As is usual, there's been a lull before and after a birding trip - in this case a combination grouse and Colima Warbler trip - but I did a little birding on Sunday morning to get a locally unusual species, Yellow-throated Warbler. Was pretty easy to find from the parking lot at Colonial Park (Somerset NJ) and although other migrants were few and far between I did snag Broad-winged Hawk, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Palm Warbler. House Wrens and Chipping Sparrows were also obviously already on territory. Given the incessant singing and moderately favorable habitat it's possible the Yellow-throated may stick around.
Over the other part of the park along the nature trail, the Red-headed Woodpecker persisted. A second one has also been reported - I saw only one.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Unusually productive mid-March in Central Park
Almost literally mid-March, on March 15th, saw me in Central Park to look for some unusual birds that had been around. Foremost amongst those was a Red-necked Grebe hanging out on the Reservoir - there had been one the previous weekend and this one was allegedly an entirely different one. The appearance by two makes it less obvious that this is really a very rare species in Central Park with the last one being ~30 years ago (I've only been birding CPK for 17 years) and is my park bird #205.
Surreal experience at one point was the Grebe surfacing right next to a Red-breasted Merganser, itself relatively rare in the park.
The Ramble was also extremely productive, since it was hard not to see American Woodcocks as they repeatedly took flight and twittered through the Ramble, probably in response to a lot of people walking through there on a warm spring day. Took me a while to see one on the ground for more than a few seconds. At the feeders the sparrow numbers continued to be low, and there was only one Chickadee, but the variety was exceptional for mid-March: a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, singing Fox Sparrows, Brown Creeper, two Baltimore Orioles (overwintering) feeding on oranges. In fact Fox Sparrows were particularly numerous at Mugger's Woods when I finally caught up with a more-or-less stationary Woodcock (but also had one fly by and others were present that I did not see).
While absolute numbers of birds and species continue to be low, not least of all because of a dilettante 2 hour afternoon visit, it really was very good birding for mid March. FOY birds were Wood Duck, Black-capped Chickadee, Fox Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole.
Red-necked Grebe
Wood Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
American Woodcock (3-5)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Black-capped Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Fox Sparrow (10)
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
Surreal experience at one point was the Grebe surfacing right next to a Red-breasted Merganser, itself relatively rare in the park.
The Ramble was also extremely productive, since it was hard not to see American Woodcocks as they repeatedly took flight and twittered through the Ramble, probably in response to a lot of people walking through there on a warm spring day. Took me a while to see one on the ground for more than a few seconds. At the feeders the sparrow numbers continued to be low, and there was only one Chickadee, but the variety was exceptional for mid-March: a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, singing Fox Sparrows, Brown Creeper, two Baltimore Orioles (overwintering) feeding on oranges. In fact Fox Sparrows were particularly numerous at Mugger's Woods when I finally caught up with a more-or-less stationary Woodcock (but also had one fly by and others were present that I did not see).
While absolute numbers of birds and species continue to be low, not least of all because of a dilettante 2 hour afternoon visit, it really was very good birding for mid March. FOY birds were Wood Duck, Black-capped Chickadee, Fox Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole.
Red-necked Grebe
Wood Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-tailed Hawk
American Woodcock (3-5)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Black-capped Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Fox Sparrow (10)
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
Monday, January 6, 2014
Catching up on the year list - Long Beach Island and Forsythe NWR - Jan 5th
Between social distractions and snow storms my year list has been barely ticking along, driven mainly by the birds visiting my feeder. So finally on Sunday I decided to kick it into gear.
First stop, Barnegat Inlet
Icy conditions made me reluctant to rock-hop down the jetty so I simply did some scoping from the concrete walkway in heavy overcast conditions. Surf and Black Scoters were unusually far up the inlet, actually back into the bay although they are usually to be found at the Atlantic Ocean end of the jetty. Some singles, but mostly a group mixed in with Common Eider on the far (north) side of the inlet. Red-throated Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers and the inevitable Long-tailed Ducks were in the bay itself. Out in the inlet Common Loon, more RB Mergansers and a rare-for-location fly-by Hooded Merganser, Harlequins and Long-tailed Ducks feeding adjacent to the jetty and Northern Gannets passing south out over the ocean. Shorebirds were Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper on or near the jetty but I had to scope the bay beaches to pick up Sanderling and Dunlin at range. Bonus extras were Fish Crow and Boat-tailed Grackle at the state park entrance, with Yellow-rumped Warbler and Hermit Thrush in the coastal scrub.
A quick stop at a bay overlook north of the bridge gave me Mute Swan, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, more RB Mergansers.
Second stop: Holgate
That usually my cue to leave Long Beach Island, but this time I took the drive down to the southern tip at Forsythe NWR's Holgate division. I've never been there before - it's closed in summer to protect Piping Plover and the drive down that part of the barrier beach during beach season would be tedious at best. Pretty strong start with a group of Black Scoter and a few Surfs just off the breakwater, Long-tailed Duck scatter about, Common Loon and Northern Gannet over the ocean proper. Walking south along the beach I added Brant, American Black Duck and RB Merganser on the bay side, then the usual suspects in shorebirds: Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover and a few Ruddy Turnstones. Hurricane Sandy seems to have done a number on some of the dunes here, with some of them obviously destroyed, and it's unclear if the strip of beach will remain intact or rebuild, or it it will ultimately break into a series of islands. Other birds of note included a Northern Harrier and a flock of Snow Buntings - the buntings were forming a bizarre mixed flock with beach-foraging Sanderlings.
After about 90 minutes of walking on the beach I was grateful to make it back to the car.
Third stop: Brigantine
Although Holgate is part of Forsythe NWR, Brigantine division is the definitive place on the wildlife refuge. The recent snowfall meant that the wildlife drive was closed, but was open to hikers so I decided to make inroads into the year list by hiking up to the first observation tower. Most of the impoundments were frozen and the ducks were clustered on the ice in large flocks, periodically flushed by Bald Eagles and a jackass low-flying sea plane. Mainly American Black Duck,
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Blue Heron
Snow Goose
Brant
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Fish Crow
Carolina Wren
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
First stop, Barnegat Inlet
Icy conditions made me reluctant to rock-hop down the jetty so I simply did some scoping from the concrete walkway in heavy overcast conditions. Surf and Black Scoters were unusually far up the inlet, actually back into the bay although they are usually to be found at the Atlantic Ocean end of the jetty. Some singles, but mostly a group mixed in with Common Eider on the far (north) side of the inlet. Red-throated Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers and the inevitable Long-tailed Ducks were in the bay itself. Out in the inlet Common Loon, more RB Mergansers and a rare-for-location fly-by Hooded Merganser, Harlequins and Long-tailed Ducks feeding adjacent to the jetty and Northern Gannets passing south out over the ocean. Shorebirds were Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper on or near the jetty but I had to scope the bay beaches to pick up Sanderling and Dunlin at range. Bonus extras were Fish Crow and Boat-tailed Grackle at the state park entrance, with Yellow-rumped Warbler and Hermit Thrush in the coastal scrub.
