Whitesbog 8/10--White Ibis

Immature White Ibis between Great Egrets

This used to be a big deal. Ten years ago, a White Ibis showing up in New Jersey brought throngs. Now they breed in the hundreds in the state (to the detriment, from what I can tell, of the Yellow-crowned Night-Herons at the Ocean City Visitor's Center rookery--there are only so many trees).  Yet, they're still flagged as rare in Burlington County, and it is only the second one I've seen there--the first one was 10 years ago--and it was a very big deal when Jim Schill found it in the Lower Bog.

Alas, the days of the drawing down the bogs are over, but the Fenwick Bogs--the original 19th century bogs--have been flooded for the last couple of years to rid the vines of girdle worm, and in summer they attract a lot of herons and egrets and even a few shorebirds. When I was walking around them, I saw a mixed flock of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons dancing around on one of the dikes. There was another smaller, brown bird with them that I knew was going to be interesting. Truth be told, I was hoping for a Limpkin, but it "only" turned out to be an immature White Ibis. I was able to get close enough to get some photos without scaring away the birds, but soon, though the egrets and herons stayed on, the ibis flew off, so I didn't put it on the RBA for Burlco, since--nothing worse than "there was a cool bird here, but now it's gone." 

I'll keep working the bogs--there's no reason a Limpkin couldn't show up, or a Roseate Spoonbill, or a Western Reef-Heron, or...after all, birds have wings.

Birds have wings

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I had 28 species:

Canada Goose  9
Wood Duck  1
Mallard  2
Mourning Dove  5
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Least Sandpiper  7
White Ibis  1   
Green Heron  3
Great Egret  9
Great Blue Heron  8
Belted Kingfisher  1     Heard Rome Pond
Eastern Wood-Pewee  1
Great Crested Flycatcher  2
Eastern Kingbird  4
White-eyed Vireo  1
Red-eyed Vireo  1     Heard
American Crow  4
Common Raven  1     Heard Fenwick Bogs
Carolina Chickadee  2
Purple Martin  40
Barn Swallow  2
Gray Catbird  8
American Goldfinch  1
Field Sparrow  1     Heard entrance field
Song Sparrow  4
Eastern Towhee  3
Red-winged Blackbird  15
Common Yellowthroat  2