Coastal New Jersey

Fri, March 9, 8:00 am – Mon, March 12, 2012, 12:00 midnight
Barnegat Light, Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, Cape May, and Sandy Hook
Outing Leader: Roger and Margaret Higbee, , 724-354-3493

Description

This trip will target Barnegat Light, Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, Cape May, and Sandy Hook. Possible species include Brant, Harlequin Duck, King Eider, Great Cormorant, Northern Gannet, Purple Sandpiper, and Am. Oystercatcher. Weï¿½ll check the list serves for possible vagrants. If you are interested in going, please contact Roger or Margaret Higbee (724-354-3493).

Trip Reports

This Snowy Owl was most cooperative.

Thursday, March 8, 2012 ï¿½ We met Ray and Daniel Winstead behind Weyandt Hall at IUP at 4:18 p.m. We loaded our van and headed east. Our GPS Ruby routed us north on I-99 to I-80. We stopped along I-80 at a Subway for dinner before driving onward. We exited onto PA 33 which led us to Rt. 115 S into Easton. We stayed the night in Easton, PA, at the Quality Inn. Melissa Little, Claire Staples, and Richard Nugent were already checked in.

Friday, March 9, 2012 ï¿½ Roger and I had arranged to meet our group which included Ray and Daniel Winstead, Claire Staples, Melissa Little, and Richard Nugent in the lobby at 6:00 a.m. Everyone was present, so we ate the breakfast provided by the motel before loading the van. Around the Quality Inn this morning we spotted a flock of Canada Geese, several Turkey Vultures, and a few soaring Ring-billed Gulls. Our first destination was Merrill Creek Reservoir, NJ, where our target species was a Snowy Owl. We stopped at the Merrill Creek boat launch where we listed:

Canada Geese ï¿½ 2
Mallard ï¿½ 2
Buffleheads ï¿½ 4
Common Goldeneye ï¿½ 1
Common Merganser ï¿½ 2
Am. Coots ï¿½ 12
Ring-billed Gulls
Mourning Dove ï¿½ 1
Black Vultures ï¿½ 2
Blue Jay ï¿½ 1
Am. Crows
Tufted Titmice ï¿½ 2
E. Bluebird ï¿½ 1
Am. Robin ï¿½ 11
N. Mockingbird ï¿½ 1
Cedar Waxwings ï¿½ 15
Yellow-rumped Warblers ï¿½ 3
N. Cardinal ï¿½ 1
Red-winged Blackbird ï¿½ 2

We had no luck spotting the Snowy Owl from the boat launch, but we did see a very white rounded rock that would have made a lovely Snowy Owl had it had eyes! We decided to try a few of the other access points. Our second stop was at the visitorsï¿½ center which was not open. Visiting the feeders near the center were 5 Dark-eyed Juncos and one White-throated Sparrow. Fortunately, just as we were walking away, an employee exited the building. We asked him whether he could tell us where to see the Snowy Owl. He unlocked the door to the center, turned on the lights, and proceeded to provide us with maps and directions. We learned we needed to walk about 1.5 miles out along the road from the boat launch. We decided to try. Roger heard a Downy Woodpecker while Richard Nugent added a White-breasted Nuthatch to the dayï¿½s list. A Black-capped Chickadee sang its normal song while several in the group also heard Carolina Chickadee.

We returned to the boat launch. I carried my scope, but all the other scopes remained in the vehicles. The walk through the forest was extremely quiet ï¿½ we added no passerines or woodpeckers. The wind whipped as we walked across the first dam. We were all happy to reach the woodlot again as the trees cut the biting wind. When we reached the second dam, we walked around the gate to the area specified by the park employee. Almost immediately we sighted the Snowy Owl on the designated stump. It was about 600 feet distant, and we mostly saw the birdï¿½s back. Occasionally it turned and we could actually see its eyes. As we were standing on the dam, Melissa spotted a Tree Swallow overhead, the tripï¿½s first. On the water were:

Gadwalls ï¿½ 6
*Eurasian Wigeon ï¿½ 1
Am. Wigeon ï¿½ 10
Horned Grebe ï¿½ 3

The Eurasian Wigeon was one of the tripï¿½s target birds, but, to our knowledge, it had not been reported at Merrill Creek. What a great find! Overhead a flock of Snow Geese passed then another and another. Roger started counting, reverted to estimating, then concluded 4,000 Snow Geese had passed while we were standing there. Delighted with our success, we started the hike back. Daniel spotted a Wild Turkey running across a path to our right. Several of us walked out that path a bit, but the turkey was not seen again. The walk back took less time.