A quick stop at a bay overlook north of the bridge gave me Mute Swan, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, more RB Mergansers.
Second stop: Holgate
That usually my cue to leave Long Beach Island, but this time I took the drive down to the southern tip at Forsythe NWR's Holgate division. I've never been there before - it's closed in summer to protect Piping Plover and the drive down that part of the barrier beach during beach season would be tedious at best. Pretty strong start with a group of Black Scoter and a few Surfs just off the breakwater, Long-tailed Duck scatter about, Common Loon and Northern Gannet over the ocean proper. Walking south along the beach I added Brant, American Black Duck and RB Merganser on the bay side, then the usual suspects in shorebirds: Sanderling, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover and a few Ruddy Turnstones. Hurricane Sandy seems to have done a number on some of the dunes here, with some of them obviously destroyed, and it's unclear if the strip of beach will remain intact or rebuild, or it it will ultimately break into a series of islands. Other birds of note included a Northern Harrier and a flock of Snow Buntings - the buntings were forming a bizarre mixed flock with beach-foraging Sanderlings.
After about 90 minutes of walking on the beach I was grateful to make it back to the car.
Third stop: Brigantine
Although Holgate is part of Forsythe NWR, Brigantine division is the definitive place on the wildlife refuge. The recent snowfall meant that the wildlife drive was closed, but was open to hikers so I decided to make inroads into the year list by hiking up to the first observation tower. Most of the impoundments were frozen and the ducks were clustered on the ice in large flocks, periodically flushed by Bald Eagles and a jackass low-flying sea plane. Mainly American Black Duck,
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Northern Gannet
Great Blue Heron
Snow Goose
Brant
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Fish Crow
Carolina Wren
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Snow Bunting
Boat-tailed Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Thursday, January 2, 2014
January 1st Green-wood Cemetery (Brooklyn)
A small start to the year list targeted two interesting species in Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery. The first was Monk Parakeet, a species I'd made no effort to find in NY state or NYC, despite having seen them in FL, NJ and TX. There are well-known populations within NYC, one of which is at the main gate to the cemetery, so despite hearing them before seeing them it took no more than 20 seconds to find one. That was the easier of the two species, with the nearby Red-headed Woodpecker proving elusive. In fact it was only because the other entrance was locked, forcing us to retrace our steps to the main entrance, that I managed to find it by virtue of it calling - it seemed to be moving around with a mixed flock so I was just at the right place and time.
Otherwise the cemetery understandably lacks understory so bird life was relatively low, with a few White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and with Red-headed Woodpecker the most obvious bird.
Otherwise the cemetery understandably lacks understory so bird life was relatively low, with a few White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and with Red-headed Woodpecker the most obvious bird.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Finderne Wetlands, NJ
My first time at Finderne Wetlands in Bridgewater NJ on a cool and sunny morning corresponded to a decent movement of sparrows, but the best birds of the day were two Merlins which were chasing each other and an American Kestrel over the fields. This might have been one reason why I couldn't locate the Vesper Sparrows reported the previous day, but they're just as likely to have moved on. The Merlins were a particularly pleasant surprise since I'd seen only one other this year (in AZ). Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal and Gadwall were in the ponds and a lot more concerned about me than the Merlins.
Otherwise, the main occupants of the weedy fields were an abundance of Savannah Sparrows. Song Sparrows came in a distant second, but I did find a handful of the more elusive species (Field and Swamp), while missing White-crowned Sparrow that I might have expected here.
With the wind rapidly rising, I didn't find much at the nearby Duke Farms except a Palm Warbler, as everything started to keep its head down.
Before Finderne I'd stopped at Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and found my preferred area around the parking lot devoid of any sort of sparrows - it had been a hotspot for them in previous years and often in pretty good light in the early morning. Recent mowing activity probably had much to do with that. Suspicion was that there were sparrows and Palm Warblers to be had elsewhere at Griggstown, but it takes longer for the sun to reach those other areas and I went to Finderne instead.
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin (2)
Belted Kingfisher
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Otherwise, the main occupants of the weedy fields were an abundance of Savannah Sparrows. Song Sparrows came in a distant second, but I did find a handful of the more elusive species (Field and Swamp), while missing White-crowned Sparrow that I might have expected here.
With the wind rapidly rising, I didn't find much at the nearby Duke Farms except a Palm Warbler, as everything started to keep its head down.
Before Finderne I'd stopped at Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and found my preferred area around the parking lot devoid of any sort of sparrows - it had been a hotspot for them in previous years and often in pretty good light in the early morning. Recent mowing activity probably had much to do with that. Suspicion was that there were sparrows and Palm Warblers to be had elsewhere at Griggstown, but it takes longer for the sun to reach those other areas and I went to Finderne instead.
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Canada Goose
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Red-tailed Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin (2)
Belted Kingfisher
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Monday, October 14, 2013
Yet another trans-continental chase (Blue-footed Booby etc) - USA #700, USA 2013 #500
Ask me how I managed to miss all the ex-Oporornis warblers in Central Park this year ? Apart from bad luck (missing a Connecticut by 30 seconds) - it was that I did 7 birding trips. Originally the plan was for 6, but I ended up doing yet another California trip in October.
In the face of a legendary invasion of Blue-footed Booby into CA from mid September into early October - somewhat galling in that they started turning up just after I came back from my CA pelagic trip - I cashed in the last of my United frequent flier miles and flew to LAX. I found Blue-footed Booby immediately the next morning at Playa Del Rey less than 5 miles from LAX, Black-vented Shearwater the following morning in a massive feeding flock off the Pacific Palisades, and Island Scrub-Jay in the afternoon at the usual location at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. Island Scrub-Jay was USA #700, but sadly not immortalized in photos since they were not cooperative. I managed one whole day without another life bird, although that was the day when I saw TWELVE Blue-footed Boobies down in the Salton Sea, and then saw the recently added exotic Nutmeg Mannikin (USA #701) which turned out by coincidence to be USA 2013 #500. This significantly exceeds my previous best for 464 for year, but 2013 was a psychotic traveling year. On the boat to Santa Cruz Island I met a gentleman who was doing a Big Year and was in the 680's, so 500 isn't that big a deal by comparison.
