Cedar Bridge Tavern CP 5/7--American Redstart

American Redstart

Another warbler. I don't visit Cedar Bridge Tavern (which dates to Revolutionary War times) County Park very often, so I was pleased to see that since my last visit they have hacked out and completed a very good 3 1/2-mile trail through the pines that crosses and recrosses Old Cedar Bridge Road. I was also pleased to find so many warblers along the trail--10 different species including supposedly hard to find Hooded Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers  & my first American Redstart of the year. Finding it was similar to the Blackpoll Warbler yesterday at Whitesbog. When I em
erged onto the road, I thought perhaps I was hearing a distant Veery, so I opened up the Merlin app and let it listen. It never picked up the ethereal call of that thrush (which was one of my motives for going there) but it did list the redstart. I looked around and didn't see the bird at first and redstart is one of those "songs" that isn't emblazoned in my memory. So, I played back what Merlin had recorded, and when it highlighted American Redstart, I looked around again. Suddenly one flew in. Damn, maybe Merlin isn't as unreliable as I think it is. In the shadows of the trees I wasn't able to get much of a picture of the bird, but I was happy to find it. Redstart is one of those birds that I used to see a lot more when I lived in Brooklyn, an easy bird in Prospect Park or at Jamaica Bay. At Jamaica Bay they were so common that Shari & I used to refer to them as YAR--Yet Another Redstart. 

A decent morning with 35 species, but not the target bird. 

Canada Goose  9
Mourning Dove  2
Turkey Vulture  3
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  3
White-eyed Vireo  5
Red-eyed Vireo  1     Heard
American Crow  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
Tufted Titmouse  2
Tree Swallow  5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
Carolina Wren  1
Gray Catbird  20
Eastern Bluebird  1
Wood Thrush  3
American Robin  4
House Finch  3
Chipping Sparrow  3
Eastern Towhee  5
Ovenbird  4
Blue-winged Warbler  2
Black-and-white Warbler  4
Common Yellowthroat  1
Hooded Warbler  3
American Redstart  1
Northern Parula  1
Yellow Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  4
Prairie Warbler  10
Northern Cardinal  2

Great Bay Blvd 5/12--Red Knot, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Seaside Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sparrow

Semipalmated Sandpiper

High tide or low tide, which is better for finding shorebirds? The argument for high tide is that it pushes the bird in closer. The argument for low tide is that there is more habitat for shorebirds on the uncovered, or shallow, mud flats. I've always thought that it depends on where you're talking about. At Jamaica Bay, on the east pond, I believe high tide was preferred because the pond was controlled to keep the water level low, and the birds had nowhere else to go. I believe it is the same at Bombay Hook and should be the case at Brig, but no one is ever happy with the water levels at Brig which is a whole 'nother can of worms.

But if you're talking about saltmarshes, like Great Bay Blvd, then I've always thought you don't want a high tide flooding the marsh. Shallow salt pans and mud flats were my preference. After today, I may have to rethink that theory. 

When I first saw the marsh through the alley of cedars on Great Bay, I thought, "Hoo boy, maybe I should have paid more attention to all those coastal flood warnings I've been getting on my phone." I was just hoping that when I got over the first bridge, I wouldn't find the road under water. Fortunately, aside from a puddle, it was dry. And when I pulled into the parking lot at the mitigation bulwark, there were shorebirds 10 feet from my car, big (Willet) and small (Least Sandpiper). High tide, as the theory predicts, had pushed them closer. 

This held all along the road, as I kept coming across single birds like Semipalmated Plover on the side of the road, and small, mixed flocks of shorebirds in the grass--Short-billed Dowitchers mainly, with Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlins, more Willets, and a few Greater Yellowlegs and Ruddy Turnstones scattered around. The turnstones surprised me as there were no stones for them to turn. 

Clapper Rail

The non-shorebird species I kept coming across was Clapper Rail, quite a few of them on the road and I even saw one fly which I don't recall ever observing. "Ungainly" is the word we're looking for to describe the flight. The marsh, of course, was full of egrets, but even some of those were standing on the side of the road. The two roosts north of both wooden bridges were full of Black-crowned Night-herons, though no yellow-crowns seemed to be with them. 

Black-crowned Night-herons

Yellow-crowned Night-heron was one of the species I had come down for. The others I was looking for I had more success with. At the bulwark, despite the wind roaring in my ears, I managed to hear and catch a glimpse of my first Seaside Sparrow of the year. High tide today was around 6 AM, so by the time I got down to the inlet the waters had probably receded about half-way. There was plenty of beach and mud flats, though the flats were either slick or under a couple of inches of water. As soon as I emerged from the pathway, I saw a nice flock of Red Knots to the left. They must of have known I wanted to see and photograph them because as soon as I took another step--I was a good 50 yards away--they up and flew off. I took it personally.

Red Knots

I decided to see if the flats to the right had more knots, since that's where I usually see them. On the beach, picking at the sand I came across my first Semipalmated Sandpiper. The flats toward the Rutgers facility didn't have much aside from more Dunlins and an oystercatcher. With my nose still out of joint because of the knots, I walked back east much farther than I normally go, sloshing through the mud until on a point I could see the flock of knots that dissed me and get a few pix. If I'm wearing gloves in May, you can be sure I want a good look at the birds I've come to see to make it worth my while. 