We returned to our vehicles and started driving toward Spruce Run Reservoir. We stopped along Rt. 31 for gas around 10:36. When we arrived at Spruce Run, the temperature was 46o. We birded several access points around Spruce Run listing the following:

*Cackling Geese ï¿½ 4
Canada Geese
Mute Swan ï¿½ 4
Am. Black Duck ï¿½ 2
Scaup sp? ï¿½ 54
Bufflehead ï¿½ 2
Hooded Merganser ï¿½ 2
Common Merganser ï¿½ 7
Horned Grebe ï¿½ 5
Black Vulture ï¿½ 1
Turkey Vulture ï¿½ 1
Red-shouldered Hawk ï¿½ 1
*Iceland Gull ï¿½ 1
Lesser Black-backed Gulls ï¿½ 5
Mourning Dove ï¿½ 1
Downy Woodpecker ï¿½ 1
N. Flicker ï¿½ 1
E. Phoebe ï¿½ 1
Blue Jay ï¿½ 1
Black-capped Chickadee ï¿½ 1
Tufted Titmouse ï¿½ 1
White-breasted Nuthatch ï¿½ 1
Am. Robin ï¿½ 11
N. Cardinal ï¿½ 2

We stopped for lunch at McDonaldï¿½s near Clinton where a Red-tailed Hawk was circling overhead above several crows. It was 1:07 before we were on our way to Carteret to look for Monk Parakeets at the intersection of Washington and High Streets. En route we spotted:

Ring-billed Gulls
Rock Pigeons
Eur. Starlings

Upon arrival, we immediately spotted the nest and counted 8 *Monk Parakeets on the wires. Roger and I both got some photos.

Our next destination was Manasqan River Inlet. In the town of Manasquan we heard our first Fish Crows. I didnï¿½t exactly remember how to get to the inlet, so we turned left onto a side street where we added our first Brant and 2 Killdeer. I asked a man walking a dog for directions. We were very close. At the inlet we noted:

Brant
Am. Black Ducks
Red-breasted Mergansers
Red-throated Loons ï¿½ 2
Common Loons
N. Gannets ï¿½ 4
*Am. Oystercatchers ï¿½ 2
Purple Sandpipers ï¿½ 5
Dunlin ï¿½ 4
Laughing Gull ï¿½ 1
Ring-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Lesser Black-backed Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls

We started heading south on Rt. 35 toward Toms River where we had reservations at the Red Roof Inn. We made one beach stop at Kerr Beach where we saw about one hundred Red-throated Loons, 2 Common Loons, and 2 N. Gannets.

En route to Toms River: Common Grackles ï¿½ ~20

We checked in at the Red Roof then drove to Red Lobster for dinner. We learned that we would have to wait about an hour, so we turned around and stopped at Chiliï¿½s. We were told that the wait would be 25 minutes, but in reality it was more like 6-7 minutes. We had a very enjoyable dinner reliving the dayï¿½s adventures.


I photographed this Monk Parakeet near Carteret.

Submitted by Marg Higbee

Saturday, March 10 ï¿½ Around the Red Roof Inn in Toms River this morning we noted:

Canada Geese
Mallards
Fish Crows

Our first destination today this morning was to be Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on Long Beach lsland. We stopped along Route 72 at McDonaldï¿½s for breakfast. The drive-through was open, but the restaurant was not; so we ate in the car. Birds seen along Rt. 72 included:

Am. Black Ducks
Ring-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Rock Pigeons
Am. Robins
Tufted Titmouse
Eur. Starlings
Common Grackles
House Sparrows

En route on Long Beach Island we added:

Mourning Doves
Red-winged Blackbirds

We arrived at the state park before the gate was open, so as usual we parked outside and walked in. In the parking lot we spotted:

