August Wrap-up--Shorebirds Edition

Marbled Godwit, Whitesbog

The most exciting bird of the month was the last new bird for the month--the first recorded Marbled Godwit in Burlington County, at Whitesbog, where shorebird season has been in full swing for a month and seems like it might continue to reward well into September. I was just putting on my boots this morning when the alert popped up on my phone at exactly 7 AM.  Yesterday, I had been at Whitesbog for half an hour by then, but today I got a late start and thus became a chaser instead of a finder. Still, it is a terrific bird to end the month with. Much excitement on the bogs today, as the godwit, unlike Saturday's Whimbrel, stayed the whole day, long enough for one intrepid birder to make his way from Philadelphia in rush hour traffic to put it on his list. 

Whimbrel, Whitesbog

In August you look for shorebirds and for the month I tallied 27 species--mostly at Whitesbog, but also at Brig, Bombay Hook, and one--Upland Sandpiper--at the BC Fairgrounds. The last couple of years I did a "Whitesbog Challenge" where I tried to list at least 100 species for the month there, but I skipped it this year because I knew I'd be in Delaware for 4 days. But even with that hiatus, I had 94 species there for the month--with a little more poking around I might have actually reached 100 again. 

Monk Parakeet, Sylvan Lake

In terms of year birds (bold italics)it was a slow month--only 4 added. In terms of rarities (underlined on the list), it was great, though the rarities were for the most part either rare for the area or rare for the date (i.e the Hooded Merganser on my local pond). I also made one side trip back to Sylvan Lake so I could get a decent picture of the Monk Parakeet that was building a nest atop a disconnected utility pole. Haven't heard much about the parakeet lately, come to think of it.  Either everyone who wanted to see it saw it, or else it realized that Monk Parakeets don't live alone, but in colonies. 

Counties birded

Delaware: Kent, New Castle

New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean

Species               First Sighting
Canada Goose  Whitesbog
Mute Swan  Brig
Wood Duck  Whitesbog
Mallard  Whitesbog
American Black Duck  Whitesbog
Green-winged Teal  Brig
Hooded Merganser  Pond on Schoolhouse Road
Wild Turkey  35 Sunset Rd
Rock Pigeon  Lake Como
Mourning Dove  Whitesbog
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  Colliers Mills WMA
Common Nighthawk  Whitesbog
Eastern Whip-poor-will  Whitesbog
Chimney Swift  Whitesbog
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  35 Sunset Rd
Clapper Rail  Brig
Virginia Rail  Bombay Hook
Sora  Bombay Hook
Black-necked Stilt  Bombay Hook
American Avocet  Brig
American Oystercatcher  Brig
Black-bellied Plover  Brig
American Golden-Plover  Bombay Hook
Semipalmated Plover  Whitesbog
Killdeer  Whitesbog
Upland Sandpiper  BC Fairgrounds
Whimbrel  Brig
Marbled Godwit  Whitesbog
Ruddy Turnstone  Brig
Stilt Sandpiper  Brig
Sanderling  Spring Lake
Dunlin  Bombay Hook
Least Sandpiper  Whitesbog
White-rumped Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  Bombay Hook
Pectoral Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Semipalmated Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Western Sandpiper  Brig
Short-billed Dowitcher  Whitesbog
Wilson's Phalarope  Brig
Spotted Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Solitary Sandpiper  Whitesbog
Greater Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Willet  Brig
Lesser Yellowlegs  Whitesbog
Bonaparte's Gull  Bombay Hook
Laughing Gull  Whitesbog
Ring-billed Gull  Wawa New Castle
Herring Gull  Brig
Great Black-backed Gull  Brig
Least Tern  Brig
Gull-billed Tern  Whitesbog
Caspian Tern  Brig
Black Tern  Bombay Hook
Common Tern  Brig
Forster's Tern  Brig
Royal Tern  Brig
Black Skimmer  Brig
Double-crested Cormorant  Brig
Brown Pelican  Island Beach SP
Great Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Great Egret  Whitesbog
Snowy Egret  Brig
Little Blue Heron  Whitesbog
Tricolored Heron  Island Beach SP
Green Heron  Whitesbog
Black-crowned Night-Heron  Brig
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  Brig
White Ibis  Brig
Glossy Ibis  Brig
Black Vulture  Pond on Schoolhouse Road
Turkey Vulture  Whitesbog
Osprey  Brig
Cooper's Hawk  Whitesbog
Bald Eagle  Brig
Red-shouldered Hawk  Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk  Jumping Brook Preserve
Eastern Screech-Owl  Whitesbog
Belted Kingfisher  Whitesbog
Red-headed Woodpecker  Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker  35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker  Whitesbog
Northern Flicker  Whitesbog
Merlin  Whitesbog
Peregrine Falcon  Brig
Monk Parakeet  Sylvan Lake
Eastern Wood-Pewee  Whitesbog
Acadian Flycatcher  Bombay Hook
Eastern Phoebe  Whitesbog
Great Crested Flycatcher  Whitesbog
Eastern Kingbird  Whitesbog
White-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Red-eyed Vireo  Whitesbog
Blue Jay  Whitesbog
American Crow  Whitesbog
Fish Crow  Wawa Galloway
Common Raven  Jumping Brook Preserve
Carolina Chickadee  Whitesbog
Tufted Titmouse  Whitesbog
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  Whitesbog
Purple Martin  Whitesbog
Tree Swallow  Whitesbog
Bank Swallow  Brig
Barn Swallow  Whitesbog
White-breasted Nuthatch  35 Sunset Rd
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  Whitesbog
House Wren  Whitesbog
Marsh Wren  Brig
Carolina Wren  Whitesbog
European Starling  Whitesbog
Gray Catbird  Whitesbog
Brown Thrasher  Whitesbog
Northern Mockingbird  Lakewood
Eastern Bluebird  Whitesbog
Wood Thrush  Whitesbog
American Robin  Whitesbog
Cedar Waxwing  Whitesbog
House Sparrow  Lake Como
House Finch  35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch  Whitesbog
Chipping Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Field Sparrow  Brig
Seaside Sparrow  Brig
Song Sparrow  35 Sunset Rd
Swamp Sparrow  Whitesbog
Eastern Towhee  Whitesbog
Bobolink  Jumping Brook Preserve
Eastern Meadowlark  BC Fairgrounds
Red-winged Blackbird  Whitesbog
Brown-headed Cowbird  Whitesbog
Common Grackle  Whitesbog
Boat-tailed Grackle  Brig
Ovenbird  Whitesbog
Northern Waterthrush  Whitesbog
Black-and-white Warbler  Whitesbog
Common Yellowthroat  Whitesbog
American Redstart  Whitesbog
Yellow Warbler  Jumping Brook Preserve
Pine Warbler  Whitesbog
Prairie Warbler  Whitesbog
Northern Cardinal  Whitesbog
Blue Grosbeak  Whitesbog 

Green Heron, Whitesbog