I got a bonus bird on those flats when in front of little clump of grass, I saw a Saltmarsh Sparrow. The high tide/low tide debate applies also to Saltmarsh and Nelson's Sparrows. Like any self-respecting Saltmarsh Sparrow, it flew away into a larger grassy area. I didn't take it personally. 

Dark-eyed Junco

I stopped a few times going back up the road. At the grove of trees south of the 2nd wooden bridge I saw two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, slightly unusual, and at 700 Great Bay Blvd (The Wind Monitoring Station), which is a great sparrow spot, I found my only rare bird of the day, a lingering Dark-eyed Junco of all things. 

My list: Pretty good day, considering I've had warmer days there in February.

37 species
Brant  70
Mallard  2
Mourning Dove  3
Clapper Rail  15
American Oystercatcher  2
Black-bellied Plover  20
Semipalmated Plover  9
Ruddy Turnstone  4
Red Knot  16
Dunlin  40
Least Sandpiper  5
Semipalmated Sandpiper  5
Short-billed Dowitcher  140
Greater Yellowlegs  4
Willet  20
Laughing Gull  6
Herring Gull  20
Great Black-backed Gull  5
Forster's Tern  6
Common Loon  3
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  35
Snowy Egret  25
Tricolored Heron  5
Black-crowned Night-Heron  13
Osprey  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2     
Gray Catbird  1     Heard
Dark-eyed Junco  1     
White-throated Sparrow  1
Seaside Sparrow  1
Saltmarsh Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  4
Red-winged Blackbird  25
Boat-tailed Grackle  75
Common Yellowthroat  1

Great Egret on the side of the road

Silver Lake1/16--Eurasian Wigeon

Every year a Eurasian Wigeon makes an appearance in Belmar and every year I go up there to find it. The last few years it (though who knows if it is the same bird every year) it has been a little difficult to get a look at since you either had to set up a scope in the parking lot of a gas station and look into a cove in the river, or else find just the right angle in MacLearie Park and stand on one foot and tilt you head your head just so to find the bird.

This year was supposedly easier, as the bird was being seen in Silver Lake one of the artificial ponds that dot the North Shore from Long Branch down to Point Pleasant Beach. But late in December I missed it and last week when I went up there the water was "stiff," and today when I got there I didn't see many birds on the water either. What I did see were hundreds of geese, both Canada and Brant, feeding on the grass around the lake. Wigeons are one of the few ducks that will also graze a lawn so I walked toward a big flock of geese, swerving into the street so as not to scare them all away. Not that they seemed to care that much, they're all pretty use to humans walking around. And after a bit, a few geese moved and there, almost at my feet was the drake Eurasian Wigeon, along with a few American cousins. It is such a pretty duck that it's worth the trip and the effort to find it.

I have a long history of unsuccessful attempts to find a Eurasian Wigeon before actually getting one. Our life EUWI was at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge when we lived in Brooklyn. I don't know how many trips we made there seeking one out after seeing it reported on the rare bird listserv (which shows how long ago this was) that we subscribed to. 

Jamaica Bay, being one of the most famous refuges in the country and being in NYC, attracts birders from all over the world. I remember that Patrick O'Brian, the author of the Aubrey/Maturin series of naval thrillers set during the Napoleonic Wars and also an enthusiastic British birder, said that JBWR was one of his favorite places to have birded.  

One day when Shari & I had gone again to find the wigeon, a birder from Australia stopped me and asked me if I could confirm an ID of a Little Blue Heron. Sort of in a rush and sort of feeling snotty, I looked in his scope, saw the bird and said, "Well, it's little, it's blue, it's a heron...it's a Little Blue Heron." 

He didn't care how snarky I was, it was a life bird for him. Then I told him I had to rush because there was a Eurasian Wigeon on the other side of the pond and it was my "White Whale." 

He replied (and imagine a thick 'stralian accent), "You mean, your Moby Duck." 

Touché

(We got the bird that day.) 

Brig 1/20--American Bittern, Bald Eagle, ducks, etc

American Bittern at the Gull Pond

Somehow, both Mike and I had manged to get 20 days into the year without going to Brig. We planned to remedy that today, but, with the government shutdown looming, we had a Plan B, which, with the government shut down, we instituted this morning, by driving down to Brigantine Island (not to be confused with the Brigantine Unit [Brig] of Forsythe NWR), hoping for godwits and such. "And such" turned out to be one stinking Western Sandpiper out on a distant sandbar. No godwits, Willets, oystercatchers, or any ducks of real interest did we see in our various stops. The "B" in Plan B seemed to stand for "Blech" so it was back to Plan A.

