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)