Manahawkin WMA 4/30--Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated Plover, Eastern Wood-Pewee and April Recap

Black-necked Stilt

It was starting to become my nemesis bird of the year. I had already made two trips to Brig and 4 loops of the Wildlife Drive with no luck. Yesterday, after our excursion to the Ocean City rookery, Shari & I stopped at Manahawkin to look for the Black-necked Stilt that had been seen in the front impoundment. It wasn't in the front impoundment. I suspected that it was in the back impoundment, but to get there you have to walk about a thousand feet through tick-infested tall grass and neither of us was dressed for that kind of trek, so we dipped. 

This morning, I was there at seven, wearing permethrin pants, sprayed and wiped with repellent, with my socks tucked into my pants. Again, the front impoundment was empty of anything I cared about but walking back with my scope to where I suspected the bird might be (and where I had seen one about 12 years ago) I quickly found the bird with the bubblegum pink legs feeding alongside both species of yellowlegs. Nemesis no more. 

I did add two more species there--Eastern Wood-Pewee in the upland section and saw a small flock of Semipalmated Plovers whizzing around the back impoundment, to bring the year bird total up to 40 for the month. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to track down the Yellow-breasted Chat that another birder had just heard "around the corner" and has subsequently been reported since I was there. I seem to be taking it personally that a bird that makes such a demented racket refused to sing while I was there. Ah well...

For the month I had 139 species. Already other birders are complaining to me about the warblers being late and migration being slow. I would have like to lived in those halcyon days when the birds flew over your head in waves but instead I'm here and my motto is "See 'em while you can." 

Counties birded: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Ocean

Species             First Sighting
Snow Goose   Brig
Brant   Brig
Canada Goose   Whitesbog
Mute Swan   Brig
Wood Duck   Whitesbog
Blue-winged Teal   Brig
Northern Shoveler   Brig
Gadwall   Brig
Mallard   Whitesbog
American Black Duck   Cranberry Bogs
Northern Pintail   Brig
Green-winged Teal   Brig
Ring-necked Duck   Cranberry Bogs
Greater Scaup   Island Beach SP
Surf Scoter   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Black Scoter   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Bufflehead   Whitesbog
Red-breasted Merganser   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Ruddy Duck   Brig
Wild Turkey   Crestwood Village
Rock Pigeon   South Toms River
Mourning Dove   35 Sunset Rd
Eastern Whip-poor-will   35 Sunset Rd
Chimney Swift   Whitesbog
Ruby-throated Hummingbird   35 Sunset Rd
Clapper Rail   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Black-necked Stilt   Manahawkin WMA
American Oystercatcher   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Black-bellied Plover   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Killdeer   Cranberry Bogs
Semipalmated Plover   Manahawkin WMA
Short-billed Dowitcher   Brig
Long-billed Dowitcher   Forsythe-Barnegat
Wilson's Snipe   Brig
Solitary Sandpiper   Colliers Mills WMA
Lesser Yellowlegs   Brig
Willet   Cedar Bonnet Island
Greater Yellowlegs   Brig
Sanderling   Island Beach SP
Dunlin   Brig
Bonaparte's Gull   Brig
Laughing Gull   Island Beach SP
Ring-billed Gull   35 Sunset Rd
American Herring Gull   Brig
Great Black-backed Gull   Brig
Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP
Caspian Tern   Holly Lake
Forster's Tern   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Pied-billed Grebe   Colliers Mills WMA
Red-throated Loon   Island Beach SP
Common Loon   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Northern Gannet   Island Beach SP
Double-crested Cormorant   Brig
White Ibis   Island Beach SP
Glossy Ibis   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Yellow-crowned Night Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
Black-crowned Night Heron   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP
Tricolored Heron   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Snowy Egret   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Great Egret   Cranberry Bogs
Great Blue Heron   Whitesbog
Black Vulture   Whitesbog
Turkey Vulture   Manchester Dump
Osprey   Cranberry Bogs
Northern Harrier   Whitesbog
Bald Eagle   Cranberry Bogs
Red-shouldered Hawk   Whitesbog
Red-tailed Hawk   Manchester Dump
Belted Kingfisher   Double Trouble SP
Red-headed Woodpecker   Colliers Mills WMA
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Whitesbog
Downy Woodpecker   35 Sunset Rd
Hairy Woodpecker   Whitesbog
Northern Flicker   Manchester Dump
American Kestrel   Colliers Mills WMA
Merlin   Island Beach SP
Peregrine Falcon   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Eastern Wood-Pewee   Manahawkin WMA
Eastern Phoebe   Whitesbog
Great Crested Flycatcher   Lakehurst Railroad Tracks
Eastern Kingbird   Cloverdale Farm
White-eyed Vireo   Manahawkin WMA
Warbling Vireo   Colliers Mills WMA
Blue Jay   Manchester Dump
American Crow   35 Sunset Rd
Fish Crow   Whitesbog
Common Raven   Cranberry Bogs
Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd
Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd
Tree Swallow   Whitesbog
Purple Martin   Jakes Branch County Park
Northern Rough-winged Swallow   Double Trouble SP
Barn Swallow   Colliers Mills WMA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Cranberry Bogs
Golden-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog
White-breasted Nuthatch   Whitesbog
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Whitesbog
Northern House Wren   Island Beach SP
Winter Wren   Double Trouble SP
Marsh Wren   Cattus Island County Park
Carolina Wren   35 Sunset Rd
European Starling   Colliers Mills WMA
Gray Catbird   Colliers Mills WMA
Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP
Northern Mockingbird   Berkeley Island County Park
Eastern Bluebird   35 Sunset Rd
Hermit Thrush   Double Trouble SP
American Robin   35 Sunset Rd
House Sparrow   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
House Finch   35 Sunset Rd
American Goldfinch   35 Sunset Rd
Chipping Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd
Field Sparrow   Whitesbog
Dark-eyed Junco   35 Sunset Rd
White-throated Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd
Seaside Sparrow   Cattus Island County Park
Savannah Sparrow   Brig
Song Sparrow   35 Sunset Rd
Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog
Eastern Towhee   35 Sunset Rd
Baltimore Oriole   Whitesbog
Red-winged Blackbird   Manchester Dump
Brown-headed Cowbird   Whitesbog
Common Grackle   Whitesbog
Boat-tailed Grackle   Great Bay Bvld. WMA
Ovenbird   Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Worm-eating Warbler   Evert Memorial Nature Trail
Louisiana Waterthrush   Double Trouble SP
Black-and-white Warbler   Double Trouble SP
Prothonotary Warbler   Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Common Yellowthroat   Manahawkin WMA
Hooded Warbler   Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Yellow Warbler   Cattus Island County Park
Palm Warbler   Whitesbog
Pine Warbler   35 Sunset Rd
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Double Trouble SP
Prairie Warbler   Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve
Northern Cardinal   35 Sunset Rd

