Ocean City Welcome Center | Wetlands Institute | Brig 5/2--Semipalmated Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper, Black Skimmer, Green Heron, White Ibis

Green Heron, Wetlands Institute

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron eggs, 
Ocean City Welcome Center

Going to the Ocean City Welcome Center heron rookery is like going to the zoo. There is no birding involved. But Shari & I haven't been to a zoo in years and it is a sight to behold to see 4 or 5 species of herons (including the nesting White Ibises), squabbling, turning over eggs, courting, flying, balancing precariously on branches, all from the walkway while the photographers curse the light or the bird that just moved. I thought we'd spend maybe a half hour there but after a while you get caught up in playing a kind of Where's Waldo with herons, as you keep finding more and more of them tucked away behind limbs or you spend time actually birdwatching  as the Yellow-crowned Night Herons tend to their eggs. They're robin's egg blue by the way. 94 minutes later we left. 

Ocean City isn't that far away from Cape May, but we didn't feel like dealing with the crowds down there on the first really warm day of spring. Instead, we went to one of our favorite spots in Stone Harbor, The Wetlands Institute. I was standing on the porch of the Institute, looking out at the marsh when a women approached me and said, "You look like a serious bird watcher, you wouldn't be interested in seeing a nesting Green Heron would you?" "Indeed, I would," I replied, "I need Green Heron for the year." 

The heron was in a little stand of tree that separate the gravel parking lot from the Institute's lawn. I don't think it was really building a nest there but it was very stolid for a long while as people passed by only to fly away out of the tree with a squawk when I returned with Shari. We added 3 Little Blue Herons to the day list, including a nicely splotched second year bird, and a few shorebirds including de rigeur American Oystercatcher for Shari. 

Black Skimmers, Brig

Then it was up north to do a loop around Brig. I was hoping Shari would get to see the American White Pelican. We were at the Gull Pond where we got a surprise. While Shari was playing with a doggie, I wandered over to the corner where the King Rail has been calling for a month and a half and heard it: Kek kek kek etc.  I quickly got Shari away from her canine pal and brought her over to the reeds. The bird sounds like it's 5 feet away from you, but you cannot see it. 

Our loop was pretty successful, though the wind had picked up so I wasn't enthusiastic about trying to scope large flocks of shorebirds for the oddball. We did find two White-rumped Sandpipers close to the south dike and a nice group of Semipalmated Plovers and halfway to the observation tower our first Black Skimmers of the year. And on the north dike, after missing it at the dogleg, Shari found the pelican. 

62 species on our successful Sunday

Species           First Sighting
Snow Goose  Brig
Brant   Wetlands Institute
Canada Goose  Brig
Mute Swan  Brig
Blue-winged Teal   Wetlands Institute
Northern Shoveler  Brig
Mallard   Ocean City Welcome Center
American Black Duck   Wetlands Institute
King Rail  Brig
Clapper Rail   Ocean City Welcome Center
American Oystercatcher   Wetlands Institute
Black-bellied Plover   Wetlands Institute
Semipalmated Plover  Brig
Whimbrel  Brig
Dunlin   Wetlands Institute
White-rumped Sandpiper  Brig
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Brig
Short-billed Dowitcher  Brig
Greater Yellowlegs   Wetlands Institute
Willet   Ocean City Welcome Center
Laughing Gull   Ocean City Welcome Center
Ring-billed Gull  Brig
Herring Gull   Ocean City Welcome Center
Great Black-backed Gull   Ocean City Welcome Center
Gull-billed Tern  Brig
Caspian Tern  Brig
Forster's Tern   Ocean City Welcome Center
Black Skimmer  Brig
Double-crested Cormorant  Brig
American White Pelican  Brig
Great Blue Heron  Brig
Great Egret   Ocean City Welcome Center
Snowy Egret   Ocean City Welcome Center
Little Blue Heron   Wetlands Institute
Green Heron   Wetlands Institute
Black-crowned Night-Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
White Ibis   Ocean City Welcome Center
Glossy Ibis   Ocean City Welcome Center
Turkey Vulture  Brig
Osprey   Ocean City Welcome Center
White-eyed Vireo  Brig
Fish Crow   Ocean City Welcome Center
Tufted Titmouse  Brig
Purple Martin   Wetlands Institute
Tree Swallow   Wetlands Institute
Barn Swallow   Wetlands Institute
Carolina Wren  Brig
European Starling   Wetlands Institute
Gray Catbird   Wetlands Institute
Northern Mockingbird   Wetlands Institute
American Robin  Brig
House Finch   Wetlands Institute
Chipping Sparrow  Brig
Song Sparrow   Ocean City Welcome Center
Red-winged Blackbird   Ocean City Welcome Center
Boat-tailed Grackle   Ocean City Welcome Center
Common Yellowthroat  Brig
Yellow Warbler  Brig
Northern Cardinal  Brig

