October Recap--Some Rarities, Some "Finallies"

Vesper Sparrow, Sandy Hook

I wrapped up the month on LBI today, adding--finally--Bonaparte's Gull to the year and county list.  This time of year is when I get my second shot at birds I missed at the beginning of the year, like Winter Wren in Whitesbog this month, or the Pine Siskins that are now suddenly all over the place. Other birds that fall into the "I should have seen them by now" category were the Eastern Meadowlark flyby in Cape May, and the Blackburnian Warbler at Sandy Hook. 

And in that last sentence is the clue as to why I had such a good month--I was willing to extend my range out of Ocean and Burlco all the way up to Sandy Hook and all the way down to Cape May. Those two locations added 8 out of the 11 year birds for the month of October and some of them were goodies--the Eurasian Wigeon and Crested Caracara in Cape May, the Western Kingbird, Tennessee Warbler and Lincoln's Sparrow from Sandy Hook. 

I did come across a Vesper Sparrow at the cranberry bogs on Dover Road but wasn't able to photograph it. They're pretty hard to find, though not considered rare. A couple of days later, when I was up at Sandy Hook, there was a more cooperative bird that I did get pictures of (above). 

Of course, yesterday's Anhinga rates as the silliest sighting of the month. At least I waited (by necessity) long enough so I didn't have to endure the m.obs who came from all over the state to see this southern bird. Even if a bird is standing stock still, obvious for all to see, there is always a sense of frenzy when more than a few birders are trying to get good looks and good photos. Better to go, see, click the shutter, leave. 

Savannah Sparrows, Colliers Mills

For the month 145 species from Burlington, Cape May, Ocean, and Monmouth.

Species   First Sighting

Brant   Sandy Hook

Canada Goose   Whitesbog

Mute Swan   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Wood Duck   Colliers Mills WMA

Blue-winged Teal   Whitesbog

Gadwall   Lake of the Lilies

Eurasian Wigeon   CMPSP Hawkwatch Platform

American Wigeon   Lake of the Lilies

Mallard   Whitesbog

American Black Duck   Cranberry Bogs

Northern Pintail   Cape May Point SP

Green-winged Teal   New Jersey Pulverizing Open Space Land Parcel

Ring-necked Duck   Lily Lake

Common Eider   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Surf Scoter   Whilldin Ave. dune crossing

White-winged Scoter   Sandy Hook

Black Scoter   Sandy Hook

Bufflehead   Cape May Point SP

Red-breasted Merganser   Cedar Bonnet Island

Ruddy Duck   Lake of the Lilies

Wild Turkey   35 Sunset Rd

Rock Pigeon   Berkeley

Mourning Dove   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Yellow-billed Cuckoo   Island Beach SP

American Coot   Lake of the Lilies

American Oystercatcher   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Black-bellied Plover   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Killdeer   Whitesbog

Semipalmated Plover   Sandy Hook

Short-billed Dowitcher   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Wilson's Snipe   South Cape May Meadows

Lesser Yellowlegs   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Greater Yellowlegs   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Dunlin   Island Beach SP

Least Sandpiper   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Pectoral Sandpiper   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Semipalmated Sandpiper   South Cape May Meadows

Bonaparte's Gull   Barnegat Lighthouse SP

Laughing Gull   Holly Lake

Ring-billed Gull   Island Beach SP

American Herring Gull   Holly Lake

Great Black-backed Gull   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Lesser Black-backed Gull   Island Beach SP

Black Skimmer   Island Beach SP

Caspian Tern   Holly Lake

Forster's Tern   Holly Lake

Royal Tern   Island Beach SP

Pied-billed Grebe   Lake Carasaljo

Common Loon   Island Beach SP

Northern Gannet   Sandy Hook

Anhinga   Mt. Laurel Twp

Great Cormorant   Sandy Hook

Double-crested Cormorant   Holly Lake

White Ibis   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Yellow-crowned Night Heron   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Black-crowned Night Heron   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Little Blue Heron   Island Beach SP

Snowy Egret   Holly Lake

Great Egret   Holly Lake

Great Blue Heron   Holly Lake

Brown Pelican   Island Beach SP

Black Vulture   Sandy Hook

Turkey Vulture   35 Sunset Rd

Osprey   Island Beach SP

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Cranberry Bogs

Cooper's Hawk   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Northern Harrier   Sandy Hook

Bald Eagle   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Red-tailed Hawk   Sandy Hook

Belted Kingfisher   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker   Sandy Hook

Red-bellied Woodpecker   Holly Lake

Downy Woodpecker   Whitesbog

Hairy Woodpecker   Cranberry Bogs

Northern Flicker   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Crested Caracara   CMPSP Hawkwatch Platform

American Kestrel   Colliers Mills WMA

Merlin   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Eastern Phoebe   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Western Kingbird   Sandy Hook

Blue-headed Vireo   Island Beach SP

Red-eyed Vireo   Sandy Hook

Blue Jay   35 Sunset Rd

American Crow   35 Sunset Rd

Fish Crow   Riverfront Landing

Common Raven   Island Beach SP

Carolina Chickadee   35 Sunset Rd

Tufted Titmouse   35 Sunset Rd

Tree Swallow   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   Whitesbog

Golden-crowned Kinglet   Island Beach SP

White-breasted Nuthatch   35 Sunset Rd

Red-breasted Nuthatch   Sandy Hook

Brown Creeper   Island Beach SP

Northern House Wren   Island Beach SP

Winter Wren   Double Trouble SP

Carolina Wren   Whitesbog

European Starling   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Gray Catbird   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Brown Thrasher   Island Beach SP

Northern Mockingbird   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Eastern Bluebird   Colliers Mills WMA

Hermit Thrush   Whitesbog

American Robin   Whitesbog

Cedar Waxwing   Island Beach SP

House Sparrow   Whitesbog

House Finch   35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch   Cedar Bonnet Island

Pine Siskin   CMPSP Hawkwatch Platform

American Goldfinch   Colliers Mills WMA

Lapland Longspur   Sandy Hook

Chipping Sparrow   Island Beach SP

Field Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Dark-eyed Junco   Whitesbog

White-crowned Sparrow   Sandy Hook

White-throated Sparrow   Whitesbog

Vesper Sparrow   Cranberry Bogs

Seaside Sparrow   Murray Grove

Saltmarsh Sparrow   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Savannah Sparrow   Whitesbog

Song Sparrow   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Lincoln's Sparrow   Sandy Hook

Swamp Sparrow   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Eastern Towhee   Whitesbog

Eastern Meadowlark   CMPSP Hawkwatch Platform

Red-winged Blackbird   Holly Lake

Common Grackle   Lake Carasaljo

Boat-tailed Grackle   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Black-and-white Warbler   Island Beach SP

Tennessee Warbler   Sandy Hook

Orange-crowned Warbler   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Common Yellowthroat   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

American Redstart   Island Beach SP

Cape May Warbler   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Northern Parula   Sandy Hook

Magnolia Warbler   Whitesbog

Blackburnian Warbler   Sandy Hook

Blackpoll Warbler   Great Bay Bvld. WMA

Black-throated Blue Warbler   Sandy Hook

Palm Warbler   Island Beach SP

Pine Warbler   Island Beach SP

Yellow-rumped Warbler   Island Beach SP

Prairie Warbler   Island Beach SP

Black-throated Green Warbler   Island Beach SP

Northern Cardinal   Whitesbog