Even with the shutdown, national parks are open. Open, in the sense, that you can go in, just don't expect to find a bathroom with a flush toilet. So, why wouldn't a National Wildlife Refuge be open? No reason at all, apparently, because when we arrived at 9:30, the gate was open, cars were on the drive, and year birds were to be found. We did a loop around the Wildlife Drive, where the predominant bird was Snow Goose--thousands upon thousands of Snow Geese. We found some new ducks for the year, and at the north-east corner of the drive, a Snowy Owl. It has been another good year for Snowy Owls (this was my third for the year and Mike had some on a trip to the Midwest last week) and since this bird has been on the refuge almost all year, it wasn't a big surprise. Still, obligatory pictures were taken:

We weren't going to make a second loop but another birder told us he had seen both a Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle on the drive, one to the south, one to the north, about 500 feet ahead of Jen's Trail. That was enough incentive to get us back on the drive--but first a detour for a second look at the Gull Pond, which I thought would be a fruitless task since there was little there on our first trip in the morning. Of course, had we followed my inclination, we wouldn't have seen the American Bittern that was lurking in the reeds. And, in accordance with Zirlin's Second Law of Birding, we didn't see the bird until we had truly given up on looking for it--we peered into the vegetation from all angles,  we went to the top of the observation tower and looked into the phrags, but it wasn't until we were getting into the car to leave that the bird decided to emerge and pose, freezing in position as if by doing so it would become invisible.

On our second trip we did indeed find the Bald Eagle--the Golden Eagle we suspect might be an immature Bald Eagle sighting. It wouldn't be the first time.

Brig's status is unclear--we saw a ranger make the rounds of the drive (poor guy doesn't know when he's going to get paid next) and briefly the gate, we were told, was closed, but as of mid-afternoon the refuge was open. I'm glad we got in when we did. I remember in 1996 during the first government shutdown, I took the subway (!) to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Broad Channel, walked a mile from the station to the refuge, only to find it closed--I didn't make the connection back then. I didn't make the connection this time either--it took Mike, a state employee who knows from shutdowns, to point out the potential problem.

Our list for two trips around the non-shutdown dikes:
36 species
Snow Goose 3125
Brant 25
Canada Goose 175
Mute Swan 14
Gadwall 15
American Wigeon 5
Mallard 25
American Black Duck 1100
Northern Pintail 5
Bufflehead 40
Hooded Merganser 12
Red-breasted Merganser 10
American Bittern 1
Black Vulture 3
Turkey Vulture 3
Northern Harrier 3 One Gray Ghost
Cooper's Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1 On ice, NW corner
Red-tailed Hawk 1 F/O Marsh, NW corner
Dunlin 6
Ring-billed Gull 5
Herring Gull 30
Great Black-backed Gull 2
Snowy Owl 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Heard, parking lot
Northern Flicker 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 20
Carolina Chickadee 1
Carolina Wren 1 Heard parking lot
Eastern Bluebird 4
American Robin 14
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Swamp Sparrow 1 Gull Pond
House Finch 1 Upland section
American Goldfinch 2

Great Bay Blvd 5/19--Saltmarsh Sparrow

A perfect day to take a hike along Great Bay Blvd--hot as a mofo but no wind or bugs. Low tide.

There are two different theories about shorebirds regarding the tides. Some say that high tide forces the birds to concentrate in "high" places. Others say that low tide gives the birds a place to feed. It depends on the spot. At Heislerville or Jamaica Bay, high tide forces the birds into the impoundments or the East Pond. Along Great Bay Blvd, low tide creates plenty of mud flats for the shorebirds to feed.

I have my routine for birding GBB alone. First I stop at Holly Lake and check it for herons and shorebirds--there were a few there today, but the only one I didn't see later was Killdeer. Then I stop at the mitigation bulwark at the north end of the road, where the WMA starts. Here, on the mud flats, you'll often find Black Skimmers in spring and I did. There were also plenty of shorebirds to sort through, including a household favorite, Ruddy Turnstones.

Then I slowly drive down the road, tallying egrets until I get to a big sandy parking lot where I scan for herons and shorebirds. Today there were a couple turnstones right on the pier and my only Tricolored Heron of the day out in the marsh. After that, I stop at the first wooden bridge, check the marsh and count the Barn Swallows that nest in the marina across the road.

Red Knots

At the north end of the 2nd wooden bridge I stop and check the mud flats to the east and west, plus the grove of trees on either side. Plenty of shorebirds there plus a Willow Flycatcher. Then, over the bridge and down to the inlet itself. I don't really look too much along this stretch of road since I know I'm going to cover it later in my walk. Today, the inlet was the place to be. I was looking for Saltmarsh Sparrow, and found a couple on the mud flats, one running around like a mouse. I wasn't quick enough to photograph it. But the real highlight for me was the big flock of Red Knots that were feeding imperturbably. There were some Dunlin, turnstones, and Least Sandpipers mixed in, but it was mostly knots. Not the thousands that come to feed on horseshoe crab eggs in along the Delaware Bay in Cape May, but still, a very impressive, happy sight for me.

Red Knots with Dunlin in breeding plumage

Seaside Sparrow

As I was walking back, Seaside Sparrows were buzzing and one was posted up long enough for me to fumble around with camera and get a picture. It seems to me I'm more interested in taking pictures of birds that I more often hear than see. The Willow Flycatcher that I found at the inlet path is another example.

