January: 136 Species

Long-Tailed Duck (hen) Barnegat Light SP

Common Eider (hen), Barnegat Light SP

Cackling Goose with Canada Goose, Conine's Millpond
Photo: Mike Mandracchia

Red-tailed Hawk, Whitesbog

The edge of the dreaded Polar Vortex has kept me pretty much confined to quarters the last couple of days of this month, though I did get out yesterday for a walk along the Union Transportation Trail in Upper Freehold where I added my 136 species for the year, a hard one for me to get too, a Winter Wren moving rapidly through the undergrowth, but clearly seen--and heard.
I'm way ahead of my pace from last year and that's because I deliberately went after the "hard " birds like owls and rare geese, not to mention the Townsend's Warbler at the Trenton Sewage Ponds.

However, I didn't chase a Black Phoebe that was way up in Northern New Jersey, nor a Northern Shrike in the same vicinity. Or a hen Barrow's Goldeneye in the Delaware. I wasn't even tempted. Some birds are just too far.

I really concentrate on Ocean County and the surrounding counties with Mercer an honorable mention. I don't have a big Mercer list, but with the Townsend's Warbler this month, it has some really interesting birds on it, like last year's Ash-throated Flycatcher, and previous year's crossbills, Barnacle Geese, Virginia Rail, Least Bittern...even a Crested Caracara a few years ago. But generally I feel, the closer the rarity, the more valuable the rarity.

Birds I want for Ocean County, soon: American Woodcock, the aforementioned Winter Wren, a Purple Finch, and an American Bittern. That's quite a shopping list but not out of the question.

As to geese: We're still waiting for Pink-footed Goose and Ross's Goose to show up somewhere in the state.

Tomorrow is a new month. February tends to be really dead, so unless some new rarities show up I don't think I'm going to hit as high a number as I did this month. I'm not a "month" birder (yet) so I'm not going to go out of my way to get a Trumpeter Swan, for example, just to get a Trumpeter Swan for the month. However, if I happen to be in the vicinity....

Birds in bold italics are rarities for the month--either really rare, or just rare for the time of the year. All were exciting to see.

Species               First Sighting

Snow Goose   Brig

Brant   Sandy Hook

Barnacle Goose   Conine’s Millpond

Cackling Goose   Lake Takanassee

Canada Goose   Seven Presidents Park

Mute Swan   Lake Takanassee

Trumpeter Swan   Stone Tavern Lake

Tundra Swan   Whitesbog

Wood Duck   Little Silver Lake

Northern Shoveler   Monmouth Beach

Gadwall   Lake Takanassee

Eurasian Wigeon   Shark River

American Wigeon   Lake Takanassee

Mallard   Lake Takanassee

American Black Duck   Lake of the Lilies

Northern Pintail   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Allenhurst

Canvasback   Mathis Veteran's Memorial Park

Redhead   Lake of the Lilies

Ring-necked Duck   Mathis Veteran's Memorial Park

Greater Scaup   Bayview Ave Park

Lesser Scaup   Assunpink WMA

Common Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter   Sandy Hook

White-winged Scoter   Sandy Hook

Black Scoter   Sandy Hook

Long-tailed Duck   Sandy Hook

Bufflehead   Sandy Hook

Common Goldeneye   LBI Bayside

Hooded Merganser   Lake Takanassee

Common Merganser   Conine’s Millpond

Red-breasted Merganser   Sandy Hook

Ruddy Duck   Lake Takanassee

Ring-necked Pheasant   New Egypt

Wild Turkey   New Egypt

Pied-billed Grebe   Lake Takanassee

Horned Grebe   Sandy Hook

Red-necked Grebe   Sandy Hook

Rock Pigeon   Little Silver Lake

Mourning Dove   Seven Presidents Park

American Coot   Lake Takanassee

Sandhill Crane   Pemberton Twp MUA Fields

Killdeer   Lakewood Wawa

Ruddy Turnstone   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling   Manasquan Inlet

Dunlin   Manasquan Inlet

Purple Sandpiper   Manasquan Inlet

Spotted Sandpiper   Barnegat Municipal Dock

Greater Yellowlegs   Poplar St Boat Launch

Razorbill   Sandy Hook

Ring-billed Gull   Lake Takanassee

Herring Gull   Sandy Hook

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Lake Takanassee

Glaucous Gull   Manasquan Inlet

Great Black-backed Gull   Sandy Hook

Red-throated Loon   Monmouth Beach

Pacific Loon   Manasquan Inlet

Common Loon   Sandy Hook

Northern Gannet   Sandy Hook

Great Cormorant   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Double-crested Cormorant   Point Pleasant Beach

Great Blue Heron   Lake Takanassee

Great Egret   Great Bay Bvld.