Oops! I accidentally took a photo of an Osprey (Cattus Island)

Whitesbog | Ocean City Welcome Center 4/29--Chimney Swift, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Baltimore Oriole

Yellow-crowned Night-Herons

Before Shari & I took our annual jaunt down to the Ocean City Welcome Center to view the rookery, I took my morning walk in Whitesbog on both sides of the county line, where I was happy to meet up with my informant, whom I hadn't seen in more than a couple of months.  In Ditch Meadow, on the Burlington side, I heard a Baltimore Oriole, but couldn't see it because the trail down to where it was singing was flooded and I wasn't wearing waders, and on the Ocean County side, over one of the former, now-flooded, blueberry fields I saw my first Chimney Swift of the year, but no pictures because, well, they're swift. 

White Ibis with eggs
Photo: Shari Zirlin

The rookery on the Ocean City causeway is always entertaining and a photographer's delight. The first time we ever went there was on July 4th weekend, battling the traffic into Ocean City, because a White Ibis was there and it was an event. Fast forward 10 years and there are anywhere from 75 to 200 White Ibis in the rookery, with many nests being sat upon and many eggs tended. This bird is moving its range north, possibly because of habitat destruction down south. And the downside is that where there used to be perhaps a few dozen Yellow-crowned Night Herons nesting there, they have been pushed out by the White Ibises, and today I was only able to find perhaps 5 of them on the margins of the rookery. Fortunately, the White Ibises haven't displaced the Great Egrets, of which there were at least 100 in the trees and probably 50 or 60 nest. Throw in a few Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and 15 or so Glossy Ibises (who'd ever think I'd see more White Ibises than Glossy Ibises in NJ?) and you have quite a show. With a scope and lot of patience (I'm patting myself on the back) I was able to find two American Oystercatchers for Shari far out on a sandbar. Altogether, a very successful excursion. 

