September Round-up

It seemed to be a slow month. I essentially missed warbler migration (as did just about everyone else in NJ who wasn't in Cape May on the one day they had 56,000 warblers fly by) and only added 5 new birds to the year list. But they were good birds that tend to be elusive: Sora, Hudsonian Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe, and Dickcissel. To me, the Dickcissel was the most satisfying since I found it on my own in a place I wasn't looking for it.

I also added one more bird to my Ocean County life list--Eurasian Wigeon at the amazing little pond in front of Marshalls in Toms River, but it wasn't much of a look--I actually had to look at my photographs to make sure I'd seen it.

Birding was done entirely within the state of NJ. 145 species were listed. I did get some good photos this month with which to decorate an otherwise dry entry:

Bald Eagle, Whitesbog

Black Skimmer, juvenile, Island Beach

Black-crowned Night-Heron, Sandy Hook

Red-headed Woodpecker, Colliers Mills

Eastern Bluebird, Cloverdale Farms

Species             First Sighting

Canada Goose     Whitesbog

Mute Swan     Brig

Wood Duck     Colliers Mills WMA

Gadwall     Brig

Eurasian Wigeon     Marshall's Pond

American Black Duck     Brig

Mallard     Brig

Blue-winged Teal     Brig

Northern Shoveler     Brig

Northern Pintail     Brig

Wild Turkey     35 Sunset Rd

Pied-billed Grebe     Jarvis Sound

Double-crested Cormorant     Great Bay Blvd

Brown Pelican     Great Bay Blvd

Great Blue Heron     Whitesbog

Great Egret     Whitesbog

Snowy Egret     Great Bay Blvd

Little Blue Heron     Great Bay Blvd

Tricolored Heron     Great Bay Blvd

Green Heron     Whitesbog

Black-crowned Night-Heron     Brig

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron     Great Bay Blvd

Glossy Ibis     Brig

Turkey Vulture     Whitesbog

Osprey     Great Bay Blvd

Northern Harrier     Brig

Sharp-shinned Hawk     Brig

Cooper's Hawk     Whitesbog

Bald Eagle     Bridge to Nowhere

Red-tailed Hawk     Bunker Hill Bogs

Clapper Rail     Brig

Sora     Sandy Hook

American Oystercatcher     Brig

Black-bellied Plover     Brig

American Golden-Plover     Brig

Semipalmated Plover     Whitesbog

Killdeer     Whitesbog

Spotted Sandpiper     Whitesbog

Solitary Sandpiper     Whitesbog

Greater Yellowlegs     Whitesbog

Willet     Island Beach

Lesser Yellowlegs     Whitesbog

Hudsonian Godwit     Brig

Marbled Godwit     Island Beach

Ruddy Turnstone     Island Beach

Stilt Sandpiper     Whitesbog

Curlew Sandpiper     Brig

Sanderling     Island Beach

Dunlin     Brig

Least Sandpiper     Whitesbog

White-rumped Sandpiper     Brig

Pectoral Sandpiper     Whitesbog

Semipalmated Sandpiper     Whitesbog

Western Sandpiper     Brig

Short-billed Dowitcher     Brig

Long-billed Dowitcher     Brig

Wilson's Snipe     Brig

Laughing Gull     Great Bay Blvd

Ring-billed Gull     Brig

Herring Gull     Great Bay Blvd

Lesser Black-backed Gull     Sandy Hook

Great Black-backed Gull     Great Bay Blvd

Caspian Tern     Brig

Common Tern     Jarvis Sound

Forster's Tern     Great Bay Blvd

Royal Tern     Island Beach

Black Skimmer     Brig

Rock Pigeon     Jarvis Sound

Mourning Dove     Whitesbog

Yellow-billed Cuckoo     Whitesbog

Black-billed Cuckoo     Wells Mills Park

Common Nighthawk     Crestwood Village

Eastern Whip-poor-will     35 Sunset Rd

Chimney Swift     Whitesbog

Ruby-throated Hummingbird     35 Sunset Rd

Belted Kingfisher     Bunker Hill Bogs

Red-headed Woodpecker     Colliers Mills WMA

Red-bellied Woodpecker     Whitesbog

Downy Woodpecker     Whitesbog

Hairy Woodpecker     Whitesbog

Northern Flicker     Whitesbog

American Kestrel     Sandy Hook

Merlin     Brig

Peregrine Falcon     Great Bay Blvd

Eastern Wood-Pewee     Whitesbog

Eastern Phoebe     Whiting WMA

Great Crested Flycatcher     Whitesbog

Eastern Kingbird     Colliers Mills WMA

White-eyed Vireo     Whitesbog

Red-eyed Vireo     Double Trouble State Park

Blue Jay     Colliers Mills WMA

American Crow     Whitesbog

Fish Crow     35 Sunset Rd

Horned Lark     Reed's Sod Farm Main Office

Purple Martin     Great Bay Blvd

Tree Swallow     Whitesbog

Barn Swallow     Whitesbog

Carolina Chickadee     Whitesbog

Tufted Titmouse     Colliers Mills WMA

White-breasted Nuthatch     Colliers Mills WMA

House Wren     Union Transportation Trail

Marsh Wren     Brig

Carolina Wren     Cattus Island County Park

