would drop some goodies into the bogs. It took a while longer for  the rain to stop and the hope to be fulfilled but both occurred around 7 o'clock when another birder there alerted us to the presence of 5 Sanderlings.  

"Sanderlings?" you say, "Sanderlings are worth a rain-soaked morning?" Yes, because while they're common of course 20+ miles east of Whitesbog, running like little wind-up toys along the edges of the receding waves, they are exceedingly rare in the Pine Barrens with only the occasional singleton showing up in odd locations like the Burlco Fairgrounds a few years ago, or drained Chatsworth Lake this spring. Five breaks the record by far. Fortunately, we all got decent looks at the birds because, as if realizing that the sand bar they were on in no way resembled the ocean, they were gone before we could put out an alert that we would have had to instantly withdraw. 

The rest of the morning was spent in conversation and scanning from the dike between the Upper and Middle Bogs and while no new shorebirds showed up, we did have quite a few flyovers of Laughing Gulls, Herring Gulls, and 3 Caspian Terns, all adding to my cumulative Whitesbog month list. Blustery and cold, it sure didn't feel like August. 

After we'd squeezed all the entertainment value out of the bogs, Jim and Matt left to go to look at the Fairgrounds and I spent a little more time kicking around Union Pond and Ditch Meadow. I was just about to hit the exit road when I got a text from Jim that they'd found an Upland Sandpiper at the fairgrounds. There aren't many places to find Uppies in NJ, especially now that the annual Lakehurst Naval Base trips are in the past, so when one plunks down fairly close to you, you go. 

Jim and Matt were still there, the sun was out, the wind had stopped, and the bird was distant but viewable in via scope. Upland Sandpiper seems to be semi-regular at the Fairgrounds, but it's appearance is dependent upon how much of the fields are mown and when. I was there last week and they were mowing the fields then so searching for an Uppie would not have been productive, but given a quiet weekend, one showed up. Easy to find--just look for a clod of dirt that eventually moves. 

BC Fairgrounds 2/28--Short-eared Owl

This weekend started with rain ending at midmorning and ended with rain beginning midmorning. In between I birded Burlco where my last stop of the two days provided the most pleasant surprise of a Short-eared Owl teed up in perfect sight. I wasn't having much luck with the rare geese reported the last couple of days--the problem with a lot of Burlco roads is no shoulders to safely park and scan--but since I was near the Fairgrounds I figured I'd look for the ever-present Rough-legged Hawk. As my car was rolling to a halt I saw a big bird perched on a post toward the back of the mowed field. Could that be the hawk, so easy? Quick bin look confirmed not. Once I got it in my scope and saw it was a shortie, I scrambled for my camera and managed one terrible shot before the owl flew back into the high grass, just as my friend Dave was pulling up. "Ooo, you just missed it." He, however, having found a Ross's Goose among the thousands of Snow Geese on Juliustown Road, took the disappointment with aplomb. 

The Fairgrounds are extremely reliable for Short-eared Owl; however, most of the time you have to be there just after dusk when they start to hunt and it's always a race to find one before the ranger comes round to shoo you out so they can lock the gates. Today was, just before the rain hit heavy, were perfect conditions for diurnal viewing: overcast and calm. They'll hunt in that weather, competing with the Northern Harriers of which I only saw two, in my short visit. Oh, and I did eventually see the Rough-legged Hawk, come out from the fields, fly over the parking lot and perch in a tree across the road. 

While they weren't year birds, the notable bird I found yesterday were 2 drake Redheads (there were actually 3 as those with more patience found a hen) at Whitesbog yesterday where I had scooted after the rain ended. While I knew they were a new species for me at Whitesbog, I wasn't sure if my parochial interest in what's rare at Whitesbog translated into county-wide interest, so after some consultation with one who knows the county way better than me, I put out an alert. Apparently it was of widespread interest, especially for those doing county big years, because within the hour the Middle Bog was surrounded by birders, scanning through the hundred or so Ring-necked Ducks. Everyone got on them. I hate to put an alert out for birds that up and fly.

They were there this morning again when I met Jim out on the bogs and we walked a good 4 or 5 miles around the bogs. So despite the warnings of the weekend being a washout, I did quite well, it being especially satisfying to find birds you're not expecting. While it is fun to go to a spot where you know a bird should be and find that bird, it is even more fun to got somewhere and find what does not often occur. It's the difference between getting a present on your birthday and getting a present on a random day in your life. 

