September Wrap-up

Tricolor Heron, Spizzle Creek, Island Beach SP

Snowy Egret, Spizzle Creek, Island Beach SP

I got dem Why am I always in the wrong place? migration blues. Once again, migration was a frustrating season to me, so much so that I am formulating Zirlin Third Law of Birding which states that "Wherever you are, you should be someplace else."

So if I was at Higbee's Beach today, where I didn't see much, I should have been somewhere in Burlington County. If I was on Reed's Road on Tuesday, I should have been there on Wednesday. Or Monday, since I seem to be a day late. If I was at Assunpink this week, according to my informant, I should have been there last week. Or the week before that. Or the week before that, but certainly not the day I was there.

This is not to say I had a disappointing month. I found a lot of species (170) including 10 year birds, but it was work. Never did I have one of those magical days where the warblers are falling out and you don't know where to look first. I built the list in dribs and drabs and lots of walking.

Rarities weren't much of a problem this month--I finally got the Roseate Spoonbill I would have like to have had for Ocean County; on the other hand, I finally got Wood Stork for Ocean County. Plus a county Red-necked Phalarope.

Today, down in Cape May with Mike, we knew migration was winding down when we encountered our first Yellow-rumped Warblers in the state park. When they show up, you know you probably only have a few more days to scramble up any warblers you're missing for the year.  The shorebirds have all pretty much departed, judging from a run around Brig this afternoon. Soon it will be waterfowl, gulls, and raptors--and the winter finch report is not promising since there is a lot of food up in the boreal forest this year.

This month's list:
Counties birded: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Monmouth, Ocean.

Species                First Sighting

Snow Goose   Brig

Canada Goose   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Mute Swan   Forsythe-Barnegat

Wood Duck   Colliers Mills WMA

Blue-winged Teal   Island Beach SP

Northern Shoveler   Brig

Gadwall   Brig

American Wigeon   Cape May Point SP

Mallard   Colliers Mills WMA

American Black Duck   Brig

Northern Pintail   Brig

Green-winged Teal   Brig

Hooded Merganser   Brig

Ruddy Duck   Cape May Point SP

Wild Turkey   County Hwy-539

Common Loon   Island Beach SP

Pied-billed Grebe   Brig

Wood Stork   Forsythe-Barnegat

Double-crested Cormorant   Forsythe-Barnegat

American White Pelican   Richard W. DeKorte Park

Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP

Great Blue Heron   Whitesbog

Great Egret   Whitesbog

Snowy Egret   Forsythe-Barnegat

Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP

Tricolored Heron   Island Beach SP

Green Heron   Whitesbog

Black-crowned Night-Heron   Great Bay Blvd

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron   Island Beach SP

Glossy Ibis   Brig

Roseate Spoonbill   Heislerville WMA

Black Vulture   New Egypt

Turkey Vulture   W Colliers Mill Rd

Osprey   Island Beach SP

Northern Harrier   Sandy Hook

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Higbee Beach WMA

Cooper's Hawk   New Egypt

Bald Eagle   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Broad-winged Hawk   Cape May Point SP

Red-tailed Hawk   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Clapper Rail   Brig

Sora   Brig

American Avocet   Brig

American Oystercatcher   Sandy Hook

Black-bellied Plover   Sandy Hook

American Golden-Plover   Whitesbog

Semipalmated Plover   Forsythe-Barnegat

Piping Plover   Sandy Hook

Killdeer   Colliers Mills WMA

Upland Sandpiper   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Whimbrel   Sandy Hook

Ruddy Turnstone   Island Beach SP

Red Knot   Island Beach SP

Stilt Sandpiper   Brig

Sanderling   Sandy Hook

Dunlin   Brig

Least Sandpiper   New Egypt

White-rumped Sandpiper   Brig

Buff-breasted Sandpiper   Sandy Hook

Pectoral Sandpiper   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Semipalmated Sandpiper   Forsythe-Barnegat

