February Wrap-up--#@*#%! COLD

I think I can say without fear of contradiction that we're all officially sick of winter here. Even those in the household who purport to like cold weather are weary of it.

We did some good birding despite the unrelenting cold weather and seemingly endless snowstorms. The Common Murre in Wildwood was our best rarity in quite a while, and while we missed the Smith's Longspur in Stone Harbor we did get Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings there.  Our winter trip to Barnegat Light yielded up beautiful Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers and we didn't even have to climb on the jetty to get them. Common Goldeneyes were much easier to find this winter than at any other time I can remember. In fact, with all the frozen water, ducks were concentrated  in good numbers wherever there was open water--I saw a couple of hundred Hooded Mergansers along Great Bay Blvd., not a place they usually congregate in large flocks. Another highlight of the month was the trip we made to the Bridge to Nowhere after we'd been to Barnegat Light, both for the birds (Snowy & Short-eared Owls) and for the camaraderie of the group that ended a long day of birding there.

Pine Warbler

American Tree Sparrow

I spent long stretches of the month looking out the window at the feeders because of the inclement weather. I made sure there was plenty of seed, suet and peanut butter for the birds and it paid off with our continuing winter rarity Pine Warblers (yesterday we were up to 4 of them!) and a couple of unusual sparrows: an American Tree Sparrow was here for 3 days picking through the seeds in the snow and yesterday and today we've had our first Fox Sparrows of the year.

Fox Sparrow

The month's count was 104 species--not as good as last month, but last month we had that spectacular start at Cape May on New Year's Day.

Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Middlesex, Ocean

Snow Goose     Brigantine
Brant     Stone Harbor Point
Canada Goose     Bayview Marina
Mute Swan     Cape Island--Lily Lake
Tundra Swan     Brigantine
Wood Duck     White's Bogs
Gadwall     Cape Island--Lily Lake
American Wigeon     Brigantine
American Black Duck     Wetlands Institute
Mallard     Wetlands Institute
Northern Shoveler     Cape Island--Lily Lake
Northern Pintail     Bayview Ave Park
Green-winged Teal     Brigantine
Canvasback     Riverfront Landing
Redhead     Riverfront Landing
Ring-necked Duck     Cape Island--Lily Lake
Greater Scaup     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Lesser Scaup     Sunset Lake
King Eider     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Surf Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
White-winged Scoter     St. Mary’s dune crossing
Black Scoter     St. Mary’s dune crossing
Long-tailed Duck     Stone Harbor Point
Bufflehead     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Goldeneye     Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars
Hooded Merganser     Cape Island--Lily Lake
Common Merganser     Pemberton Lake WMA
Red-breasted Merganser     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Ruddy Duck     Bayview Marina
Red-throated Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Common Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Pied-billed Grebe     Riverfront Landing
Horned Grebe     Stone Harbor Point
Double-crested Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Great Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Great Blue Heron     Bayview Marina
Black Vulture     Eno’s Pond
Turkey Vulture     Cape Island--Lily Lake
Northern Harrier     Stone Harbor Point
Sharp-shinned Hawk     Colliers Mills WMA
Bald Eagle     Whilldin Ave. dune crossing
Red-tailed Hawk     Bridge to Nowhere
American Coot     Cape Island--Lily Lake
American Oystercatcher     Brigantine
Killdeer     Eno’s Pond
Greater Yellowlegs     Eno’s Pond
Ruddy Turnstone     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Sanderling     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Dunlin     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Purple Sandpiper     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Wilson's Snipe     Eno’s Pond
American Woodcock     White's Bogs
Common Murre   Sunset Lake
Ring-billed Gull     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Herring Gull     Stone Harbor Point
Great Black-backed Gull     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Rock Pigeon     Iselin
Mourning Dove     Whilldin Ave. dune crossing
Snowy Owl     Bridge to Nowhere
Short-eared Owl     Bridge to Nowhere
Belted Kingfisher     GSP MM 11
Red-headed Woodpecker     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve
Red-bellied Woodpecker     Cattus Island County Park
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Colliers Mills WMA
Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd
Northern Flicker  GSP MM 30
Merlin     Crestwood Village
Peregrine Falcon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Blue Jay     Cape Island--Lily Lake
American Crow     St. Mary’s dune crossing
Fish Crow     Pandora Diner parking lot
Horned Lark     Vincentown-Pemberton Rd
Tree Swallow     Brigantine
Carolina Chickadee     St. Mary’s dune crossing
Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd
White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd
Brown Creeper     Crestwood Village
Carolina Wren     35 Sunset Rd
Golden-crowned Kinglet     Crestwood Village
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     35 Sunset Rd
Eastern Bluebird     Whiting WMA
Hermit Thrush     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
American Robin     Stone Harbor Point
Northern Mockingbird     St. Mary’s dune crossing
European Starling     Stone Harbor Median
Lapland Longspur     Stone Harbor Point
Snow Bunting     Stone Harbor Point
Pine Warbler     35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-rumped Warbler     Stone Harbor Median
American Tree Sparrow     St. Mary’s dune crossing
Savannah Sparrow     Stone Harbor Point
Fox Sparrow     Wetlands Institute
Song Sparrow     Wetlands Institute
White-throated Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd
Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd
Northern Cardinal     Cape May SP--entrance
Red-winged Blackbird     Stone Harbor Median
Common Grackle     18 Aberdeen Avenue
Boat-tailed Grackle     Barnegat Lighthouse SP
Brown-headed Cowbird     Stone Harbor Median
House Finch     35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd
House Sparrow     Wetlands Institute