For the day I had exactly 50 species, not counting our backyard turkeys and whip-poor-wills. 

Species          Location
Brant   Ocean City Welcome Center
Canada Goose   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Mallard   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
American Black Duck   Ocean City Welcome Center
Rock Pigeon   Ocean City Welcome Center
Chimney Swift   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Clapper Rail   Ocean City Welcome Center
American Oystercatcher   Ocean City Welcome Center
Solitary Sandpiper   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Greater Yellowlegs   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Laughing Gull   Ocean City Welcome Center
American Herring Gull   Ocean City Welcome Center
Forster's Tern   Ocean City Welcome Center
Common Loon   Ocean City Welcome Center
Double-crested Cormorant   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
White Ibis   Ocean City Welcome Center
Glossy Ibis   Ocean City Welcome Center
Yellow-crowned Night Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
Black-crowned Night Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
Little Blue Heron   Ocean City Welcome Center
Snowy Egret   Ocean City Welcome Center
Great Egret   Ocean City Welcome Center
Osprey   Ocean City Welcome Center
Northern Flicker   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Eastern Kingbird   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Blue Jay   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Fish Crow   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Carolina Chickadee   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Tufted Titmouse   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Tree Swallow   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Barn Swallow   Ocean City Welcome Center
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Gray Catbird   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Eastern Bluebird   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Hermit Thrush   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Song Sparrow   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Swamp Sparrow   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Eastern Towhee   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Baltimore Oriole   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Red-winged Blackbird   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Brown-headed Cowbird   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Boat-tailed Grackle   Ocean City Welcome Center
Ovenbird   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Black-and-white Warbler   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Common Yellowthroat   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Yellow Warbler   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Pine Warbler   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Whitesbog (Ocean Co.)
Prairie Warbler   Whitesbog (Burlington County)
Northern Cardinal   Whitesbog (Burlington County)

Great Egrets in abundance

Colliers Mills WMA 4/27--Solitary Sandpiper, Warbling Vireo

Solitary Sandpiper, Colliers Mills Lake

It seemed to me time to get Warbling Vireo for the year.  For years, all I've had to do in spring is standing the parking lot of Colliers Mills and find one in the big tree by the lake. Not today. I was surprised, disconcerted. But at least I found my year Solitary Sandpiper at the north end of the lake. Not a place I usually see them. Unlike the 4 Wood Ducks, it didn't seem to mind my presence. 

I reversed my route today, going into the woods along Hawkin Road first, primarily to find birds in the early morning, but also to get out of the fierce wind. In a tree full of birdy activity, I got a quick glance at a very plain bird that was immediately gone--and then I heard the song and knew I had my Warbling Vireo. Again, not a place I usually see them. Pete had mnemonic for the Warbling Vireo's song which went something like, "If I sees you I will squeeze you 'til you squeak." I used to tell him I needed a mnemonic to remember the mnemonic. 

Pond on Hawkin Road

Continuing up Hawkin Road I came to the pond on the west side of the road where I flushed 3 Wilson's Snipe and a fourth bird which turned out to be another Solitary Sandpiper. Making the left about quarter mile up the road toward the Borden's Mill Branch Pond I stopped by the mountain laurel and with a great deal of encouragement was able to get a Hooded Warbler to sing--the usual place where I get my county Hooded. At the pond itself I found another Solitary Sandpiper. This broke the eBird filter of 2. It's not like I had an oxymoronic flock of Solitary Sandpipers. They're solitary and at least a half mile away from each other. 

Borden's Mill Branch Pond

Once I got onto the berm the wind was gusting over 30 mph, so my hopes for new birds were dashed--I couldn't wait to get out of the wind, as the birds already had. In all, I managed to stay on my feet long enough to tally 44 species. 

