November in Review--A Make-do Month

Or catch as catch can, not to be confused with Ketchikan in Alaska. Because my uxorious duties came first this month, ferrying Shari to doctor appointments, physical therapy, and outings to friends, as well as staying close to home to assist her with quotidian tasks, I had to squeeze in my birding with make do spots, like the pond on Stonybrook, or the Whiting WMA behind the house. Even when I felt comfortable enough to leave her, early in the morning, I didn't want to stray too far from home in case I had to get back fast (which, happily, never happened). 

Hooded Mergansers, Pond on Stonybrook

Belted Kingfisher, Pond on Stonybrook

Great Egret, Pond on Stonybrook

So, I found my amusements where I could, whether it was Hooded Mergansers, a late Great Egret, and a Belted Kingfisher on the Stonybrook retention pond, or fighting young tom turkeys this afternoon in the back yard. Of the four year-birds added this month, the most spectacular was New Jersey's first Limpkin, which I was lucky enough to see just two days before the Monmouth SPCA determined it was malnourished (no apple snails hereabouts) and dehydrated and brought it to an avian rehabilitator. (What the rehabilitator will do if the bird gets well is an open question. I doubt there are funds to fly it back to Florida. Mike's suggestion was to donate it to a zoo.)

Young toms fighting in the backyard.

But the bird that pleased me the most was the American Pipit I found one morning last week at Whitesbog on the dam between the Lower & Middle Bogs. I was driving along when I saw a bird in front of me bobbing its tail. My first thought was Palm Warbler (tail bobbing) but I immediately saw it was too big and not yellow and said "Pipit" to myself just as it flew away, flashing its white outer tail feathers. I go long periods between pipit sightings, and to find one "on my own" is much more pleasurable than having it pointed out to me, or, more typically, have its call identified as it zips overhead. 

The dearth of waterfowl at Whitesbog, Reeves Bogs, Double Trouble, and Colliers Mills has been extremely disappointing, and the tiny numbers of Tundra Swans disturbing. I found I was only listing about half the number of species that I would expect of whatever kind of bird in all these places. Even our feeders have not been very active of late. So, with those conditions, it doesn't surprise me that my 107 species this month is the lowest November number I've had since 2012, and back then, I'd skip a day or two of birding. 

Counties birded: Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean

Species   First Sighting
Brant   Island Beach SP
Canada Goose   Berkeley Island County Park
Mute Swan   Wrangle Brook
Tundra Swan   Whitesbog
Wood Duck   Colliers Mills WMA
Northern Shoveler   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Gadwall   Colliers Mills WMA
Mallard   Horicon Lake
American Black Duck   Double Trouble SP
Green-winged Teal   Double Trouble SP
Canvasback   Whitesbog
Ring-necked Duck   Whitesbog
Black Scoter   Island Beach SP
Bufflehead   Colliers Mills WMA
Hooded Merganser   Crestwood Village
Red-breasted Merganser   Island Beach SP
Ruddy Duck   Whitesbog
Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd
Ring-necked Pheasant   Colliers Mills WMA
Pied-billed Grebe   Whitesbog
Rock Pigeon   Wawa South Toms River
Mourning Dove   Berkeley Island County Park
American Coot   Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Limpkin   Manasquan
Killdeer   Horicon Lake
Greater Yellowlegs   Cranberry Bogs
Sanderling   Island Beach SP
Dunlin   Island Beach SP
Pectoral Sandpiper   Whitesbog
Parasitic Jaeger   Island Beach SP
Bonaparte's Gull   Island Beach SP
Laughing Gull   Berkeley Island County Park
Ring-billed Gull   Monmouth Medical Center
Herring Gull   Berkeley Island County Park
Great Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Forster's Tern   Island Beach SP
Royal Tern   Island Beach SP
Red-throated Loon   Island Beach SP
Common Loon   Berkeley Island County Park
Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant   Berkeley Island County Park
Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP
Great Egret   Island Beach SP
Great Blue Heron   Berkeley Island County Park
Black Vulture   Crestwood Village
Turkey Vulture   Ephraim P. Emson Preserve
Northern Harrier   Island Beach SP
Sharp-shinned Hawk   Island Beach SP
Cooper's Hawk   35 Sunset Rd
Bald Eagle   Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk   Colliers Mills WMA
Rough-legged Hawk   BC Fairgrounds
Great Horned Owl   35 Sunset Rd
Belted Kingfisher   Colliers Mills WMA
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd
Downy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker   Double Trouble SP
Northern Flicker   Double Trouble SP
Merlin   Island Beach SP
Peregrine Falcon   Island Beach SP
Eastern Phoebe   Double Trouble SP
Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd
American Crow   35 Sunset Rd
Fish Crow   BC Fairgrounds
Common Raven   Cranberry Bogs
Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd
Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Colliers Mills WMA
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Double Trouble SP
White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd
Red-breasted Nuthatch   Island Beach SP
Brown Creeper   35 Sunset Rd
Winter Wren   Double Trouble SP
Carolina Wren   Double Trouble SP
European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA
Gray Catbird   Island Beach SP
Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP
Northern Mockingbird   Berkeley Island County Park
Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA
Hermit Thrush   Double Trouble SP
American Robin   Double Trouble SP
Cedar Waxwing   Colliers Mills WMA
House Sparrow   Monmouth Medical Center
American Pipit   Whitesbog
House Finch   Berkeley Island County Park
Pine Siskin   Cranberry Bogs
American Goldfinch   Colliers Mills WMA
Chipping Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA
Field Sparrow   Ephraim P. Emson Preserve
Dark-eyed Junco   Berkeley Island County Park
White-throated Sparrow   Berkeley Island County Park
Savannah Sparrow   Double Trouble SP
Song Sparrow   Berkeley Island County Park
Swamp Sparrow   Berkeley Island County Park
Eastern Towhee   Double Trouble SP
Eastern Meadowlark   BC Fairgrounds
Baltimore Oriole   Eno's Pond
Red-winged Blackbird   Berkeley Island County Park
Brown-headed Cowbird   Colliers Mills WMA
Common Grackle   Colliers Mills WMA
Common Yellowthroat   Island Beach SP
Palm Warbler   Double Trouble SP
Pine Warbler   Colliers Mills WMA
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Double Trouble SP
Northern Cardinal   Double Trouble SP