Snow Goose     Brigantine

Brant     Stone Harbor Point

Canada Goose     Bayview Marina

Mute Swan     Cape Island--Lily Lake

Tundra Swan     Brigantine

Wood Duck     White's Bogs

Gadwall     Cape Island--Lily Lake

American Wigeon     Brigantine

American Black Duck     Wetlands Institute

Mallard     Wetlands Institute

Northern Shoveler     Cape Island--Lily Lake

Northern Pintail     Bayview Ave Park

Green-winged Teal     Brigantine

Canvasback     Riverfront Landing

Redhead     Riverfront Landing

Ring-necked Duck     Cape Island--Lily Lake

Greater Scaup     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Lesser Scaup     Sunset Lake

King Eider     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Harlequin Duck     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

White-winged Scoter     St. Mary’s dune crossing

Black Scoter     St. Mary’s dune crossing

Long-tailed Duck     Stone Harbor Point

Bufflehead     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Common Goldeneye     Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars

Hooded Merganser     Cape Island--Lily Lake

Common Merganser     Pemberton Lake WMA

Red-breasted Merganser     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Ruddy Duck     Bayview Marina

Red-throated Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Common Loon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Pied-billed Grebe     Riverfront Landing

Horned Grebe     Stone Harbor Point

Double-crested Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Cormorant     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Great Blue Heron     Bayview Marina

Black Vulture     Eno’s Pond

Turkey Vulture     Cape Island--Lily Lake

Northern Harrier     Stone Harbor Point

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Colliers Mills WMA

Bald Eagle     Whilldin Ave. dune crossing

Red-tailed Hawk     Bridge to Nowhere

American Coot     Cape Island--Lily Lake

American Oystercatcher     Brigantine

Killdeer     Eno’s Pond

Greater Yellowlegs     Eno’s Pond

Ruddy Turnstone     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Sanderling     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Dunlin     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Purple Sandpiper     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Wilson's Snipe     Eno’s Pond

American Woodcock     White's Bogs

Common Murre   Sunset Lake

Ring-billed Gull     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Herring Gull     Stone Harbor Point

Great Black-backed Gull     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Rock Pigeon     Iselin

Mourning Dove     Whilldin Ave. dune crossing

Snowy Owl     Bridge to Nowhere

Short-eared Owl     Bridge to Nowhere

Belted Kingfisher     GSP MM 11

Red-headed Woodpecker     Ernest L. Oros Wildlife Preserve

Red-bellied Woodpecker     Cattus Island County Park

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     Colliers Mills WMA

Downy Woodpecker     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Flicker  GSP MM 30

Merlin     Crestwood Village

Peregrine Falcon     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Blue Jay     Cape Island--Lily Lake

American Crow     St. Mary’s dune crossing

Fish Crow     Pandora Diner parking lot

Horned Lark     Vincentown-Pemberton Rd

Tree Swallow     Brigantine

Carolina Chickadee     St. Mary’s dune crossing

Tufted Titmouse     35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch     35 Sunset Rd

Brown Creeper     Crestwood Village

Carolina Wren     35 Sunset Rd

Golden-crowned Kinglet     Crestwood Village

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     35 Sunset Rd

Eastern Bluebird     Whiting WMA

Hermit Thrush     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

American Robin     Stone Harbor Point

Northern Mockingbird     St. Mary’s dune crossing

European Starling     Stone Harbor Median

Lapland Longspur     Stone Harbor Point

Snow Bunting     Stone Harbor Point

Pine Warbler     35 Sunset Rd

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Stone Harbor Median

American Tree Sparrow     St. Mary’s dune crossing

Savannah Sparrow     Stone Harbor Point

Fox Sparrow     Wetlands Institute

Song Sparrow     Wetlands Institute

White-throated Sparrow     35 Sunset Rd

Dark-eyed Junco     35 Sunset Rd

Northern Cardinal     Cape May SP--entrance

Red-winged Blackbird     Stone Harbor Median

Common Grackle     18 Aberdeen Avenue

Boat-tailed Grackle     Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Brown-headed Cowbird     Stone Harbor Median

House Finch     35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch     35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow     Wetlands Institute

Carolina Wrens like peanut butter, too.