Jersey Birder

January 2 - Rarities chase to start the year

2012-01-02T12:44:00.000-05:00

Well after not getting out over the Christmas weekend, I joined some friends today in search of the recent home-state rarities. First up was a stop at Duke Island Park and after a short wait we were able to spot the Greater White-Fronted Goose and several Cackling Geese.
Next we went for the Somerset Sandhill Cranes, but they did not show for us this morning. So the next stop was in Monmouth County's Thompson Park where after an hour's search we got to enjoy the Ash-Throated Flycather with nice close views.
Afterwards we stopped in at Sandy Hook and picked up a few birds typical of the season, such as both Loons, Long-Tailed Ducks, and White-Winged and Surf Scoters.
The next stop was in Hartshorne Woods where we quickly caught up with the Western Kingbird there and ran into some more friends in Hank B. and Chris T.
Finally we returned to the Somerset spot and met more friends, an dit was Jimmy L. that took us over to Colonial Park for views of an immature Red-Headed Woodpecker. Returning to Somerset for the third time finally got us looks at the Sandhill Cranes !
Overall a nice start to my 2012 birding & a good day seeing quite a few friends!

December 18 - Snowy Owl & Say's Phoebe

2011-12-19T09:40:00.001-05:00

Today I took a ride west to finally see the long-staying Snowy Owl which has been at Merrill Creek Reservoir since early November. To get good views it took a bit of a walk but the reward was fine looks at this immature bird. While it did not fly the bird was quite active in looking around, stretching it legs and preening.

Afterward we traveled into New Hope, Pennsylvania and after some time were able to locate the previously reported Say's Phoebe.

December 11 - Connecticut chases redux

2011-12-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

Another rarity chase in the Nutmeg State today...This trip brought our group of Andy, Jen, Bill and I to the Windsor-Bloomfield Landfill in search of a Thayer's Gull which had been reported here a few days ago.
Fortunately the weather was nice and there were not too many gulls about, so that made it quicker for us to find the target bird. Another life bird for me!

See Kurt's excellent photos of the Thayer's Gull here.

Afterwards we stopped nearby in Windsor and got views of a Barnacle Goose. Then on the drive home we stopped at Pennfield Reef in Fairfield for looks at the Harlequin Duck which had been reported, along with two dozen White-Winged Scoters that were incredibly close and in perfect light to enjoy their reddish bills.

November 27 - Connecticut chases

2011-11-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

A trip to southeastern Connecticut today for a Painted Bunting at Cove Island Park (the same park that held the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher last November) was unsuccessful as evidently the Bunting left yesterday. Although we did manage to see a Red-Necked Grebe...

Nearby Bill, Ahmet, and I had some more consolations in the male Eurasian Wigeon at Sherwood Island Park.

Afterwards we went up to Westport and were able to get fine looks at a Western Kingbird despite the nearby fog.

November 19 - Cape May

2011-11-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

A long drive today in search of the Ash-Throated Flycatcher failed to see the bird. Although we did get Grasshopper Sparrow, Purple Finch, and Eurasian Wigeon. A late Baltimore Oriole put in an appearance at the State Park.
Also I was finally able to see the Eurasian Collared-Doves after a few previous tries.

The highlight was getting nice views of Cave Swallows over Lighthouse Pond -- and being able to see these birds with friends Rob F. and Lisa M., and the best part is that it was a life-bird for Lisa !!

November 12 - South Padre Island blitz

2011-11-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

My last morning of this Texas trip and I was able to squeeze in 2 hours of very productive birding at the South Padre Island Convention Center & the Valley Fund Lots.

The highlight has to be the Long-Eared Owl at the Convention Center. I understand it's one of the very few records of this species over the 18-year history of the Rio Grande Birding Festival !

Another treat, for this region, was a Fox Sparrow, which may be just the 2nd ever record for the entire Rio Grande Valley...Also a Winter Wren put in a brief appearance & a Magnolia Warbler showed well for everyone to see.

Over at Valley Fund lots, I had a Rufous Hummingbird which is quite uncommon. Also seen were sparrows of White-Crowned, White-Throated, Lincoln's, and Swamp.

The trip total is 180 birds seen this week with 4 life-birds (White-Tailed Hawk, Franklin's Gull, Sprague's Pipit, and the Ferruginous Owls. I wish I could come here every year!

November 11 - King Ranch Trip / South Padre Island

2011-11-11T12:53:00.000-05:00

This morning I took a group trip to the private King Ranch, it's as big as the entire state of Rhode Island. the target was the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and right around 11:11 on 11/11 we were finally able to see it.

November 10 - South Padre Island

2011-11-10T12:52:00.000-05:00

November 9 - Estero Llano Grande State Park

2011-11-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

What a great place this is ! So many different habitats that you get to see an incredible amount of diversity.
One of my favorite was the Green Kingfisher:

And later on I saw this sleeping Pauraque:

November 8 - Colley's Island Boat ride

2011-11-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

Today my wife & I took a private boat ride with Scarlett Colley into the South Bay. The winds were quite strong which made the boating & birding a bit challenging but we managed to have a good time nevertheless.
Some of the highlights were flocks of Roseate Spoonbills flying overhead, along with both the White and Brown Pelican species, and many waders such as Tri-Colored and Little Blue herons.

The best bird of the day for me was the "Mangrove" Yellow Warbler, a subspecies that may one day be elevated to a full species. We had nice looks at two females, and the briefest view of a male.

Notables also seen today were a distant Snowy Plover, Long-Billed Curlews, Marbled Godwits, American Oystercatcher, Black Skimmers, and Red Knots.

November 7 - Sprague's Pipits and other spots

2011-11-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

First thing this morning I drove up to the town of Sebastian in search of the Sprague's Pipits that had been reported yesterday. I was able to find a handful of these birds quickly and enjoyed close looks at them.

Down the road just a bit I stopped to look at another Sprague's and came across seven Mountain Plovers ! This is only the second time I've seen them, with the last being in Colorado a few years back. Teh birds were much close this time being just about 20 feet in front of my car.

Also seen today were many Long-Billed Curlews and it was nice to see their cinnamon wings in flight.

November 6 - South Padre Island

2011-11-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

Snowy Plover and Franklin's Gull

November 6 - Laguna Atascosa NWR

2011-11-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

Searching for Sprague's Pipits

November 5 - Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

2011-11-05T12:47:00.000-04:00

After arriving in Brownsville, my next destination was South Padre Island to check-in at the hotel. On the way I took "Old Port Isabel Road" and was immediately rewarded with a life bird in the White-Tailed Hawk.

September 10 - Orange County "Black Dirt Region"

2011-09-10T10:40:00.000-04:00

Today I traveled north to the farm fields of Orange County in search of shorebirds. This area has been extensively flooded after the recent hurricanes and has produced some great rarities as a result.