Willow Flycatcher just north of the inlet

After I've done the inlet the exercise portion of the day starts. It is an approximate 3.7 mile round trip from the inlet to the southern edge of the first wooden bridge. The habitat can get a little monotonous--acres and acres of salt marsh, but today there were enough shorebirds in the marshes to keep my interest. I was surprised at how long it took me to find a couple of Greater Yellowlegs. The only birds I "should" have gotten that I didn't were oystercatchers and Little Blue Heron. Very often, I'll take a second look at the inlet, but today I didn't as I had run into Pete & Chris and they hadn't had anything there since I'd looked earlier.

I drive north fairly slowly, hoping for something that has been overlooked, but today I only added to the numbers of birds already seen. 1 year bird and 5 county birds for the day.
37 species
Double-crested Cormorant 5
Great Egret 20
Snowy Egret 5
Tricolored Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Glossy Ibis 8
Osprey 7
Clapper Rail 6 Heard
Black-bellied Plover 15
Semipalmated Plover 30
Ruddy Turnstone 25
Red Knot 125 Large flock at inlet, a few scattered in the marshes along the road
Stilt Sandpiper 1 boat launch before 2nd wood bridge
Dunlin 35
Least Sandpiper 50 conservative estimate
Semipalmated Sandpiper 15
Short-billed Dowitcher 30
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Willet 10
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Laughing Gull 40
Herring Gull 20
Great Black-backed Gull 4
Least Tern 3
Forster's Tern 7
Black Skimmer 16
Willow Flycatcher 2 One just north of 2nd wooden bridge, one at inlet path
Tree Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 35
Gray Catbird 3
Common Yellowthroat 6
Yellow Warbler 2
Saltmarsh Sparrow 2
Seaside Sparrow 8 scattered all along the drive and at the inlet
Song Sparrow 8
Red-winged Blackbird 50
Boat-tailed Grackle 75

Brigantine 11/9--Eurasian Wigeon, NELSON'S SPARROW

We took our somewhat monthly NJ Audubon field trip today with Pete Bacinski & Mike Mandracchia--last month's trip was wiped out by the government shutdown, thank you Tea Party.

I was prepared for cold conditions; as it turned out, I didn't even wear gloves today. No wind made viewing the thousands of ducks relatively easy--no frozen tears to deal with. After getting off to a roaring start at the Gull Pond--many ducks, an eagle, harriers--our little caravan was called over at the start of the Wildlife Drive by a birder Pete knew. He had a species of sparrow that I've been looking for all autumn, fruitlessly, down at Tuckerton--NELSON'S SPARROW. I've been searching for it so hard the last couple of months because it would be a life bird for us and although Tuckerton is the place in NJ for this species, I had no luck with it until today when Mike spotted a couple in the reeds. At first I only saw one briefly--not enough of a look to count it, but after some dedicated pishing by the group two soon made their appearance and I was able to get nice clear looks at both of them, and, bonus, compare them to a Saltmarsh Sparrow also in the vicinity. Until fairly recently, Saltmarsh and Nelson's were considered a single species, so I suppose back in my early days of birding at Jamaica Bay I may have seen this version, but if you see something and don't know what it is you  haven't seen it is my philosophy. Just to add to the confusion, until even more recently, these sparrows both "Sharp-tailed" in the middle of their common names. Happily, the nomenclature  has been simplified.

So, now that I'd seen the bird, the trick was to get Shari onto it. Looking into a marshy area of tall grass and reeds does not provide any decent landmarks. Saying,"look in the darker area before the channel," or "where the reeds are tan, not brown," is really frustrating to the person who wants to see the bird. Pointing with your finger doesn't help either. There are two ways the person is going to find the bird: luck or if the bird moves and she can follow it to its next stop. The latter happened, the bird clung to a reed for a while, Shari saw all the relevant field marks and we were all happy. I think it was a life bird for 5 of us on the trip.

Another interesting bird today, FOS, was Tundra Swan. Good to see them back for the winter. Shorebirds, aside from thousands of Dunlin, were scarce, though we did have a few yellowlegs, one Black-bellied Plover that I found among a flock of Dunlin, and a Western Sandpiper by the Gull Tower, feeding between the legs of a goose.

When we gathered for lunch the South Jersey bird text messaging service had some hot birds that we'd missed--Hudsonian Godwit and Eurasian Wigeon. Plus, one of the guys on our trip had seen a Common Goldeneye that we passed. It is hard to stop the line of cars if you aren't the leader. So we had some targets for the second trip around the dikes. The godwit, which was seen at the Gull Tower had flown, but Pete was determined to find the Eurasian Wigeon and once he located the flock of American Wigeons in the East Pool he went through each duck until he found the rare one--a wigeon with a red head and gray body instead of gray head and brown body.  We hadn't seen a Eurasian Wigeon in some time and this sighting made up for the frustration of last week's trip to Cape May when looked too late for the bird that had been in the Lightouse Pond.

While we were on the road, another report came in of Lapland Longspur. We drove to the reported spot but it wasn't to be found. The problem with lonspurs is that they like dirt or stubble. The only place on the Wildlife Drive for a longspur is the road. The problem with the road is cars. The report said it was repeatedly flushed by traffic but kept returning. By the time we got there, it must have gotten sick of the disturbance. However, later, on Pete's third trip around, he did find the longspur. We considered going with him to try for it (haven't seen one of those in years either) but somehow a cup of Wawa coffee seemed more appealing than another 8 mile drive. "And you call yourself a birding fanatic?"