BC Fairgrounds 1/6--Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel

Normally, I'd write this entry the same day I saw the birds, but after a very pleasant (though practically birdless) morning at Whitesbog and a stop at the Burlington County Fairgrounds, I returned from the alternate avian universe to our world and spent the next 12 hours watching the republic teeter yet survive. So, the third sentence of this of this paragraph would normally be the first. I feel sorry for the Rough-legged Hawks at the Burlington County Fairgrounds. Their lives, as well as their legs, are rough. When I was there in December I located one almost immediately, flying over the grasslands, harassed by two Northern Harriers. Yesterday, after a little searching, I found two flying, one of them being chased by an immature Bald Eagle. 

The fairgrounds, one of the last expanses of grassland in the area, is a great place for raptors--including Short-eared Owls if you go there at dusk and the owls emerge before the gates close. While the Rough-legged Hawks (this is the first time I've seen two there) are the rarity, Northern Harriers abound. I counted 6. Eagles nest there, which is why, supposedly, you can't walk into the fields. The first raptor I saw as I was driving along the fence that separates the parking lot from the grasslands--a hovering American Kestrel that flew over my car and conveniently landed in a tree across from the driver's side window.

December Wrap-up: A Couple of Happy Moments

As is always the case, by the end of the year it becomes a chore to add anything new to the year list, both because the lowing hanging and the middle hanging fruit has been picked and because I get damned tired of chasing around after birds in the winter cold. I added 5 year birds this month, all supposed rarities, but only two--Common Redpoll and Bullock's Oriole--truly rare in the state. The other three--Sandhill Crane, Rough-legged Hawk, and Snowy Owl are usually around; you just have to go to where they are. 

So, while I was glad to find them this month, the two real happy moments I had this month didn't involve rarities. Both occurred, naturally, at Whitesbog.

American Pipit

On a Saturday after our first and so far only snowstorm, I went to Whitesbog to walk in the fields, looking for sparrows and maybe some rare finches. Next to the parking lot in the Village there is a small, abandoned bog that was frozen over. I usually walk the edge of this bog and this day I noticed some birds picking seeds off the ice, running through the grass sticking up out of the ice and pumping their tails when they halted. My first thought was Palm Warblers (the pumping tails) but I quickly discarded the notion. Then, when I could position myself away from the sun glare, I saw that they were American Pipits.  I have American Pipit on the list from the BC Fairgrounds in October, but they were birds that just zipped by. That's usually how I see pipits. Someone cries out "Pipit!" I hear some little chip note and see a bird moving quickly away from me. So to actually find 10 of them on this little patch of ice was a thrill, particularly since I'd spent part of the morning the day before fruitlessly looking for them at Shelter Cove Park. 

The second happy moment came a few days ago, when, unable to sleep, I arrived in Whitesbog Village predawn. It was a windless morning, cold, and as I walked toward the bogs I heard first one Great Horned Owl hooting and then after a while, another calling in response. As I walked, the hoots got louder; they were somewhere in the woods to my left but there was no chance, or even purpose, of seeing them. It was enough just to start the day with owls calling. 