Canada Goose  11
Wood Duck  4
Mallard  5
Mourning Dove  2
Killdeer  2
Wilson's Snipe  3     
Solitary Sandpiper  3     
Laughing Gull  49     Flyovers: 9, 21, 6, 13
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  2
White-eyed Vireo  6
Warbling Vireo  1
Blue Jay  5
American Crow  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
Tufted Titmouse  6
Tree Swallow  4
Barn Swallow  5
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  7
Carolina Wren  1
Gray Catbird  7
Northern Mockingbird  1
Eastern Bluebird  2
American Robin  4
American Goldfinch  2
Chipping Sparrow  7
Song Sparrow  2
Eastern Towhee  12
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Brown-headed Cowbird  6
Ovenbird  8
Black-and-white Warbler  4
Common Yellowthroat  6
Hooded Warbler  1    
Pine Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Prairie Warbler  2
Northern Cardinal  5

Backyard | Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve 4/20--Eastern Whip-poor-will, Ovenbird, Prothonotary Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Prairie Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

At 5:19 this morning, I was awakened by the demented "song" of an Eastern Whip-poor-will in our backyard. Shari was awakened by me so she could share in the return of reliable summer resident, which probably explains why she is napping right now. I was starting to get worried because only one other year since 2012 has the whip-poor-will been this late in arriving. Every year, I go through the same anxiety--suppose it doesn't come back (as if it is the same bird for 13 years)? But every year it seems to find its spot in the weeping cherry tree. And I ever never, ever, have found one in the woods around the house during the daytime. Where they nest is a mystery, but now that one has arrived, we can expect to hear them calling around the neighborhood all through June, and then sporadically until September. 

It is amazing what a good mood hearing the whip put me in, and since I was already up, I decided to drive down to Sooy Place, deep in the Pine Barrens, and check out the Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve. I was there before 7.  By the time I had walked about a half mile to the red gate at the bridge over Burnt Bridge Branch I had listed 20 species and hadn't seen one. Two of them were new for the year: Ovenbird, first bird I heard after I got out of the car, and of course, Prairie Warbler. At the creek I finally started seeing birds. Two Prothonotary Warblers, which nest there, were right out on a branch over the water. Right before I had seen them I heard the song--a wheat a wheat a wheaty o--of a Hooded Warbler, flagged as rare, but not for that section of the county. Also in attendance were Black-and-white Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and the gimme Pine Warbler. By far the most warbler species I have seen/heard so far this year.  A White-eyed Vireo was singing loudly in small tree next to the bridge and Eastern Phoebes were all around, seemingly fighting for the nesting spot beneath the bridge. 

After a while, I continued down the white trail (advice if you go there--stick to the white trail, I once took the horseshoe yellow trail and emerged with 28 ticks clinging to my boots) past Gum Spring, but the activity quickly petered out once I came out of the wet woods. Looking at other lists, I see I missed a few species, no surprise, but I'm pleased with a spring day adding 5 year birds. 

29 species
Canada Goose  1
Wood Duck  1     creek
Mallard  1     flyover
Mourning Dove  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  4
White-eyed Vireo  2
Blue Jay  2
Carolina Chickadee  5
Tufted Titmouse  6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  4
Carolina Wren  1
American Goldfinch  2
White-throated Sparrow  3
Swamp Sparrow  1
Eastern Towhee  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Ovenbird  5
Black-and-white Warbler  6
Prothonotary Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  3
Hooded Warbler  2    
Pine Warbler  7
Yellow-rumped Warbler  2
Prairie Warbler  4
Northern Cardinal  1

Cedar Bonnet Island | Manahawkin WMA 4/18--Willet, White-eyed Vireo, Common Yellowthroat

Willet, Cedar Bonnet Island

Yesterday I went to Island Beach, this time working my way north from Spizzle Creek. And while I added two county birds (White Ibis at Spizzle Creek and Blue-winged Teal at the Kayak Launch), I missed the three likely year birds I thought I might find, so this morning I tried for them at Cedar Bonnet Island and then the Manahawkin WMA and made a sweep. 

At the end of one of the trails at Cedar Bonnet, I looked out to a distant mud flat and saw 7 shorebirds feeding. From that distance they looked bigger than yellowlegs, but I couldn't really tell, and the scope was in the car. It always seems that birds fly away when you're trying to get a look at them, but this time, mirabile dictu, instead the flock got up, circled a moment and flew toward me showing those big W patterns on their wings and landing virtually at my feet--FOY Willets. Cedar Bonnet is a good migrant trap but not today--perhaps just a bit early for migration, so after a quick swing around the other trail, I left for Manahawkin WMA.