For the day we had 60 species and with a life bird finally ticked, I'm not going to dwell on the ones that eluded us.
Brant  9
Canada Goose  300
Mute Swan  10
Tundra Swan  15
Gadwall  5
Eurasian Wigeon  1    
American Wigeon  20
American Black Duck  200
Mallard  10
Northern Shoveler  25
Northern Pintail  500
Green-winged Teal  10
Ring-necked Duck  1    Entrance Pond
Greater Scaup  50
Bufflehead  25
Hooded Merganser  10
Ruddy Duck  35
Common Loon  1
Horned Grebe  3
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  4
Snowy Egret  3
Little Blue Heron  1    At turn from South Dike to East Dike
Black-crowned Night-Heron  2    At turn from South Dike to East Dike
Turkey Vulture  1    Over Lily Lake
Northern Harrier  4
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  3    two immatures circling while an adult flew by with prey in its talons.
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Coot  10
Black-bellied Plover  1
Greater Yellowlegs  10
Dunlin  2000
Western Sandpiper  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Herring Gull  50
Great Black-backed Gull  5
Peregrine Falcon  2
Blue Jay  1    Heard
American Crow  2    Heard
Tree Swallow  3
Carolina Chickadee  1    Heard picnic tables.
Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard picnic tables
Carolina Wren  2    Heard
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Eastern Bluebird  2
American Robin  1    Lily Lake
Yellow-rumped Warbler  15
Savannah Sparrow  5
NELSON'S SPARROW  2
Saltmarsh Sparrow  1
Seaside Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  2    Heard
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Northern Cardinal  3    Entrance ponds
Boat-tailed Grackle  1
American Goldfinch  1    Lily Lake

Brigantine 9/7--Baird's Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Western Sandpipers
Photos: Shari Zirlin

We had what Scott Barnes called "a peep sweep" at Brigantine today; 4 of the hard to get (in NJ) shorebirds, as well as most of the more common sandpipers. We had 17 species of shorebirds--we missed a couple that others in the group had, but we got all the "good" ones: American Golden Plover, Western Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, and Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The last two were FOY for us. The Baird's was especially satisfying since we kept missing the reported ones closer to home--it's a tough bird to identify anyway, but the two we saw today were pretty obvious in their russet plumage which looked as if they were wearing hoodies. When we first arrived at the dogleg and everyone was calling out both the Baird's and Buff-breasted, I felt slightly overwhelmed--which to look for first. I found the Baird's fairly close in and then in the same scope view, the Buff-breasted came into the field. Someone else had the same look and proclaimed, "You're not going to see that too often!" Damn straight! In fact, we hadn't seen a Baird's in years, not since the East Pond at Jamaica Bay and this was only the second time we'd seen Buff-breasted--both times with Scott and Linda. Unfortunately, "close in" is relative--close in for the scope, but not close enough for even Shari's long lens to get decent photos.

We were fortunate today in that we car-pooled with Pete Bacinski and Mike Mandracchia--great birders who don't miss much while at the same time keeping up a steady banter of good and bad puns. My favorite of the day was Pete's description of the Marsh Wren's song as a "wrendition." Shari countered that Pete had "wrendered her speechless." We had a rollicking good time with them.

Another favorite bird that we were happy to see today was Bobolink, one on the first trip around the drive and then a small flock on our second go-round.  Even out of their "reverse tuxedo" breeding plumage these are handsome birds, a warm gold that seems appropriately autumnal.

Bobolink

They, along with the Baird's and Buff-breasted are on their way to the pampas of Argentina. It's a hell of a life being a bird.

Our day list was 66 species-- the group list was 91--aside from the Whimbrels we missed, I'm happy with our total.
Canada Goose  100
Mute Swan  1
American Black Duck  X
Mallard  X
Blue-winged Teal  10
Northern Pintail  1    North Dike
Double-crested Cormorant  25
Great Blue Heron  5
Great Egret  100
Snowy Egret  50
Little Blue Heron  5    Beginning of drive
Black-crowned Night-Heron  1
Glossy Ibis  5
Turkey Vulture  2
Osprey  10
Northern Harrier  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Black-bellied Plover  100
American Golden-Plover  3
Semipalmated Plover  50
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Greater Yellowlegs  25
Lesser Yellowlegs  20
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  500
Western Sandpiper  5
Least Sandpiper  25
White-rumped Sandpiper  3
Baird's Sandpiper  2    At dogleg, one closer in, one farther out in flock of gulls.
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Dunlin  2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  2
Short-billed Dowitcher  50
Long-billed Dowitcher  5
Laughing Gull  10
Herring Gull  100
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Gull-billed Tern  1
Caspian Tern  25
Forster's Tern  100
Black Skimmer  2
Mourning Dove  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1    Heard, parking lot
Merlin  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1    Heard, picnic tables
Eastern Kingbird  2
White-eyed Vireo  1    Heard, upland section
Blue Jay  1    Heard
American Crow  1
crow sp.  5
Tree Swallow  50
Bank Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  10
Tufted Titmouse  1    Heard, upland section
Marsh Wren  1    Heard, north dike
Carolina Wren  2    Heard
Gray Catbird  2    Heard, upland section
European Starling  50
American Redstart  1    Picnic tables
Pine Warbler  1    Picnic tables
Saltmarsh Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1
Northern Cardinal  1    Picnic tables
Bobolink  5
Red-winged Blackbird  200
Boat-tailed Grackle  4

