QAS Brigantine NWR trip - Feb 25 - part 2

This is a recap of the second part of the QAS Audubon New Jersey trip. After leaving Barnegat Lighthouse, we traveled south on the garden state parkway to Rt 9, which took us to the entrance of the NWR...we arrived in the visitor center parking lot about 1pm.

Edwin B Forsythe (Brigantine) NWR 

A look out over the Marsh

After a short break for some lunch and snacks at the visitors center, wee began our drive around the 8mile long tour road.

Tour Road

We didn't have to go far, before we spotted our first waterfolw species...a mallard!!! The mallards where quickly followed by Pintails, Black Ducks,Ruddy Ducks & Buffleheads - we hadn't gone a half mile and our list had grown by 8 species.

 At our next stop, we spotted several Northern Harriers, Canvasbacks, Snow Geese, Green winged Teal, and several hundred Black Ducks.There where also lots of Brants flying about. with many smaller flocks crossing the road both behind and in front of us..making for a great show.

Brants flying across road

We proceeded a little farther along the road and continued to see Pintails, Black Ducks and Mallards..and several hundred gulls...mostly Ringed Billed and Herring, with a few Greater Black Backed gulls mixed in.

 

                                    

As we reached the half way point on the tour road,we spotted a pair of Peregrine Falcons sitting on the nesting platform..always a treat to see Peregrines. As we continued on the tour road, not many more species where added...we did continue to see all the other species in large numbers but only added Tundra Swans to our overall species list.

We exited the tour road and returned to the visitors center on last time before departing for home around 3:30pm before the forecast rain showers began. 

We arrived back in Cornwall around 6:30 pm  and ended the trip with a total species  count for the trip at 48 - and hitting all the target species for the trip.

Until next time - good birding

 

QAS Barnegat Lighthouse New Jersey State Park trip - Feb 25th - part 1

Here is a recap of our annual trip to Barnegat Lighthouse to see the Harlequin Ducks and Purple sandpipers. Barnegat is one of the few places where you can reliably see both of these species annually.

Walking out Jetty..looking back toward lighthouse

Our group of four met at 6am at my home to begin the 3-1/2 hour drive. The weather was looking like it was going to cooperate - with temps getting into the upper 60's F and no rain forecast until later in the afternoon. The drive was uneventful, and after a brief stop for a quick breakfast, we arrived at our destination around shorty before 10am.

Barnegat Lighthouse

When we arrived there was a light fog in the area, that the sun was burning off. As in other years, we where greeted in the parking lot by a host of gulls...including Ring-Billed, Herring and Greater Blacked Backed - 3 species to start.

As we gathered our gear for the walk out the jetty, we added several more common species....crows and grackles to name a few.

The Jetty

As we walked toward the lighthouse and the jetty - we scanned the inlet and soon enough found our first waterfowl species of the day....a Red-Throated Loon, actually several of them, quickly followed by several Long-tailed Ducks and a few Common Loon - our count was growing.

Red Throated Loon

The weather could not have been better (it's usually below freezing with wind chills making it feel much colder on the jetty)...but not today...temps where in the mid 50's and climbing making the walk out the jetty actually enjoyable.

About half way out the mile long jetty, we encountered out first target species for the day...Purple Sandpipers. They where mixed in the a group of Ruddy Turnstones and the light was prefect...allowing for almost prefect viewing conditions of both species.

Purple sandpiper

Ruddy Sandstones & Purple Sandpipers

We continue our walk, and within a short distance spotted another target species.. the Harlequin Ducks. Again the light was great and afforded us some great views of this delightful species. There was a total of 14 Halequins Ducks seen for the day...a high single day count for me.

Harlequin Ducks 

As the fog returned, we reached the end of the jetty, and ask a group fo other birders if the recently reported King Eider had been spotted today. As was expected, with the fog, it had not been.We decided to spend some time at the end of the jetty, in hopes that the fog would lift.

Lots of Dunlin

As we waited, we did tally some Sanderling, Black Scoters, Surf Scoters and several Common Eiders...but no King Eider.

Common Eider

The fog never lifted and after about 1 hour we started our walk back toward the parking area....ending up with a  total of 23 species.

After a quick snack, we headed for our next destination, was Brigantine NWR about an hours to the south. Check the next post for details on this part of the trip.

Until Next time - good birding.

QAS Audubon walk in the Park - Feb 19

With the beautiful weather we had the last few days, if was a prefect time to have our Audubon walk in the Union Canal Park today as part of the Great Backyard Bird count, with temps in the high 60's...in mid February. 

We started the walk at 2pm, with 16 participants, at first we didn't have much bird activity....a few tufted titmouse, Carolina wrens and cardinals.

Northern Cardinal

As we traversed the woodlot, we added a few species including red-tailed Hawk, White Breasted nuthatch, and heard the call of the Pileated Woodpecker - which exluded us for the entire trip - although we heard it calling several more times.

Red Tailed Hawk soaring

Upon entering the meadow at the top of the trai woodlot, we enjoyed watching the Bluebirds, and several Red bellied Woodpeckers...and a 2nd Red Tailed Hawk soaring overhead.

