October Review--Barrier Island Edition

Fully half the species I saw this month were from Island Beach SP, and most of those were listed on the first day of the month on Scott's NJ Audubon trip. Throw in three trips to Cedar Bonnet Island, a couple of trips to Holgate on the south end of LBI and a trip to the north end at Barnegat Lighthouse SP and almost all my birds this month were from barrier islands. Of the 5 year birds this month, 3 of them came from that great trip on 10/1--the Lark Sparrow, the Dickcissel, and my first life bird since Oregon, the CORY'S SHEARWATER. 

The other two species I listed this month were Bobolink on Cedar Bonnet Island and Nelson's Sparrow down at the end of Great Bay Blvd where they're fairly reliable this time of year, albeit frustratingly elusive, running through the spartina like mice instead of flying around like any other self-respecting sparrow. 

There were, though, a few sightings this month that amused me for one reason or another (and amusement, when you boil it all down, is the point of all this folderol). 

In the middle of the month Shari & I had to spend a lost, rainy weekend in Dobbs Ferry, NY, for reasons too dull to go into here, where the highlight of the trip (aside from leaving) was crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge (aka The Mario S. Cuomo Bridge) on our way home and seeing a Bald Eagle fly over the Hudson. I was astonished to discover, upon looking at my eBird records, that it was a state lifer, the first Bald Eagle I'd ever seen in New York State. Upon reflection, I realized it wasn't all that amazing since when we lived in NY we rarely ventured outside the 5 boroughs and eagles, at least 12+ years ago, were not a humdrum sighting as they are here. It was also, my first Rockland County listing ever. As I said, we rarely left the city limits to do our birding back then. 

I hardly ever go into the Whiting WMA behind our house anymore because I pretty much know what I'm going to find back there. But last week I took a long walk around it and no surprise, found what I expected--Pine Warblers, chickadees, titmice, bluebirds, jays, woodpeckers, and so on. However, at the pond that is back there I saw four American Black Ducks. I've seen Wood Ducks back there, ring-necks, Hooded Mergansers, & Mallards, of course, but to my memory I'd never seen black ducks until last week. I checked when I got home, and I was right. They are the 100th species listed in that hot spot, of which I have seen 97. (I have to say that I am dubious about the Red-headed Woodpecker listing, but I can't disprove it and it isn't totally out of the question.) I also saw 6 Great Blue Herons fly out of the trees at the pond, so there may be a roost back there, but I'm not that motivated to traipse back again to find out. 

Eared Grebe
Manasquan Reservoir

I took a walk around the Manasquan Reservoir this month, and just to see if I could do it, looked for the Eared Grebe that was reported. Lots and lots of Ruddy Ducks in the SW corner and, true to the rule, just as I gave up, what should float into my scope view but the Eared Grebe. I managed a digiscope photo, but since it wasn't even a year bird (Oregon), it wasn't noteworthy enough for a full entry. It isn't exactly an accomplishment to find a bird that is supposed to be there. 

On Sunday, I found myself at Stafford Forge. I was hoping for ducks in the reservoir there, but my hopes were without feathers. Walking around the big field in the front, I saw a bird skulk off the path into the woods. Immediately I recognized it as a Chukar, and of course, knew I couldn't count it, but, if you want to be amused, there's the bird that will do it for you. I can't help but anthropomorphize and think that this survivor (obviously, they are released in the WMA) was giving me a baleful look over its shoulder, as if to say, "I got this far without being killed, are you going to give me grief too?" It is a pretty bird; I wish I'd seen one out west where they are countable.

Chukar, Stafford Forge

And speaking of countable: eBird did its taxonomy revision this month. I knew I was going to "lose" one species when the Pacific-slope and Corderillan flycatchers were lumped together as Western Flycatcher, but I didn't realize that the Cattle Egrets I saw in Australia were now distinct from the Cattle Egrets I've seen everywhere else, or that the Intermediate Egret I saw in South Africa was now Yellow-billed Egret, whereas the ones I saw in Australia are now Plumed Egret, or that the Gull-billed Terns we saw in Australia are no longer Gull-billed Terns but are rather Australian Terns. That made for a net gain of 2 birds on my life list. 