End of the Year Review

We ranged from Alaska to Puerto Rico in our pursuit of birds this year. 311 species for 2012, far ahead of last year. 20 life birds for each of us, though not exactly the same birds. While we saw lifers in Puerto Rico, Washington, & Alaska, I think the most satisfying ones, the ones I enjoyed the most were the lifers close to home. UPLAND SANDPIPER and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW this June with Pete Bacinski and Linda Mack at Lakehurst Naval Base were exciting finds for us--20 minutes from home, but only accessible once a year when the base opens itself up for birders. And finally hearing a CHUCK-WILLS-WIDOW at Brigantine with Pete this summer was also very special.

The first lifer for me wasn't until May when we went to Chincoteague and Shari took me to the spot where she'd seen BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES previously with Pete and Scott and sure enough, there they were. Our last life bird was just a couple of weeks ago, SHINY COWBIRD, in the side yard of a the Puerto Vieja Cafe, along with Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds.

Superstorm Sandy did so much damage to so much habitat all along the east coast that it seems almost impossible that places like Brigantine or Jamaica Bay will ever be restored to how they were. How this affects the bird populations on their migrations is yet to be known. It does make finding birds more of a challenge, a small problem compared to what the birds are facing. (And no, my sympathies don't extend to people who wanted to live on the edge of the ocean and inevitably lost their homes.)

On a boastful note, unless Scott Barnes sneaks into Ocean County today and finds a couple of more birds, it looks like I'll finish #1 in the county for the year with 182 species. It is a testament to my obsessiveness, not my birding skills.

And so the final list for 2012: (UPPERCASE BOLD is a life bird).

Species                                          Location

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck     Brigantine

West Indian Whistling-Duck     Laguna Cartegena

Snow Goose     Brigantine

Brant     Nummy Island

Barnacle Goose     Mercer Corporate Park

Canada Goose     Cape May Point SP

Mute Swan     Cape May Point SP

Tundra Swan     Brigantine

Wood Duck     Whiting WMA

Gadwall     Cape May Point SP

American Wigeon     Cape May Point SP

American Black Duck     Sandy Hook

Mallard     Cape May Point SP

Blue-winged Teal     Brigantine

Northern Shoveler     Cape May Point SP

White-cheeked Pintail     Pond Near Copamarina

Northern Pintail     Cape May Point SP

Green-winged Teal     Cape May Point SP

Canvasback     Riverfront Landing

Ring-necked Duck     Cape May Point SP

TUFTED DUCK     Laguna Cartegena

Greater Scaup     Sandy Hook

Lesser Scaup     Cape May Point SP

Common Eider     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

White-winged Scoter     Sandy Hook

Black Scoter     Cape May Point SP

Long-tailed Duck     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Bufflehead     Nummy Island

Common Goldeneye     Sandy Hook

Hooded Merganser     Cape May Point SP

Common Merganser     Lilly Lake

Red-breasted Merganser     Nummy Island

Masked Duck     Laguna Cartegena

Ruddy Duck     Prospect Park

HELMETED GUINEAFOWL     Laguna Cartegena

Northern Bobwhite     35 Sunset Rd

Ring-necked Pheasant     Lacey Road

Ruffed Grouse     Coles Brook Farm

Wild Turkey     GSP MM 95

Red-throated Loon     Cape May Point SP

Pacific Loon     Glacier Bay

Common Loon     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Pied-billed Grebe     Cape May Point SP

Horned Grebe     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS     Aboard MS Westerdam

