Manasquan River WMA | New Egypt 5/1--Baltimore Oriole, Black-throated Green Warbler

To initiate the new month, Mike & I roamed around the northern and western parts of the county, starting with the Manasquan River WMA up in Brick. For May 1, it was cold and raw. I don't know how many new arrivals were there, but we found the usual warblers and one new one for us--Black-throated Green Warbler, which Mike's keen hearing picked out and which we finally found high in the crown of a leafing out tree. Interesting to me because they were new county birds, but not so much to Mike who already had them in the county, were hearing both Wood Thrush (multiple birds) and one Red-eyed Vireo.

We then decided to try a place in Jackson that neither of us had been to in at least a couple of years, the Metedeconk Preserve, a tract of hardwoods and pines with a little stream running through it, which I suspect is the Metedeconk River in its infancy. The first 3/4 of a mile around the muddy loop was giving us only Common Yellowthroats and Ovenbirds at best, but it started to get more interesting toward the end. At 11:17 we heard, twice, a Barred Owl hooting and we had Warbling Vireo (new for Mike) and a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The owl was worth the slippery walk.

Eastern Meadowlark, Colliers Mills

Our next stop was Colliers Mills. We walked out to Success Road in the hope of hearing (maybe even seeing) a Grasshopper Sparrow but we had success of a different sort when Mike heard an Eastern Meadowlark which I was able to locate in the grassy field. This is the first meadowlark I've seen at Colliers Mills, where you would think the conditions perfect for it, and Mike says he hasn't seen one there in 20 years. It was also a new county bird for me, much to Mike's chagrin, as was the Orchard Oriole in the parking lot. We like to see who can rack up the most county birds in a year. It's not a competition unless I'm winning. Right now, I'm winning.

Common Raven, Colliers Mills

We also first heard, then saw a Common Raven fly over the fields. Rave is supposedly rare in the county but of late, "common" is the operative word.

We took a run out to the New Egypt mud fields pastures where we thought we might find some shorebirds but those fields haven't been very productive this year. Instead we found a creepy flock of over 60 Black Vultures settled in among the cattle and roosting in the trees, a few more warblers and one more bird for my year & county list, Baltimore Oriole. Two actually, high in a tree, but that orange really stands out.

Fence Lizard

We made a couple of more stops with nothing else of interest other than a torpid fence lizard not enjoying the unspring-like weather conditions that Mike moved off a track tie coated in creosote and into the brush at the Lakehurst railroad tracks. 68 species seemed to be enough for the first day of the month and the weather was only getting colder and drizzly so we ended around 4 o'clock.

Species             First Sighting

Canada Goose   Colliers Mills WMA

Mallard   Colliers Mills WMA

Wild Turkey   Manasquan River WMA

Rock Pigeon   New Egypt

Mourning Dove   Manasquan River WMA

Laughing Gull   Colliers Mills WMA

Herring Gull   Manasquan River WMA

Great Blue Heron   Manasquan River WMA

Black Vulture   Colliers Mills WMA

Turkey Vulture   Manasquan River WMA

Osprey   Manasquan River WMA

Red-tailed Hawk   Manasquan River WMA

Barred Owl   Metedeconk Preserve

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Manasquan River WMA

Downy Woodpecker   Manasquan River WMA

Northern Flicker   Colliers Mills WMA

Merlin   New Egypt

Great Crested Flycatcher   Manasquan River WMA

Eastern Kingbird   Manasquan River WMA

White-eyed Vireo   Manasquan River WMA

Blue-headed Vireo   Manasquan River WMA

Warbling Vireo   Metedeconk Preserve

Red-eyed Vireo   Manasquan River WMA

Blue Jay   Manasquan River WMA

American Crow   Metedeconk Preserve

Fish Crow   Manasquan River WMA

Common Raven   Colliers Mills WMA

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Colliers Mills WMA

Purple Martin   W Colliers Mill Rd, Plumsted

Tree Swallow   Colliers Mills WMA

Barn Swallow   Colliers Mills WMA

Carolina Chickadee   Manasquan River WMA

Tufted Titmouse   Manasquan River WMA

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Manasquan River WMA

White-breasted Nuthatch   Manasquan River WMA

House Wren   Manasquan River WMA

Carolina Wren   Metedeconk Preserve

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Manasquan River WMA

Wood Thrush   Manasquan River WMA

American Robin   Manasquan River WMA

Gray Catbird   Manasquan River WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Colliers Mills WMA