For the month: 123 species

Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean

Species            First Sighting                     
Snow Goose   Brig              
Brant   Bayview Ave Park                          
Canada Goose   Assunpink WMA                                   
Mute Swan   Assunpink WMA                             
Trumpeter Swan   Assunpink WMA                                
Tundra Swan   Whitesbog            
Wood Duck   Wells Mills Park                               
Northern Shoveler   Etra Lake                              
Gadwall   Brig                      
American Wigeon   Marshall's Pond                               
Mallard   Conines Millpond                                   
American Black Duck   Cattus Island County Park                              
Northern Pintail   Brig                    
Green-winged Teal   Brig              
Ring-necked Duck   Assunpink WMA                            
Greater Scaup   Brig                       
Lesser Scaup   Assunpink WMA                         
King Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                             
Common Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                                 
Harlequin Duck   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                               
Surf Scoter   Island Beach SP                  
White-winged Scoter   Island Beach SP            
Black Scoter   Island Beach SP               
Long-tailed Duck   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                             
Bufflehead   Assunpink WMA                              
Common Goldeneye   Waretown - Bay Pkwy                            
Hooded Merganser   Etra Lake                             
Common Merganser   Assunpink WMA                         
Red-breasted Merganser   Island Beach SP                             
Ruddy Duck   Assunpink WMA                           
Wild Turkey    Pinewald Keswick Rd
Pied-billed Grebe   Assunpink WMA                               
Horned Grebe   Brig                       
Eared Grebe   Brig              
Rock Pigeon   Bayview Ave Marina                                
Mourning Dove   Assunpink WMA                                  
American Coot   Assunpink WMA                                   
Sandhill Crane   Pemberton Twp MUA Fields                          
Black-bellied Plover   Brig             
Killdeer   Waretown                        
Sanderling   Island Beach SP                  
Dunlin   Brig            
Purple Sandpiper   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                            
Long-billed Dowitcher   Brig                     
Greater Yellowlegs   Brig               
Laughing Gull   Island Beach SP                        
Ring-billed Gull   Double Trouble State Park                            
Herring Gull   Bayview Ave Park                          
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP                            
Great Black-backed Gull   Bayview Ave Park                            
Red-throated Loon   Barnegat Light Bayview Ave Marina                              
Common Loon   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                                 
Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP       
Great Cormorant   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                              
Double-crested Cormorant   Conines Millpond                         
American White Pelican   Brig                 
Great Blue Heron   Assunpink WMA                              
Great Egret   Brig                 
Black-crowned Night-Heron   Bayview Ave Park                                  
Black Vulture   BC Fairgrounds               
Turkey Vulture   Assunpink WMA                                   
Northern Harrier   BC Fairgrounds                      
Cooper's Hawk   Cloverdale Farm                                   
Bald Eagle   Whitesbog                             
Red-shouldered Hawk   Whitesbog                    
Red-tailed Hawk   Assunpink WMA                                
Rough-legged Hawk   BC Fairgrounds
Great Horned Owl   Whitesbog                 
Snowy Owl   Island Beach SP                 
Belted Kingfisher   Assunpink WMA                               
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Manasquan Reservoir IBA                                   
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA                              
Downy Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA                          
Hairy Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA                             
Northern Flicker   Etra Lake                                  
American Kestrel   BC Fairgrounds                     
Peregrine Falcon   Brig                  
Eastern Phoebe   Assunpink WMA                                 
Blue Jay   Assunpink WMA                                  
American Crow   Assunpink WMA                                  
Fish Crow   Union Transportation Trail               
Common Raven   Schoolhouse Rd.                               
Carolina Chickadee   Assunpink WMA                          
Tufted Titmouse   Assunpink WMA                                 
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog                 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog                                 
Red-breasted Nuthatch   Crestwood Village                             
White-breasted Nuthatch   Assunpink WMA                             
Brown Creeper   Whitesbog                                  
Winter Wren   Island Beach SP               
Carolina Wren   Assunpink WMA                        
European Starling   Assunpink WMA                             
Gray Catbird   Brig              
Northern Mockingbird   Barnegat Lighthouse SP                                 
Eastern Bluebird   Assunpink WMA                                
Hermit Thrush   Whitesbog                       
American Robin   Whitesbog                    
House Sparrow   Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530                        
American Pipit   Whitesbog                       
House Finch   Assunpink WMA                          
Common Redpoll   Chestnut Point Field                                  
Red Crossbill   Brig             
Pine Siskin   35 Sunset Rd                                   
American Goldfinch   Assunpink WMA                          
Chipping Sparrow   Bamber Lake                        
Field Sparrow   Assunpink WMA                         
American Tree Sparrow   Assunpink WMA                                
Fox Sparrow   Union Transportation Trail                      
Dark-eyed Junco   Assunpink WMA                               
White-crowned Sparrow   Assunpink WMA                               
White-throated Sparrow   Assunpink WMA                               
Savannah Sparrow   Whitesbog              
Song Sparrow   Assunpink WMA                        
Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog                   
Bullock's Oriole   Chestnut Point Field                         
Red-winged Blackbird   Cattus Island County Park                             
Brown-headed Cowbird   New Egypt                  
Boat-tailed Grackle   Manahawkin WMA                        
Orange-crowned Warbler   Island Beach SP                             
Common Yellowthroat   Great Bay Bvld. WMA                          
Pine Warbler   35 Sunset Rd                                
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Union Transportation Trail
Northern Cardinal   Assunpink WMA