NORTHERN FULMAR     Aboard MS Westerdam

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL     Aboard MS Westerdam

Magnificent Frigatebird     Outside Ponce

Brown Booby     Cabo Rojo NWR

Northern Gannet     Cape May Point SP

Double-crested Cormorant     Lilly Lake

Great Cormorant     Nummy Island

Pelagic Cormorant     Glacier Bay

American White Pelican     Brigantine

Brown Pelican     Great Bay Blvd WMA

American Bittern     Brigantine

Least Bittern     Bombay Hook NWR

Great Blue Heron     Cape May Point SP

Great Egret     Cape May Point SP

Snowy Egret     Brigantine

Little Blue Heron     Cattus Island County Park

Tricolored Heron     Cattus Island County Park

Reddish Egret     Brigantine

Cattle Egret     Brigantine

Green Heron     Chincoteague NWR--Wildlife Loop

Black-crowned Night-Heron     Brigantine

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Blvd WMA

White Ibis     Chincoteague NWR

Glossy Ibis     Brigantine

White-faced Ibis     Brigantine

Black Vulture     Cape May Point SP

Turkey Vulture     Cape May Point SP

Osprey     Mt. Loretto Unique Area

Northern Harrier     Brigantine

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Cape May Point SP

Cooper's Hawk     Whiting WMA

Bald Eagle     Bombay Hook NWR

Red-shouldered Hawk     Cape May Point SP

Red-tailed Hawk     Central Park

Clapper Rail     Little Toms Cove

Virginia Rail     Brigantine

Sora     Horicon Lake

Purple Gallinule     Laguna Cartegena

Common Gallinule     Brigantine

American Coot     Cape May Point SP

Caribbean Coot     Laguna Cartegena

Black-bellied Plover     Stone Harbor Point

American Golden-Plover     Bombay Hook NWR

Wilson's Plover     Cabo Rojo NWR

Semipalmated Plover     Chincoteague NWR--Wildlife Loop

Piping Plover     Assateague Island

Killdeer     Shelter Cove Park

American Oystercatcher     Nummy Island

Black-necked Stilt     Bombay Hook NWR

American Avocet     Ted Harvey WMA

Spotted Sandpiper     Prospect Park

Solitary Sandpiper     Whiting WMA

Greater Yellowlegs     Bombay Hook NWR

Willet     Brigantine

Lesser Yellowlegs     Bombay Hook NWR

UPLAND SANDPIPER     Lakehurst NAES

Whimbrel     Brigantine

Hudsonian Godwit     Bombay Hook NWR

Marbled Godwit     Nummy Island

Ruddy Turnstone     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Red Knot     Stone Harbor Point

Sanderling     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Semipalmated Sandpiper     Brigantine

Western Sandpiper     Brigantine

Least Sandpiper     Chincoteague NWR--Marsh Trail

White-rumped Sandpiper     Brigantine

Pectoral Sandpiper     Bombay Hook NWR

Purple Sandpiper     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Dunlin     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Stilt Sandpiper     Brigantine

Buff-breasted Sandpiper     Sandy Hook

RUFF     Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge--East Pond

Short-billed Dowitcher     Brigantine

Long-billed Dowitcher     Brigantine

Wilson's Phalarope     Brigantine

Red-necked Phalarope     Cabo Rojo NWR

Black-legged Kittiwake     Glacier Bay

Bonaparte's Gull     Cape May Point SP

Laughing Gull     Cape May Meadows

Mew Gull     Juneau Harbor

Ring-billed Gull     Cape May Point SP

Herring Gull     Cape May Point SP

Lesser Black-backed Gull     Brigantine

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL     North Seattle

Great Black-backed Gull     Cape May Point SP

Least Tern     Horicon Lake

Gull-billed Tern     Brigantine

Caspian Tern     Brigantine

Black Tern     Sandy Hook

Common Tern     Assateague Island

Arctic Tern     Glacier Bay

Forster's Tern     Cape May Point SP

Royal Tern     Brigantine

Sandwich Tern     Boqueron

Black Skimmer     Assateague Island

Common Murre     Glacier Bay

Razorbill     Manasquan Inlet

Pigeon Guillemot     Pier 91

MARBLED MURRELET     Glacier Bay

CASSIN'S AUKLET     Juan de Fuca Strait

RHINOCEROS AUKLET     Juan de Fuca Strait

TUFTED PUFFIN     Glacier Bay

Rock Pigeon     Cape May Point SP

Eurasian Collared-Dove     Lincoln Ave, Cape May Pt

White-winged Dove     Lincoln Ave, Cape May Pt

Zenaida Dove     Guanica

Mourning Dove     Avalon--8th St. Jetty

Common Ground-Dove     Ponce--general area

Yellow-billed Cuckoo     Wells Mills Park

Mangrove Cuckoo     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Black-billed Cuckoo     Island Beach SP

Smooth-billed Ani     Laguna Cartegena

Eastern Screech-Owl     35 Sunset Rd

Great Horned Owl     Prospect Park

Barred Owl     Bombay Hook NWR

Common Nighthawk     Lakehurst NAES

CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW     Brigantine

Eastern Whip-poor-will     35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift     Brigantine

Antillean Mango     Copamarina

Ruby-throated Hummingbird     35 Sunset Rd

Puerto Rican Tody     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Belted Kingfisher     Cattus Island County Park

Puerto Rican Woodpecker     Laguna Cartegena

Red-bellied Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Crestwood Village

RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER     Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Flicker     Cape May Point SP

Pileated Woodpecker     Walkway over the Hudson

Crested Caracara     Princeton Junction--Grover Farm

American Kestrel     Whiting WMA

Merlin     18 Aberdeen Avenue

Peregrine Falcon     Brigantine

Caribbean Elaenia     Cabo Rojo

Eastern Wood-Pewee     Winding Hills County Park

Lesser Antillean Pewee     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Acadian Flycatcher     Chincoteague NWR

Willow Flycatcher     Bombay Hook NWR

Eastern Phoebe     White's Bogs

Great Crested Flycatcher     Double Trouble State Park

Puerto Rican Flycatcher     Laguna Cartegena

Eastern Kingbird     Whiting WMA

Gray Kingbird     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

LOGGERHEAD KINGBIRD     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

White-eyed Vireo     Brigantine

Bell's Vireo     Cape Island--The Beanery (Rea Farm)