For this month, barring any splits or lumps, I listed 139 species:

Species   First Sighting
Brant   Great Bay Blvd
Canada Goose   Island Beach SP
Mute Swan   Cedar Bonnet Island
Wood Duck   Reeves Bogs
American Wigeon   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Mallard   Island Beach SP
American Black Duck   Cedar Bonnet Island
Green-winged Teal   Island Beach SP
Ring-necked Duck   Deer Head Lake
Lesser Scaup   Assunpink WMA
Black Scoter   Island Beach SP
Bufflehead   Bamber Lake
Hooded Merganser   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Red-breasted Merganser   Island Beach SP
Ruddy Duck   Whitesbog
Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd
Pied-billed Grebe   Whitesbog
Eared Grebe   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Rock Pigeon   South Toms River
Mourning Dove   South Toms River
Clapper Rail   Island Beach SP
American Coot   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
American Oystercatcher   Holgate
Black-bellied Plover   Great Bay Blvd
Killdeer   Double Trouble SP
Semipalmated Plover   Island Beach SP
Piping Plover   Holgate
Greater Yellowlegs   Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Ruddy Turnstone   Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Sanderling   Island Beach SP
Dunlin   Island Beach SP
White-rumped Sandpiper   Holgate
Least Sandpiper   Great Bay Blvd
Semipalmated Sandpiper   Holgate
Laughing Gull   Island Beach SP
Ring-billed Gull   Island Beach SP
Herring Gull   Island Beach SP
Great Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Caspian Tern   Holgate
Forster's Tern   Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Tern   Island Beach SP
Royal Tern   Island Beach SP
Common Loon   Island Beach SP
CORY'S SHEARWATER   Island Beach SP
Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant   Island Beach SP
Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP
Yellow-crowned Night Heron   Great Bay Blvd
Black-crowned Night Heron   Great Bay Blvd
Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron   Island Beach SP
Snowy Egret   Island Beach SP
Great Egret   Island Beach SP
Great Blue Heron   Island Beach SP
White Ibis   Island Beach SP
Black Vulture   Lake Takanassee
Turkey Vulture   Whitesbog
Osprey   Island Beach SP
Northern Harrier   Holgate
Sharp-shinned Hawk   Island Beach SP
Cooper's Hawk   Double Trouble SP
Bald Eagle   Tappan Zee Bridge
Red-shouldered Hawk   Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk   Wawa Lakehurst
Belted Kingfisher   Island Beach SP
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Cranberry Bogs
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA
Downy Woodpecker   Island Beach SP
Hairy Woodpecker   Horicon Lake
Northern Flicker   Island Beach SP
Merlin   Island Beach SP
Peregrine Falcon   Island Beach SP
Eastern Wood-Pewee   Island Beach SP
Eastern Phoebe   Island Beach SP
White-eyed Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA
Blue-headed Vireo   Island Beach SP
Red-eyed Vireo   Island Beach SP
Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd
American Crow   Horicon Lake
Fish Crow   Whitesbog
Common Raven   Double Trouble SP
Carolina Chickadee   Island Beach SP
Tufted Titmouse   Colliers Mills WMA
Horned Lark   Holgate
Tree Swallow   Island Beach SP
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP
White-breasted Nuthatch   Colliers Mills WMA
Red-breasted Nuthatch   Cedar Bonnet Island
Brown Creeper   Island Beach SP
House Wren   Island Beach SP
Winter Wren   Reeves Bogs
Marsh Wren   Cattus Island County Park
Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd
European Starling   South Toms River
Gray Catbird   Island Beach SP
Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP
Northern Mockingbird   Island Beach SP
Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA
Hermit Thrush   Island Beach SP
American Robin   Island Beach SP
Cedar Waxwing   Island Beach SP
House Sparrow   Island Beach SP
House Finch   Colliers Mills WMA
Pine Siskin   Double Trouble SP
American Goldfinch   Island Beach SP
Chipping Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Clay-colored Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Field Sparrow   Double Trouble SP
Lark Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Dark-eyed Junco   Island Beach SP
White-crowned Sparrow   Island Beach SP
White-throated Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Nelson's Sparrow   Great Bay Blvd
Savannah Sparrow   Whitesbog
Song Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Lincoln's Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Swamp Sparrow   Island Beach SP
Eastern Towhee   Colliers Mills WMA
Bobolink   Cedar Bonnet Island
Red-winged Blackbird   Island Beach SP
Common Grackle   Meadowedge Park
Boat-tailed Grackle   Island Beach SP
Black-and-white Warbler   Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Yellowthroat   Island Beach SP
American Redstart   Island Beach SP
Cape May Warbler   Island Beach SP
Magnolia Warbler   Island Beach SP
Bay-breasted Warbler   Island Beach SP
Black-throated Blue Warbler   Island Beach SP
Palm Warbler   Island Beach SP
Pine Warbler   Island Beach SP
Yellow-rumped Warbler   35 Sunset Rd
Wilson's Warbler   Island Beach SP
Northern Cardinal   Island Beach SP
Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Island Beach SP
Indigo Bunting   Island Beach SP
Dickcissel   Island Beach SP