While I did not see any of those great ones today, I did find some rarities for this inland location.

At Turtle Bay, I saw the immature Blue Grosbeaks plus sandpipers of Spotted, Stilt, Least, Semi-Palmated, White-Rumped along with Killdeer and Semi-Palmated Plover.

On Onion Avenue, I had another Stilt Sandpiper, plus Short-Billed Dowitcher and Pectoral Sandpipers along with both species of Yellowlegs

Later on Missionland Road I observed a pair of Golden Plovers, Sanderling, and also this (rare for Orange County) Western Sandpiper.

click images to enlarge

September 7 - Northern Wheatear

2011-09-07T17:10:00.000-04:00

I took a very long lunch and headed north to Croton Point and it's train station. On Tuesday someone had found a Northern Wheatear here. Since I had only seen this species once before back in 2007 at NJ's Garret Mountain I took this chance to see it again & add it to my NY list !

While the drive up took longer than expected due to more closed roads from all the rain, I made it there and ran into Chris T from NJ. It was with him that I saw my last Wheater too!

After a 20-minute wait we got on the bird again and enjoyed nice views of this super-rarity !

September 4 - Connecticut rarities

2011-09-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

With Andy and Jen today, we went to Milford Point and saw the Black-Necked Stilt and American Avocet rarities that had been reported.

August 27 - Pine Island

2011-08-27T17:04:00.000-04:00

Out with Simon K. today for some birding before the rain. At Skinners Lane we had a half-dozen American Golden Plovers, a Wilson's Snipe, and sandpipers of Least, Semi-Palmated, Spotted, Killdeer, and Lesser Yellowlegs.

Later at Oil City Road we had the White Ibis flyover both NY and NJ territories

August 21 - Booby time

2011-08-22T15:17:00.002-04:00

Today brought upon a successful chase, although it got off to a tough start when I overslept. This meant my buddy Simon had to wait at our meeting spot for an extra 30 minutes. Sorry friend!
Once we got back on track it was smooth sailing. Just before reaching Cape May we caught up with our other friends' car, so we were all able to get on the Brown Booby together !

Since these views were fine for a scope but we desired more, the group took a boat ride on the Osprey to get closer looks, and we were rewarded handsomely.

Here's the motley looking crew after getting the closeup views:

Finally we visited Brigantine and had the following sightings: Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck, Marbled Godwits, Terns of Least, Forsters, Black, Gull-Billed, and Caspian, Sandpipers of Least, Semi-Palmated, Western, White-Rumped, Stilt, Pectoral, Turnstone, both Yellowlegs, both Dowitchers, Whimbrel, Semi-Plover, Oystercatcher, Black-Bellied Plover.

August 6 - Beach Haven for the Hooded Crow

2011-08-06T10:41:00.000-04:00

Since I missed out on the Hooded Crow when it was on Staten Island, NY in June, I took the fact that it had been re-found in Beach Haven, NJ as my second chance..and I did not want to miss it. Fortunately I was able to see the bird after a half-hour or so of looking for it.

This photo was taken by Sam Galick.

It was nice to see some long-time friends here too, and I enjoyed the beach walk with Ed B. of Bayonne. As luck would have it I ran into him a bit later at Brigantine and got to spend more time with him while we took a drive on the auto-tour along with Jim Z. who regaled me with stories of his past rarity chases. It always interesting for me to listen to those with more experiences than I do.
Unfortunately Brigantine did not yield any of it's recent rarities, so I'll have to hope that more roll in later this month!

July 31 - Kings & Queens...

2011-07-31T11:55:00.001-04:00

With friends Andy, Jen, and Bill we made a trip out to Coney Island today and the target was the Gray-Hooded Gull. This species is typically a South American and African bird, yet there was a prior record for North America in Florida back in 1998.

We were very lucky as we expected to wait awhile for the bird, but today it was seen at 6:40 am and we got it right away as we arrived.

Here's a video taken by Bill:

For some fine photos of this bird visit Andrew Baksh's blog

We then made a quick stop at Jamaica Bay and got a look at the Hudsonian Godwit.

July 17 - Orange County Rarities continue

2011-07-17T12:37:00.002-04:00

Out with Bill E. today and we were able to get fine looks at the Sedge Wren.

Later we had great close looks at the Sandhill Crane before it flew out of the pond and to the north of the hunter's stand.

We also got to briefly see the juv. White Ibis as it took a short flight before returning to its favored pond that is out of sight from the roadway & hunter's stand

July 15 - White Ibis at Walkill NWR

2011-07-15T15:08:00.004-04:00

After reading a report of a juvenile White Ibis being seen about 45 minutes from my house I decided to give it a go. The bird was reported at Oil City Road which is just a few hundred yards north of the New Jersey border. When I first arrived the bird was not i sight, but Rich K. and I used a hunter's blind to get some more elevation. Shortly thereafter the ibis took flight for about 15 seconds before dropping back into the marsh and out of sight.
This is my first sighting of this bird in New York.

See John Haas' website for an image of this bird

July 9 - Cupsogue Beach terns

2011-07-09T07:49:00.000-04:00

Out with friend Simon K. today at the Suffolk County, Long Island park at Cupsogue Beach. Our targets today were seabirds and terns. We started out just after 8 a.m with a seawatch from the boardwalk. Here we met Tom B. and Gail B., along with Doug F.

Immediately we wee able to see quite a few Cory's Shearwaters as they worked the wakes left by the fishing trawlers. Along with the shearwaters we were able to get distant views of several Wilson's Storm Petrels.

Next we headed into the back bay and its sandbars to view the terns. There we of course many Common Terns and it was nice to see them in their full summer colors. Also seen were a few Forster's Terns, and Least Terns, along with up to 4 Black Terns ranging in variations of all breeding plumages. The bird of the day was undoubtedly the first-summer plumaged Arctic Tern. We saw this bird as soon as we got out onto the sandbars, thanks to Brent B. who had already located the bird. The Arctic Tern was a life bird, # 614, for me so I was quite happy.

click images to enlarge

Visit Andrew's blog for superb shots of the bird.

Later we had fine views of a breeding plumaged Roseate Tern, and subsequently a first-summer Roseate Tern was also seen here. Note the black bill and orange legs on the leftmost bird.

Other birds seen were Black Skimmers, Little Blue Heron, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, SB Dowitchers, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin. Least Sandpiper and several of the more common species.

Later that afternoon we drove a bit farther east to Shinnecock Inlet, and there too we had a few Cory's Shearwaters, and Simon picked out yet another Roseate Tern amongst the flock of Commons feeding in the inlet. A great day to be out with friends and to make some new ones.