Blue-headed Vireo     Island Beach SP

Warbling Vireo     Whiting WMA

Philadelphia Vireo     Central Park

Red-eyed Vireo     Bombay Hook NWR

Blue Jay     Lilly Lake

American Crow     Cape May Point SP

NORTHWESTERN CROW     Juneau Harbor

Fish Crow     Whiting WMA

Common Raven     Juneau--downtown

Horned Lark     Fast Landing Rd

Northern Rough-winged Swallow     Lighthouse Pond

Purple Martin     Brigantine

Tree Swallow     Whiting WMA

Bank Swallow     Bombay Hook NWR

Barn Swallow     Cape May Meadows

Cliff Swallow     Great Bay Blvd WMA

Cave Swallow     Cemetery of the Resurrection

Carolina Chickadee     35 Sunset Rd

Black-capped Chickadee     Allaire State Park

Chestnut-backed Chickadee     Sitka Nat. Historical Park

Tufted Titmouse     Whiting WMA

Red-breasted Nuthatch     Crestwood Village

White-breasted Nuthatch     Whiting WMA

BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH     Chincoteague NWR

Brown Creeper     Whiting WMA

House Wren     Whiting WMA

Winter Wren     Prime Hook NWR--Headquarters area

Marsh Wren     Bombay Hook NWR

Bewick's Wren     North Seattle

Carolina Wren     Cape May Point SP

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     Estell Manor Park(move)

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Whiting WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Whiting WMA

Eastern Bluebird     Cape Island--The Beanery (Rea Farm)

Veery     Double Trouble State Park

Swainson's Thrush     Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Hermit Thrush     Cattus Island County Park

Wood Thrush     Whiting WMA

American Robin     Cape May Point SP

Varied Thrush     Mt. Roberts Tramway

Gray Catbird     Brigantine

Northern Mockingbird     Cape May Point SP

Brown Thrasher     Double Trouble State Park

Pearly-eyed Thrasher     Copamarina

European Starling     Cape May Point SP

Cedar Waxwing     Cape May Point SP

Snow Bunting     Sandy Hook

Ovenbird     Whiting WMA

Northern Waterthrush     Prospect Park

Blue-winged Warbler     Double Trouble State Park

Black-and-white Warbler     Whiting WMA

Nashville Warbler     Cape May Point SP

Common Yellowthroat     Whiting WMA

Hooded Warbler     Double Trouble State Park

American Redstart     Central Park

Northern Parula     Crestwood Village

Magnolia Warbler     Chincoteague NWR

Blackburnian Warbler     Cape May Point SP

Yellow Warbler     Crossley Preserve

Chestnut-sided Warbler     Cape May Point SP

Blackpoll Warbler     Island Beach SP

Black-throated Blue Warbler     Cape May Point SP

Palm Warbler     Horicon Lake

Pine Warbler     Whiting WMA

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Cape May Point SP

Prairie Warbler     Whiting WMA

Adelaide's Warbler     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Townsend's Warbler     Sitka Nat. Historical Park

Canada Warbler     Central Park

Yellow-breasted Chat     Bryant Park

Bananaquit     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Yellow-faced Grassquit     Laguna Cartegena

Black-faced Grassquit     Laguna Cartegena

Puerto Rican Bullfinch     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Spotted Towhee     North Seattle

Eastern Towhee     Whiting WMA

American Tree Sparrow     White's Bogs

Chipping Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd

Field Sparrow     Sandy Hook

Savannah Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW     Lakehurst NAES

Saltmarsh Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd WMA

Seaside Sparrow     Brigantine

Fox Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd

Song Sparrow     Crestwood Village

Lincoln's Sparrow     Starrigavan Estuary (Sitka)

Swamp Sparrow     Little Creek Wildlife Area

White-throated Sparrow     Empty lot at Whildin and Harvard

White-crowned Sparrow     Island Beach SP

Dark-eyed Junco     Whiting WMA

Northern Cardinal     Cape May Point SP

Rose-breasted Grosbeak     35 Sunset Rd

Blue Grosbeak     Chincoteague NWR

Indigo Bunting     Chincoteague NWR

Dickcissel     Empty lot at Whildin and Harvard

Red-winged Blackbird     Brigantine

Yellow-shouldered Blackbird     Puerto Viejo Cafe

Eastern Meadowlark     Lakehurst NAES

Common Grackle     Clara Barton rest stop

Boat-tailed Grackle     Bridge to Nowhere

Greater Antillean Grackle     Copamarina

SHINY COWBIRD     Puerto Viejo Cafe

Brown-headed Cowbird     Sandy Hook

Orchard Oriole     Chincoteague NWR

Venezuelan Troupial     Pond Near Copamarina

Baltimore Oriole     Cape May Point SP

Antillean Euphonia     Bosque Estatal de Guánica

Purple Finch     35 Sunset Rd

House Finch     Cape Island--The Beanery (Rea Farm)

Red Crossbill     Deal--Clem Conover Rd.

Pine Siskin     35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow     Empty lot at Whildin and Harvard

ORANGE BISHOP     Laguna Cartegena

Orange-cheeked Waxbill     Laguna Cartegena

Bronze Mannikin     Cabo Rojo