European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA

House Finch   Manasquan River WMA

American Goldfinch   Manasquan River WMA

Chipping Sparrow   Manasquan River WMA

Field Sparrow   Manasquan River WMA

White-throated Sparrow   Manasquan River WMA

Song Sparrow   New Egypt

Eastern Towhee   Manasquan River WMA

Eastern Meadowlark   Colliers Mills WMA

Orchard Oriole   Colliers Mills WMA

Baltimore Oriole   New Egypt

Red-winged Blackbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Brown-headed Cowbird   Manasquan River WMA

Common Grackle   E. Colliers Mill Rd

Ovenbird   Manasquan River WMA

Black-and-white Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Common Yellowthroat   Manasquan River WMA

Yellow Warbler   New Egypt

Pine Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Prairie Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Black-throated Green Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Northern Cardinal   Manasquan River WMA

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Metedeconk Preserve

Blue Grosbeak   Manasquan River WMA

House Sparrow   Metedeconk Preserve

May Wrap-up

Killdeer chick in the field next to the Lakewood Wawa

The month's birding started off cold and rainy at Brig and ended today hot and sunny in the cranberry bogs off Dover Road. In between, I participated in the World Series of Birding, saw a couple of rarities, like Fork-tailed Flycatcher and White Ibis and added 36 birds to the year list. Nothing like April of course but then, there was international travel involved with all its attendant aggravations and annoyances.

My favorite birds of the month are the beautiful ones like Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, & Baltimore Oriole. My biggest accomplishment of the month was tracking down the elusive Yellow-breasted Chat at Assunpink. The serendipitous moment of the month was the Summer Tanager at Horicon Lake I found with a remote assist from Pete.

June is a notoriously slow month for birding, so I don't anticipate adding many new birds to the year list, and thus, not as many posts as this month. Today was the 152nd consecutive day I listed a bird (Orchard Oriole) on Bird A Day. If I don't get sick of doing it, I think I have decent shot at 300 days in a row.

I wandered all over the state and listed 171 species, not counting the Chukar in Colliers Mills or the weirdo ducks down on Great Bay Blvd.
Counties birded: Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean (somehow I managed to skip Burlington this month)

Species   Location

Snow Goose   West Creek Dock Rd.

Brant   Island Beach SP

Canada Goose   Brig

Mute Swan   Assunpink WMA

Wood Duck   Brig

American Black Duck   Forsythe-Barnegat

Mallard   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Brig

Bufflehead   Assunpink WMA

Hooded Merganser   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks

Ruddy Duck   Assunpink WMA

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Common Loon   Prospertown Lake

Double-crested Cormorant   Wawa County Line Rd

Great Blue Heron   Brig

Great Egret   Brig

Snowy Egret   Brig

Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP

Tricolored Heron   Cattus Island County Park

Green Heron   Island Beach SP

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

White Ibis   Forsythe-Barnegat

Glossy Ibis   Brig

Black Vulture   W. Bay Ave--Barnegat

Turkey Vulture   Colliers Mills WMA

Osprey   Brig

Cooper's Hawk   Colliers Mills WMA

Bald Eagle   Brig

Broad-winged Hawk   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-tailed Hawk   Cloverdale Farm

Clapper Rail   Brig

American Coot   Brig

American Oystercatcher   Brig

Black-bellied Plover   Brig

Semipalmated Plover   Brig

Killdeer   Butterfly Road

Spotted Sandpiper   Assunpink WMA

Solitary Sandpiper   Cloverdale Farm

Greater Yellowlegs   Brig

Willet   Brig

Lesser Yellowlegs   Brig

Whimbrel   Brig

Ruddy Turnstone   Island Beach SP

Red Knot   Great Bay Blvd

Sanderling   Great Bay Blvd

Dunlin   Brig

Least Sandpiper   Brig

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Wilson's Snipe   Brig

Laughing Gull   Brig

Ring-billed Gull   Barnegat Municipal Dock

Herring Gull   Brig

Great Black-backed Gull   Brig

Least Tern   Great Bay Blvd

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Caspian Tern   Brig

Common Tern   Great Bay Blvd

Forster's Tern   Brig

Black Skimmer   Great Bay Blvd

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-billed Cuckoo   FREC

Black-billed Cuckoo   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Screech-Owl   Beach Ave