Herring Gulls ï¿½ standing on the parking lot
Carolina Wren ï¿½ 2
N. Mockingbird ï¿½ 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler ï¿½ 1
Song Sparrows ï¿½ 2
N. Cardinal ï¿½ 2

We did the jetty walk. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing steadily, and it was high tide with water splashing over the rocks near the far end. In the channel we observed both Common and Red-throated Loons, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Long-tailed Ducks. A flock of gulls hunkered on the sand alongside the jetty, but I could locate only Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls among them. A Boat-tailed Grackle atop the jetty was a life bird for Melissa. Farther along Ruddy Turnstones resting on the rocks provided yet another lifer for Melissa. A large flock of Brant were flying over the other jetty. We found the beautiful Harlequins farther out, and Roger was able to get some photos. Richard estimated that there were 20 of them. The Harlequin was a life bird for Ray, Daniel, and Melissa.

We walked out more than halfway, but when we saw that the rocks were wet and many gulls were perched on the jetty, we decided that we didnï¿½t want to chance slipping on the wet rocks nor did we want to dislodge all of the gulls. We returned to our vehicles and drove to Ninth Street where we parked and walked out the boardwalk onto the sand, heading for the end of the jetty. Song Sparrows were actively calling and flying about the phragmites. As we neared the beach, I heard *Snow Buntings calling. Daniel spotted them first; Richard counted 7, and everyone saw them fly over the dunes. On the beach were Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls while the water yielded Red-throated and Common Loons. As we approached the jetty, we spotted the eiders which we identified as *Common Eiders. One drake Black Scoter periodically dived behind the eider flock. Perched atop the structure at the end of the jetty was a *Great Cormorant.

After studying the eiders, searching for a King Eider unsuccessfully, we walked back to the cars then drove the back street where the marina is located. Two Great Egrets flew past then Melissa spotted two Tricolored Herons with just their heads appearing above the phragmites. A drake Green-winged Teal kept company with a hen Mallard in the vegetation above the water level, and there were many more Canada Geese, Am. Black Ducks, and Mallards scattered throughout the marsh. Farther south Roger spotted a small group of 4 Am. Oystercatchers. Gathering grit in the parking lot were Rock Pigeons and Boat-tailed Grackles. Other species seen along here included Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Long-tailed Ducks, Buffleheads, and Red-breasted Mergansers. As we drove on Long Beach Island toward Rt. 72 we added N. Flicker to our list.

After lunch at Burger King near Manahawkin, we drove southward to Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, affectionately known as ï¿½Brig.ï¿½ We birded the wildlife drive listing the following species:

Snow Geese
Brant
Canada Geese
Mute Swans
Gadwalls
Am. Wigeons
Am. Black Ducks
Mallards
N. Pintails
N. Shovelers
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Ducks
Buffleheads
Common Mergansers
Red-breasted Mergansers
N. Harriers
Cooperï¿½s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Am. Coots
Herring Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls
Mourning Doves
Fish Crows
Carolina Wren
Am. Robins
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warblers
E. Towhee
White-throated Sparrows
Dark-eyed Juncos
N. Cardinals
Red-winged Blackbirds

We then drove to Absecon as we had reservations at the Comfort Inn. Six of us went to dinner at Super Buffet which was very good. We returned to our rooms by 9:30, making plans to meet in the lobby at 7:00 since we were scheduled to go on daylight savings time at 2:00 a.m.

This morning after eating the breakfast provided by Comfort Inn, we headed first to Brigantine Island to look for a flock and Willets and Marbled Godwits. We parked at the paved end of Lagoon Blvd. and walked out the sandy road to the water. Birds seen here included:

Brant ï¿½ 2
Mallards ï¿½ 2
Red-breasted Mergansers
Red-throated Loons ï¿½ 8
Am. Oystercatchers ï¿½ 45
Willets ï¿½ 86 (Western)Greater Yellowlegs ï¿½ 1
Ring-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls
Mourning Doves
Am. RobinsEuropean Starlings

Song Sparrows
Red-winged Blackbirds
Common Grackles
House Finch
Our next destination was Cape May. Along the way we noted Turkey Vultures and Rock Pigeons. In town and at the state park we listed:

