Princeton, May 1st

Despite heavy overcast and some drizzle, I stopped off at Rogers Refuge/Institute Woods before work. There was certainly some migration, although not starting numbers. The best birds were a male Blackburnian Warbler and several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (one male was singing), and Warbling Vireo was new for the year although a predictable find.

Warbling Vireo
Tree Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Northern Parula
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Purple Finch

Central Park, April 28th

Most interesting bird was actually viewed from the NJ Transit train
headed into the city at Secaucus, where a Common Raven was soaring
above the rock outcrop at Laurel Hill Park.

Hooded Warbler and Worm-eating Warblers were the best birds for the day after that.
Possibly more than one Worm-eating, but there was just one very active male Hooded that rarely fed at ground level. A "late"
bird was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. New birds for the year for me
included Eastern Kingbird (nr Bow Bridge), Veery, Yellow Warbler
(several) and American Redstart. Slightly odd that I've seen Redstart
and Bay-breasted before Black-throated Green (which I only heard
today). 18 or 19 warbler species is, however, not a bad total for late
April. The Juncos appear to have left but the White-throated Sparrows are still numerous.

Despite hearing Chimney Swifts I didn't see any until I was working in the yard at home in the evening.

Double-crested Cormorant (flock migrating overhead)
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Kingbird
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo (heard only)
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Blue-winged Warbler (a few)
Nashville Warbler (several, widespread)
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (abundant)
Black-throated Green Warbler (heard)
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler (probable heard)
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart (Tanner's Spring)
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush (Gill)
Louisiana Waterthrush (Oven)
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow

Siskin Tracker

Just a post to track the last sighting of Pine Siskin at my feeders...

Siskins appear to have left during the hot weekend of 25th/26th, with the Juncos leaving then or before.

May 3rd - have been silent for days, but this was seen at close range
none April 27th, but W-t Sparrow
April 24th (+W-t Sparrow)
April 20th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 17th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 16th (2, nest material ?, +Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 15th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 13th (+Junco)
April 11th
April 10th (+Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 7th (2, +Junco, W-t Sparrow)
April 2nd (3+)
April 1st (1)
March 30th
March 29th (2++)
March 23rd (2).
March 19th.
March 15th.
March 13th (singing).
March 12th (singing).
March 10th.

Central Park, April 25th and 26th

Unseasonably warm late-April days of 85 and 90 made it almost certain there would be a good migrant push in Central Park. Interestingly there were different species on the two days, with Nashvilles far commoner on the second day. Some very early records of mid-late spring species were seen, including Magnolia (not by me) and Bay-breasted Warblers (the latter found by me at Tanner's Spring on the 26th). However the rather modest total of 14 warbler sp. over two days does still indicate the early season. Misses for me were Yellow Warbler and Black-throated Green, neither of which were yet numerous. But the male Hooded (singing) and Bay-breasted (silent) made up for it.

Double-crested Cormorant
Empidonax Flycatcher (almost certainly Least)
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Blue-winged Warbler (1)
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler (1)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler (1)
Black-and-white Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat (1)
Hooded Warbler (1)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole

Central Park, April 18th

A decent mid-April migration day with the usual suspects including a few Palm Warblers, a Pine Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Eastern Towhee. Migrants present in good numbers were: Hermit Thrush, Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

Migration moves on

New arrivals for me:

Louisiana Waterthrush: April 12th, Central Park
Yellow-throated Warbler: April 12th, Central Park
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: April 16th, Princeton
Yellow-rumped Warbler: April 18th, Central Park (first migrant one?)
Pine Warbler: April 18th, Central Park
Palm Warbler: April 18th, Central Park
Northern Parula: April 17th, Princeton (new early date for me by one day)

Central Park, April 12th

My first foray into Central Park for the year, and a smallish number of early spring migrants were present. Several Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Hermit Thrushes, one Fox Sparrow, a few Pine Siskins at the feeders and around the Ramble. Only two warblers: Louisiana Waterthrush in the Gill (seen singing) and a Yellow-throated Warbler at the south side of Conservatory Water. The latter was feeding on the roof of a concession stand and on the edge of the pond - rather atypical behavior for this species.

After that I went to Edgewater NJ to find Monk Parakeet, now that they had recently been added to the NJ list. Then down to South Amboy where I failed to pick out Little Gulls from the Bonaparte's Gull flock there in windy conditions but found other spring arrivals: Forster's Tern, Snowy Egret and Laughing Gull. A handful of Gannets were hunting in the bay.

Central Park list:
Great Egret
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-throated Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch

Hamilton-Trenton Marsh, 3/22

First time I've birded Hamilton-Trenton Marsh seriously, taking a slow walk around the woods, and finding quite a nice variety of things. Four Wilson's Snipe and two male Blue-winged Teal were in the first marsh, Tree Swallows were around the outskirts to the trail through the woods. Rusty Blackbirds (singing) and Swamp Sparrows were on the first section of trail in the woods. In the lake on the far side there was a large number of waterfowl including many Green-winged Teal and Wood Ducks but also American Wigeon and Northern Pintail. The last of the six new-for-year birds of the morning was a female Hairy Woodpecker.

What there wasn't were many sparrows in the understory, in fact it was quiet apart from a Winter Wren and a few Carolina Wrens establishing territory. This echos my experience in Princeton which also isn't a good place for understory sparrows (ironically Central Park is far better, but it would not surprise me if this was related to deer browsing).

Update: in the afternoon of 3/28 diversity was less with no Rusty Blackbirds but the addition of Brown Creeper in a mixed passerine flock with several Yellow-rumped Warblers in the woods. Very few sparrows, so I assume this is just not a good site for them.

March 14th and 15th

Spring migration was in evidence courtesy of probably my least favorite bird - the Brown-headed Cowbird. On Saturday I had three fly over me at Barnegat Inlet, two males singing at Wells Mills County Park; on Sunday there were both males and females in the blackbird flock at Plainsboro Preserve.

At Barnegat on Saturday the best birds were two Red-necked Grebes and two Great Cormorants, with a mixed Surf and Black Scoter flock in the inlet and the usual suspects including large numbers of Long-tailed Ducks and my first Ruddy Turnstones of the year. I also did my best to trash my left knee while rock-hopping along the jetty with the camera gear. In the bay, viewed from local streets in Surf City, there were additionally American Oystercatcher (newly arrived in numbers throughout the region), three White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye and Horned Grebe.

At Wells Mills County Park the feeder birds were present including a still healthy number of Pine Siskins.

And then because a little sun was peeking through the clouds I went to Wreck Pond in Spring Lake (nothing of interest), Lake Como (Redhead, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup), and Silver Lake in Belmar (Eurasian Wigeon, American Wigeon, Am. Black Duck, Ruddy Duck and a lot of Brant).

On Sunday, nursing the damaged knee, I limited myself to three local spots: Plainsboro Preserve (American Tree Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Brown-headed Cowbird, but no Tree Swallows), Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve (quiet, Eastern Bluebird), Negri-Nepote Grasslands (Northern Pintail, Song Sparrow).

Update 3/21: making much the same trip the following weekend I finally saw a few Purple Sandpipers at Barnegat, the "paired" Red-necked Grebes were still there, but there were no other surprises. Nine White-winged Crossbills were at Brigantine NWR along with the first Osprey of the season for me and a Northern Bobwhite in the grassland area - apparently a rare bird at Brigantine with only a few calling males left. The bird I saw was probably a female.