In the face of a legendary invasion of Blue-footed Booby into CA from mid September into early October - somewhat galling in that they started turning up just after I came back from my CA pelagic trip - I cashed in the last of my United frequent flier miles and flew to LAX. I found Blue-footed Booby immediately the next morning at Playa Del Rey less than 5 miles from LAX, Black-vented Shearwater the following morning in a massive feeding flock off the Pacific Palisades, and Island Scrub-Jay in the afternoon at the usual location at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. Island Scrub-Jay was USA #700, but sadly not immortalized in photos since they were not cooperative. I managed one whole day without another life bird, although that was the day when I saw TWELVE Blue-footed Boobies down in the Salton Sea, and then saw the recently added exotic Nutmeg Mannikin (USA #701) which turned out by coincidence to be USA 2013 #500. This significantly exceeds my previous best for 464 for year, but 2013 was a psychotic traveling year. On the boat to Santa Cruz Island I met a gentleman who was doing a Big Year and was in the 680's, so 500 isn't that big a deal by comparison.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Central Park, Sept 14th and 15th (total 19 warbler sp + chat, BB Cuckoo)
I think the whole radar migration prediction thing is over-hyped as a useful tool for local birding, so I tend to use the standard method of wind direction and temperature. So after arriving back in NJ from CA to 94 degree afternoon heat, the alarm bells went off when the highs over the weekend were in the low 70's, backed by a north-west wind. More-or-less ideal conditions.
Bit of a shock, therefore, when I entered Strawberry Fields and there was barely any chipping. 30 minutes later and it was alive with migrants and in a hour I accumulated what is a very good day's warbler list (16 sp.) including Tennessee, Bay-breasted and Blackburnian. Black-billed Cuckoo, two Olive-sided Flycatchers and a Chat in the Maintenance Field made for a pretty good day. However I missed the Connecticut Warbler by scant seconds, and someone didn't look up enough and missed the expected large Broad-winged Hawk flight.
Sunday was quieter, but still many good birds in Strawberry Fields including Bay-breasted Warbler foraging in the grass right in front of me (along with Black-throated Greens). A change in the mix of warbler species indicated that the second flight was new birds arriving.
Overall I netted 19 warbler species in two mornings, some decent birds (Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was a year bird), and finally saw some Broad-winged Hawk migration on the Sunday. Conspicuously missing were any Kinglets or any sparrows (excl House), it's still ramping up.
Bit of a shock, therefore, when I entered Strawberry Fields and there was barely any chipping. 30 minutes later and it was alive with migrants and in a hour I accumulated what is a very good day's warbler list (16 sp.) including Tennessee, Bay-breasted and Blackburnian. Black-billed Cuckoo, two Olive-sided Flycatchers and a Chat in the Maintenance Field made for a pretty good day. However I missed the Connecticut Warbler by scant seconds, and someone didn't look up enough and missed the expected large Broad-winged Hawk flight.
Sunday was quieter, but still many good birds in Strawberry Fields including Bay-breasted Warbler foraging in the grass right in front of me (along with Black-throated Greens). A change in the mix of warbler species indicated that the second flight was new birds arriving.
Overall I netted 19 warbler species in two mornings, some decent birds (Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was a year bird), and finally saw some Broad-winged Hawk migration on the Sunday. Conspicuously missing were any Kinglets or any sparrows (excl House), it's still ramping up.
Broad-winged Hawk (Sun)
Osprey (Sun)
Black-billed Cuckoo (Sat, Maint)
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (several both days)
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Olive-sided Flycatcher (two in Maint on Sat)
Least Flycatcher (Sat, poss Sun)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Sun in SF)
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Swainson's Thrush
Veery (Sat)
Wood Thrush (Sat)
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher (Sun)
Cedar Waxwing (large flocks both days)
Ovenbird (only 1, both days)
Black-and-white Warbler
Tennessee Warbler (3+, both days)
Nashville Warbler (1, Sun, SF)
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Cape May Warbler (1, Maint, both days)
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler (both days, very cooperative in SF on Sunday)
Blackburnian Warbler (SF, Sat)
Yellow Warbler (SF, Sat)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Sat)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler (3+ in SF on Sat)
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler (SF)
Wilson's Warbler (SF on Sat)
Yellow-breasted Chat (elusive, Maint on Sat)
Friday, September 13, 2013
California Pelagics
The California trip - arranged at the last minute - was the last "scheduled" one of six trips in 2013 designed to push my USA list toward 700. The other five were: TX, AZ, FL, NC, AZ and netted one to four life birds on each trip. However pelagics have always been a weakness of mine - not unrelated to a propensity for seasickness - so the largest gaps on my list have been shearwaters, storm-petrels and alcids.
I reserved a pair of California pelagics - 9/8 out of Half Moon Bay and 9/10 out of Monterey - and ended up with five pelagic life birds. The weather was good, with light winds, so the boat trips weren't as challenging as, say, the NC pelagic trip. In addition I saw the newly minted Bell's Sparrow of the canescens race (the "intermediate" race) at the end of its range where it abuts the belli race of Bell's Sparrow. A hunch is that canescens is a cline between A.belli and A.nevadensis (Sagebrush Sparrow), but seeing them close to A.b.belli's coastal ranges makes me a little more comfortable counting it. The first life bird for the trip was Scripps's Murrelet (#692) and the last was Bell's Sparrow (#697).
The Half Moon Bay pelagic was longer and deeper water, with the Monterey Bay pelagic only having a subset of the first species but pelagics are notoriously variable. However the Monterey pelagic also had Blue Whale and a remarkable number of Humpback Whales (50++) feeding in the bay, including breaching Humpbacks, which made for a memorable end to the wildlife for the trip. Although land birding was limited I did complete the trasher grand slam for the year with California Thrasher, and saw other species I hadn't seen in over a decade.
Pelagic species:
Sooty Shearwater
Great Shearwater (California rarity)
Pink-footed Shearwater
Flesh-footed Shearwater (#696)
Buller's Shearwater (#693)
Black-footed Albatross
Ashy Storm-Petrel (#694)
Black Storm-Petrel (#695)
Red Phalarope (last seen 2001)
Red-necked Phalarope
Sanderling
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Rhinoceros Auklet
Cassin's Auklet
Scripps's Murrelet (#692)
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Notable terrestrial species:
Black Turnstone
Surfbird (new for Lower 48, second+ one ever)
Prairie Falcon
Yellow-billed Magpie
I reserved a pair of California pelagics - 9/8 out of Half Moon Bay and 9/10 out of Monterey - and ended up with five pelagic life birds. The weather was good, with light winds, so the boat trips weren't as challenging as, say, the NC pelagic trip. In addition I saw the newly minted Bell's Sparrow of the canescens race (the "intermediate" race) at the end of its range where it abuts the belli race of Bell's Sparrow. A hunch is that canescens is a cline between A.belli and A.nevadensis (Sagebrush Sparrow), but seeing them close to A.b.belli's coastal ranges makes me a little more comfortable counting it. The first life bird for the trip was Scripps's Murrelet (#692) and the last was Bell's Sparrow (#697).