July 2 - Great Kills Park

2011-07-02T18:19:00.000-04:00

Today Bill E.and I came out for the Hooded Crow but missed it. Although I did see a different bird that I had never seen before. This one is certainly an escapee

Pin-Tailed Wyhdah

June 9 - Cape May rarities

2011-06-10T18:08:00.009-04:00

Today I spent some time at the Meadows hoping for a Roseate Tern. While this bird did not show, a nice Black Tern did ! It was nice to see it in full plumage.

Little did I know that the bigger surprise would come a bit later. While scanning the sky for Mississippi Kites, I saw a Wood Stork. This species is quite rare in New Jersey, with one being seen last fall. As far as I know the last prior record was in 2001 !

The last time I saw this species was in Florida back in 2001, so this certainly made my day. Fortunately for others the bird was re-found on Saturday & Sunday mornings. So some friends got to see this bird, which always makes the sighting even more special. Thanks Lisa, for the photo.

Credit: Lisa Ann Malandrino

June 6 - Cumberland County rarities

2011-06-06T15:51:00.002-04:00

This morning I was able to see the singing Lark Sparrow on Ackley Road.

Credit: Glen Tepke

Later on Strawberry Avenue I was able to view a male and a female Dickcissel
On the end at James Moore Road I had nice views of Yellow-Breasted Chat.

Credit: Wikipedia

In Wildwood, in a park across from the Bowling Alley, I saw several pairs of nesting Yellow-Crowned Night-Herons.

May 24 - Orange County's Black-Bellied Ducks

2011-05-24T19:33:00.001-04:00

Working a half-day, I was able to have friend Bill E. join me in heading north to the NJ/NY Stateline. Here we stopped at Oil City Road's Liberty Loop and were able to see the five Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks which had been found the day before.

While enjoying these birds and hearing a Sora calling in the marsh, we also heard & then saw a Sandhill Crane fly overhead !

Other species seen here today were Orchard Orioles, Willow & Alder Flycatchers, and a Black Bear !

May 22 - Tri-County Birding

2011-05-22T18:05:00.002-04:00

Today saw a loop through the three NY counties that are just north of where I live. First up was Orange County and it's Sterling Forest area near Harriman State Park. The targets today were Golden-Winged Warbler and Cerulean Warbler with both being seen well. Also seen were warblers of Hooded, Yellow, Chestnut-Sided, Prairie, B & W, Redstart, Ovenbird, C. Yellowthroat, and Louisiana Waterthrush. A nice surprise was a Great Horned Owl.

The next stops was a quick one at the Blue Chip Farms in Ulster County for the Upland Sandpipers that breed here. Fortunately I was able to spot them upon arriving.

Lastly I visited the Bashakill Wetlands in Sullivan County. Here I had quick views of Common Moorhen, and also Canada Warbler & Northern Parula. Three species of Swallow were seen, thise being Barn, Tree, and Bank. Three species of Vireo were Red-Eyed, Warbling, and Yellow-Throated, and three species of Flycatcher in Least, Alder, and Pewee. The Bald Eagle nest has produced some young this year too !

May 19 - Liberty Loop

2011-05-20T09:05:00.015-04:00

I went up north after work today in hopes of seeing the breeding Red-Necked Phalarope which had been reported earlier in the day. Unfortunately the Phalarope was not found again. However while searching I did come across a very unusual bird for this inland habitat, a Piping Plover. This species is almost exclusively seen along the beaches. Perhaps this bird was blown inland after a week of easterly winds, otherwise could it be from the Great Lakes population of this species ?

Credit: David Baker

credit: South Dakota Birds & Birding

May 14 - Southern NJ specialties

2011-05-20T09:05:00.014-04:00

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.

May 8 - Garret Mountain

2011-05-20T09:05:00.003-04:00

May 7 - Garret Mountain

2011-05-20T09:05:00.001-04:00

May 6 - Garret Mountain

2011-05-20T09:04:00.003-04:00

May 5 - Garret Mountain

2011-05-20T09:04:00.001-04:00

April 30 - Garret Mountain Yellow-Throated Warbler

2011-05-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

While at Garret this morning friend Stephanie gave me a call telling me that she had re-found the Yellow-Throated Warbler that had been reported yesterday. We were all able to get fine views of this extremely rare visitor to the park. Typically these birds are found in southern New Jersey, or along the Delaware River. So this was my first time seeing this species in the decade or so of coming here.

Around the pond we had Sandpipers of Spotted and Solitary, and newly arriving Warbling Vireos. The other notables are the Wood Warblers, and these 15 species were seen today: Nashville, Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-Sided, Black-Throated Blue, Yellow-Rumped, Black-Throated Green, Blackburnian, the aforementioned Yellow-Throated, Pine, Prairie, B&W, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, and an early Canada Warbler.

A Lincoln's Sparrow was a nice find, as were the M/F pair of Orchard Orioles.

April 29 - Meadowlands

2011-05-20T08:46:00.000-04:00

I stopped here before work today looking for a Red-Necked Phalarope that had been reported yesterday, but I did not see this bird. It has been 4 years since my last sighting of this species, so I hope to get one soon.

What I did see were some nice birds in Blue-Winged Teal, Black Duck, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Green-Winged Teal, and Ruddy Duck. Highlights were certainly the several Sora that showed quite well, and the Common Moorhen that put in a brief appearance. We also got a quick look at Marsh Wren. A beautiful male Scarlet Tanager made for a nice surprise too !

April 26 - Garret again

2011-05-20T08:42:00.000-04:00

Another fine morning today with just a bit of time before work. The warblers are arriving in good numbers now and diversity is picking up too. Wood Warbler species seen were Blue-winged, Parula, Yellow, Yellow-Rumped, Pine, Prairie, Palm, B&W, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, and a quick glimpse of Louisiana Waterthrush for a total of 11 species.
the same species of Sparrow were seen as on the 24th, but add a Savannah Sparrow. Also my first Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks & Scarlet Tanagers of the year was seen. The same is true for Wood Thrush, House Wren, Eastern Kingbird, and Spotted Sandpiper. I'm sure to be back here soon enough!

April 24 - Garret Mountain

2011-05-20T08:37:00.000-04:00

One of the better early-spring warbler days were had here today. A total of 9 species seen were Northern Parula, Yellow, Black-Throated Blue, Yellow-Rumped, Black-Throated Green, Palm, Black-and-White, American Redstart, and Ovenbird.
Other notable species from today were Common Loons flying overhead, Osprey, Cooper's and Red-Tailed Hawks. Along Barbour's Pond I saw my first Solitary Sandpiper of the year, and Eastern Phoebes are back in. A single Great-Crested Flycatcher, and several Blue-Headed Vireos put in appearances, along with Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. The Sparrows were well represented too, with Towhee, Chipping, Field, song, Swamp, White-Throated, and Juncos being seen. A singing Purple Finch added some nice color to the morning!

April 17 - Metro New York birding

2011-05-20T08:31:00.000-04:00

With friends Andy, Jen, and Simon today we visited Central Park, Jamaica Bay, and finally the Botanical Gardens.