I parked at the Hilliard lot and started walking in the woods. I wrote the other day how each year I have to rememorize most of the warbler songs; it apparently true of the vireos too because I didn't at first recognize the White-eyed Vireo I was hearing--never got eyes on it, but that will come sometime this year.  One of the warblers I don't have to refresh my memory with the Common Yellowthroat (witchety witchety witch), three of which were singing as I walked the upland trails. Again, no eyes on them, but it has been my experience that the first 5 or so listing of yellowthroats are by ear and then finally I get fed up with just hearing them and make an effort to actually see one of the little bandits. 

The impoundments weren't really very active, but in the front one were two Blue-winged Teal. Ironic, because Blue-winged Teal is a hard county bird to get and I was excited to stumble upon two yesterday at Island Beach. Something about that crescent on the face of the drake makes them very appealing, or maybe it's because the crescent makes them easy to identify that makes them appealing.

For the two spots 54 species
Species    First Sighting
Brant   Cedar Bonnet Island
Canada Goose   Cedar Bonnet Island
Mute Swan   Manahawkin WMA
Blue-winged Teal   Manahawkin WMA
Mallard   Manahawkin WMA
American Black Duck   Cedar Bonnet Island
Green-winged Teal   Cedar Bonnet Island
Red-breasted Merganser   Cedar Bonnet Island
Mourning Dove   Manahawkin WMA
Killdeer   Manahawkin WMA
Willet   Cedar Bonnet Island
Greater Yellowlegs   Manahawkin WMA
Laughing Gull   Cedar Bonnet Island
American Herring Gull   Cedar Bonnet Island
Forster's Tern   Cedar Bonnet Island
Double-crested Cormorant   Cedar Bonnet Island
Glossy Ibis   Cedar Bonnet Island
Little Blue Heron   Cedar Bonnet Island
Snowy Egret   Cedar Bonnet Island
Great Egret   Cedar Bonnet Island
Great Blue Heron   Manahawkin WMA
Black Vulture   Manahawkin WMA
Turkey Vulture   Manahawkin WMA
Osprey   Cedar Bonnet Island
Northern Harrier   Manahawkin WMA
Belted Kingfisher   Cedar Bonnet Island
Red-bellied Woodpecker   Manahawkin WMA
Hairy Woodpecker   Manahawkin WMA
Northern Flicker   Cedar Bonnet Island
White-eyed Vireo   Manahawkin WMA
Blue Jay   Manahawkin WMA
Carolina Chickadee   Manahawkin WMA
Tufted Titmouse   Manahawkin WMA
Tree Swallow   Manahawkin WMA
Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Manahawkin WMA
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Manahawkin WMA
Winter Wren   Manahawkin WMA
Carolina Wren   Cedar Bonnet Island
Northern Mockingbird   Manahawkin WMA
Hermit Thrush   Manahawkin WMA
American Robin   Cedar Bonnet Island
House Finch   Cedar Bonnet Island
American Goldfinch   Manahawkin WMA
Field Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Dark-eyed Junco   Cedar Bonnet Island
White-throated Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Song Sparrow   Cedar Bonnet Island
Swamp Sparrow   Manahawkin WMA
Eastern Towhee   Cedar Bonnet Island
Red-winged Blackbird   Cedar Bonnet Island
Boat-tailed Grackle   Cedar Bonnet Island
Common Yellowthroat   Manahawkin WMA
Yellow-rumped Warbler   Manahawkin WMA
Northern Cardinal   Cedar Bonnet Island

Double Trouble SP 4/16--Black-and-white Warbler

A hint of warbler season. I walked down the little-used Purple Trail at Double Trouble (a dead end that terminates at Cedar Creek) to get out of the wind and because sometimes it is a good place to find little birds in the line of trees along the narrow trail. I was birdless, though, halfway to the creek until I heard a little squeaking wheel "song" of a Black-and-white Warbler.  When I first started birding, I really liked Black-and-white Warblers because they were so easy to identify, and I still like them because their song is one of the few (along with Common Yellowthroat and Hooded Warbler) that I don't have to rememorize each spring. 

With a lot of pishing and a little digital persuasion I was finally able to get eyes on this guy. He was all over the place, flying from one side of the trail to the other and not, like it says in the books, sticking closely to the trunk of the tree, but rather landing haphazardly on branches and in the bushes. 

That was the only "interesting" bird today, everything else there was as you'd expect and not much of it because the aforesaid wind was keeping a lot of birds in their shelters. As I've said often, birds are smarter than we are. 