White Ibises, adult & immature, Ocean City Welcome Center

Manasquan River WMA | Forsythe-Barnegat 5/1--Ruff, Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Grosbeak

Ruff, on right, Forsythe-Barnegat

Suddenly, after years of being a bird-free zone, the viewing platform at Forsythe-Barnegat is HOT. Last month a Stilt Sandpiper, this morning, a Ruff (which is probably a female, thus Reeve). I had decided to head down there after a long, semi-successful morning at Manasquan River WMA where migrating birds seem to have skipped over today. I was happy to see 3 new species: Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vireo, and, especially Blue Grosbeak, but I thought there would be a lot more species of warblers than I found and all the ones I found were already on the list for the year. So, checking the eBird alerts, I saw that a lot of sandpipers were being seen again off the observation deck, including a couple of species I wanted for my county list. 

Driving down the Parkway, I got a text from Steve: 

                        Are you aware of the Ruff at Barnegat?

If I was a subscriber to rare bird text alerts I would have been, but since I'm not, I have to rely on eBird, luck, and good friends like Steve to get me to the next rarity. But what a coincidence that I was on my way there anyway.

It took a little over a half hour to arrive in Barnegat, and of course, a half dozen birders were trying to refind the bird, not an easy task when there are 200 yellowlegs, both greater and lesser, shuffling along the mud flats, skittering into the air, then landing, inevitably, where the light is worst. 

Someone had the bird from a vantage point on Edison Street, so we all transferred our optics there, but, after giving brief, unsatisfying looks through twigs and reeds blocking the scope, the bird moved out of sight. A few of us went back to the platform, where another birder was set up. He had the Ruff, about as far out on the flats as it could be, but with a scope you could differentiate it easily from all the yellowlegs. Pictures, of course, were problematical. 

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April was not the cruelest month. Migration madness started in earnest and I added 34 year birds, Interestingly, to me, four of the new birds were from my own backyard--whippoorwill, hummingbird, House Wren,  &Yellow-throated Vireo (#99 for the yard). Most of new warblers came from Whitesbog (not a warbler hotspot) and most of the new shorebirds came from Brig (not surprisingly). Looking through my month list I'm startled to see that while I made it down to Salem once again, I didn't set foot in Monmouth County all month. I may have developed a slight Sandy Hook aversion. 

Counties Birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean, Salem

140 species: 

Species                  First Sighting

Snow Goose   Brig

Brant   Waretown

Canada Goose   Manchester Dump

Mute Swan   Manahawkin WMA

Wood Duck   Whitesbog

Blue-winged Teal   Island Beach SP

Northern Shoveler   Brig

Gadwall   Brig

Mallard   Whitesbog

American Black Duck   Whitesbog

Northern Pintail   Forsythe-Barnegat

Green-winged Teal   Manahawkin WMA

Ring-necked Duck   Double Trouble State Park

Black Scoter   Island Beach SP

Bufflehead   Barnegat Municipal Dock

Red-breasted Merganser   Waretown

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Horned Grebe   Island Beach SP

Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   Wells Mills Park

Clapper Rail   Great Bay Blvd

American Coot   Mannington Marsh

American Oystercatcher   Island Beach SP

Black-bellied Plover   Island Beach SP

Piping Plover   Island Beach SP

Killdeer   Compromise Rd.

