Manasquan Inlet | Lake Como 2/19--Eared Grebe, Iceland Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull

Iceland Gull, Lake Como

With a wind advisory in effect--gusts up to 50 mph predicted--I was dreading today's NJA field trip to the inlets and ponds of the north shore. But the with the hopes of some rarities, I steeled myself for an ordeal. Since I stink at finding the most sought-after gulls, my best chance to find them is to go out with some good birders. I used to think I stunk at picking out rare gulls from the usual ones because my eyesight was poor, but since my cataract surgery I can't use that excuse. I stink at it because to study gulls you have stand out on a jetty or beach and go through huge flocks of ever shifting birds while the winter wind brings tears to your eyes and your hands freeze on the scope focus ring and as soon as I try to do that the "fun" question occurs to me and since it is decidedly not fun, I quickly give up. 

Better I should pay twenty bucks and let someone with the search image firmly in mind find one. Or as it turned out today, two. 

But the magnificent find was not a gull and was wholly unexpected. And the weather, while rough, wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 

We started the morning on the jetty at Manasquan Inlet. Bundled against the wind, 18 intrepid birders set up thousands of dollars of optical equipment to scan the churning sea, only to find loons, mergansers, and Long-tailed Ducks. The beach was barren of gulls. I left the scope in Shari's hands (literally, or else it would blow over) and started walking down the jetty, hoping to scare up a Purple Sandpiper or two and to move around. Of course, when I was far down the jetty everyone started yelling my name. I ran back to hear "Eared Grebe!" 

There was an Eared Grebe for a few days last month off Holgate that I missed. Eared Grebes being pretty rare in NJ I was chagrined, especially since I had never seen one in Ocean County. Manasquan Inlet, at least the part we were standing on, is in Ocean County. If I missed this bird, the day was ruined and all because I can't stand still. But luckily, happily, Shari had it in the scope as did a couple of other folks and I got a good look at the bird, though it dove a couple of times. No shot of getting a picture and then, as fast as it had appeared, it disappeared. Speculation was that it was keeping tight to the jetty where we couldn't see it, or that it had drifted north. But after everyone in the group, I believe, got on it, it was not seen again. 

Black-headed Gull, Manasquan Inlet

Just before everyone was frozen to the core, we made our way back to the parking lot and drove a few hundred yards to the back of the inlet where we saw our first rare gull of the day, the long-staying celebrity, a Black-headed Gull. Not a year bird for me, but I was happy Shari got to see it since it has been a few years (or possibly longer) since she's had one on her year list. 

We then began hopscotching various bodies of water starting with Lake of the Lilies (Killdeer, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shovelers) to Wreck Pond and the Spring Lake boardwalk, then up to Lake Como where we defied the no parking signs and scoped the pond. The first interesting gull was an immature Lesser Black-backed Gull that was pretty obvious once someone else pointed it out, but before I could get the camera to try for a pic, the caravan moved on to the other end of the lake because there was a small flock of Redheads to view, and Redheads are always worth the look. 

Just as I was about to get the Redheads in the scope an "interesting" gull flew into the pond. It was all white with a black-tipped bill. Remember: I stink at gulls. So, when it was identified as a Glaucous Gull, I just accepted that, as did everyone else in the group. Ever read the book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds? Sometimes, that title pops into my mind when I'm birding in a group. In this instance, I was able to get a few pictures of the grayish bird in gray water under gray skies. Not great pictures, but good enough to have the bird's i.d. corrected almost immediately by the Monmouth County reviewer once I posted the photos on my eBird list. It was an immature Iceland Gull. Iceland/Glaucous, Glaucous/Iceland...I'll take either one. Gulls. This is why I didn't even consider going into Central Park in NYC to find the Slaty-backed Gull. My chances would be slim. 

We made a quick stop at the Shark River Inlet where the pickings were so poor that I didn't even bother with a list, then ended the day at MacLearie Park on the Shark River, where, reliably, there has been a Eurasian Wigeon this year, last year, the year before...and there it was, waddling on a sandbar with a few hundred Brant. 

The day accumulated 43 species the hard way with 3 year birds for me and 3 rarities on the list. 

Species  First Sighting

Brant  Manasquan Inlet

Canada Goose  Manasquan Inlet

Mute Swan  Lake of the Lilies

Northern Shoveler  Lake of the Lilies

Gadwall  MacLearie Park

Eurasian Wigeon  MacLearie Park

American Wigeon  MacLearie Park

Mallard  Lake Como

American Black Duck  MacLearie Park

Redhead  Lake Como

Ring-necked Duck  Lake Como

Lesser Scaup  Lake of the Lilies

Long-tailed Duck  Manasquan Inlet

Bufflehead  Little Silver Lake

Hooded Merganser  Lake of the Lilies

Red-breasted Merganser  Manasquan Inlet

Ruddy Duck  Lake of the Lilies

Horned Grebe  Manasquan Inlet

Eared Grebe  Manasquan Inlet

American Coot  Lake of the Lilies

Killdeer  Lake of the Lilies

Black-headed Gull  Manasquan Inlet

Ring-billed Gull  Manasquan Inlet

Herring Gull  Manasquan Inlet

Iceland Gull  Lake Como

Lesser Black-backed Gull  Lake Como

Great Black-backed Gull  Manasquan Inlet

Red-throated Loon  Manasquan Inlet

Common Loon  Manasquan Inlet

Great Cormorant  Spring Lake

Double-crested Cormorant  Lake Como

Great Blue Heron  Lake Como

Turkey Vulture  Little Silver Lake

Bald Eagle  MacLearie Park

Red-tailed Hawk  Lake of the Lilies

Blue Jay  Wreck Pond

European Starling  Manasquan Inlet

American Robin  Lake of the Lilies

House Sparrow  Lake of the Lilies

Snow Bunting  Manasquan Inlet

Song Sparrow  Wreck Pond

Boat-tailed Grackle  Manasquan Inlet

Northern Cardinal  Wreck Pond

Red-throated Loon, Manasquan Inlet