25 species
Canada Goose  11
Mallard  3
Mourning Dove  1
Laughing Gull  8
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Egret  1
Belted Kingfisher  1     Cedar restoration area of all places
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Blue Jay  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Tree Swallow  7
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1     Heard Platt
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  1
American Goldfinch  2
Song Sparrow  3
Swamp Sparrow  1     Heard packing house bog
Eastern Towhee  2
Red-winged Blackbird  3
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Pine Warbler  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1
Northern Cardinal  1

Island Beach SP 4/10--Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Blue Heron, Merlin, Brown Thrasher

Brown Thrasher

Merlin

My plan today was to walk as many of the bayside trails as I could at Island Beach, starting at Reed's Road and working my way south. I was fairly confident I'd find something new and the first bird I saw (not listed, that was a robin I heard when I got out of the car) was a Brown Thrasher singing atop a tree just off the main road. Great start. Reed's Road, of course, is the warbler hot spot, but I wasn't expecting any activity of that sort today--still a little early. Walking up the road I saw in a dead tree a bird I've been expecting to find all year, either at Whitesbog or the cranberry bogs on Dover Road but have missed--a Merlin. With the Peregrine Falcon earlier this month and the American Kestrels I've come across, that completed the falcon trifecta for the year unless a Gyrfalcon happens to show up. 

The next stop was a couple of miles down the road--the Tidal Pond Trail. I walked this trail more out of curiosity, since Steve told me that a new trail had been cut through the woods and came out on the boardwalk to the blind. That it goes into the woods now seems like it might be a productive warbler trail come a couple of weeks from now. Today it was just the usual winter birds hanging on. As to why the park workers had made a new trail, I suspected it was because the original trail was eroding away into Barnegat Bay and finding this sign at the end of the secondary trail to the bay confirmed it. 

Road construction has been going on at the park seemingly forever--some kind of new sewer system--and it has blocked off the parking lot at A15, so I wasn't able to walk down that trail or look in the little marsh there where sometimes you can find an interesting rail or shorebird. The construction stops just before the Nature Center which is across the street from the Johnny Allen Cove Trail and that where I went next. I had a slim hope of finding the Clay-colored Sparrow that was seen there yesterday, but as Steve said, with all that construction at the foot of the trail, it wasn't likely to stick around. I suppose the most notable birds in the marsh and the bay were a small flock of Green-winged Teals, a dozen Glossy Ibises that flew in and were immediately invisible in the high vegetation of the marsh, and two American Oystercatchers flying by. 

I was saving the best for the last--Spizzle Creek--where I hoped White Ibis might be. A birder I met on the Johnny Allen trail had just come from there and had 8 of them in the marsh.  Not that they're really that rare anymore, but the novelty hasn't completely worn off. Unfortunately, when I walking back on the cove trail I saw a lot of white birds suddenly take flight across the marsh that separates the two trail and I had a sinking feeling that some of those white birds were ibises. 

Little Blue Heron

Apparently, I was right, because the marshes were devoid of ibises. While I was walking around, I got a text from Steve who'd been informed that I was in the park. He was heading my way. I told him that, of course, the birds I was looking for--the ibises and Little Blue Heron--where nowhere in sight. He texted back that the Little Blues might be hunkered down and just as I was reading his message, one flew out of the reeds, squawked, and landed at the edge of the water. I found another when I backtracked toward the blind. Winter ducks are getting thin in the water, but when Steve & I met up, he did pick out four Greater Scaup hens nestled in with a larger flock of Buffleheads. 

Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Steve asked me if I still need Lesser Black-backed Gull for the year--last month while I was at Barnegat Light I'd sent him a picture of a candidate for the species which he put the gentle kibosh on. He suggested that we look on the beach on the other side of the A20 parking lot after we left Spizzle. We climbed over the dune and before I could begin to scan, he said, "There's two." Amazing. He looked north and thought there were more on sand spit so we walked up a ways and, without looking too hard came up with 7. There are probably more but: You Only Need One. Incidental to the search but good for the day list, were Sanderlings, Red-throated Loon, and a couple of plunge-diving Northern Gannet, always entertaining to watch. 