Mute Swans
Black Scoters
N. Gannets
Black Vultures
Turkey Vultures
Mourning Doves
Fish Crows
Carolina Wrens
Am. Robins
N. Mockingbird
European StarlingCedar Waxwings
N. CardinalCommon Grackles
House Sparrows
We stopped next at Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO) where we watched the feeders successfully for a *Dickcissel and checked out Lily Pond. Here were:

Mute Swans
Gadwalls
Downy Woodpecker
Fish Crows
Carolina Chickadees
Tufted Titmice
Eur. Starlings
Cedar Waxwings
Song SparrowsWhite-throated Sparrows
N. Cardinals
*Dickcissel
House Sparrows
The town circle had been the location for Eurasian Collared-Doves on eBird, so we walked around the circle and the surrounding streets for a while with little luck. Melissa thought she spotted a dove with a square tail at one point, but we could not relocate it. As we walked around, we added:

N. Flicker Blue Jays Brown Thrasher

We gave up temporarily on the doves and drove to McDonaldï¿½s for lunch. After we ate, we continued to E. Miami Street where we parked and walked to the beach. We have had such tremendous weather this trip and what a great spot! Here were hundreds of Dunlin as well as a variety of gulls and a few other shorebirds. We walked quite a distance up the beach for better views. We listed:

Surf Scoters
Black Scoters
Red-breasted Mergansers
Turkey Vultures
Bald Eagle ï¿½ adult
Black-bellied PloversSanderlings
Dunlin
Bonaparteï¿½s Gulls
*Black-headed Gulls
Laughing Gulls
Ring-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls
Forsterï¿½s Terns
N. Mockingbird
House Sparrows
Our next stop was at Sunset Point. Besides gulls, Sunset Point yielded:

Surf Scoters
Black Scoters
Red-throated Loons
N. Gannets
Mourning Doves
Am. Robins
We decided to drive to 1026 Batts Lane to look for the first state record Broad-tailed Hummingbird that has been visiting a feeder. Viewing instructions on the internet were specific. We had to park on Shunpike, walk to the residence, and stand off to the right of the hydrangea and firebush. When we arrived, we quickly learned that from that position, we could not see the feeders. Moving just a tad toward the house, however, we had just a slightly obstructed view. It really did not matter, however, as we waited for two hours without catching a glimpse of a hummingbird. We did see a nice assortment of birds including:

Downy Woodpecker
Fish Crows
Am. Robins
Yellow-rumped Warblers Song Sparrows
N. Cardinals
Red-winged Blackbirds
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackles
House Finches
House Sparrows
We decided to give up and try again in the morning. On the way back toward town, we added Red-tailed Hawk and N. Mockingbird. We then trolled the neighbor around Whildon for Eurasian Collared-Doves. Claire spotted them first on the sidewalk. The two birds then flew into a tree where the rest of us were able to view them.

After checking in at the Camelot, we ate dinner at Oceanview Diner.

Monday, March 12 ï¿½ Batts Lane was our first destination. We thought that the hummingbird would arrive at first light to feed. Apparently the hummingbird has found another food source as we waited till 8:00 without seeing it. Bird activity was at its peak, and we listed the following species from the yard:

Canada Geese
Black Vultures
Herring Gulls
Mourning Doves
Red-bellied Woodpecker
N. Flicker
Am. CrowsFish Crows
Carolina Chickadees
Tufted Titmice
Carolina Wrens
Am. Robins
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Eur. StarlingsSong Sparrows
White-throated Sparrows
N. Cardinals
Red-winged Blackbirds
Common Grackles
House Finches
House Sparrows
Breakfast was next on our agenda, so we stopped at McDonaldï¿½s. While we were eating, we spotted Canada Geese, Rock Pigeons, and Blue Jays through the window. We decided to take another stop at Miami Beach since it was low tide. Once again we saw many of the same birds, but they were scattered all along the beach with many farther out. Species sighted included:

Surf Scoters
Black Scoters
Turkey Vultures
Bald Eagle ï¿½ adult
Black-bellied PloversSanderlings
Dunlin
Bonaparteï¿½s Gulls
Black-headed Gull
Laughing GullsRing-billed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Great Black-backed Gulls
Forsterï¿½s Terns
House Sparrows
We returned to the state park where we checked the two ponds. Here we found:

