Tuesday, April 29, 2025

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 EgretsLittle 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

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