Four the 4 trails and the brief walk along the ocean I had 51 species:

Species First Sighting                                                                    
Brant    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Canada Goose    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Mallard    Reed’s Road
American Black Duck    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Green-winged Teal    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Greater Scaup    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Bufflehead    Reed’s Road
Red-breasted Merganser    Reed’s Road
Mourning Dove    Reed’s Road
American Oystercatcher    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Black-bellied Plover    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Greater Yellowlegs    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Sanderling    A20
Laughing Gull    Reed’s Road
American Herring Gull    Reed’s Road
Great Black-backed Gull    A20
Lesser Black-backed Gull    A20
Forster's Tern    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Red-throated Loon    A20
Common Loon    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Northern Gannet    A20
Double-crested Cormorant    Reed’s Road
Glossy Ibis    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Little Blue Heron    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Tricolored Heron    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Snowy Egret    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Great Egret    Johnny Allen’s Cove Trail
Osprey    Tidal Pond Trail
Belted Kingfisher    Tidal Pond Trail
Northern Flicker    Reed’s Road
Merlin    Reed’s Road
Eastern Phoebe    Tidal Pond Trail
Fish Crow    Reed’s Road
Carolina Chickadee    Tidal Pond Trail
White-breasted Nuthatch    Reed’s Road
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Carolina Wren    Reed’s Road
Brown Thrasher    Reed’s Road
Hermit Thrush    Reed’s Road
American Robin    Reed’s Road
House Finch    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Dark-eyed Junco    Tidal Pond Trail
Song Sparrow    Reed’s Road
Swamp Sparrow    Reed’s Road
Eastern Towhee    Reed’s Road
Red-winged Blackbird    Reed’s Road
Common Grackle    Reed’s Road
Boat-tailed Grackle    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Palm Warbler    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Yellow-rumped Warbler    Spizzle Creek Blind Trail
Northern Cardinal    Reed’s Road

Holly Lake | Great Bay Blvd 4/6--Clapper Rail, Black-bellied Plover, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Glossy Ibis, Peregrine Falcon

Caspian Terns

I stopped in the little pull-in at Holly Lake on Great Bay Blvd to check the weather report. Even though it said it was merely cloudy in Tuckerton when I left the house, I couldn't see more than about 50 feet into the pond, such was the fog. The "haze" was supposed to last for a couple of more hours, so I resigned myself to only finding birds close to the road. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a white non-gull flying around in the gray and said to myself I might as well check it out to see if it's a Forster's Tern. I soon as I got bins on it, despite the poor lighting, I could see that it was a Caspian Tern instead, rare for this time of year. There's no doubting a Caspian Tern: on field trips it is required of the leader to proclaim that the Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world. This one, with its huge red beak, full black cap, and rasping call, plunged dived into the water and came up with a fish. Already the day was a success. 

Forster's Tern

The Foster's Terns were added latter down the road, one sitting on a sign out in the marsh, others flying around and roosting on the pilings of the boat launch just before the second wooden bridge. I also heard and recorded Clapper Rails in a couple of different spots but never got eyes on any of them. As I normally do, I drove the length of the road down to the bay, walked the beach east & west, then walked up the road from the beach to the 2nd wooden bridge. It seemed like every time I put up my bins another interesting bird flew into view--one of them was a Peregrine Falcon hunting over the marsh, another was my first Black-bellied Plover (immature, or basic plumage, hard to say) way out in spartina that I found in the spot where there are often dozens, if not hundreds of them. I only need one. Finally, on my way back I saw a small flock of birds over the marsh which I at first took for more cormorants, but with the bins up I could see were my first Glossy Ibises of the year. Funny to get White Ibis last month at Brig before I get the common ibis of New Jersey. 

Black-bellied Plover

Glossy Ibises

Because the weather was so closed in, I didn't break out the scope until I was leaving. Usually, I stop at Tuckerton Cove on my way in, but this morning that would have been pointless. On the way out the weather had cleared enough for me to see the big flock of Green-winged Teal that lives there and, whaddya know, two Caspian Terns, sitting on a sand bar. A few years ago, a couple of birder friends showed me the little path that goes in through the cedars where you can view the cove because there was an out of season Caspian Tern there, so there might be something about that spot that attracts them--but it's a small sample size. I bet, though, that one of them was the bird I saw earlier at Holly Lake.