The Half Moon Bay pelagic was longer and deeper water, with the Monterey Bay pelagic only having a subset of the first species but pelagics are notoriously variable. However the Monterey pelagic also had Blue Whale and a remarkable number of Humpback Whales (50++) feeding in the bay, including breaching Humpbacks, which made for a memorable end to the wildlife for the trip. Although land birding was limited I did complete the trasher grand slam for the year with California Thrasher, and saw other species I hadn't seen in over a decade.
Pelagic species:
Sooty Shearwater
Great Shearwater (California rarity)
Pink-footed Shearwater
Flesh-footed Shearwater (#696)
Buller's Shearwater (#693)
Black-footed Albatross
Ashy Storm-Petrel (#694)
Black Storm-Petrel (#695)
Red Phalarope (last seen 2001)
Red-necked Phalarope
Sanderling
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Rhinoceros Auklet
Cassin's Auklet
Scripps's Murrelet (#692)
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Notable terrestrial species:
Black Turnstone
Surfbird (new for Lower 48, second+ one ever)
Prairie Falcon
Yellow-billed Magpie
Wrentit (last seen 2001)
California Thrasher (last seen 2001)
California Towhee (last seen 2001)
Bell's Sparrow (canescens) (#697)
Bell's Sparrow (canescens) (#697)
Friday, September 6, 2013
Brigantine/Forsythe NWR, September 1st and Allentown NJ shorebirds Sept 2nd
With Jamaica Bay being uninspiring I've been spending some time at Forsythe/Brigantine NWR although even here the shorebird diversity is starting to drop. Semipalmated Sandpipers dominated the scene, but Eastern Willets and Whimbrels have left. I was lucky to find two Stilt Sandpipers, which have become scarce. What was nice to watch was a mixed flock of Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers - mostly Long-billed - giving good options to compare the structure of the two. While individual birds remain tricky the side-by-side comparisons offer up the expected overall trend of the bulkier body of the Long-billed. Brig and the rest of southern NJ is a pretty good place for this, and Long-billed remain rather scarcer in NY.
Although in all sorts of messy molt, terns put on a decent showing. I haven't seen a Common Tern here all year but Least and Gull-billed Terns have been regular in small numbers, the Caspian Terns were in the double digits and I also had a Royal Tern for a pretty good selection. Forster's Terns and Double-crested Cormorants were feasting on localized schools of fish in the tidal brackish impoundment.
Although Brig is winding down for shorebirds, the area north of Allentown NJ along Sharon Station Road, Herbert and Gordon Roads has been pulling in a nice variety of shorebirds in lower numbers. On Sept 2nd I finally got lucky with my quest for American Golden-Plover with one seen in a flooded field along Sharon Station Road. Later on that same pond held Pectoral, Solitary and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Killdeer are everywhere, with a few Semipalmated Plovers joining them, plus a small flock of Least Sandpipers commuting between the Herbert Road field and the ephemeral pond along Gordon Road. Although I've missed the relative rarities (Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper) here it's fairly close to home and an interesting area to rummage around.
Brig:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Clapper Rail
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Forster's Tern
Least Tern
Black Skimmer
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Herbert/Sharon Station Rds
American Golden-Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Horned Lark
Although in all sorts of messy molt, terns put on a decent showing. I haven't seen a Common Tern here all year but Least and Gull-billed Terns have been regular in small numbers, the Caspian Terns were in the double digits and I also had a Royal Tern for a pretty good selection. Forster's Terns and Double-crested Cormorants were feasting on localized schools of fish in the tidal brackish impoundment.
Although Brig is winding down for shorebirds, the area north of Allentown NJ along Sharon Station Road, Herbert and Gordon Roads has been pulling in a nice variety of shorebirds in lower numbers. On Sept 2nd I finally got lucky with my quest for American Golden-Plover with one seen in a flooded field along Sharon Station Road. Later on that same pond held Pectoral, Solitary and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Killdeer are everywhere, with a few Semipalmated Plovers joining them, plus a small flock of Least Sandpipers commuting between the Herbert Road field and the ephemeral pond along Gordon Road. Although I've missed the relative rarities (Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Baird's Sandpiper) here it's fairly close to home and an interesting area to rummage around.
Brig:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Clapper Rail
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Forster's Tern
Least Tern
Black Skimmer
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Herbert/Sharon Station Rds
American Golden-Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Horned Lark
Jamaica Bay, August 19th
On what has turned out to be my only trip to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge this year, I did a circumnavigation of the East Pond (northbound up the shoreline, southbound down the trail) which turned out to be ill-advised on a quite warm day, while wearing waders. In common with the general trend this year the shorebird numbers were unimpressive, with relatively low diversity.
Hurricane Sandy did a little remodeling on the East Pond - there's a trench along the south side of the East Pond where the (now apparently trashed) home had cut back the phragmites, although it's traversable, and there's a filled cut on the east side parallel to the train tracks. So the salinity has probably gone up somewhat in the pond in the short term.
Nevertheless Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers and Least Sandpipers were numerous here. Both Semipalmateds were mostly adults, but I saw a lot of juvenile Least Sandpipers on the trek, as well as quite a few juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers. Both Western Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher are uncommon to rare at Jamaica Bay, and commoner further south at Brigantine, and I didn't see either of those. I did manage to snag a first-of-year White-rumped Sandpiper at the south end of the East Pond, wading in the cut with Dowitchers. I saw a few more of them for a total of ~6. Shorebirds were fairly nervous, with a juvenile Peregrine hunting the ponds periodically. Up at the north end I saw American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, a Stilt Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone and a large flock of Black-bellied Plovers to flesh out the list. The only two noteworthy ducks were Gadwall and a single Northern Pintail but otherwise it's a large number of Mute Swans, Mallards and American Black Ducks.
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Barn Swallow
Yellow Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Boat-tailed Grackle
Hurricane Sandy did a little remodeling on the East Pond - there's a trench along the south side of the East Pond where the (now apparently trashed) home had cut back the phragmites, although it's traversable, and there's a filled cut on the east side parallel to the train tracks. So the salinity has probably gone up somewhat in the pond in the short term.
Nevertheless Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers and Least Sandpipers were numerous here. Both Semipalmateds were mostly adults, but I saw a lot of juvenile Least Sandpipers on the trek, as well as quite a few juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers. Both Western Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher are uncommon to rare at Jamaica Bay, and commoner further south at Brigantine, and I didn't see either of those. I did manage to snag a first-of-year White-rumped Sandpiper at the south end of the East Pond, wading in the cut with Dowitchers. I saw a few more of them for a total of ~6. Shorebirds were fairly nervous, with a juvenile Peregrine hunting the ponds periodically. Up at the north end I saw American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, a Stilt Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone and a large flock of Black-bellied Plovers to flesh out the list. The only two noteworthy ducks were Gadwall and a single Northern Pintail but otherwise it's a large number of Mute Swans, Mallards and American Black Ducks.
