A slice of spring at Princeton Institute Woods

An overcast day with north-westerlies led me to cancel a prospective trip into Central Park and stay locally, birding Princeton's Institute Woods. Activity levels were relatively low, but there were some signs of spring: singing male Pine Warbler; male Eastern Towhee; singing Eastern Phoebe; male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker; a pair of Wood Ducks. The Tree Swallows have moved into the pond in small numbers after it was refilled this week - the pump that maintains it was broken for a while and it had almost totally dried out. Some frogs have survived, but it remains to be seen if it can reach the traditionally deafening levels of frog singing that you can encounter on warm spring evenings.

Central Park after the deluge, 4/17

Saturday ended amidst a storm of epic proportions, which cleared out too late to provide much of an overnight migration. So while I traveled into Central Park on Sunday I had to work hard to see any migrants at all. I came up with a single drab female Pine Warbler for the new world warbler list, although it was perfect habitat for Waterthrushes or Rusty Blackbird given the amount of water in the Ramble. Most interesting bird for me was an immature Sharp-shinned Hawk sitting in the Evodia Field, which showed little interest in making a pass at the American Goldfinches working a way at the last remaining feeder.

Double-crested Cormorant
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Hermit Thrush
Pine Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
American Goldfinch

Easter weekend migration

Thurs Apr 1st: Pine Warbler on Princeton campus

Sat Apr 3rd: Yellow-throated Warbler and Pine Warbler singing in the southern NJ pine barrens at Belleplain State Forest and Jakes Landing Road. In the saltmarsh herons dominated the still-quiet marshland with Great Egret, Snowy Egret and Little Blue Heron. An adult female Northern Harrier still lingered.

Sun Apr 4th: a mostly uneventful trip to NYC yielded Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebe, Cedar Waxwing and a possible Barn Swallow on the train ride up. That morning Chipping Sparrow was at my feeders in Ewing.

Mon Apr 5th: on Princeton campus was my FOY Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow.
Tues Apr 6th: two Yellow-rumped Warblers in my yard

Barnegat, or Always Check Wind Direction

Since I'm mainly waiting for spring to kick in, I thought I'd do another run to Barnegat and then head south. I get to the parking lot at 8am again, walk along the concrete path and look out along the jetty to find breakers crashing in and throwing 6-8 foot of spray onto the breakwater about half way along. The wind was from the north, pushing the waves at high tide onto the rocks.

Even though the temperatures weren't too punishing it would have been suicide to hike along that breakwater more than the 1/4 of the way I actually did. What I actually did see was Long-tailed Ducks milling around in mating flocks, Common Loons (at least two in full alternate), American Oystercatcher (paired), Brant, fly-by Dunlin, fly-by Double-crested Cormorant.

So I got to head south to the Brigantine division of Forsythe NWR relatively early. I wasn't expecting much from Brigantine, although there was some sort of odd flea market in the parking lot. Out on the drive the tide was quite high, and the ducks were seeking shelter from the wind. Three probably Tundra Swans with their heads down (and so only "probables") were the most interesting thing. Signs of spring included paired Osprey, Great Egret, Greater Yellowlegs and a singing Pine Warbler - a particularly bright male - in the parking lot. Hundreds of American Black Duck were present, including at least one hybrid. Although Snow Goose and Northern Pintail were conspicuous by their absence, there were also a few Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and Green-winged Teal. There was a small group of Double-crested Cormorant headed north into the wind along the coastal boundary.

I decided to head for home via the Carranza Memorial in Wharton State Forest for some non-bird photography. At one of the bridges over the streams an Eastern Phoebe was claiming territory and singing, otherwise the Pine Barrens were predictably quiet.