American Oystercatchers

For the morning, I had 39 species included 6 year birds. An excellent day, especially taking into consideration how unpromising the weather looked at 7:45 AM. T

Brant  25
Canada Goose  5
Mallard  4
American Black Duck  20
Green-winged Teal  50
Bufflehead  5
Red-breasted Merganser  13
Mourning Dove  8
Clapper Rail  3
American Oystercatcher  4
Black-bellied Plover  1
Killdeer  1
Greater Yellowlegs  14
American Herring Gull  40
Great Black-backed Gull  1
Caspian Tern  2     
Forster's Tern  12
Common Loon  1
Double-crested Cormorant  16
Glossy Ibis  5
Black-crowned Night Heron  1     Cedars
Tricolored Heron  1
Snowy Egret  11
Great Egret  19
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  8
Northern Harrier  1
Belted Kingfisher  2
Northern Flicker  4
Peregrine Falcon  1
Fish Crow  2
Tree Swallow  1
American Robin  2
Song Sparrow  10
Eastern Towhee  1     Cedars before first wooden bridge
Red-winged Blackbird  75
Boat-tailed Grackle  50
Northern Cardinal  3

Double Trouble SP 4/5--Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Louisiana Waterthrush

Back in April of 2014, Greg P discovered the first Louisiana Waterthrush to be found in Double Trouble SP, a hard bird to find in the county.  I remember going there with him soon after and finding not one, but two of them along the little canal that runs up to the Mill Pond. Since then, a waterthrush has been found there almost annually--likely not the same one since their lifespan is only about 8 years--and almost always along that canal. The canal is really more like a ditch, which is an odd place for a Louisiana Waterthrush since, I've been taught, they prefer fast moving water as opposed to the very similar Northern Waterthrush that likes its habitat calmer. One year, I remember finding one on the spillway of the Mill Pond and that seemed a more natural place for it, but all the other times I've seen them, they have been skulking along the bank of the canal. 

The other day I saw that one was reported at the park, but due to other commitments, I couldn't go there until this morning. As I said, it is a hard bird for the county, and according to my records, I have about a 50% hit rate finding it. Today, I went directly to the canal and started my slow walk up the canal. About 2/3 of the way to the Mill Pond there is a little semicircular trail that overlooks Cedar Creek. Cedar Creek moves along at a good clip, so I thought that it might be a likely spot for the bird. Since waterthrushes haven't been recorded breeding here, it wasn't really unethical for me to play the recording to see if I could attract one and it worked. The bird responded with a loud, long song, completely different than a Northern Waterthrush's. Now that I knew the bird was around, I wanted to get eyes on it. It was so loud but I couldn't find it on the ground. I walked back to the main trail and while my directional hearing is sketchy, it sounded like the bird was up in the trees and after a bit I found it flitting around in a cedar. Tailing bobbing, streaked, with a big white supercilium and way too active for photographs, but satisfactory, nonetheless. 

Along that trail I had a couple of bonus birds. There are some species that I only see in the winter and therefore don't know their songs very well, if at all--birds like Yellow-rumped Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Winter Wrens. Today, while I was trying the record the "chup" notes of a Hermit Thrush (infrequent this time of year), I heard a song I didn't recognize at all. It was quite lovely, and it turned out to be a Winter Wren according to Merlin. I played back actual Winter Wren recordings, and they matched perfectly. Never saw the bird, but they are notoriously difficult to see in any season. Then, still trying to get the call of the Hermit Thrush recorded, another bird was twittering overhead and up popped Northern Rough-winged Swallow on my phone. Again, recordings on my phone matched Merlin's identification (Merlin can be, let us say, "unreliable" at times) NRWS is a not a bird I "worry" about, but still, happy to have it on the list. 

Belted Kingfisher (female)

The only picture I was able to take was of a female Belted Kingfisher (infrequent) near the Sweetwater Bogs. Bird trivia--Belted Kingfisher is one of the few birds that it named for the female of the species, since the males don't have the eponymous belt. 

For the morning, 31 species:

Canada Goose  3
Mallard  6     flyover
Ring-necked Duck  1
Mourning Dove  1
Great Egret  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1     Heard, back bogs
Northern Flicker  3
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1     Heard overhead
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Golden-crowned Kinglet  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
Winter Wren  1     Heard along canal
Carolina Wren  2
Hermit Thrush  3     Heard 2 saw one along canal
American Robin  5
House Finch  2
American Goldfinch  2
Dark-eyed Junco  4
Song Sparrow  5
Swamp Sparrow  2
Eastern Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird  8
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
Louisiana Waterthrush  1     
Pine Warbler  6
Northern Cardinal  1