I got a late start today, due to the cat's umpteenth visit to the vet, so I thought I would look at underbirded spots more out of curiosity as to what might linger late morning/early afternoon, rather than having any expectation of finding a lot of birds. Actually, the first place I went, is, as far as I know, unbirded up until today. Looking at Google maps I noticed a spot marked Nessie Bog Birdwatching Area, not a 10 minute drive from my house. It was on a wide dirt road that when we were first looking at houses in the area, our real estate agent took us on, showing us what she though was classic Pine Barrens scenery. Little did she know how much deeper we'd get into the Barrens. Of course, we sped right by this "bog" then and I never saw it. Odd that after all these years of looking at maps of the area that I never noticed it before. I felt fairly certain my car could traverse the dirt road, but looking, as I always do, for a walk, I parked just where the pavement ended and walked about 1/4 mile to the bog.
I found out why it was named "Nessie Bog"
I have no idea what the history of this joke is or how long it's been there. It isn't really a bog either; I'd call it a pond. As to the birds, it looks to have potential. I found a mama Mallard with her ducklings, an Eastern Kingbird hunting from the dead trees, a blackbird, and in the woods along the side, Prairie Warblers, Pine Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats, all expected warblers and nothing to get excited about. But that's all right, because I was more interested in the location than its birds.
I was thinking of going over to Double Trouble next, but the idea of all the dog walkers put me off. I thought the cranberry bogs could be interesting mid-day if there were egrets or shorebirds in the bogs (these are real bogs). I might, I thought, finally find a Solitary Sandpiper for the year.
Egrets abounded, but long searching through the shallower parts of the bogs yielded no shorebirds of any kind. Again, most of the birds I found there are expected denizens--yellowthroats, Yellow Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, and four kinds of swallows. There is a big sand pit near the road, along the power line cut--it looks like the mother of all borrow pits--and it seems like it would be a perfect spot for a colony of Bank Swallows and yet, I don't think I've ever seen a Bank Swallow there. Bank Swallows will make their nests in many of the working sand pits around the area and the workers will usually leave them undisturbed. Usually. Yet here is an abandoned, gigantic sand pit, and no birds. What is wrong them and how can I contact their leader?
I didn't hear the cuckoo until I was just about finished for the day--I was almost at the entry road when I heard it. With low expectations for the day, it was a serendipitous addition to the year list. Considering I started so late, I think 35 species is respectable.
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 2
Great Egret 9
Black Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1 Imm at back reservoir
Mourning Dove 1 Heard
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 Heard
Great Crested Flycatcher 2 Heard
Eastern Kingbird 2
Warbling Vireo 1 Heard grove near buildings
Blue Jay 1 Heard entrance road
American Crow 2 Heard
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 Wires
Purple Martin 1
Tree Swallow 10
Barn Swallow 25
Tufted Titmouse 1 Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 9
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 4
Ovenbird 1 Heard entrance road
Black-and-white Warbler 2
Common Yellowthroat 7
Yellow Warbler 3
Field Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2 Heard
Northern Cardinal 1 Heard
Orchard Oriole 3
Red-winged Blackbird 25
Common Grackle 1
House Finch 2 Heard
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| Immature Bald Eagle |
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