Western Sandpiper   Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig

Wilson's Snipe   Whitesbog

Red-necked Phalarope   New Egypt

Spotted Sandpiper   Island Beach SP

Solitary Sandpiper   New Egypt

Greater Yellowlegs   Whitesbog

Willet   Sandy Hook

Lesser Yellowlegs   New Egypt

Laughing Gull   Forsythe-Barnegat

Ring-billed Gull   Brig

Herring Gull   Forsythe-Barnegat

Great Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP

Caspian Tern   Brig

Black Tern   Sandy Hook

Common Tern   Sandy Hook

Forster's Tern   Forsythe-Barnegat

Royal Tern   Island Beach SP

Black Skimmer   Forsythe-Barnegat

Rock Pigeon   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Mourning Dove   New Egypt

Yellow-billed Cuckoo   Sandy Hook

Common Nighthawk   Sandy Hook

Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift   Whitesbog

Ruby-throated Hummingbird   35 Sunset Rd

Belted Kingfisher   Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA

Downy Woodpecker   Union Transportation Trail

Hairy Woodpecker   Sandy Hook

Northern Flicker   Island Beach SP

American Kestrel   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Merlin   Whitesbog

Peregrine Falcon   Brig

Olive-sided Flycatcher   Richard W. DeKorte Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee   Colliers Mills WMA

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher   Sandy Hook

Eastern Phoebe   Union Transportation Trail

Great Crested Flycatcher   Whitesbog

Eastern Kingbird   Sandy Hook

White-eyed Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA

Philadelphia Vireo   Sandy Hook

Warbling Vireo   Bunker Hill Bogs

Red-eyed Vireo   Bunker Hill Bogs

Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd

American Crow   New Egypt

Fish Crow   Colliers Mills WMA

Purple Martin   Whitesbog

Tree Swallow   Whitesbog

Barn Swallow   Colliers Mills WMA

Carolina Chickadee   Colliers Mills WMA

Black-capped Chickadee   Sandy Hook

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

White-breasted Nuthatch   Colliers Mills WMA

House Wren   Sandy Hook

Marsh Wren   Jake's Landing

Carolina Wren   Colliers Mills WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Sandy Hook

Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA

American Robin   Union Transportation Trail

Gray Catbird   Colliers Mills WMA

Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP

Northern Mockingbird   New Egypt

European Starling   Mercer Sod Farm IBA

Cedar Waxwing   Sandy Hook

Ovenbird   Sandy Hook

Northern Waterthrush   Sandy Hook

Blue-winged Warbler   Island Beach SP

Black-and-white Warbler   Island Beach SP

Nashville Warbler   IBSP--A11 path

Connecticut Warbler   Sandy Hook

Common Yellowthroat   Union Transportation Trail

American Redstart   Union Transportation Trail

Cape May Warbler   Sandy Hook

Northern Parula   Sandy Hook

Magnolia Warbler   Sandy Hook

Bay-breasted Warbler   Sandy Hook

Yellow Warbler   Brig

Chestnut-sided Warbler   Sandy Hook

Blackpoll Warbler   Sandy Hook

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Sandy Hook

Palm Warbler   Brig

Pine Warbler   Whitesbog

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Cape May Point SP

Prairie Warbler   Island Beach SP

Black-throated Green Warbler   Sandy Hook

Canada Warbler   Sandy Hook

Wilson's Warbler   Brig

Saltmarsh Sparrow   Brig

Seaside Sparrow   Brig

Chipping Sparrow   Colliers Mills WMA

Field Sparrow   Sandy Hook

White-throated Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Savannah Sparrow   Brig

Song Sparrow   Union Transportation Trail

Swamp Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Eastern Towhee   Colliers Mills WMA

Scarlet Tanager   Sandy Hook

Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd

Blue Grosbeak   Manasquan River WMA

Indigo Bunting   Sandy Hook

Yellow-headed Blackbird   Brig

Bobolink   Whitesbog

Red-winged Blackbird   Union Transportation Trail

Brown-headed Cowbird   Union Transportation Trail

Boat-tailed Grackle   Brig

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd

House Sparrow   New Egypt