Stephennj's 2009 yearlist

[stephennj]

Here we go for 2009 . Lifers will be listed in boldface .Went on the East Brunswick Big Day Bird Count yesterday with a bigger group than last year and picked up a nice lifer in Glaucous Gull and the tough Horned Lark.Temps were frigid and very windy . The only travel plans I have for the year would be a day in Bermuda where I should pick up some unusual species including some new Pelagics.

Jan 1 2009 in backyard:

1 American Goldfinch
2 Dark-eyed Junco
3 European Starling
4 Song Sparrow
5 Red-bellied Woodpecker
6 Downy Woodpecker
7 Northern Mockingbird
8 White-throated Sparrow
9 Northen Cardinal
10 Blue Jay
11 Mourning Dove
12 Rock Dove
13 Herring Gull
14 Coopers Hawk
15 House Sparrow
16 Red Winged Blackbird

Jan 2 2009

17 American Robin
18 Canada Goose
19 Mallard Duck
20 Carolina Chickadee
21 American Crow

Jan 3 2009 Big Day Bird Count in East Brunswick

22 Ring-billed Gull
23 Great Blue Heron
24 Snow Goose
25 Mute Swan
25 Ruddy Duck
26 Northern Harrier
27 Red-tailed Hawk
28 House Finch
29 Tufted Titmouse
30 Fish Crow
31 Common Grackle
32 Great Black-backed Gull
33 Lesser Black-backed Gull
34 Glaucous Gull
35 Turkey Vulture
36 American Black-Duck
37 Horned Lark (Yes !)

[stephennj]

Yesterday I went to a neigbor's backyard feeder to tick lifer Pine Siskins , a total of four were in a flock with American Goldfinches . Ive been waiting a while to get them . In and around the woods in the area I ran into three happy Brown Creepers and the Nuthatch.

Jan 6th 2009

38 Pine Siskin
39 White-breasted Nuthatch
40 Brown Creeper

[stephennj]

A quick scope at the local lake yields two new species plus a backyard favorite at the feeders this afternoon...

Jan 10 2009

41 Hooded Merganser
42 Common Merganser
43 Carolina Chickadee

[stephennj]

Spent some time at the Raritain River and got some goodies in the diving duck dept. including Hooded and Common Mergansers , also a pair of Bald Eagles.

Jan 11 2009

44 Ring-necked Duck
45 Common Goldeneye
46 Bald Eagle
47 Double-crested Cormorant
48 Black Vulture

[stephennj]

With the naked eye I swore I saw two overwintering Chipping Sparrows the other day but I can't be 100% I did get to see the neigborhood Coopers Hawk sucessfully kill a Junco and eat it today and another excellent bird-eater by the bridge a few days ago :

Jan 23 2009

49 Peregrine Falcon

[stephennj]

Two unlikely yard birds in the past few days , the Hermit Thrush continues and is feeding on American Holly and Chockeberry fruit :

50 American Tree Sparrow
51 Hermit Thrush

[stephennj]

I did some birding around my local patches today and got some nice stuff in decent weather . More Common Goldeneyes at the river and The Hermit Thrush continues at the Holly tree. Subrtacting one because I counted Carolina Chickadee twice (thanks Veagle!)

51 Hairy Woodpecker
52 Sharp-shinned Hawk
53 Killdeer
54 Red-breasted Merganser

[stephennj]

Checked the local pond for the Egyptian Geese pair and they are present and hopefully will breed again this year.

55. Egyptian Goose

[stephennj]

Another Backyard treat today with a strange looking Song Sparrow that ended up being something completely different. This is another Lifer I have been longing for . I was surprised by it's rich rufous and grey colors - but photos are poor and in bad lighting .

56. Fox Sparrow

[stephennj]

After a brutaly cold Feb. and early March it was downright balmy this weekend and I was able to take advantage of it today :

57. Chipping Sparrow
58. Wood Duck

[stephennj]

Some good signs of early Spring , many Fox Sparrows today and other FOY birds.Also a nice backyard window view of Coopers Hawk snatching up a European Starling.

59. Yellow-rumped Warbler (March 12th)
60. Eastern Towhee (March 14th)
61. American Woodcock (March 14th)

[stephennj]

Had a nice half-day+ trip today with Dick Latuchie (Veagle on BF) , Matt Latuchie and dad (PeteB-01 on BF) with 40+ species counted .We covered alot of ground and finished off at the Meadowlands and the Monk Parakeet Colony in Carteret. One last look around yesterday yielded Great Cormrant.