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Brig

Black Vulture   Fischer Blvd-Toms River

Turkey Vulture   35 Sunset Rd

Northern Harrier   BC Fairgrounds

Sharp-shinned Hawk   18 Aberdeen Avenue

Cooper's Hawk   Lake Takanassee

Bald Eagle   Sandy Hook

Red-shouldered Hawk   Brig

Red-tailed Hawk   Point Pleasant Beach

Rough-legged Hawk   Stafford Township

Eastern Screech-Owl   Beach Ave

Great Horned Owl   Beach Ave

Snowy Owl   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Long-eared Owl   Assunpink WMA

Northern Saw-whet Owl   Pole Farm

Belted Kingfisher   Bayview Ave Park

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Cattus Island County Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Marshall's Pond

Downy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA

Pileated Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA

Northern Flicker   Cedar Bonnet Island

American Kestrel   Pemberton Twp MUA Fields

Merlin   Toms River

Peregrine Falcon   Sandy Hook

Eastern Phoebe   Trenton Sewage Ponds

Blue Jay   Lake of the Lilies

American Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Fish Crow   New Egypt

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Trenton Sewage Ponds

Tree Swallow   Trenton Sewage Ponds

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse   Cattus Island County Park

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Cattus Island County Park

White-breasted Nuthatch   Cattus Island County Park

Brown Creeper   Colliers Mills WMA

Winter Wren   Union Transportation Trail

Carolina Wren   Sandy Hook

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Cattus Island County Park

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Assunpink WMA

Eastern Bluebird   Cloverdale Farm

Hermit Thrush   Taylor Ln

American Robin   Marshall's Pond

Gray Catbird   Assunpink WMA

Brown Thrasher   Manahawkin WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Lake of the Lilies

European Starling   South Toms River

Cedar Waxwing   Taylor Ln

House Finch   Cattus Island County Park

Pine Siskin   Cloverdale Farm

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Snow Bunting   Sandy Hook

American Tree Sparrow   Shelter Cove Park

Fox Sparrow   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Dark-eyed Junco   Whitesbog

White-crowned Sparrow   Assunpink WMA

White-throated Sparrow   59 White Rd, Jackson

Savannah Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island

Song Sparrow   Cattus Island County Park

Swamp Sparrow   Manahawkin WMA

Eastern Meadowlark   Pole Farm

Red-winged Blackbird   Cattus Island County Park

Brown-headed Cowbird   New Egypt

Common Grackle   New Egypt

Boat-tailed Grackle   Lake of the Lilies

Orange-crowned Warbler   Great Bay Bvld.

Palm Warbler   Trenton Sewage Ponds

Pine Warbler   Cloverdale Farm

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Cedar Bonnet Island

Townsend's Warbler   Trenton Sewage Ponds

Northern Cardinal   Assunpink WMA

House Sparrow   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Redheads, Lake of the Lilies

November Wrap-up

Trumpeter Swans, Stone Tavern lake

Seven new birds for the year in November, compared to the 300 something we had in Australia might seem like quite a comedown, but it didn't really feel that way. I was happy to be in New Jersey, semi-chasing birds I hadn't seen yet for the year in my favorite and familiar spots like Sandy Hook, Brig, and Cape May. You can't keep up that frantic pace we had in Australia all the time. Well, maybe you can, but I can't.

Although I will admit that as the weather gets colder, a kind of ennui sets in with me where I really have to motivate myself to go out and just bird. I have to convince myself that it isn't just about new birds, that birding in itself is the pleasure. But 30 mph winds off the ocean, or a "real feel" of single digits, or hunters precluding me from birding some areas, makes it harder each day to give myself that pep talk.

I find I need a goal. Today I had one, on the last day of the month. I saw that the Trumpeter Swans had returned to Monmouth County. For the last few years they have been on Assunpink Lake, but yesterday three were found on Stone Tavern Lake, which is very close by. So, even though I "have" them for the year, in the spirit of "go seek a cool bird," I drove up there early this morning and found two of them immediately. But even more pleasing to me was the lone Canvasback hen I found on the lake, especially since that was a bird I looked for yesterday at Riverfront Park in Toms River where a flock usually spends the winter. Canvasback is a "hard" bird for Monmouth County

For the longest time, Trumpeter Swans were not accepted as countable in NJ, because they were thought to be either escapees or vagrants from a NY flock that hadn't yet established itself a viable population, but somehow the thought has gotten around that these birds are legit, though how anyone can say for sure I don't know. It isn't like they're tagged. But there were 7 or 8 of them earlier this year at Assunpink, and a juvenile was with the two adults yesterday, so they seem to be breeding somewhere and wintering here.

The same thing use to happen with Barnacle Goose. For the longest time it was not accepted in NJ and then someone did a study and figured out that they actually do wander over from Greenland (or in the case of the one Shari & I saw years ago in the Bronx, which was banded, Scotland) and now it is a common rarity, if you'll accept that oxymoron, like Eurasian Wigeon (which I also finally managed to see this month).

In fact, all the new birds I added this month, with the exception of Pine Siskin, were rarities. Relatively easy rarities, true, but birds that are exciting to find.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

The two disappointments of the month have been that Pine Siskins are not showing up at our feeder and that I have had no luck running into either Red Crossbill or Evening Grosbeak, both of which seem to be having an irruption year all over the state except where I am at any particular moment.