In Manhattan's Central Park we dipped on the long-staying Varied Thrush but did see most of the regularly expected birds for this time of year. A Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher offered some of the better views.

Since it was quiet here we headed east out to Queens and Jamaica Bay's Refuge. Here on the West Pond we got excellent views of a few Tri-Colored Herons ( a bird that I completely missed in 2010) and several Little Blue Herons. Shorebirds seen were Dunlin, Oystercatcher, and a Pectoral Sandpiper. Later on East Pond, we saw Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, Gadwall, and a surprise in Cliff Swallow.

Lastly at Bronx's Botanical Gardens we got outstanding views of the early Prothonotary Warbler. Alos seen were Palm and Pine Warblers.

April 10 - Return to Garret Mountain for Spring Migration

2011-04-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

Well, after a few weeks off from serious birding, I made my first spring trip to this hotspot. It is still early but species are returning each day now.

There was good diversity, but very low numbers. For me the "first of they year" was Parula, Palm, & Prairie Warblers, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Tree Swallow, Turkey, Hermit Thrush, Towhee, Field & Swamp Sparrows, Brown Creeper & Eastern Bluebird Sapsucker. So these made for a good morning.

It was also good to get out and see friends that were last seen before the winter & who I will see almost daily over the next 7-8 weeks.

March 12 - Salem County birding

2011-03-14T10:57:00.002-04:00

Out today with Simon, in quest for his lifer Brewer's Blackbirds. Our first stop was at Featherbed Lane, and after a bit we had a quick glimpse of the Brewer's male, but not satisfactory enough for Simon. At a feed lot just south of Featherbed Lane, we did get fine looks at a Yellow-Headed Blackbird.

credit: Chip K.

We then took a few-mile ride down to Mannington Marsh. Here we had fine looks at Sandhill Cranes, and were even serenaded by their calls. Also here were a pair of Bald Eagles, my first Wood Ducks of the spring, Northern Pintail, Green-Winged Teal, Gadwall, Pied-Billed Grebe, and other waterfowl species.

credit: Ecobirder

A return to Featherbed was for naught, but then I suggested we take the road (Sharptown-Auburn Road) that diagonally bisects the area. In a tree by a farmhouse we saw a large flock of Blackbirds. With Simon's persistence of scoping all of the individuals, he was able to uncover the male Brewer's ! We had fine looks at it in the scope, including all of the diagnostic field marks.

Credit: Simon K.

March 8 - New Jersey's first ever Pink-footed Goose

2011-03-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

A new state record is in the making as a Pink-Footed Goose has been spotted in Bergen County's Township of Washington. An article with some details is here.

credit: Chris Takacs

This is my fourth record of this vagrant Goose. The first was up in Rhode Island during January 2007.
My second sighting came later that year, in November 2007 in Montauk, Long Island.
And my third sighting, likely of the same 2007 Montauk bird, came in February 2008.

February 26 - Return for Finches

2011-03-01T07:20:00.000-05:00

After last weekend's miss I received some info on possible Evening Grosbeaks in Sullivan County. Again I wasn't able to find these birds so I'll have to try again, and earlier, next winter. Yes, I wrote "next winter" because today is March 1st so I'm putting the winter of 2010-11 in the rear-view mirror. Optimistic? Yes!

Today I returned to Sullivan with friend Simon, who is visiting from the U.K. for a few more months. I was glad to help him get to see his North American first Common Redpolls, of which we saw many today. Also we saw Pine Siskins, American Tree Sparrows, Bald Eagles and several species of Woodpecker.

credit: Bill Horn

February 20 - Sullivan County stops

2011-03-01T07:14:00.000-05:00

This morning I headed up north to Sullivan County in hopes of winter finches. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any Evening Grosbeaks. Still it was a good morning as I did see a few species of Woodpeckers, and more Chickadees than could be counted.

I was able to view about 2 dozen Common Redpolls, which is the first I've seen of them since the invasion of 2008. The last sightings from that year came in the first days of April !

January 31 - Paramus' Long-Eared Owl

2011-01-31T18:15:00.001-05:00

A call from a friend made up for yesterday's big miss which included a long and difficult hike thru virtually knee-deep snow.

Today's excursion was much easier on the legs and produced a pair of Long-Eared Owls.

Credit: Doug M.

And yesterday I found this unexpected critter. What's he doing out in late January?

January 29 - Long Island stops & Saw-Whet Owl

2011-01-29T19:53:00.002-05:00

Out with Simon, Andy & Jennifer today. Our first stop was Point Lookout, near Jones Beach, and we had fine looks at a group of Harlequin Ducks, numerous Long-Tailed Ducks, a pair of dark morph Rough-Legged Hawks, a male Northern Harrier.
Later we stopped at Jones Beach and had all 3 species of Scoters, both loons, a flock of Snow Buntings and other typical wintering birds.
Our final stops was at Pelham Bay Park's Orchard Beach and here we were able to get Simon a lifebird in the Northern Saw-Whet Owl.

credit: Simon King

January 23 - Crossbills

2011-01-24T15:40:00.003-05:00

This frigid morning where temps were in the single digits saw a visit to Long Branch, NJ and it's Seven President's Park. Here friends Andy, Jen and Simon joined me in viewing both species of crossbills, the White-Winged and the Red.

January 16 - Sullivan County misses & Grassland birds

2011-01-24T15:39:00.005-05:00

January 9 - Northern NJ coast

2011-01-24T15:39:00.002-05:00

January 1 - Cape May New Year's

2011-01-24T15:38:00.002-05:00

Visiting Cape May with some friends to celebrate the New Year at the Grand Hotel, I was able to squeeze in some birding. On the first of January while looking out the hotel window I was surprised to see two Razorbills make a very brief landing just offshore. Later a quick drive around the island produced birds typical of a New Jersey winter, and a few surprises in the "half-hardies", birds that sometimes linger thru the winter in the milder areas of the state.

The next day I got a very brief look at a Dickcissel that was visiting a feeder along New England Road, and then driving through Stone Harbor I was able to see a few over-wintering Marbled Godwits. Also some American Oystercatchers and some Boat-Tailed Grackles.

December 19 - Connecticut Rarities & a good wrong turn into Rhode Island

2010-12-20T11:39:00.002-05:00

I went out this morning with Simon K. and Bill E. for a trip into Connecticut to chase some rarities.

The first stop was in Westport at the Longacre Golf Course. Arriving just after first light we got a brief look at the Barnacle Goose (thanks to Tina Green who pointed out the bird to us while she was performing her Christmas Bird Count!). This is the same goose seen at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, NY and later in Stamford., CT. The bird's leg band was proven to be one from Scotland, showing that this bird has indeed traveled very far !