Great Horned Owl   35 Sunset Rd

Barred Owl   Beach Ave

Chuck-will's-widow   Beach Ave

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift   Lake Enno

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Belted Kingfisher   Assunpink WMA

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Downy Woodpecker   Cattus Island County Park

Hairy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Northern Flicker   Assunpink WMA

Merlin   Manahawkin WMA

Peregrine Falcon   Brig

Eastern Wood-Pewee   Colliers Mills WMA

Acadian Flycatcher   Taylor Ln

Willow Flycatcher   Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Eastern Phoebe   Cloverdale Farm

Great Crested Flycatcher   Cloverdale Farm

Eastern Kingbird   Assunpink WMA

Fork-tailed Flycatcher   Assunpink WMA

White-eyed Vireo   Assunpink WMA

Yellow-throated Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Blue-headed Vireo   Oxycocus Bog

Warbling Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-eyed Vireo   Island Beach SP

Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd

American Crow   Assunpink WMA

Fish Crow   Brig

Common Raven   Prospertown Lake

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Cloverdale Farm

Purple Martin   Assunpink WMA

Tree Swallow   Brig

Bank Swallow   Prospertown Lake

Barn Swallow   Brig

Carolina Chickadee   Assunpink WMA

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

House Wren   Assunpink WMA

Sedge Wren   Manahawkin WMA--Beach Ave

Marsh Wren   Manahawkin WMA

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Assunpink WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Bluebird   Cattus Island County Park

Veery   35 Sunset Rd

Gray-cheeked Thrush   FREC

Swainson's Thrush   Baldpate Mt

Wood Thrush   Assunpink WMA

American Robin   Brig

Gray Catbird   Assunpink WMA

Brown Thrasher   Assunpink WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Forked River

European Starling   35 Sunset Rd

Cedar Waxwing   Colliers Mills WMA

Ovenbird   Assunpink WMA

Worm-eating Warbler   Baldpate Mt

Louisiana Waterthrush   FREC

Blue-winged Warbler   Cranberry Bogs--Dover Rd

Black-and-white Warbler   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks

Common Yellowthroat   Brig

Hooded Warbler   Island Beach SP

American Redstart   Island Beach SP

Northern Parula   Island Beach SP

Magnolia Warbler   Island Beach SP

Blackburnian Warbler   William Warren County Park

Yellow Warbler   Brig

Chestnut-sided Warbler   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks

Blackpoll Warbler   Island Beach SP

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Manahawkin WMA

Palm Warbler   Assunpink WMA

Pine Warbler   Cloverdale Farm

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Assunpink WMA

Prairie Warbler   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks

Black-throated Green Warbler   Island Beach SP

Canada Warbler   Cattus Island County Park

Wilson's Warbler   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks

Yellow-breasted Chat   Assunpink WMA

Grasshopper Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Saltmarsh Sparrow   Manahawkin WMA

Seaside Sparrow   Brig

Chipping Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Field Sparrow   Assunpink WMA

White-crowned Sparrow   Assunpink WMA

White-throated Sparrow   Brig

Savannah Sparrow   Brig

Song Sparrow   Brig

Swamp Sparrow   Bunker Hill Bogs

Eastern Towhee   35 Sunset Rd

Summer Tanager   Horicon Lake

Scarlet Tanager   Island Beach SP

Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd

Rose-breasted Grosbeak   35 Sunset Rd

Blue Grosbeak   Colliers Mills WMA

Indigo Bunting   Union Transportation Trail

Red-winged Blackbird   Brig

Rusty Blackbird   Cranberry Bogs--Dover Rd

Common Grackle   Brig

Boat-tailed Grackle   Island Beach SP

Brown-headed Cowbird   35 Sunset Rd

Orchard Oriole   Assunpink WMA

Baltimore Oriole   Colliers Mills WMA

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Pine Siskin   35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow   Wawa Rt 70 & CR 530 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Great Bay Blvd