July 20 - Brigantine

After a late start this morning I finally decided to go birding. I considered going to Delaware for a moment, but went south to Brigantine instead.

I started with a juvenile Little Blue Heron on the Gull Pond. Soon after I had the White Pelican and also the local specialty Gull-Billed Tern.

Later on I enjoyed the majestic Caspian Tern, both perched and in flight. Also a pair of Seaside Sparrow, several Whimbrel, some bright Western Sandpipers, and a pair of adult Little Blue Heron.
In the last bit of marsh near the end of the loop, I had the Glaucous Gull. Quite nice to see one without typical winter weather I normally see them in.
credit: Howard Eskin

Nearby I also had a close pair of Tri-colored Heron. Later a pair of Bobwhite crossed in front of my car just as I entered the Upland habitat at the end of the auto-tour.
credit: Ashok_Khosla


For some more images of Brigantine Birds visit:

http://www.howardsview.com/Brig2/Brig2.html

July 19 - Sussex County spots

With just a few hours free today I visited some relatively local spots. I started with a nice walk at Paulinskill WMA (aka Hyper-Humus). I heard Virginia Rail calling, and saw a few species of Sandpiper, namely Killdeer, Least, Semi-Palmated and Spotted.

Aftewards I stopped at the Appalachain Tral crossing on Route 95 in Vernon. Here I was able to get beautiful scope views of the Grasshopper Sparrow.
credit: Paula Sullivan @ http://www.pbase.com/paulasullivan/image/63009096

Others seen here today were Indigo Bunting, Field Sparrow, and Cedar Waxwing, plus Kestrel and a pair of Common Ravens.

July 13 - Cupsogue County Park

In search of pelagic birds today, my friends and I went to eastern Long Island's Cupsogue County Park. This located at the western end of Dune Road, near the Hamptons.
While we did not have any luck on the sea-watching front we did get to see several types of Terns, namely the species of Common, Least, Roseate, Sandwich, and Black:

reidt: http://thebirdguide.com/digiscoping/photos/black_tern.htm


Later I was able to get nice views of the Roseate Tern:credit: Mike Fahay

Also seen here today were wonderful views of Salt-Marsh Sharp-Tailed Sparrow:
credit: Glen Tepke


Other species seen today were Seaside Sparrow, Boat-Tailed Grackle, Oystercatcher, Short-Billed Dowitcher, Least and Semi-Palmated Sandpipers, some non-breeding Red-Throated Loons, Willet, Black Skimmer, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Piping Plover and Black-Bellied Plover.

July 1- Colorado Trip List

Here is a list of the species I saw on my recent trip out west, between June 21 and June 30:

* = Lifer

Canada Goose
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Common Merganser
* White-tailed Ptarmigan
* Blue (Dusky) Grouse
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Cattle Egret
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
* Ferruginous Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
American Coot
Killdeer
* Mountain Plover
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
California Gull
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
* Northern Pygmy-Owl (heard only)
Burrowing Owl
Common Nighthawk
Common Poorwill (heard only)
* Black Swift
White-throated Swift
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
* Williamson's Sapsucker
* Red-naped Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
* American Three-toed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Western Wood-Pewee
Hammond's Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Say's Phoebe
Western Kingbird
Loggerhead Shrike
Warbling Vireo
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Blue Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
Black-billed Magpie
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Canyon Wren (heard only)
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
* American Dipper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Hermit Thrush (heard only)
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Virginia's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ovenbird (heard only)
* MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Western Tanager
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Cassin's Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
* Lark Bunting
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
* McCown's Longspur
* Chestnut-collared Longspur
Black-headed Grosbeak
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
* Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
Pine Grosbeak
* Cassin's Finch
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

16 Life birds
148 total species for the trip, which includes the "heard-only".

ABA Lifelist total is now 574 species.

June 15 - Northwestern New Jersey

After that nice Saturday morning yesterday, I had some free time on Sunday too. I decided to head north toward Sussex County. First up was an open field at the corner of Blair Road & Route 23, just south of the Wallkill NWR. Here I had Bank, Barn, and Rough-Winged Swallows all giving nice repeated views as they fed in the early morning. Later I went toward High Point and birded some fields and enjoyed some nice grassland birds of Field Sparrow, Willow Fly, Bunting etc.

Once at High Point, I took Ridge Road and had some goodies including Willow Fly. Where it rejoins Sawmill, at the Flatbrook bridge, I had Least Fly and Phoebe. Then at the corner of Sawmill & Deckertown Pike, I was able to get Alder Fly.
Heading south, I stopped at Van Ness Road I heard both YB & BB Cuckoos, but only saw the YB. Here was two calling Alder Flys, plus Blue-Winged , Prairie, and Hooded warblers.
Anyway theres lots of other breeders which I did not list here. I just wanted to cover the highlights for me. You might enjoy these birds, plus whatever else you wish to see on territory or missed in migration.

I'm off to Colorado on Saturday and I hope to have a nice report for you to read when I return.

June 14 - Sterling Forest

With a desire to see the ever rarer Golden-Winged Warbler, this morning I made a visit to Sterling Forest in Tuxedo Park, NY. Within a few minutes hike from the parking lot and up the southern hill I was able to hear the singing male:

What a spectacular looking bird. It was harassed most of the time by the usurping Blue-Winged Warbler, to which this species appears to be losing its battle against.

June 1 - Sandy Hook

This morning I headed south to Sandy Hook to get a view of a Western Grebe which has been reported. Fortunately, the bird was where it had initially been located which is in Spermacetti Cove. The bird was not too far out, and the scope views were very nice.

Alder Fly was heard at two spots, and at the Salt Ponds we had Semipalmated Sandpipers, as well as, Semipalmated Plovers. Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, both Green And Black-Crowned Night-Herons were seen.

A perched Common Nighthawk provided detailed views of this nightjar.

Later a return trip to the cove gave me another look at the Grebe - and I found 5 Red Knots feeding out on the sandbar amongst the expected Common, and Least Terns, Oystercatchers Black-Bellied Plovers, etc.
credit: www.dcwild.com