We decided to press onto the next stop, which was a residence in the town of Guilford, for the Calliope Hummingbird. The homeowner came out to greet us, and allowed us to setup scopes to view this tiny hummer. As a high-elevation montane species of the American West the bird did not seem put-off by the cold, however it took only a few short flights during our early-morning visit. Interestingly we could see the bird become more active as the few rays of sun hit its feathers. Unfortunately it was mostly overcast today, so the bird was a bit less active.

Credit: CTBirding.org

Having success so early, Simon decided to try for the Rufous Hummingbird that has been in Sterling, CT for an incredible 70 days now. Once again the homeowners very incredibly gracious an spent some time with us while watching the bird. you can see some of Mark Szanytr's photos here of when it first arrived. The bird now appears more colorful and the tiny red gorget flashed a few times in the morning sunlight.

credit: John Schwarz

We then began heading home and made a wrong turn along the CT border so we ended up at Watch Hill Light on Narraganset Bay in Rhode Island. We did a seawatch from here and had nice views of species like Razorbill, Red-Necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Purple Sandpipers, Common Eiders, all three Scoter species, Great Cormorants and a few Horned Lark.

Credit: Bob Hazell

On the way back home we again stopped for much better views of the Barnacle Goose.

December 4 - Western New York

2010-12-06T12:20:00.001-05:00

A long ride today to western New York with friends Rob and Simon brought some great birds. The target bird was a Lewis' Woodpecker. This is a species I recently missed while in California a few weeks ago. In fact I had searched almost 3 hours on & around Mesa Grande Road without any luck.
So, given another chance to try for it I was fine with the 4.5 hour drive ! Fortunately we were able to see the bird & to see it well from inside the homeowner's kitchen , as well as, outside the house a bit later. Quite the beauty, and well worth this effort

credit: Ed N.

Afterward we drove to Cayuga Lake and were able to sustain the snow squall and get nice looks at a male King Eider there.

November 30 - Central Park's Varied Thrush

2010-11-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

My friends Andy & Jen picked me up at work early today and we took a quick ride into Central Park. Here we looked for, and ultimately found, the Varied Thrush which had first been discovered on Sunday.

We had very nice views of this bird that is a vagrant from the Pacific Northwest. The bird was seen just east of the Rambles Shed along the 79th Street Tranverse. While there I ran into Corey Finger, and his images of the thrush can be seen at his website here.

You can see some wonderful images of this bird at Lloyd Spitalnik's webpage, including the one below:

So a quick NY State bird # 317 for me, and I'm back at work without anyone missing me... :)

November 20 - Flycatcher Redux & NY specialties

2010-11-22T10:28:00.004-05:00

With friends Andy and Jennifer, today saw a return to see the continuing Fork-Tailed Flycatcher. Today was overcast so the bird stayed down longer & was less active then on early Thursday morning. Nevertheless we had nice views & good company with all the local metro-area birders making the similar trip for this rarity. A quote from the group that manages the Cove Island Park Natural area:

"600 people ranging in age from 2 to 97 visited from 15  
states."

credit: Kevin Bolton
Visit Kevin's website for more photos of this bird, plus plenty more

Afterwards we went to eastern Long Island for the now long staying Common Ground-Dove. This bird is a first for New York State.

credit: Corey Finger
Visit Corey's website for more photos & some background info on this bird

Lastly we stopped at Jones Beach where I had a late Laughing Gull, Snow Buntings, and the juvenile Loggerhead Shrike. See Phil Jeffrey's web page for images of the Loggerhead Shrike headlong into the breeze.

The Dove and Shrike boosted my NY State life list to 316.

November 18 - Connecticut's Fork-Tailed Flycatcher

2010-11-18T12:43:00.002-05:00

Minutes away from arriving at work today I received an e-mail stating that the Fork-Tailed Flycatcher discovered in Stamford, CT yesterday had been re-found...so I kept on driving and headed north on I-95. The commuting traffic was tough but I was there within 75 minutes and the bird was still being seen.
At first it was across a large field, but later it came withing 40 feet of us affording great close views of this extreme vagrant. ABA-area bird # 611 for my list

click on images to enlarge

November 13 - San Diego Pelagic & Coronado Islands

2010-11-18T12:34:00.003-05:00

The primary purpose of my trip was to enjoy the pelagic offered by Socalbirding.com. Although I had already seen the Black-Vented Shearwater, Northern Fulmar, and Red Phalarope from shore at Point La Jolla I was still after some life birds today.

While still inside US waters, I was able to see my ABA-life bird of Rhinoceros Auklet:

credit: Patty Bruno

Also I was able to get several views at the Pomarine Jaeger:

credit: public domain

This Glaucous-Winged Gull circled the boat for seemingly hours. Apparently when it got either too tired, or finally smart enough, the bird decided to hitch a ride on the bow!

November 12 - Salton Sea's Bean Goose

2010-11-18T12:33:00.016-05:00

Since it was such a rare bird (first ever in California, and perhaps 4th ever in the Lower 48 States) I took the 2-hour ride out to Salton Sea. I was rewarded with seeing the bird.

credit: Unknown

Visit Vic Murayama's website to enjoy his excellent images

Click on images to enlarge

Also seen at the Sea, were Mew Gull, Yellow-Footed Gull, Burrowing Owl, Sandhill Cranes, Ross' Geese, Stilt Sandpiper and Long-Billed Curlews.

On the way back I stopped in Jamul and saw the dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk.
Dead Sexy !

November 11 - La Jolla Point seawatch

2010-11-18T12:33:00.015-05:00

Birding from here again, with Stan W and Paul L, I was able to view lifebirds of Red Phalarope and Northern Fulmar.

Credit: Terry Fountain

Credit: USF&W public domain

Also seen were more Black-Vented Shearwaters, Common Murre, Black & White-Winged Scoters along with the expected Surf Scoters.

November 10 - Tijuana River Slough and more

2010-11-18T12:33:00.011-05:00

With the information from local birder of Matt S., this morning I visited the Tijuana Slough area looking for the Pacific Golden Plover. After a short search I found the bird close to where I was told it would be.

November 9 - La Jolla Point Seawatch & Rare Gull chase

2010-11-18T12:32:00.003-05:00

This morning I made my first stop at Point La Jolla. Here I met pseudo-resident Stan W. and former New Jerseyan (among others) Paul L.

Here we had a decent flight of seabirds including Common Murre, Elegant Tern, and Black-Vented Shearwaters, and Pacific & Red-Throated Loons among others. Also had a Black Scoter, which is uncommon on the west coast.

credit: Avesphoto

Later I headed north about 90 minutes toward Long Beach for the vagrant Black-Tailed Gull being seen there. I did not see the gull, no one did after 8:30 am, but I did meet several local SD birders and found that quite a few of them will be on the pelagic this coming Saturday. So at the least, the boat trip will have a few new friends * hopefully some new birds for me too!