In the winter I participate in FeederWatch so I spend more time than usual staring out the window. Our backyard has been very productive this month and some days that productivity coincides with the 2 days of the week I count birds at the feeders. We've had Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Fox Sparrow, and both Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk along with the usual gang at the feeder. It is also an irruption year for Red-breasted Nuthatch and they, at least, have found our feeders--we had three at one time last week.

For the month I had 124 species.
Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean

Species              First Sighting

Snow Goose   Brig

Brant   Cedar Bonnet Island

Barnacle Goose   Mercer Corporate Park

Canada Goose   Iselin

Mute Swan   Silver Lake

Trumpeter Swan   Stone Tavern Lake

Tundra Swan   Cape May Point SP

Wood Duck   Whitesbog

Northern Shoveler   Brig

Gadwall   Brig

Eurasian Wigeon   Cape May Point SP

American Wigeon   Silver Lake

Mallard   Silver Lake

American Black Duck   Silver Lake

Northern Pintail   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Cloverdale Farm

Canvasback   Stone Tavern Lake

Redhead   Marshall's Pond

Ring-necked Duck   Brig

Greater Scaup   Cattus Island County Park

Lesser Scaup   Lake of the Lilies

Common Eider   Island Beach SP

Harlequin Duck   Island Beach SP

Surf Scoter   Island Beach SP

White-winged Scoter   Island Beach SP

Black Scoter   Island Beach SP

Long-tailed Duck   Island Beach SP

Bufflehead   Cedar Bonnet Island

Hooded Merganser   Silver Lake

Red-breasted Merganser   Sands Point Preserve

Ruddy Duck   Silver Lake

Wild Turkey   Whiting WMA

Pied-billed Grebe   Brig

Horned Grebe   Island Beach SP

Rock Pigeon   Shark River Inlet

Mourning Dove   Shark River Inlet

American Coot   Brig

Black-bellied Plover   Whitesbog

Killdeer   Whitesbog

Ruddy Turnstone   Sunset Beach/Concrete Ship

Sanderling   Shark River Inlet

Dunlin   Whitesbog

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Whitesbog

Greater Yellowlegs   Whitesbog

Laughing Gull   Silver Lake

Ring-billed Gull   Shark River Inlet

Herring Gull   Shark River Inlet

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP

Great Black-backed Gull   Shark River Inlet

Royal Tern   Island Beach SP

Red-throated Loon   Island Beach SP

Common Loon   Cedar Bonnet Island

Northern Gannet   Shark River Inlet

Great Cormorant   Sandy Hook

Double-crested Cormorant   Silver Lake

Great Blue Heron   Whitesbog

Great Egret   Whitesbog

Snowy Egret   Manahawkin WMA

Little Blue Heron   Cattus Island County Park

Black Vulture   35 Sunset Rd

Turkey Vulture   Whitesbog

Northern Harrier   Cedar Bonnet Island

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Cape May Point SP

Cooper's Hawk   Cedar Bonnet Island

Bald Eagle   Whiting WMA

Red-tailed Hawk   Cedar Bonnet Island

Belted Kingfisher   Whitesbog

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   35 Sunset Rd

Red-headed Woodpecker   Cattus Island County Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Downy Woodpecker   Whitesbog

Hairy Woodpecker   Assunpink WMA

Northern Flicker   Whitesbog

Merlin   Cedar Bonnet Island

Peregrine Falcon   Cedar Bonnet Island

Eastern Phoebe   Cedar Bonnet Island

Blue Jay   Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530

American Crow   Whitesbog

Common Raven   Whiting WMA

Tree Swallow   Whitesbog

Cave Swallow   Sandy Hook

Carolina Chickadee   Whitesbog

Black-capped Chickadee   Sandy Hook

Tufted Titmouse   Whitesbog

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Whitesbog

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper   35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog

Eastern Bluebird   Brig

Hermit Thrush   Island Beach SP

American Robin   Cedar Bonnet Island

Gray Catbird   Whitesbog

Northern Mockingbird   Cedar Bonnet Island

European Starling   Iselin

Cedar Waxwing   Brig

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Pine Siskin   Cape May Point SP

American Goldfinch   Whitesbog

Lapland Longspur   Brig

Snow Bunting   Sandy Hook

Chipping Sparrow   Cape May Point SP

Clay-colored Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Field Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island

Fox Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Dark-eyed Junco   35 Sunset Rd

White-crowned Sparrow   Sandy Hook

White-throated Sparrow   Whitesbog

Savannah Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island

Song Sparrow   Whitesbog

Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog

Baltimore Oriole   Sandy Hook

Red-winged Blackbird   Cedar Bonnet Island

Common Grackle   Sandy Hook

Boat-tailed Grackle   Brig

Orange-crowned Warbler   Manahawkin WMA

Common Yellowthroat   Manahawkin WMA

Blackpoll Warbler   Cedar Bonnet Island

Palm Warbler   Whiting WMA

Pine Warbler   Cape May Point SP

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Shark River Inlet

Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow   Shark River Inlet