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
American Avocet
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Phalarope
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Barn Swallow
Yellow Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Boat-tailed Grackle
Monday, August 12, 2013
Forsythe NWR (Brigantine), August 10th
My birding had gone through a lull after the 5 trips in the first half of 2013, so I was a little behind the curve on shorebirds when I went out to Brigantine on Saturday. I had hopes of getting the more exotic triple of Pectoral-Stilt-White-rumped Sandpipers but came away with only one of those. A couple of consolation prizes.
Dominant numbers were Semipalmated Sandpipers, all but one adults in worn breeding plumage. Short-billed Dowitchers came in second (also one juvenile), with lesser numbers of Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, both Yellowlegs species. What was a surprise were a large number of Stilt Sandpipers, particularly in the freshwater pool, where a ball-park estimate of 100 means that's more than I remember seeing in any single day. Nice additions were American Avocet (my first in NJ), Wilson's Phalarope, two Western Sandpipers with residual rufous scapulars showing in plumage fairly well-advanced into basic/nonbreeding, and a few Whimbrels including four fly-overs. I did not see any Willets, and the Eastern ssp is probably vacating its breeding grounds, to be supplanted by the Western ssp later in the fall. Gull-billed Terns were first-of-year for me - I had around 10 including at least 3 juveniles, with a few Least and Caspians but no Commons this time around. Clapper Rails were also first of year, and I had two venturing cautiously out onto the open mud.
Apart from a full complement of Ospreys (all platforms occupied - I wonder if Hurricane Sandy took down all the dead trees coastally), I had a single Northern Harrier and no Peregrines, although they may have been around since the shorebirds were more than a little skittish.
Dominant numbers were Semipalmated Sandpipers, all but one adults in worn breeding plumage. Short-billed Dowitchers came in second (also one juvenile), with lesser numbers of Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, both Yellowlegs species. What was a surprise were a large number of Stilt Sandpipers, particularly in the freshwater pool, where a ball-park estimate of 100 means that's more than I remember seeing in any single day. Nice additions were American Avocet (my first in NJ), Wilson's Phalarope, two Western Sandpipers with residual rufous scapulars showing in plumage fairly well-advanced into basic/nonbreeding, and a few Whimbrels including four fly-overs. I did not see any Willets, and the Eastern ssp is probably vacating its breeding grounds, to be supplanted by the Western ssp later in the fall. Gull-billed Terns were first-of-year for me - I had around 10 including at least 3 juveniles, with a few Least and Caspians but no Commons this time around. Clapper Rails were also first of year, and I had two venturing cautiously out onto the open mud.
Apart from a full complement of Ospreys (all platforms occupied - I wonder if Hurricane Sandy took down all the dead trees coastally), I had a single Northern Harrier and no Peregrines, although they may have been around since the shorebirds were more than a little skittish.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Cupsogue Red-necked Stint on July 4th
One of the better ways to spend a morning on a sultry July 4th was getting good looks at a rare Asiatic/Alaskan vagrant shorebird - a Red-necked Stint. Red-necked breed in far eastern Asia and far western Alaska (Seward Peninsula and thereabouts). They usually winter in south-east Asia and Australasia but very infrequently wander down the wrong side of the Pacific and the wrong side of the continent. (They are fairly rare in California, also). One had been recently seen north east of Boston.
Getting to Cupsogue County Park required a 2hr40 drive in the early morning via that least desirable of roads - the Belt Parkway in NYC. Nevertheless at 5am on July 4th the traffic moves fairly well and I was one of the first birders at Cupsogue, although by no means the first person in the parking lot - the bay side is also popular with fishermen. It was extremely foggy, so I left the camera in the car and just took the scope. While waiting for the fog to clear I was watching Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, a Spotted Sandpiper, Common (many) and Black (1) Terns, and a hybrid Dunlin. This hybrid had been named as a White-rumped x Dunlin hybrid. To me while one parent was definitively Dunlin the other could have been White-rumped or Western especially since the hybrid showed some arrow-shaped spots on the flanks. Nevertheless that hybrid is not unprecedented.
Either way, despite being a very interesting bird, it wasn't the target species. The Black Tern was good because that was a FOY bird for me. Once the fog cleared somewhat I followed another birder wading knee deep across the channel and onto an adjacent muddy island where fortuitously I found the Red-necked Stint within 5 minutes of scoping. The other birder set off to photograph it, but actually staying put had the upside that the stint got closer and closer until I had excellent looks at all features from less than 50 yards. Still a little far for good photos under crappy light, but I had good looks at the clean unstreaked red-rufous face and upper breast, the dark brown necklace of spots bordering the red coloration, the short bill, and the absence of obvious webbing on the toes. Not that the latter is by any means obvious on the Semipalmated Sandpiper, which is named for that feature. The good thing about July shorebird rarities is that they are invariably adults in some version of alternate plumage - this stint was in worn alternate. The above picture is something I don't normally do - digiscope using my iPhone 4, and I've obviously got a lot of optimization to do on that front although by some miracle it's actually identifiable from that shot.
An excellent look at a rare shorebird that I'd only seen once before as an orange dot on the far side of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR the same day that I found the adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (August 3rd 2008). Given that we've had the wettest June on record, Jamaica Bay itself is going to take a very long time to draw down - long enough to perhaps eliminate chances for Asian shorebird vagrants there this year.
This is an eBird data query of RN Stint sightings for July-Sept in the last decade.
Other birds of interest: first summer Arctic Tern; Roseate Terns; several basic-plumaged Red Knot; Dunlin; Least Sandpiper; Semipalmated Sandpiper; Semipalmated Plover; Black-bellied Plover; Black Skimmer. The Arctic Tern is a NY state list bird for me.
Then all that was necessary was a 2hr45 drive home via the Verrazano Bridge ($15 toll these days).
Getting to Cupsogue County Park required a 2hr40 drive in the early morning via that least desirable of roads - the Belt Parkway in NYC. Nevertheless at 5am on July 4th the traffic moves fairly well and I was one of the first birders at Cupsogue, although by no means the first person in the parking lot - the bay side is also popular with fishermen. It was extremely foggy, so I left the camera in the car and just took the scope. While waiting for the fog to clear I was watching Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, a Spotted Sandpiper, Common (many) and Black (1) Terns, and a hybrid Dunlin. This hybrid had been named as a White-rumped x Dunlin hybrid. To me while one parent was definitively Dunlin the other could have been White-rumped or Western especially since the hybrid showed some arrow-shaped spots on the flanks. Nevertheless that hybrid is not unprecedented.