November 8 - Wet again, but got my targets

2010-11-18T12:31:00.011-05:00

A few years back there was a Golden-Crowned Sparrow found in New Jersey's Monmouth County and my friend Rob F. and I had tried for it, waiting over 90 minutes in a heavy steady rain without any luck. Making my second attempt for this bird in the normally "sunny" San Diego, I guess it was appropriate that it was drizzling this morning too. I had come to Black Mountain at the suggestion of local birder Kevin Pickard. He frequents this spot and had recently seen the sparrows.
I walked up the hillside and birded in the rain for an hour seeing lots of birds but not my desired sparrow. When the rain started to lighten I was out of time and decided to come back again later this week, hopefully with Kevin, and also the sun !
As I got to my car I shook off the rain jacket and saw the sparrows across the street from where I had parked. If only I had stayed dry in the car ! Nevertheless I was able to get great views of these sparrows, even having time to setup my scope for amazing closeups.

credit: unknown

Next up I made my way to San Elijo Lagoon. Here my target was California Gnatcatcher. Local Jan N. had suggested the site and it paid off nicely. I saw two or three of the Gnatcathers quickly and even pretty close at some points. Fortunately it was dry by this time and I got to enjoy these birds and several other species while I was here.

Credit: Peter Knapp

Thanks goes out to the local birders who helped me get two life-birds today!

November 7 - Borrego Springs, CA

2010-11-18T12:31:00.009-05:00

Wow, sometimes folks are just so damn helpful that it can surprise you. Such is the case with one Bob Miller of Southwest Birders. Just a few days before my trip out West, and by complete chance, I came across his recent posting on Inland County Birds about a Le Conte's Thrasher sighting. Even though it would mean a 2-hour drive from San Diego for a chance on this bird, I wrote to Bob for some more info. He was incredibly helpful and gave me specifics on where, when & how to spot the thrasher. Additionally he gave me spot-on information about another target of mine the Saltbush Sage Sparrow.

The only trouble I had was due to the change from Daylight Time back to Standard Time. I was told that my hotel clock would automatically "fall back" at 2 am. Of course it did not, so the alarm went off at 2:30 instead of my desired 3:30 ! So, I went back to bed for an hour, getting up at the "real" 3:30.
Then, the Hotel's Wake-up call also got messed up with the time change. Their call came thru right on cue -- at 4:30 am ! Needless to say, my wife wasn't too thrilled about being woken up at 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30 on the first night of vacation...But really, she was actually ok with it all later on.
I left at 4:00 driving over the mountains & into the desert. It was a great drive, especially Banner Grade. Anyone who loves driving would enjoy this road! I got to the Thrasher spot just before official sunrise, but the desert was already light. Within 15-minutes or so employing Bob's technique of covering as much ground as possible I was able to see the Le Conte's. Later I saw another too. I was also able to briefly see one Sage Sparrow here.

credit:Peter Ericsson @ surfbirds.com

I then stopped at the recommended nearby spot for the Sage Sparrow and this spot delivered too. I saw a handful of the sparrows here, giving me nice long looks at the bird.

Thank you, Mr. Miller !

October 31 - Cape May fallout

2010-11-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

The continuing 'fall flight of the decade' continued today with some fantastic results. The highlight must be the Henlow's Sparrow, which is quite unusual in New Jersey, and the first chaseable one at Cape May in twenty years!

click image to enlarge.

Other sparrows seen were Grasshopper, Song, Swamp, Savannah, White-Throated, White-Crowned, Field, Chipping, Lincoln's, and Junco.

Other top species seen today were Cave Swallow, Golden Eagle, and year-birds of Cattle Egret, Common Moorhen & Redhead. A female Eurasian Wigeon was seen, along with Blue-Winged & Green-Winged Teal, Pintail , Shoveler, Black, Mallard and Ring-Necked. Scoters of White-Winged & Black were seen.

Raptors included Sharp-Shinned, Coopers, Red-Tailed, Red-Shouldered, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Bald Eagle, but I missed a Norther Goshawk reported elsewhere on the Cape today.

You can never get to them all !

October 30 - Overpeck Park

2010-11-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

This morning I made a brief stop at Overpeck Park by Challenger Road and had a group of 80 American Pipits

credit: Terry Sohl

Later I was joined by Bill E & Kevin W, and we birded behind the stables. There were a handful of Rusty Blackbirds, some Purple Finch, the resident Monk Parakeets, plus sparrows of Song, Swamp, Savannah, Chipping, White-Throated, White-Crowned, Field, Lincoln's, a few Vesper, and my first Fox Sparrow of the season.

October 17 - Warren Green Acres

2010-10-17T15:53:00.000-04:00

Today had nice views of a pair of Orange-Crowned Warblers, and many sparrow species but no luck with Clay-Colored. Also I missed the Grasshopper Sparrows seen at first light by Kevin B.

Later on the way home I stopped at Schermann-Hoffman and got Pine Siskin at their feeders.

October 16 - Windy Hook

2010-10-17T15:50:00.000-04:00

I came here hoping for less winds but that was not the case. It was blowing in the twenties, so after some land-birding I settled for a seawatch.

Late-season views of Common Tern, plus Royals and a Forster's, first of season Red-Throated Loon and a pair of Commons. Surf Scoters, and Gannets.

October 10 - Warren Green Acres

2010-10-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

Because I did not have much time today I visited Glenhurst Meadows a/k/a Warren Green Acres. Here I met Simon and also ran into friend Jonathan K. We had a nice variety of sparrows, and added a few more after Jonathan left.
Sparrows seen were Song, Swamp, Savannah, White-Throated, White-Crowned, Chipping, Field, Lincoln's, Towhee, Junco, and Vesper -- which was my primary target bird today. Thanks goes to Mike H. who first found the Vesper, and to Simon who had it in the scope later on. Simon also showed me an Orange-Crowned Warbler! Other warblers were Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-Rumped, and Pine.
Along the river we saw an American Bittern, and just before leaving we had Red-Shouldered Hawk amongst the several Red-Tails and lone Coopers Hawk. A Kestrel also put on a show for us.

October 2 - Sandy Hook

2010-10-10T14:25:00.000-04:00

I did some King-sized birding today while out with Simon and Ron King. We started at Plum Island and were able to get fine looks at sparrows of Seaside, Nelson's, & Salt-Marsh, along with White-Crowned, Song, Savannah, and Swamp.
Later at the Locust Grove warblers put on a nice show with Pine, Magnolia, Cape May, Yellow-Rumped, B&W, BT Green, Palm, etc

September 25 - Forsythe NWR and south

2010-09-26T18:39:00.002-04:00

Met friends Rob F. and Simon K. along with Simon's Dad, who is visiting from England, and birded Forsythe NWR a/k/a Brigantine. We had a pair of Sora, but only I saw them, and a pair of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds that Rob spotted. Other good birds were Stilt Sandpipers, Long-Billed Dowitcher, Caspian Tern, Black Skimmer, Willet, Dunlin, Northern Shoveler, Pintail, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, Pied-Billed Grebe, Wood Ducks

A quick run down to Stone Harbor's bridge produced Caspian and Royal terns, Ruddy Turnstones but no Marbled Godwits or Pelicans. I then got a text message courtesy of Doug G. advising of an American Avocet down in Cape May Harbor. Fortunately I was close so I was able to quickly get on this bird. And also phone Simon and his Dad, which allowed the Senior Mr. King to get a life bird !