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

Manahawkin WMA 2/25--Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher

Tired of going to spots and not seeing as many species as I could see looking out my back window, I drove down to the Manahawkin WMA, which has the advantage of 3 habitats--grass, woods, and water. I parked on Stafford, instead of the parking lot off Hilliard, so I could scope the impoundments first, then double back, ditch the scope and walk Stafford both directions, entering the woods off Stafford then looping around through the grassy areas, back again along the impoundments to the car. It was a good strategy. The impoundments had a lot of ducks, including 120 Green-winged Teal. It wasn't too long ago that I made a special trip to Jackson to get 3 of these little ducks. Northern Pintails were in both impoundments, a very handsome duck, a fairly large number of Hooded Mergansers were scattered around, along with the usual black ducks and Mallards. One Gadwall was in the mix too. 

Not too much activity on Stafford aside from a couple of flushed Great Blue Herons in the marsh and Buffleheads around the Bridge to Nowhere. The path in the middle of Stafford that takes you into a hardwood forest was pretty dead until I got about halfway along when it exploded with birds--sparrows, woodpeckers, a Hermit Thrush, chickadees, etc., and at the edge of a little clearing, two Brown Thrashers, new for the year, flew up into a tree where I was able to take one truly lousy picture before they disappeared.

For the morning's walk I totaled 34 species, much better than I've done at any one spot probably all month.

Canada Goose  6
Mute Swan  6
Gadwall  1
Mallard  22
American Black Duck  38
Northern Pintail  21
Green-winged Teal  120
Bufflehead  7
Hooded Merganser  31
Greater Yellowlegs  6     Back impoundment
Ring-billed Gull  4
Herring Gull  10
Great Blue Heron  4
Turkey Vulture  2
Bald Eagle  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  1
Blue Jay  5
Carolina Chickadee  3     Heard
Tufted Titmouse  1     Heard
Carolina Wren  2     Heard
Brown Thrasher  2     Hardwood Forest
Hermit Thrush  1     Heard hardwood forest
American Robin  6
House Finch  2
Fox Sparrow  1     Hardwood forest
White-throated Sparrow  3
Song Sparrow  6
Red-winged Blackbird  1     Heard
Boat-tailed Grackle  1
Northern Cardinal  1     Heard

And then this afternoon, I spent a lot of time looking out my back window where I saw 15 species, including a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Brown Creeper, and my first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the month. It helps to live on the border of the Whiting WMA. 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Guess I Have to Take in the Bird Feeders Tomorrow

If we have any left in the morning.

Our backyard tonight:

Supposedly, there are bears in every county in New Jersey, but I never expected one to wander out of the Whiting WMA and plunk down in our backyard, swatting at the bird feeders. It looks very comfortable out there, 10 feet away from the house. Shari opened the window and played the kazoo to see if that would scare it off; didn't seem to bother the bear as much as it bothered me. And I thought the squirrel that ran into the garage this afternoon was a problem. 