Adult Red-necked Stint, NY, July 4th 2013
An excellent look at a rare shorebird that I'd only seen once before as an orange dot on the far side of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay WR the same day that I found the adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (August 3rd 2008). Given that we've had the wettest June on record, Jamaica Bay itself is going to take a very long time to draw down - long enough to perhaps eliminate chances for Asian shorebird vagrants there this year.
This is an eBird data query of RN Stint sightings for July-Sept in the last decade.
Other birds of interest: first summer Arctic Tern; Roseate Terns; several basic-plumaged Red Knot; Dunlin; Least Sandpiper; Semipalmated Sandpiper; Semipalmated Plover; Black-bellied Plover; Black Skimmer. The Arctic Tern is a NY state list bird for me.
Then all that was necessary was a 2hr45 drive home via the Verrazano Bridge ($15 toll these days).
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
AZ trip May 30th - June 8th
The fifth trip of a projected six for 2013 was an AZ early summer trip, best discussed at length in a separate trip report. The five trips were: TX, AZ (winter), FL, NC, AZ (summer) with the west coast pelagic(s) still to come. The highlights of this AZ trip were Spotted Owl (USA #688), Northern Pygmy-Owl (#689), Buff-collared Nightjar (#690) and Mexican Whip-poor-will (#691), made all the more unusual by getting three of those on the first day. Both owls were at well-known nest sites, with views of the nestlings. (Mexican) Spotted Owl is an endangered species, and Buff-collared Nightjar a rare one but I even had two Nightjars after I found a second one of my own. The commonest species of the four - the Whip-poor-will - was if anything hardest to find and I enlisted the help of a guide who got me exceptional looks as well as lucking into a Mountain Lion in the drive up into the Patagonia Mtns.
Other good birds included: White-eared Hummingbird (Miller Cyn), Elegant Trogon (South Fork Cave Creek), Buff-breasted Flycatcher (Carr Cyn), Thick-billed Kingbird (Patagonia), Common Black-Hawk (Sunflower). Many of the same species, in fact, as my "big western flycatcher trip" of 2006 which covered many of the same sites but two weeks earlier. Slightly different mix of birds, with basically none of the migrants in 2013 that I found in 2006.
AZ was especially dry and arid with little water in the canyons and some fairly ferocious mid-afternoon heat down in the desert (100+ for most of the 10 days). Few fires yet, by no small miracle, but those monsoon rains will be especially welcome.
Other good birds included: White-eared Hummingbird (Miller Cyn), Elegant Trogon (South Fork Cave Creek), Buff-breasted Flycatcher (Carr Cyn), Thick-billed Kingbird (Patagonia), Common Black-Hawk (Sunflower). Many of the same species, in fact, as my "big western flycatcher trip" of 2006 which covered many of the same sites but two weeks earlier. Slightly different mix of birds, with basically none of the migrants in 2013 that I found in 2006.
AZ was especially dry and arid with little water in the canyons and some fairly ferocious mid-afternoon heat down in the desert (100+ for most of the 10 days). Few fires yet, by no small miracle, but those monsoon rains will be especially welcome.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Baldpate Mtn (Mercer Co NJ), May 26th
After a 500 mile drive back from Hatteras NC the previous day, I lacked a little enthusiasm for another 90+ minute drive pre-dawn to Stirling Forest and elected to bird locally at Baldpate Mountain. It was fairly productive, with Blue-winged Warbler singing at the upper parking lot, House Wrens and Eastern Phoebes at the old farm house with about the only thing putting in a lower-than-typical showing were Indigo Buntings. It was fairly windy and cool (low 50's at the start) which probably suppressed a few things. Multiple Red-eyed Vireos and two Yellow-throated Vireos, but no Scarlet Tanagers or Great Crested Flycatchers and only the one Eastern Wood-Pewee. Warblers put in a decent showing: three Blue-winged Warblers, a male and female Hooded (likely a pair but not together), several Ovenbirds, Chestnut-sided, Common Yellowthroats, a female Canada, a female Blackpoll (these two likely migrants but the rest are local breeders). What didn't show up or sound off was a Kentucky - rather notoriously difficult to find at Baldpate - although I may have heard a distant one singing.
Getting sea-sick in the Gulf Stream: Hatteras NC Pelagic
Black-capped Petrel in Gulf Stream off Hatteras
My targets for the trip were lifers Black-capped Petrel and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel. I got both of those but struck out totally on the "extras" I was hoping for like Fea's Petrel and Bridled Tern. There was a decent showing of other shearwaters: mostly Cory's but also Sooty, Great and Audubon's along with good numbers of Wilson's Storm-Petrel. In fact the one pelagic I went on had the fewest life birds of any of the ones that went out in that period. C'est la vie. Given the travel expense, lodging expense, and the fact that the pelagics are not cheap themselves it's not practical to do this sort of "double" again - I'd have to consult the marine forecast and do last minute bookings. At the moment a west coast (Monterey) pelagic is more practical since there are quite a lot more semi-reliable pelagic species to be had over there in late-Sept/early-Oct.
On the rainy/stormy Thursday I visited Alligator River NWR where there were an absurd number of singing Prothonotary Warblers (several seen), many Indigo Buntings, Prairie Warblers, some Blue Grosbeaks, Black-throated Green Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and a small handful of singing Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler (none of these seen). The rain mostly negated photo ops. I also visited Pea Island NWR on the way back down to Hatteras and notched up a few common sandpipers and plovers: Sanderling, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, a few distant Red Knot. Least Terns were fairly common here, Royal Terns less so, and I snagged my first Black Skimmer for the year. But the weather was still rather frustrating - I skipped out on attempting to find Chuck-will's-widow or Black Rail in local habitat because I wanted to get to sleep early ahead of the following morning's pelagic at 0515.
Nothing much of note on the 8.5 hour drive down, but on the return drive on Saturday I did see a Black Bear at Alligator River NWR and stopped at Bombay Hook NWR for a mis-timed visit at low tide that nevertheless did come up with a bunch of shorebirds (Short-billed Dowitcher still being a year bird at that point), Seaside Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak and Orchard Oriole.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Central Park Fri-Sat-Sun 17th-19th, 21 warbler species
With migration now moving along quickly I made what is likely to be my last spring migration CPK trip of 2013 as a Friday to Sunday triple. Thursday was in fact the biggest migration day, but with birds left over on both Saturday and Sunday even if the weather on Sunday was quite wet.