A return visit to Brig on the way home gave me fantastic looks at Hudsonian Godwit. It was missing it's left foot, which makes me wonder if this was the same footless bird seen at Cape May last week.

September 17 - Overpeck Dickcissel continues

2010-09-17T06:47:00.000-04:00

Overpeck Dickcissel continues Friday morning

September 16 - Overpeck Dickcissel continues

2010-09-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Dickcissel I saw at Overpeck yesterday continues this morning.

September 15 - Overpeck Park and Dickcissel

2010-09-15T20:21:00.003-04:00

I birded Overpeck Park this morning and the highlight was an immature Dickcissel. I was able to call friends Simon K. and also Steph S. and they were both able to see it & it was a life bird for both of them. And helping friends see life birds is always a lot of fun for me.

September 12 - Garret and the Overpeck

2010-09-13T07:55:00.004-04:00

Although it was kind of slow at Garret this morning, my group of Andy, Jen and Simon and I were able to pick up a Philadelphia Vireo and get nice long looks at the bird from close range. This bird was a lifer for Simon, and it's a bird I missed seeing last year. So it was productive for the short time we were there.

We then drove eat to Overpeck Park in Teaneck/Leonia and half of the group got to see a Connecticut Warbler. Unfortunately for Simon he missed this bird, as it would have been a life bird for him.

September 11 - Garret Mountain

2010-09-13T07:55:00.001-04:00

September 4 - Overpeck Park surprise

2010-09-07T08:16:00.000-04:00

Birding today with Bill & Simon we were surprised to find a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper here in Bergen County.
Typically these birds are coastal migrants, however they do turn up at inland sod-farms. I guess the soccer fields at Overpeck were a suitable substitute.

Credit: Aiden G. Kelly

Also seen today were warblers of Wilson's, Prairie,Yellow, Palm and Common Yellwothroat.

August 29 - Pine Island & Oil City Road

2010-08-29T14:41:00.001-04:00

With Simon K. today. We visited Pine Island Turf Farm but had no luck with either Baird's Sandpiper or Buff-Breasted Sandpiper. We did have quite a few Cliff Swallows, along with Barn & Tree Swallows. Also seen was a Kestrel, Harrier, Solitary Sandpiper, and wonderful views of Bobolink.

Cliff Swallow credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtepke/2601703522/
Later we stopped at Walker Avenue in Wayne, NJ and I was able to show Simon the Baird's Sandpiper there.

August 27 - Baird's Sandpiper at Walker Avenue

2010-08-29T13:07:00.002-04:00

A quick check here after work produced my second Baird's Sandpiper seen here this season. I was able to call a few folks and Dan was able to make it down to see the bird as well.

Credit: http://www.towhee.net/gallery/lou1.html
Also about 25 feet behind me a Green Heron was taken by a Red-Tailed Hawk. Very cool for me to see, for the Green Heron not so much..

A return here on Sunday with friend Simon also produced the bird, so its good to see that it has stayed for a few days. Will check again tomorrow night

August 22 - De Korte

2010-08-22T16:22:00.003-04:00

During a break in the morning rain I decided to get out & as luck would have it I ran into friend Rob F. at the Richard W De Korte Park in Lyundhurst. Rob phoned me to say he was looking at the Avocet which had been reported yesterday. This Avocet was my first being seen here in Bergen County.

credit: kiwiphoto.com

Later I was able to get some quick views of a Sora rail, unfortunately I could not return the favor to Rob and get him on this bird as my sighting was too brief.

However together we did see White-Rumped Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-Billed Dowitchers, Semi-Palmated Sandpipers and Plovers, Spotted Sandpipers, Osprey, both species of Yellowlegs, and a Peregrine falcon chasing the shorebirds.

August 15 - Jamaica Bay

2010-08-22T16:21:00.000-04:00

August 7 - Connecticut Chase

2010-08-22T16:19:00.004-04:00

No, I wasn't chasing a Connecticut Warbler but rather chasing into Connecticut for a White-Tailed Kite at Stratford Beach and Short Beach. With friends Bill E., Simon K, and Purple Chickadee Steph S. we took the ride up I-95 to Stratford, CT.

We saw the kite from 3 sites today - Stratford, Short Beach, and Milford Point. These sites are all within 10 minutes of each other. We also saw Peregrine Falcon, Black-Bellied Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, Whimbrel, Eastern Kingbird, Purple Martins

August 2 - Riverside Drive & Whiteface Mountain

2010-08-22T16:18:00.001-04:00

August 1 - Massawepie Mire

2010-08-22T16:14:00.003-04:00

In search of the elusive Spruce Grouse, today I drove the hour west of Lake Placid to visit Massawepie Mire. This site is an old railroad bed that cuts straight through a large boreal bog.

And here people take their privacy seriously:

July 31 - Bigelow Road

2010-08-22T16:08:00.001-04:00

The next morning, Saturday, saw a return to Bigelow Road and I got fantastic views of a male/female pair of these beauties. At times the birds were too close for bins!.
I also got to see 3-4 Boreal Chickadees, a species I had only seen once before back in the winter of 2007. The views this time were much better, and it was much warmer too!

Other highlights today were Yellow-Bellied and Alder Flycatchers, Gray Jays, Red-Breasted Nuthatch and warblers of Nashville, Parula, Magnolia, Yellow-Rumped, American Redstart, Canada ( a NY State bird for me) and sparrows of Lincoln's, White-Throated, and Dark-Eyed Junco, plus Purple Finch .

July 30 - Lake Placid weekend

2010-08-22T15:49:00.003-04:00

My wife and I drove the 4+ hours north to Lake Placid this weekend so I could enjoy birds of the boreal region of the Adirondack Mountains. First up was a visit to Bigelow Road in the town of Bloomingdale where I was able to get a brief view of a Black-Backed Woodpecker in flight across the road.

July 24 - Cape May ducks

2010-08-22T15:36:00.003-04:00

Alternating weekends between my Scottish and English friends, today saw the return of scotsman Bill E. as we drove down to Cape May for the trio of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks that had been found the prior Sunday. We were able to get on the birds immediately and at very close distance. This rare east coast vagrant was a New Jersey State bird for the both of us.

We also saw a summering Surf Scoter, Royal Tern, Black Skimmers, Purple Martins, and Prairie Warbler.