Today's highlights included Fish Crow, Carolina Wren , Common Merganser , Am. Black Duck, Northern Harrier, Eastern Towhee, Ruddy Duck (flock of 150) , Double-crested Cormrant , Mute Swan and Pine Siskin. I missed the Belted Kingfisher. We also Targeted Fox Sparrow and Egyptian Goose but missed them early in the A.M. The winter species are moving out and we are on the cusp of spring migration here.

62. Great Cormrant
63. Wilson's Snipe !!
64. Greater Yellowlegs
65. Northern Shoveler
66. Tree Swallow
67. Northern Pintail
68. Green-winged Teal
69. Canvasback
70. Gadwall
71. Monk Parakeet

Thanks Dick for your company and I-Bird device , I will have to double-check your complete list to see if I missed anything. Very nice to meet you and Matt . You are quite a good birder and I enjoyed the trip !

below is a Great Cormrant in breeding plumage thanks to the I.D. forum.

[stephennj]

Rutgers Ecological Preserve has been alive with spring calls the lsat few days, Not much time for birding but I picked up a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets and a few flyover Swallows that were probably Tree Sw. Couldn't stop to see because of the traffic. Hopefully I can get out over the weekend since there have been new migrants reported in my area.

72. Golden-crowned Kinglet

[stephennj]

Still only time for "lunchbreak birding" and I am missing some of the new migrants so far this spring. A few of these have returned with Tree Swallows which breed outside our shop door.

73. Northern-rough-winged Swallow

[stephennj]

Birding very early in the AM, I went for a short trip to Negri-Nepote Grassland Preserve in Franklin Twp. Nice species like Wilson's Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs ,Tree Swallow ,Yellow-rumped Warbler, a single Hermit Thrush and more Chipping Sparrows to last a lifetime.

The fields had just been mowed and no targets like Grasshopper Sparrow, Meadowlark or Bobolink yet but some new ones for the list:

74. Great Egret
75. Field Sparrow
76. American Kestrel
77. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
78. Savanna Sparrow

[stephennj]

On April 25th In New Jersey the Warbler migration bonanza is officially underway!
Alas I had to spend the weekend around the house busting rocks but in the backyard some summer residents have arrived. First I recognized the sweet songs... then they appeared .The House Wren pair wasted no time in claming the nestbox they used last year. Temps over 90 degrees yesterday and well over 80 today - Is it summer allready ?!

79. Northern House Wren
80. Baltimore Oriole

[stephennj]

A little lunchtime birding at Rutgers Ecological Preserve, a few Warblers too high to I.D. Black-Throated Blue Warbler heard only.

81 Grey Catbird
82 Wood Thrush
83 Barn Swallow

[stephennj]

Heylar Woods in North Brunswick was an absolute Aviary today , goodies today included Wood Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Baltiomore Oriole, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, lingering White-throated Sparrow and the following new birds including a Lifer:

84. Black and white Warbler
85. Veery
86. Great-crested Flycatcher
87. Black-throated Blue Warbler
88. Palm Warbler
89. Ovenbird
90. Scarlet Tanager
91. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
92. Eastern Kingbird

In the backyard this evening the star of the show finally made an entrance:

93. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

[stephennj]

Some new birds fileling into the state including yet another precious lifer deep in the wood that was unexpected today. Also male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has appeared in the backyard this evening .Some more nice looks at Great-crested Flycatcher today.

Tuesday at lunchbreak:

94. Eastern Wood Pewee

Today birding during lunch and after work:

95. Eastern Pheobe
96. Swainson's Thrush
97. Chimney Swift

[stephennj]

Took my annual birding and gardening trip to Palmyra Cove Nature Park near Phila. yesterday to bird with mentor Ward Dasey . We were targeting Least Bittern which breed at one of the ponds , we missed Bittern .. Helped with the hummingbird garden then afterwards tried for Bittern again and found it ! The extra effort was well worth it -what a cool little reed-climber and lifer ! Ticked Black-crowned Night Heron before the trip behind my neighborhood.

