Sandy Hook 5/4--Common Tern, Warbling Vireo, House Wren, Swainson's Thrush, American Pipit, Northern Waterthrush, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting

Swainson's Thrush

With winds from the southwest even a "half-day" of birding at Sandy Hook can garner 71 species, or, if you're really ambitious like Bob Auster and start at 5 AM, 95 species. Since I'm not inclined to arise at 3 in the morning, I'll take the 71. On Scott's trip today, quality was included in the abundance, as I added 10 year birds, including some very pretty warblers, and one late species which I almost never see.

The trip started, as usual, at Guardian Park on the northern end of the Hook. Just in the parking lot we had warblers and Orchard Orioles, and two flyover American Pipits, which are late and thus rare.  While I saw the birds and heard the birds, I'm not so sure I'd know the birds w/o expert help.  For one thing, they never land. I think I have seen one pipit on the ground, and I misidentified that bird until someone else saw my picture. 

The walk down the Road to Nowhere (not to be confused with the Bridge to Nowhere) produces many warblers, including new for me Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Northern Waterthrush.   We saw one Swainson's Thrush briefly in a puddle on the road and then another, which was much more cooperative, on a lawn around the corner on Randolph Road.  Veerys abounded; Bob was surprised that I was so interested in seeing them since he sees lots but down here, as I said the other day, I usually only hear them.  

Scarlet Tanager

The colorful birds were also present: Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting and Baltimore Oriole.  Back at Guardian Park we had a White-crowned Sparrow on the lawn, which seemed late and unusual, and up near the Officer's Club we had Killdeer, a Sharp-shinned Hawk plus some more representatives of the birds we'd seen.    

After the trip was over Bob and I drove down to Spermaceti Cove, greedy birders that we are. The tide was slack, according to Bob, but on the little bit of sand bar visible we had American Oystercatchers, a barely discernible Spotted Sandpiper, and, my last year birds of the day, a couple of Common Terns.  Afterwards, we took a walk to the Nike Pond, in the hopes of night-herons, but the pond is so overgrown with phragmites that the blind is blocked and we couldn't even find the quacking ducks we heard. I did see, however, a House Wren on the trail, pointed out by Bob--I'd heard a couple during our walk, but I'd rather see the bird.   

On a field trip like this I spend a lot of time maneuvering around people to get on a bird and find myself wishing I was birding alone but then it is questionable how many birds I'd see if left to my own devices. It's a push/pull thing. 

Brant 205
Canada Goose 14
Red-breasted Merganser 5
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 13
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 6
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
American Oystercatcher 5
Killdeer 2
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Laughing Gull 20
Herring Gull 65
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Common Tern 2 Spermaceti Cove
Mourning Dove 2
Belted Kingfisher 1 Spermaceti Cove
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Eastern Kingbird 5 Undercount
White-eyed Vireo 1 Heard
Blue-headed Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
Fish Crow 2 Heard
Tree Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 10
House Wren 3
Carolina Wren 1 Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3
Veery 4
Swainson's Thrush 2
Hermit Thrush 1
American Robin 18
Gray Catbird 20
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 5
American Pipit 2 They never land.
Ovenbird 2 Heard
Northern Waterthrush 2
Black-and-white Warbler 9
Common Yellowthroat 3
American Redstart 2
Northern Parula 2
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 3
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Black-throated Blue Warbler 2
Palm Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 1 Guardian Park
White-throated Sparrow 1 Guardian Park
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 6
Scarlet Tanager 3
Northern Cardinal 3 Heard
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 Bike path
Indigo Bunting 1 Guardian Park
Orchard Oriole 2 Guardian Park
Baltimore Oriole 4
Red-winged Blackbird 6
Common Grackle 15
House Finch 7

American Goldfinch 1 Heard