Manasquan River WMA 2/9--Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush

Manasquan River WMA is not famed as a winter locale. The other three seasons it is a good spot for warblers, but I wanted to see if I might find in the woods some cold weather species that have eluded me so far and/or interesting raptors flying over the fields. I succeeded in the former with a Hermit Thrush that I found in a huge flock of robins (sometimes it pays to look at every robin), but as to the latter goal, I had one Cooper's Hawk and one unidentified raptor that was too far and too fast before it flew into the woods. 

Mostly what I saw were robins. There were a lot of little trails that I never noticed before, probably because in spring and summer they're too grown over (or too potentially tick-laden) to explore. And all along those trail the forest floor was athrob with robins kicking around the leaf litter. Along one trail that somehow goes down to the Manasquan River (although the closest I've ever been able to get was a wall of phragmites) a flock of about 100 robins were flying back and forth, eating the little red berries pictures above with the thrush. 

There were a few pockets of birds in various spots, but nothing else remarkable. I managed 17 species for my efforts, which is pretty good considering the low numbers I've been coming up with of late.

Cooper's Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Blue Jay 2 Heard
American Crow 1 Heard
Carolina Chickadee 15 Probably an underestimate
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Heard
Carolina Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 150 Probably an underestimate
Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
White-throated Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
American Goldfinch 2

Song Sparrow