 

Delaware in Ocean County 6/14--Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet

American Avocet

Barnegat Light seemed like the most interesting place to go this morning; the prospect of some county year birds was the attraction. The forecast was for cloudy skies all day. Cloudy is good when you're looking at water--cuts down on the glare. 

I knew that an American Avocet had been reported the last couple of days. Easy to see in Delaware, a rarity most parts of this state, including Ocean County. Since it is Piping Plover nesting season, the pond that was created in the dunes a few years back is stringed off and can only be viewed from some openings in the dunes. But if you go into the maritime forest and stop at its highest point, there is a good panoramic view of the pond, and I found the bird almost immediately.  I took a few digiscope photos, then walked the beach. As it happened, I was also able to see the bird through one of the gaps, framed by two Great Black-backed Gulls. 

I walked down to the end of the jetty, hoping to find some Great Shearwaters, also reported of late, but despite diligent scoping of the many gulls (and a few terns) flying around the fishing boats, none turned up for me. Nor did any of the bigger terns like Caspian or Royal. 

I was going to walk the beach down to the sunken mast about 1/2 mile north when I noticed that it seem a little cloudier than before. And windier. And colder. I looked at weather map on my phone and saw that a big blotch of rain was heading right at me and I had maybe 20 minutes to get back to the car. I started walking back, when I saw a big bolt of lightning crack the gray sky. Oh great, and here I am with a big metal object on my shoulder (the scope and tripod). Why don't I just walk the beach with a lightning rod? 

The 20 minutes I thought I had turned out to be more like 10 and by the time I got back to the car I was thoroughly soaked, though unelectrocuted. At least I got the avocet, along with 30 or so expected species.

By the time I got off the island, the storm had passed. I briefly thought about stopping at Manahawkin, but 1) I was soaked and 2) I was soaked in short pants and Manahawkin this time of year is like a loud clock: TICK TICK TICK TICK.

I got home, walked in the WMA behind the house, had lunch, read a book, when an alert came in that another Delaware specialty had shown up in county: 2 Black-necked Stilts at, where else, Manahawkin (although everyone was listing it as Bridge to Nowhere, which is wrong, since the impoundment is in the WMA and the Bridge to Nowhere marsh is the other side of the road, but I seem to be the only one to make the distinction).

Normally, I wouldn't rush out of the house and go all way back to Manahawkin for a rarity. I might hope that it stuck around for tomorrow, but I could already tell, I didn't feel like going there tomorrow, plus the symmetry was too appealing of having two birds I normally go to Bombay Hook to see be in the county on the same day. I changed into my permethrin treated pants, put on my muck boots and drove down. They weren't hard to find. They were standing on a sandbar in the middle of the impoundment. I could have ticked them from the little hill at the entrance to the path, but I wanted a picture, so I walked into the waist-high and higher vegetation until I could find a space between the waving phragmites and took some decent photos. Thank the birding gods for permethrin, because I seem to have come back without any ticks clinging to me.

Black-necked Stilts

Interestingly, I think the only other sighting I've had of Black-necked Stilt in this county was at Manahawkin a number of years ago. That day it was in the back impoundment. I thought today that as long as I was there, I might as well walk back there and see if there was anything else interesting, but I looked down at my tick-free pants and decided not to press my luck.

April Birding During a Pandemic

Ovenbird, Whiting WMA

Birding ethically and legally during a pandemic was hard enough; the weather this month made it doubly difficult. I remember April that started out with snowstorms heavy enough to cancel baseball's Opening Day, but I don't recall an April as relentlessly cold, windy, and rainy as this past month. Many days I awoke to miserable conditions and many days I forced myself to go out in less than ideal weather for my walk. I can never tell if the winds are propitious for migration. All I know is that there were winds and winds keep the birds down.

The only real bright spot was our backyard where the turkeys, the whip-poor-will, and, toward the end of the month, the hummingbird, kept us entertained. Especially the turkeys which we found strutting around our yard almost every day, the big Toms displaying, while a gang of four "Terror Turkeys" would stand in the middle of the street and stop traffic, two standing in the road while the other two would rush over from the side and attack a car's tires. Very amusing, even when it happened to me.

I, for the most part, stuck close to the house, either exploring parts of the WMA that, even after 8 years here, I'd never bothered to walk to, or else edge birding along the power line cut that runs along the edge of the development.