Whimbrel   Brig

Red Knot   Brig

Stilt Sandpiper   Forsythe-Barnegat

Sanderling   Island Beach SP

Dunlin   Great Bay Blvd

Least Sandpiper   Whitesbog

Pectoral Sandpiper   Mannington Marsh

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Wilson's Snipe   Salem River WMA

Solitary Sandpiper   Cloverdale Farm

Greater Yellowlegs   Manahawkin WMA

Willet   Brig

Lesser Yellowlegs   Great Bay Blvd

Bonaparte's Gull   Mathis Veteran's Memorial Park

Laughing Gull   Barnegat Municipal Dock

Ring-billed Gull   Manahawkin Lake

Herring Gull   35 Sunset Rd

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP

Great Black-backed Gull   Barnegat Municipal Dock

Gull-billed Tern   Brig

Caspian Tern   Brig

Forster's Tern   Island Beach SP

Red-throated Loon   Mannington Marsh

Common Loon   Waretown

Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP

Great Cormorant   Island Beach SP

Double-crested Cormorant   Island Beach SP

American White Pelican   Brig

Least Bittern   Brig

Great Blue Heron   Double Trouble State Park

Great Egret   E. Bay Ave, Barnegat

Snowy Egret   Waretown

Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP

Tricolored Heron   Island Beach SP

Cattle Egret   Meadowedge Park

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Glossy Ibis   Island Beach SP

Black Vulture   Salem River WMA

Turkey Vulture   Pond on Schoolhouse Road

Osprey   Nessie Bog

Northern Harrier   Double Trouble State Park

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Great Bay Blvd

Cooper's Hawk   Double Trouble State Park

Bald Eagle   Double Trouble State Park

Red-shouldered Hawk   Brig

Red-tailed Hawk   Eno’s Pond

Belted Kingfisher   Whitesbog

Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd

Downy Woodpecker   Double Trouble State Park

Hairy Woodpecker   Cloverdale Farm

Northern Flicker   Whitesbog

American Kestrel   Compromise Rd.

Merlin   Whiting WMA

Peregrine Falcon   Island Beach SP

Eastern Phoebe   35 Sunset Rd

Great Crested Flycatcher   Whitesbog

Eastern Kingbird   Whitesbog

White-eyed Vireo   Brig

Yellow-throated Vireo   35 Sunset Rd

Warbling Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd

American Crow   Pond on Schoolhouse Road, Whiting

Fish Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Common Raven   Double Trouble State Park

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Salem River WMA

Purple Martin   Whitesbog

Tree Swallow   Whitesbog

Barn Swallow   Great Bay Blvd

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP

Red-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper   Island Beach SP

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Double Trouble State Park

House Wren   35 Sunset Rd

Marsh Wren   Brig

Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd

European Starling   35 Sunset Rd

Gray Catbird   Whitesbog

Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP

Northern Mockingbird   Double Trouble State Park

Eastern Bluebird   Whitesbog

Hermit Thrush   Island Beach SP

American Robin   35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow   Tip Seaman County Park

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Red Crossbill   Double Trouble State Park

Pine Siskin   35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

Chipping Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Field Sparrow   Cloverdale Farm

Dark-eyed Junco   35 Sunset Rd

White-throated Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Seaside Sparrow   Brig

Savannah Sparrow   Whitesbog

Song Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd

Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog

Eastern Towhee   Whitesbog

Eastern Meadowlark   Compromise Rd.

Red-winged Blackbird   Whitesbog

Brown-headed Cowbird   Whitesbog

Common Grackle   Waretown

Boat-tailed Grackle   Eno’s Pond

Ovenbird   Whitesbog

Black-and-white Warbler   Whitesbog

Common Yellowthroat   Whitesbog

Hooded Warbler   Whitesbog

Yellow Warbler   Brig

Palm Warbler   Whitesbog

Pine Warbler   35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Whitesbog

Prairie Warbler   Whitesbog

Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd Prairie Warbler, Manasquan River WMA