Best birds: Olive-sided Flycatcher (Saturday), Black-billed Cuckoo (Friday), Tennessee Warblers (Sat, Sun: singing), a very late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, late Prairie Warbler (Sat, Sun: singing). The new first-of-year birds included me finally catching up with Cedar Waxwings. I still maintained a perfect-miss record on Mourning and Kentucky, however.
On Monday morning, although a work day, migration was still humming along based on three warbler species (Blackpoll, Magnolia, Redstart) singing in my back yard, plus Red-eyed Vireo.
Double-crested Cormorant
Spotted Sandpiper (Sat)
Black-billed Cuckoo (Fri)
Chimney Swift
Northern Flicker
Cedar Waxwing
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Sat)
Least Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Sat)
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush (Sun)
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler (Sat, Sun)
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Prairie Warbler (Sat, Sun)
Bay-breasted Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (Sat)
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
White-crowned Sparrow (Fri)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Best birds: Olive-sided Flycatcher (Saturday), Black-billed Cuckoo (Friday), Tennessee Warblers (Sat, Sun: singing), a very late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, late Prairie Warbler (Sat, Sun: singing). The new first-of-year birds included me finally catching up with Cedar Waxwings. I still maintained a perfect-miss record on Mourning and Kentucky, however.
On Monday morning, although a work day, migration was still humming along based on three warbler species (Blackpoll, Magnolia, Redstart) singing in my back yard, plus Red-eyed Vireo.
Double-crested Cormorant
Spotted Sandpiper (Sat)
Black-billed Cuckoo (Fri)
Chimney Swift
Northern Flicker
Cedar Waxwing
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Sat)
Least Flycatcher
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Barn Swallow
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Sat)
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush (Sun)
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
Tennessee Warbler (Sat, Sun)
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Prairie Warbler (Sat, Sun)
Bay-breasted Warbler (Fri, Sat)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler (Sat)
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
White-crowned Sparrow (Fri)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Monday, May 13, 2013
Central Park Sat/Sun (11th/12th): 21 warbler species + flycatchers + thrushes
When delayed, spring migration has a predictable way to reassert itself. In this case the even more compressed migration timeframe saw a noticeable transition in species mix on successive days, as numbers dropped after the big wave day on Friday.
Scarce to non-existant on Friday, Flycatchers and Thrushes turned up Saturday and Sunday. It was unusual to get first-of-year Least Flycatcher and Eastern Wood-Pewee on the same day, but multiples of the former were seen both days along with Great Cresteds and Eastern Kingbirds (reports from elsewhere suggested a big flight of Eastern Kingbirds). "Earlier" warbler species were supplemented by later spring species - I saw my first Blackpoll of the year on Friday, and had my first female Blackpoll on Sunday, as Yellow-rumped showed a rapid fall-off in numbers and I had 3 Wilson's on Sunday - they're rarely numerous in the park.
The stars of the show were a cooperative Blackburnian Warbler on Saturday morning, a male Prothonotary Warbler on Sunday afternoon, and I found a Marsh Wren while trying to reacquire the Prothonotary ahead of the storm front on Saturday. The Prothonotary was seen on Turtle Pond on Sunday morning but then flew north - illustrating the act of faith of migrating warblers since it doesn't know the Reservoir or the Loch is ahead of it when it set off over the Great Lawn.
I came up with an aggregated total of 21 warblers for Sat-Sun and 23 for the Fri-Sun "triple". Migration still remains, for example few Gray-cheeked Thrushes have been reported and the Eastern Wood-Pewees were silent and as singles, but the majority of the marked migration lag has been removed with the major push over the last few days. Remains to be seen if we're going to pick up many sparrows this year, with no Lincoln's so far and a single Field and Swamp on Sunday.
Green Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Chimney Swift
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Black-capped Chickadee
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Scarce to non-existant on Friday, Flycatchers and Thrushes turned up Saturday and Sunday. It was unusual to get first-of-year Least Flycatcher and Eastern Wood-Pewee on the same day, but multiples of the former were seen both days along with Great Cresteds and Eastern Kingbirds (reports from elsewhere suggested a big flight of Eastern Kingbirds). "Earlier" warbler species were supplemented by later spring species - I saw my first Blackpoll of the year on Friday, and had my first female Blackpoll on Sunday, as Yellow-rumped showed a rapid fall-off in numbers and I had 3 Wilson's on Sunday - they're rarely numerous in the park.
The stars of the show were a cooperative Blackburnian Warbler on Saturday morning, a male Prothonotary Warbler on Sunday afternoon, and I found a Marsh Wren while trying to reacquire the Prothonotary ahead of the storm front on Saturday. The Prothonotary was seen on Turtle Pond on Sunday morning but then flew north - illustrating the act of faith of migrating warblers since it doesn't know the Reservoir or the Loch is ahead of it when it set off over the Great Lawn.
I came up with an aggregated total of 21 warblers for Sat-Sun and 23 for the Fri-Sun "triple". Migration still remains, for example few Gray-cheeked Thrushes have been reported and the Eastern Wood-Pewees were silent and as singles, but the majority of the marked migration lag has been removed with the major push over the last few days. Remains to be seen if we're going to pick up many sparrows this year, with no Lincoln's so far and a single Field and Swamp on Sunday.
Green Heron
Spotted Sandpiper
Chimney Swift
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Black-capped Chickadee
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Veery
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Friday, May 10, 2013
Migration, finally - 18 warbler species + Summer Tanager
After an unprecedented contrarian weather system substantially shut down migration for the best part of the last two weeks, the trend reversed itself and Friday saw good numbers in the park. Not legendary numbers, but the sort of migration that was in start contrast to all the previous days in May.
I saw, in the first 25 yards in Strawberry Fields, more warblers than I had seen in total during the last two weeks (i.e. since the last significant migration in late April). While there were some underrepresented species (thrushes, flycatchers) it was strong day for FOY birds: Nashville, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Canada, Magnolia Warblers; Summer Tanager (a nice male); Red-eyed Vireo; Wood Thrush; (Swainson's Thrush also heard). Other good birds included multiple Scarlet Tanagers, Worm-eating Warbler, two Cape May Warblers. I conspired to miss any Blackburnian Warblers but there were significant numbers of most of the commoner warblers in the park for May.
There's also signs of delayed migration effects: multiple singing (i.e. male) Blue-headed Vireos - and while May 10th is certainly not my late date for them, the ratio of Blue-headed to Red-eyed was anomalous. The absence of Veeries was conspicuous. Still, with continuing favorable winds tomorrow (Saturday) may yet change the species mix.