98. Northern Flicker
99. Black-crowned Night Heron
100. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
101. Yellow Warbler
102. Laughing Gull
103. Common Yellowthroat
104. Lincoln's Sparrow
105. Indigo Bunting
106. American Redstart
107. Northern Parula
108. Blue-headed Vireo
109. White-eyed Vireo
110. Cedar Waxwing
111. Osprey
112. Least Bittern
113 Green Heron

[stephennj]

Off from my regular job and doing side work for the week means time for more birding . In the past few days I have been poking around South Brunswick and came up with the following including Lifer Yellow-throated Vireo nestbuilding ! I was beginning to think they didn't exist and was happy to find them.

114. Lesser Yellowlegs
115. Semipalmated Sandpiper
116. Yellow-throated Vireo

The last photo is a good comparason shot between Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs.

[stephennj]

Spent a 1/2 day at Assunpink Wildlife Management Area in Central NJ today, targeting Virginia Rail,Blue Grosbeak and Eastern Meadowlark. I missed them all but got loads of birds in varied habitats. heard Pileated Woodpecker calling and hammering in the woodland area but only saw a fleeting movement as it flushed.I stalked it for a while but they are elusive. (I still need this for my lifelist but I did see it as a child in PA)

some other good sightings were Scarlet Tanager,Ovenbird,American Kestrel,Red-eyed Vireo,Eastern Pheobe, Easten Kingbird ,Indigo Bunting ,Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Savanna Sparrow, several Warblers (I really need work on the calls!) and the following year birds:

117. Orchard Oriole
118. Blackpool Warbler

[stephennj]

There is no shame in my game. While gardening in the yard late this afternoon I had a flyover unmistakable and (not so) Common Nighthawk ! I had seen these a few years ago but not confident enough in my ID skills at the time. This time it's for sure. This is a difficult bird to get in my State and an unexpected Lifer surprise .

119. Common Nighthawk

[stephennj]

Adding one local patch bird and preparing for a small trip to Bermuda next week which should yield some goodies !

120 Spotted Sandpiper

[stephennj]

Have returned and looking thru my notes from Bermuda .

We had a great time but pouring rain while on the island, we hired a guide for a 1/2 day on the island.some Pelagic species to follow and a trip report eventually .

Missed the recent Franklin's Gull but got all of our target species. Yellow-crowned Night Herons were common in the correct Habitat as well as in fields and lawns , acting more like a Southern Lapwing that a Heron !

121. White-tailed Tropicbird
122. Greater Kiskadee
123. Common Ground-Dove
123. Ruddy Turnstone
124. Common Tern (Bermuda race)
125. Common Gallinule
126. Yellow-crowned Night Heron
127. European Goldfinch
128. Bermuda White-eyed Vireo

[stephennj]

On the return cruise from Bermuda to New Jersey I had a few Shearwater species from the balcony as well as some good views of a pod of Dolphins. After some discussion in the I.D. Forum I can safely call at least one new species .
Then at home today I had a first-ever Great Horned Owl visit ! Wow !

129. Cory's Shearwater
130. Great Horned Owl !

[stephennj]

Some Late July birds over the weekend, Johnson Park in Highland park NJ:
131. Cattle Egret (3 in flight)
132. Least Sandpiper (migration begins!)
133. Snowy Egret (one stalking and fishing in the shallows)

[stephennj]

Some birding at the Rutgers Ecological Preserve near work has yielded many Warbler species in the past few weeks as well as a handful of Flycatchers and Vireos (Including Blue-headed Vireo). Only one new species:

134 Blackburnian Warbler

[stephennj]

Birded Dekorte park at Meadowlands yesterday and added

135. Bobolink
136. Merlin
137. Belted Kingfisher
138. Pectoral Sandpiper
139. Seaside Sparrow

[stephennj]

I Did some birding while saltwater fishing today , enjoyed the Gulls and other common birds , caught glimpses of Scoters but they were far away views. I came away with a few new treasures , including Boat-tailed Grackles at the dockyard after the fishing trip ! Female Grackle and immature Gannet pics below.

140. Northern Gannet
141. Boat-tailed Grackle
142. Atlantic Brant

[stephennj]

A few treats from Halloween week:

143. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
144. Brown Thrasher

[stephennj]

Birded Sandy Hook NJ today after the storms. In search of Scoters/Eiders. Struck out on seaducks but found other goodies including a few new shorebirds for the year. Great looks at Northern Gannets feeding offshore.

145. Sanderling
146. Black-bellied Plover