On the drive home we stopped at Forsythe NWR and saw Glossy Ibis, Western Sandpiper, and Eastern Meadowlark.

July 18 - Jamaica Bay Refuge

2010-08-22T15:21:00.003-04:00

Friend Simon K. and I met here to view the American White Pelican that has spent some time on the bay. We had the Pelican straight away, and that was very good news for Simon because it represents a life bird for him, as he is here on work assignment and normally resides in Winchester, England.
The Pelican was good news for me too as it was the first time I have seen this species in New York State.

Also seen today while in the Refuge were Blue-Winged Teal, both species of Night-Heron, several Stilt Sandpipers and Short-Billed Dowitchers along with American Oystercatchers, and terns of Least, Common, and Forster's.

July 5 - Pine Island, New York

2010-08-22T15:16:00.002-04:00

My friend Bill and I made the trip up to Orange County this morning to look for a Dickcissel.
We did not see that bird but did have nice views of summer breeders like Blue Grosbeak and Orchard Orioles. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing more Orchard Orioles in one place ever!
Also seen in the area was Eastern Bluebird, Bobolink, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Phoebe, and Horned Lark.

June 28 - Lacey Township Game Farm

2010-08-22T15:07:00.002-04:00

Before visiting nearby family today I made a brief stop at a new section of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. This area was formerly a wild game farm but has now laid fallow for several years. The area is being rehabilitated into upland habitat as this is one of the few remaining places in the state where Northern Bobwhite still re-produce in the wild.
The area was full of Blue Grosbeaks and Orchard Orioles, Field and Chipping Sparrows. Hopefully when the rehab is done more of this 100+ acre area will be open.

May 31 - Blue Chip Farm and High Point

2010-05-31T18:49:00.003-04:00

I awoke early this morning and quickly decided to head north into Ulster County, New York to look for Upland Sandpiper at Blue Chip Farms. I arrived at 7 a.m and shortly after found the sandpiper. A little bit later a second sandpiper was seen. The last time I saw this species was in the fall of 2007, so it was very nice to see again, particularly since this bird's population in the northeast continues to drop.
credit: http://www.center-ecological-research.org/assets/images/upland_sandpiper1-1may200103.jpg

After that, and being concerned about getting stuck in holiday traffic, I left here just after 8 and headed southwest to hit the High Point State Park. Once in the park I drove the Ridge Road loop and then took Sawmill Road to its junction with Deckertown Pike. Here in the boggy area on the corner I found both Willow and Alder Flycatchers. Driving back toward Route 23 I came across a Cerulean Warbler whose azure colors are always a treat. Next I stopped at Cat Swamp and saw some breeding Brown Creepers and heard them sing as well.

Credit: http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/gallery/2006-photo-gallery/brcrnjdb.jpg/image_preview

Overall a very good morning of birding.

May 23 - New York Warblers

2010-05-28T12:20:00.007-04:00

The specialty bird of Doodletown is the breath-taking Cerulean Warbler:
credit: http://missprint.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/dendroica-cerulea-002.jpg

Also seen was the handsome Worm-Eating Warbler:
credit: http://www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com/v/warblers/worm-eating_warbler/worm-eating_warbler_F5R0544.jpg.html

Next we headed to Sterling Forest for looks at the quickly declining Golden-winged Warbler:

May 29 - Belleplain & Heislerville

2010-05-28T12:20:00.006-04:00

Out today with guys that force me listen hard in order to understand my native English...a visiting UK birder in Simon K., and a now resident Scotsman in Bill E.
We took the long ride down to the Delaware Bayshore areas in hopes of some uncommon shorebirds & the breeding specialties of Belleplain Forest. While we did not encounter any rarities at Heiserville we did enjoy the shorebirds, including a breeding plumaged White-Rumped Sandpiper.

At Belleplain we saw some life birds for Simon in the Acadian Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak and Summer Tanager.
credit: http://www.westsidercd.org/Images/Blue-Grosbeak.jpg

credit: http://people.esam.northwestern.edu/~gbrown/images/tanager.jpg

May 22 - Kentucky & Prothonotary warblers

2010-05-28T12:19:00.002-04:00

Early this morning Bill E. and I took a trip to help Simon K. get a life bird in the Kentucky Warbler. After some patience we were rewarded with fine looks at this stunning bird.

credit: http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=178344

Also seen in the area today were Chimney Swift, Pewee, Great-Crested Flycatcher, Veery, Wood Thrush and the warblers of Chestnut-Sided, Black-and-White, Redstart, Ovenbird & Common Yellowthroat. Scarlet Tanager & Rose-Breasted Grosbeak also were seen.

Afterward, we ventured to Lord Stirling Park, which is adjacent to the Great Swamp NWR. Here we were able to see 3 of the Prothonotary Warbler. The last time I saw this species was back in 2008, so it was nice to see the beautiful "Golden Swamp-Warbler" once again.

credit: http://mayo.personcounty.net/Bird%20Folder/Songbirds/Prothonotary%20Warbler.jpg

Other birds seen in this area were Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Willow Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-Winged Warbler, Northern Waterthrush and Baltimore Oriole.

May 16 - Mourning Warbler at Garret Mountain

2010-05-17T08:13:00.004-04:00

Another visit to this hotspot in search of, and successful in finding the Mourning Warbler:

credit: http://i.pbase.com/g4/61/525761/2/60965599.MOWA03a_w.jpg

Also seen here today were warblers of Blue-Winged, Northern Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-Sided, Magnolia, BT Blue, BT Green, Blackburnian, Bay-Breasted, Black-and-White, Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's and Canada.

May 15 - Rare Godwit at Brigantine

2010-05-17T08:13:00.002-04:00

May 11 - Garret Mountain

2010-05-11T09:22:00.001-04:00

May 10 - Walker Avenue Swallowfest

2010-05-11T09:21:00.003-04:00

May 10 - Garret again

2010-05-11T09:21:00.001-04:00

2o species of warbler in just over 2 hours !

May 9 - Garret Mountain, rinse & repeat!

2010-05-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

May 8 - Garret Mountain

2010-05-10T09:51:00.002-04:00

Today I birded with Bill E. and new friend Simon K. and together we had great views of many warbler species today as well as many other species. On the day I recorded 20 warbler species with highlights being Cape May, Bay-Breasted, Wilson's along with Tennessee, NAshville, Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-Sided, Magnolia, BT Blue, Yellow Rumped, BT Green, Blackburnian, Prairie, Blackpoll, Black-and-White, Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush & Common Yellowthroat.

Flycatchers seen were a pair of Olive-Sided, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least, and Great-Crested.
Thrushes were represented by Robin, Veery, Wood, Swainson's and Gray-Cheeked.

We also got partial & briefs views of a Great-Horned Owl that was being harassed by a mob of crows.

Overall a smashing day even with the short rain showers.