I did make a few forays farther afield, to other WMAs around the county and once to Brig with Shari, but avoided the parks, even when they were open. Not only is it hard to social distance on the narrow park trails, but all those people discourage any kind of serious birding.

So, what did I find? 26 new species for the year, a couple right here in the back yard, but about half of them in our one loop around Brig. From what I can glean from my sporadic reading of others' reports (I've turned off the alerts app on my phone because I got tired of the ceaseless chatter about next to nothing), migration has been slow this year. However, every year, it seems, migration is slow. Might that be because of the supposedly billions of birds that no longer exist? Seems logical to me.

For the month I recorded 106 species. As a comparison, last year I listed 172 species. Going all the way back to 2016, my worst April was 137 species. So, Covid-19, wind and rain, not mention occasional car trouble, all managed to reduce me to a pitiable number.  But, on the other hand, I am healthy, Shari is healthy. I assume, if you're reading this, you are too. Stay that way.

Species         First Sighting

Brant   Brig

Canada Goose   Meadow View Ln

Mute Swan   Double Trouble State Park

Wood Duck   Meadow View Ln

Blue-winged Teal   Manahawkin WMA

Mallard   Meadow View Ln

American Black Duck   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Brig

Ring-necked Duck   Colliers Mills WMA

Hooded Merganser   Crestwood Village

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   35 Sunset Rd

American Coot   Brig

American Oystercatcher   East Bay Av

Black-bellied Plover   Brig

Killdeer   Colliers Mills WMA

Whimbrel   Brig

Red Knot   Brig

Stilt Sandpiper   Brig

Dunlin   Brig

White-rumped Sandpiper   Brig

Pectoral Sandpiper   Brig

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Greater Yellowlegs   Manahawkin WMA

Willet   Brig

Lesser Yellowlegs   Brig

Laughing Gull   Brig

Ring-billed Gull   Brig

Herring Gull   Manahawkin WMA

Great Black-backed Gull   Brig

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Forster's Tern   Brig

Double-crested Cormorant   Manahawkin WMA

Great Blue Heron   Meadow View Ln

Great Egret   Double Trouble State Park

Snowy Egret   Manahawkin WMA

Green Heron   Manahawkin WMA

Glossy Ibis   Manahawkin WMA

Black Vulture   Colliers Mills WMA

Turkey Vulture   Crestwood Village

Osprey   Whiting WMA

Northern Harrier   Rt 539 New Egypt

Cooper's Hawk   Meadow View Ln

Bald Eagle   Meadow View Ln

Red-shouldered Hawk   Meadow View Ln

Red-tailed Hawk   Crestwood Village

Belted Kingfisher   Meadow View Ln

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Meadow View Ln

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Meadow View Ln

Downy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker   Whiting WMA

Pileated Woodpecker   Meadow View Ln

Northern Flicker   Meadow View Ln

American Kestrel   Rt 539 New Egypt

Eastern Phoebe   Meadow View Ln

Eastern Kingbird   Manasquan River WMA

White-eyed Vireo   Meadow View Ln

Blue Jay   Meadow View Ln

American Crow   Whiting WMA

Fish Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Carolina Chickadee   Meadow View Ln

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Martin   Meadow View Ln

Tree Swallow   Meadow View Ln

Barn Swallow   Brig

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Colliers Mills WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Double Trouble State Park

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Double Trouble State Park

House Wren   Whiting WMA

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA

Gray Catbird   Manasquan River WMA

Brown Thrasher   Manahawkin WMA

Northern Mockingbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Eastern Bluebird   Meadow View Ln

Hermit Thrush   Meadow View Ln

Wood Thrush   Manasquan River WMA

American Robin   Crestwood Village

House Sparrow   Crestwood Village

House Finch   Meadow View Ln

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow   Meadow View Ln

Field Sparrow   Double Trouble State Park

Dark-eyed Junco   Meadow View Ln

White-throated Sparrow   Meadow View Ln

Seaside Sparrow   Brig

Song Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Swamp Sparrow   Double Trouble State Park

Eastern Towhee   Double Trouble State Park

Red-winged Blackbird   Meadow View Ln

Brown-headed Cowbird   35 Sunset Rd

Common Grackle   Crestwood Village

Boat-tailed Grackle   East Bay Av, Stafford Township

Ovenbird   Manahawkin WMA

Common Yellowthroat   Colliers Mills WMA

Palm Warbler   Double Trouble State Park

Pine Warbler   Meadow View Ln

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Meadow View Ln

Prairie Warbler   Manasquan River WMA

Northern Cardinal   Meadow View Ln Blue Grosbeak   Manasquan River WMA

Palm Warbler, Whiting WMA