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