Mute Swans
Gadwalls
Mallards
Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Ducks
Lesser Scaup
Pied-billed Grebes
Great Blue HeronGreat Egret
Killdeer
Wilsonï¿½s Snipe ï¿½ 10
Carolina Wren

We visited Cape May Meadows, property owned by The Nature Conservancy. What a great area! We watched a N. Shovelerï¿½s unusual behavior as it repeatedly dived for food. I checked several references but could not find any that mention their diving. Arthur Cleveland Bent writes: ï¿½The shoveller is more essentially a surface feeder than any other duck....ï¿½

Walking around the meadows we saw:

Canada Geese
Mute Swans
Am. Wigeons
Am. Black Ducks
Mallards
N. Shovelers
Pied-billed Grebes
Double-crested CormorantsGreat Egrets
Glossy Ibis
Black Vultures
Am. Coots
Killdeer
Am. Oystercatchers
E. Phoebe
Tree Swallows
Carolina Wren
E. Bluebirds
Am. Robins
N. Mockingbirds
Savannah Sparrows
Song Sparrows
N. Cardinals
We returned to the concrete ship where we spotted at least 60 N. Gannets flying by. Numerous Red-throated Loons were on the water here. Perched on the concrete ship were Double-crested Cormorant and Rock Pigeons. Black Scoters were pretty far out on the ocean. We searched diligently for the Western Grebe but had no success. We met a man from North Dakota who commented that we were searching for a Western Grebe among numerous Red-throated Loons while he had been doing just the opposite at homeï¿½searching for the loon among all the grebes.

Daniel wanted to check out a book on Peru, so we returned to CMBO. Richard decided to leave as he doesnï¿½t like to drive in the dark. The rest of us continued to Rio Grande where we ate lunch at Burger King.
Our next destination was CMBO in Goshen where we planned to look for a Rufous Hummingbird. When we arrived, a student with an ï¿½ESU Biology Clubï¿½ T-shirt informed us that the hummer had been present five minutes before we arrived. Pete Dunne came out of the building, explaining that they were closed on Mondays, but he offered to unlock to let us use the restrooms. He then pointed out the shrub in which the Rufous Hummingbird spends a lot of time. It looked like a flowering quince. The Rufous appeared at the feeder, and I was able to get several poor pictures. After we had watched it for a while, we started to head toward our vehicles when Daniel peered into the shrub and located the perched hummingbird. Wow! Now we could really see it well. Other birds seen at Goshen were:

Turkey Vultures
Red-tailed HawkCarolina Chickadee N. Mockingbird
N. Cardinals
We headed to Mannington Marsh, but it was really getting quite late, so we decided to bird two roads ï¿½ Compromise Road where we had actually seen the Sandhill Cranes and Sunset Drive where they had been reported. It was still 68o. Birds seen in this area included:

Mute Swans
Am. Wigeons
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Ducks
Bald Eagle ï¿½ ad.
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Mourning DovesN. Cardinals
Red-winged BlackbirdsCommon Grackles
Brown-headed Cowbirds
We crossed into Delaware on our way home, listing:

MallardsGreat Blue Heron
Rock PigeonsEur. Starlings

We reached Pennsylvania before 6:30, stopped at the first rest area along the turnpike that was open (Sideling Hill) and ate dinner at Pop-eyeï¿½s. We spotted one additional bird in PA ï¿½ a Belted Kingfisher. Claire and Melissa took off, and we continued homeward. We dropped Ray and Daniel off and reached home just around midnight.

Thanks to everyone who went to New Jersey with us for making it such an enjoyable trip!

Trip List

Snow Goose
Brant
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Am. Wigeon
Am. Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
N. Shoveler
N. Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
N. Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Tricolored Heron
Glossy IbisBlack Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
N. Harrier
Cooperï¿½s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Am. Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Oystercatcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Wilsonï¿½s Snipe
Laughing Gull
Black-headed Gull
Bonaparteï¿½s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Forsterï¿½s Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
Snowy Owl
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher

Total Species = 107Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
N. Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
E. Phoebe
Blue Jay
Am. Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
E. Bluebird
Am. Robin
N. Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Snow Bunting
Yellow-rumped Warbler
E. Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
N. Cardinal
Dickcissel
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
House Finch
Am. Goldfinch
House Sparrow