Three Sisters Viewpoint | Fremont Hwy | Cabin Lake | Cascade Lakes Hwy 8/8-9--6 Year Birds

Cassin's Finch, Cabin Lake

As a tour progresses, it, of course, gets more difficult to add birds to the list. The last two days, operating out of Sisters, were spent looking for specific species. Dave has an amazing ability to spot birds while driving, so, as we drove to Cabin Lake, he spotted Black-billed Magpies along the highway and conveniently, there was a pull-off--Three Sisters Viewpoint (the three sisters are mountains)--and the whole group was able to see a half-dozen of them flying in and out of trees. About an hour and a half later, he spotted Mountain Bluebirds along a fence-line on Fremont Highway in La Pine. Both corvids were welcome additions to the list. 

Guzzler

Our destination that day was Cabin Lake. They have a very expansive definition of "lake" out there, because it was about the driest place we'd been the whole trip. The attraction was "the guzzler," which was not the water feature I imagined. I thought it would be some sort of permanent fountain to which birds would flock. Instead, it was a DIY waterhole. They provide the cement basin, you provide the water, dripping out of a gallon jug. There were a couple of blinds to watch the birds come in. In the half-hour that Shari & I sat in the blind, we saw lots of Cassin's Finches, a few Mountain Bluebirds, and one Clark's Nutcracker. Meh. 

In the background there was a crackling sound, as from a downed electric line. It was coming from the hundreds of grasshoppers in the brush. I wish I could upload the recording I made. 

Mountain Bluebird, Cabin Lake

We took a short walk along one of the trails and on the way back, Dave spotted a Gray Flycatcher which flew off for a bit, but we finally tracked it down. As you can tell from the name, not much of a bird to look at, but a year bird nevertheless. As we were driving out along a dirt road, Dave suddenly halted the van--the birds he'd been hoping to find as we walked the trail--Pinyon Jays--were making noise in the pines. The only other time I've seen Pinyon Jays, in New Mexico, was a similar experience--the guide slammed on the brakes (Dave gently rolled to a stop), yellow out "Pinyon Jays" and a flock of 6 flew over the road. This time we were luckier in that there was a huge flock--25 to 40 of them--and we able to get good few of them as they sat in the pines for a moment or two. Pinyon Jays are notorious for wandering--it is a classic case of their life lines intersecting your life line. You just have to be lucky. 

The last day of the trip the target bird was Three-toed Woodpecker. Dave had heard that they could be found at Elk Lake, but we dipped there, and we didn't see any at Hosmer Lake either, alas. That would have been a life bird. I suppose I could always go to upstate New York to search for one. The only year birds we added on the 9th were Sandhill Cranes in a field along the Cascade Lakes Highway and a few Pine Siskins flying overhead. 

After that, we made the long trip back to Portland. I imagine that over the 9 days of the trip, we drove well over a thousand miles. Oregon is now 4th on my state list, trailing only New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. 

Government Camp Rest Stop