May 14 - Southern NJ specialties

With friends of Andy and Jennifer today and our goal was the birds of southern NJ.  The first stop was at Heislerville WMA where Andy was able to locate the Curlew Sandpipers that had been reported there recently. It had been 4 years since I last saw this species, which is a rare visitor from Eurasia.  Here we also had a Yellow-Throated Warbler. Next at nearby Thompson's Beach we heard and ultimately saw a King Rail.  This was my first record in New Jersey !

We then headed up to Belleplain State Forest and here Jennifer was able to find a Kentucky Warbler for the group to enjoy. In addition to more Yellow-Throated Warblers, we also saw Worm-Eating Warbler.

Finally on the way home we stopped in at Brigantine NWR and saw some of the regularly occurring birds here. Swallows of  Tree, Barn, Bank, and Purple Martin and Chimney Swift. Plus the terns of Forster's, Gull-Billed, and Caspian.  Both species of Dowitcher were seen too.