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher     Whitesbog

Ruby-crowned Kinglet     Union Transportation Trail

Eastern Bluebird     Bunker Hill Bogs

American Robin     Whitesbog

Gray Catbird     Whitesbog

Brown Thrasher     Island Beach

Northern Mockingbird     Union Transportation Trail

European Starling     Colliers Mills WMA

Cedar Waxwing     Cattus Island County Park

Ovenbird     Island Beach

Northern Waterthrush     Brig

Black-and-white Warbler     Island Beach

Common Yellowthroat     Whitesbog

American Redstart     Great Bay Blvd

Northern Parula     Sandy Hook

Yellow Warbler     Great Bay Blvd

Black-throated Blue Warbler     Bunker Hill Bogs

Palm Warbler     Island Beach

Pine Warbler     Whitesbog

Yellow-rumped Warbler     Whitesbog

Prairie Warbler     Whitesbog

Black-throated Green Warbler     Island Beach

Saltmarsh Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd

Seaside Sparrow     Cattus Island County Park

Chipping Sparrow     Double Trouble State Park

Field Sparrow     Sandy Hook

Savannah Sparrow     Forsythe-Barnegat

Song Sparrow     Great Bay Blvd

Eastern Towhee     Whitesbog

Scarlet Tanager     Colliers Mills WMA

Northern Cardinal     Colliers Mills WMA

Blue Grosbeak     Brig

Indigo Bunting     Union Transportation Trail

Dickcissel     Island Beach

Red-winged Blackbird     Brig

Common Grackle     Island Beach

Boat-tailed Grackle     Great Bay Blvd

Brown-headed Cowbird     Brig

House Finch     35 Sunset Rd

Purple Finch     35 Sunset Rd

American Goldfinch     Colliers Mills WMA

House Sparrow     Forsythe-Barnegat

Pine Park 5/6--Solitary Sandpiper

I was still hoping to find my target species, so, even though it was after 10 o'clock, cloudy, cool, I drove over to nearby Pine Park in Lakewood to see what I could see.

When I first went there with Greg he showed me a ravine which looked promising, since one could see the tree tops easily, possibly eliminating the dreaded "warbler neck." That was my first area of interest, but I soon saw a path that led down into the little ravine, where a stream flows and I walked down there.

The shorebirds I was hoping that the birds at Bunker Hill would turn out to be I found as I was standing on the footbridge over the stream where it widens to form a couple of ponds. Standing in the mud at the edge of the shore was a Solitary Sandpiper. It was a fair distance at first and I looked at it hard to make sure it wasn't a Spotted Sandpiper (both bob their tails) but since it was sans-spots and didn't have the little white spur on its shoulder I was confident in my ID. Then another one came along and chased the first. They flew around the pond a few circuits then retired to neutral corners, only to do it again. I guess they're solitary because they're anti-social.

I took some distant photos but I thought if I could find a vantage point in the back of the pond I might get a better shot. As I walked around I lost sight of either sandpiper. When I was at the back, almost exactly opposite my viewing point from the bridge, I came across one of them and it kindly stayed in one place long enough for me to get a good shot. I was pretty pleased with myself for spotting this bird--so please that I almost overlooked a Green Heron standing on a log right in front of me.

I walked up a gravel path and back onto the hill overlooking the ravine. The warbler theory works: I found a Northern Parula at the top of a tree which, had I been standing at its base level I'd never have seen. Considering that I started at the park mid-morning it was surprisingly active. I may have to add Pine Park to the rotation and give it a very early morning try. 

30 species
Canada Goose  2
Mallard  1     flying out of pond
Great Egret  1
Green Heron  1     
Turkey Vulture  2
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Solitary Sandpiper  2     
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  3
Northern Flicker  1
Warbling Vireo  1
Blue Jay  2
Fish Crow  1     Heard
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  1     Heard
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  10     Heard
Wood Thrush  1     Heard
American Robin  10
Gray Catbird  5
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  5
Ovenbird  1     Heard
Common Yellowthroat  3     around ponds
Northern Parula  1     In wisteria tree
Chipping Sparrow  5
Song Sparrow  1     Heard
Red-winged Blackbird  10
Common Grackle  15
Brown-headed Cowbird  1     Perched high in tree