Double-crested Cormorant
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
American Goldfinch
I saw, in the first 25 yards in Strawberry Fields, more warblers than I had seen in total during the last two weeks (i.e. since the last significant migration in late April). While there were some underrepresented species (thrushes, flycatchers) it was strong day for FOY birds: Nashville, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Canada, Magnolia Warblers; Summer Tanager (a nice male); Red-eyed Vireo; Wood Thrush; (Swainson's Thrush also heard). Other good birds included multiple Scarlet Tanagers, Worm-eating Warbler, two Cape May Warblers. I conspired to miss any Blackburnian Warblers but there were significant numbers of most of the commoner warblers in the park for May.
There's also signs of delayed migration effects: multiple singing (i.e. male) Blue-headed Vireos - and while May 10th is certainly not my late date for them, the ratio of Blue-headed to Red-eyed was anomalous. The absence of Veeries was conspicuous. Still, with continuing favorable winds tomorrow (Saturday) may yet change the species mix.
Double-crested Cormorant
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Black-capped Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
American Goldfinch
Monday, May 6, 2013
Weekend: Delayed migration and Brigantine
In what was the quietest May 4th/5th in many years, I visited Bull's Island (NJ, Delaware River) to look for the Prothonotary Warbler and other summer breeding birds. There were no Cliff Swallows nesting under the bridge, perhaps because of construction work there, although there were a number of Northern Rough-winged Swallows along the river.
The northern camping area of the island is closed currently, and you can't even walk in, so I was restricted to my preferred birding spots on the southern half of the island. Activity seemed much lower than I usually associate with this place - not all the migrants had arrived and there was a single singing Ovenbird, two Northern Parulas and a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. I also heard a Prairie and a Great Crested Flycatcher. No Acadian Flycatchers. Of course the main reason for going there was a male Prothonotary Warbler which was singing nearly non-stop and periodically offering up decent views. Not a regular breeder here, not least of all because this is a riverside location not a dense southern swamp.
On Sunday I went into Central Park, and got what I expected - almost nothing. Best bird was a singing male Prairie Warbler. The rest of the migrant count included: two Warbling Vireos, two Yellow Warblers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one or two Baltimore Orioles.
So in the late afternoon I went down to Brigantine NWR to try my luck on the Bar-tailed Godwit. This had apparently made a permanent departure that morning (I'd seen them in AK last summer) but still present were flocks of shorebirds and in particularly at least one hundred Whimbrels. Tern numbers were low with just a few Forster's, but the Ospreys were already starting to nest. As expected the saltwater surge from Hurricane Sandy had devastated the freshwater vegetation in the pool, but I saw some signs of sprouting. The brackish pool fared better, but much vegetation has been removed from the wildlife drive where multiple breaches were repaired and the drive re-graded. Some of the lower elevation woodland had been killed but much of it remained intact. What was noticeable was the apparent lowering of the saltmarsh, in that there was much more high tide flooding than I remembered. Part of this could be the easterly wind pushing water into the bay, but it's probably also a hurricane-induced effect that may mitigate over time. How this changes the Forster's Tern population (a saltmarsh breeder vs the Common Tern's beach breeding habits) remains to be seen.
List from Forsythe/Brigantine NWR:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Brant
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Sandpiper sp. including probable Semipalmated and Least
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Forster's Tern
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
The northern camping area of the island is closed currently, and you can't even walk in, so I was restricted to my preferred birding spots on the southern half of the island. Activity seemed much lower than I usually associate with this place - not all the migrants had arrived and there was a single singing Ovenbird, two Northern Parulas and a pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. I also heard a Prairie and a Great Crested Flycatcher. No Acadian Flycatchers. Of course the main reason for going there was a male Prothonotary Warbler which was singing nearly non-stop and periodically offering up decent views. Not a regular breeder here, not least of all because this is a riverside location not a dense southern swamp.
On Sunday I went into Central Park, and got what I expected - almost nothing. Best bird was a singing male Prairie Warbler. The rest of the migrant count included: two Warbling Vireos, two Yellow Warblers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one or two Baltimore Orioles.
So in the late afternoon I went down to Brigantine NWR to try my luck on the Bar-tailed Godwit. This had apparently made a permanent departure that morning (I'd seen them in AK last summer) but still present were flocks of shorebirds and in particularly at least one hundred Whimbrels. Tern numbers were low with just a few Forster's, but the Ospreys were already starting to nest. As expected the saltwater surge from Hurricane Sandy had devastated the freshwater vegetation in the pool, but I saw some signs of sprouting. The brackish pool fared better, but much vegetation has been removed from the wildlife drive where multiple breaches were repaired and the drive re-graded. Some of the lower elevation woodland had been killed but much of it remained intact. What was noticeable was the apparent lowering of the saltmarsh, in that there was much more high tide flooding than I remembered. Part of this could be the easterly wind pushing water into the bay, but it's probably also a hurricane-induced effect that may mitigate over time. How this changes the Forster's Tern population (a saltmarsh breeder vs the Common Tern's beach breeding habits) remains to be seen.
List from Forsythe/Brigantine NWR:
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Brant
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Osprey
Black-bellied Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Whimbrel
Sandpiper sp. including probable Semipalmated and Least
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Forster's Tern
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Common Yellowthroat
Friday, May 3, 2013
Slow, slower, slowest
Princeton, Wednesday was slow but with two first-of-year birds for me (the vireos) and most of the species were singing:
House Wren
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
Common Yellowthroat
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Princeton, Thursday was quieter but with more wandering around I actually did a little better than Wednesday, finding another two grosbeaks and a singing male Scarlet Tanager.
Wood Thrush (heard)
House Wren
Warbling Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Ovenbird (heard)
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Central Park, Friday, was glacially slow, just as it was reported to be on Thursday:
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat (probable)
Eastern Towhee
and in fact the short species list above by no means gives an accurate picture of just how eerily silent the whole experience was, standing in the Ramble and not being able to hear a single warbler for much of the time. ON MAY THIRD.
While much of the blame goes to the persistent weather system delivering easterlies to the NYC/NJ area, I was still assuming that at least some species would move out of sheer necessity and also because the weather remains reasonably warm. Possibly the birds are moving past in the interior.
House Wren
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
Common Yellowthroat
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Princeton, Thursday was quieter but with more wandering around I actually did a little better than Wednesday, finding another two grosbeaks and a singing male Scarlet Tanager.
Wood Thrush (heard)
House Wren
Warbling Vireo
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Ovenbird (heard)
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Central Park, Friday, was glacially slow, just as it was reported to be on Thursday:
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat (probable)
Eastern Towhee
and in fact the short species list above by no means gives an accurate picture of just how eerily silent the whole experience was, standing in the Ramble and not being able to hear a single warbler for much of the time. ON MAY THIRD.
While much of the blame goes to the persistent weather system delivering easterlies to the NYC/NJ area, I was still assuming that at least some species would move out of sheer necessity and also because the weather remains reasonably warm. Possibly the birds are moving past in the interior.
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