February Wrap-up

In this very weird and warm winter it has been hard to find new birds because a lot species just stayed up north instead of drifting down to us. I thought our trip to Delaware would yield a few more species than it did, though I consider the trip a good one with Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet and a few Bald Eagles among others. Wild Turkey on the Parkway was funny.

No life birds so far this year. Unless we go somewhere exotic (i.e. not the East Coast) or something outlandish flies in, it is going to be very hard to up the count since almost all the low-hanging fruit has been plucked.

I've become very interested in my Ocean County numbers. I'm up to 136 lifetime and 74 this year. It will be a while before I surpass my Kings and Queens counts but I figure I've got the rest of my life to build up the list. For those of you keeping score at home (which is, I know, nobody), right now I'm #5 in Ocean County for the year, according to eBird. My goal is to be #3, because I know that without pelagics I have no possibility of the top spot.

88 species for the month; not great, but more interesting birds this month than usual.

Counties birded:
Delaware: Kent, Sussex
New Jersey: Atlantic, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem
New York: Kings

Species                     First Sighting

Snow Goose       Bombay Hook NWR

Brant       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Canada Goose       Horicon Lake

Mute Swan       Shelter Cove Park

Tundra Swan       Bombay Hook NWR

Gadwall       Bombay Hook NWR

American Wigeon       Bombay Hook NWR

American Black Duck       Cattus Island County Park

Mallard       Allaire State Park

Northern Shoveler       Bombay Hook NWR

Northern Pintail       Bombay Hook NWR

Green-winged Teal       Bombay Hook NWR

Canvasback       Riverfront Landing

Ring-necked Duck       Whiting WMA

Greater Scaup       Lake of the Lilies

Lesser Scaup       Lake of the Lilies

Harlequin Duck       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Long-tailed Duck       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Bufflehead       Horicon Lake

Common Goldeneye       LBI Bayside--24th St

Hooded Merganser       Whiting WMA

Common Merganser       Bombay Hook NWR

Red-breasted Merganser       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Ruddy Duck       Prospect Park

Wild Turkey       GSP MM 95

Red-throated Loon       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Common Loon       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Pied-billed Grebe       Bombay Hook NWR

Horned Grebe       LBI Bayside--24th St

Double-crested Cormorant       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Blue Heron       Cattus Island County Park

Black Vulture       Whiting WMA

Turkey Vulture       Crestwood Village

Bald Eagle       Bombay Hook NWR

Northern Harrier       Bombay Hook NWR

Cooper's Hawk       Double Trouble State Park

Red-tailed Hawk       GSP MM 99

Peregrine Falcon       Brigantine

American Coot       Bombay Hook NWR

Killdeer       Shelter Cove Park

Black-necked Stilt       Bombay Hook NWR

American Avocet       Ted Harvey WMA

Greater Yellowlegs       Bombay Hook NWR

Lesser Yellowlegs       Bombay Hook NWR

Ruddy Turnstone       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Dunlin       Little Creek Wildlife Area

Ring-billed Gull       Crestwood Village

Herring Gull       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Black-backed Gull       Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Razorbill       Manasquan Inlet

Rock Pigeon       18 Aberdeen Avenue

Mourning Dove       Whiting WMA

Belted Kingfisher       Cattus Island County Park

Red-bellied Woodpecker       Crestwood Village

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker       Whiting WMA

Downy Woodpecker       35 Sunset Rd

Hairy Woodpecker       Allaire State Park

Northern Flicker       Ted Harvey WMA

Blue Jay       Crestwood Village

American Crow       Whiting WMA

Horned Lark       Fast Landing Rd

Carolina Chickadee       Crestwood Village

Black-capped Chickadee       Allaire State Park

Tufted Titmouse       Crestwood Village

White-breasted Nuthatch       Crestwood Village

Brown Creeper       Whiting WMA

Carolina Wren       Whiting WMA

Golden-crowned Kinglet       Crestwood Village

Ruby-crowned Kinglet       Whiting WMA

Eastern Bluebird       35 Sunset Rd

Hermit Thrush       Cattus Island County Park

American Robin       Allaire State Park

Northern Mockingbird       Allaire State Park

European Starling       Cattus Island County Park

Cedar Waxwing       Allaire State Park

Yellow-rumped Warbler       Allaire State Park

Fox Sparrow       Double Trouble State Park

Song Sparrow       Crestwood Village

Swamp Sparrow       Little Creek Wildlife Area

White-throated Sparrow       Allaire State Park

Dark-eyed Junco       Horicon Lake

Northern Cardinal       Allaire State Park

Red-winged Blackbird       Bombay Hook NWR

Common Grackle       Clara Barton rest stop

Brown-headed Cowbird       35 Sunset Rd

House Finch       Allaire State Park

American Goldfinch       Crestwood Village

House Sparrow       Bombay Hook NWR