Eastern Bluebird

As we continue along the trail, a member of group spotted a small bird among the undergrowth..at first it was thought to be a kinglet, but upon a closer look by several members of the group - at the dull yellow green drab species, with a small black bill, slight eye strip and yellow under the tail -
 the ID was confirmed as an Orange-Crowned warbler...a real surprise for this time our area at this time of the year. Needless to say, everyone in the group was quite excited about viewing this species...and for several participants it was a life bird (no photo taken).

Orange Crowned Warbler - ID

We continue, to the end of end of the walk, after 2 1/2 hours with a total count of 21 species..but the Orange Crowned Warbler made the trip a memorable one for many in the group - myself included.

Until next time - good birding

 

A Rare Visitor to Middle Creek - Eurasian Green winged Teal

Stopped by for a quick look at the number of Snow Goose arrivals on the main lake..there are about 70,000 currently....and more on the way.

When leaving the area, I observed a local birder checking out the entrance road ponds and decided to stop and chat...about what was being seen in the area.

To my surprise, I was informed that he was looking a Eurasian Green Winged Teal...a new life bird for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled to observe this very rare species at one of my favorite birding location. You never know what will show up...as a birding mentor of mine always said: they have wings they can go (or fly) whenever they want.

Below are some of the differences between the two species, you can see the horizontal strip on the Eurasain Green Winged Teal and lack of vertical strip in the first photo a very definitive marking.

Until next time - good birding.

Eurasian Green Wing Teal  at Middle Creek                  

photo by D Williams

Major character 1: horizontal scapular stripe
Eurasian Green-winged Teal: Bold horizontal white stripe from shoulder back to tail. At rest, the scapulars cover the folded wing from above, while the gray feathers of the side of breast cover the wing from below. As a result, the wings of many ducks are not visible when at rest. The lower scapular feathers have a black outer web and a broad white inner web. It is this white inner web of the scapular feathers that produced the horizontal white stripe on the Eurasian Green-winged Teal. Sometimes the lower gray side feathers cover a portion of the white stripe. Usually, however, the stripe is very obvious, and the white is wider than the black.
American Green-winged Teal: The black outer web of the scapular feathers may be visible, but are usually not obvious. The inner webs are brownish gray and do not contrast boldly with the back. Thus, the American form never shows a white scapular stripe.


Major character 2: vertical white breast bar
American Green-winged Teal: Bold vertical white bar from shoulder downward across the side of the breast.
Eurasian Green-winged Teal: Absolutely no hint of a vertical white bar on the side of the breast.

Snow Goose arriving at Middle Creek Wildlife Area

It was a rather warm February day with tempos in the upper 50F...and with snow forecast for tomorrow..I decided to spend a few hours at my favorite birding location.

Tundra Swans

Looking out over main lake from Stop 1

arriving around 1:15p at stop 12 to check the main and visitors center ponds. There where Gadwall, Ring Necked Ducks, several hundred Tundra Swans, and several Black ducks...to name a few. 

After spending about 45 mins scoping the ponds and surrounding area and adding 2 immature Bald Eagles and a pair of Red Tailed Hawks to the growing list..I next drove to the boat dock to scope the back section of the lake.

Amer Widgeon

More Tundra swans

 Arriving at the boat dock to look at about 15,000 Snow goose on the lake, with many more coming and going..a real spectacle of white and black wing tips.

Looking over lake from Willow Point

There where also about 100 Red Breasted Mergansers, a pair oif Pin-tails and several hundred Canada Geese. I scoped the flocks looking the previously reported Greater White Fronted Goose..but alas no luck...although several Blue Phase Snow Goose had me looking very closing at them,

Snow Geese

Ring Necked Duck...at Willow Point

I next walked the Willow Point Trail...to get a closer look at the Snow Geese and to see if I could spot the Adult Bald Eagles on the nest...but the adults where no where to be seen.

Red Breasted Mergansers

 I did have add several dozens more Pintails and Gadwalls to the species count list.

I left after 2 1/2 hours with a species count of 28.

Until next time....good birding

  

Black Blacked Oriole 

I haven't posted for a while..but will be adding some older content from last year and new things from this year

Beginning with the ABA Mega rare Black Backed Oriole that is currently being seen about 25 miles from my home location. This is the 2nd North American record of this species. And I had the pleasure of viewing this species on Sunday February 5 along with about 50 other birders (see photo below). Over the past week, there have been close to 300 ebird reports submitted, with many others observing this once in lifetime species in our area.

The Black Backed Oriole is

A Mexican endemic, the Black-backed (or Abeille’s) Oriole was formerly considered to be conspecific with the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula). This oriole principally breeds above 1500 m on the central plateau of the country and occurs in riparian habitat, although in winter it performs short-distance movements, and it also occupies other wooded areas, including pine–oak forests. The species is usually observed in pairs or small flocks, and the birds are unusual in being able to predate Monarch (Danaus pleixippus) butterflies, which are toxic to most potential predators. Compared to the Baltimore Oriole, which winters in central and southern Mexico, the present species shows extensive white in the wings, in addition to the largely black upperparts, and flanks. Females, in contrast, are perhaps best distinguished from the same-sex Baltimore Oriole by having less white wing bars.

If accepted, this bird would represent the 2nd North American record and the 1st Pennsylvania record! The first North American record was of a bird in southern California that was not accepted by ABA due to its question of origin. The same situation may apply to this bird.
 

Nonetheless, I have added it my life list...and hope to get back for another observation in the next few days. 

Until next time...good birding.