Sunset Birding at The Meadows - Friday, August 28th, 2015

It was a beautiful evening with a gorgeous sunset and moonrise. The highlight of the walk tonight was the increase in the number of duck species including Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, and American Wigeon. (Maybe our over-summering Wigeon attracted a couple more?). There was an interesting mix of shorebirds including Semipalmated Plover and Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Killdeer, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderlings, and a bird that the leaders finally identified as a Baird's Sandpiper. We also saw Black Skimmers, American Oystercatchers, Royal Terns, and a large number of Forster's Terns. The Osprey family was at the nest platform including mom, dad, and the fledged chick. Leader: Chuck Slugg.
45 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose  40
Mute Swan  2
American Wigeon  3    
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  25
American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid)  2
Blue-winged Teal  4
Northern Shoveler  2
Great Egret  1
Snowy Egret  7
Glossy Ibis  1
Osprey  4
American Oystercatcher  9
Semipalmated Plover  2
Killdeer  5
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  4
Sanderling  12
Baird's Sandpiper  1    
Short-billed Dowitcher  2
Laughing Gull  175
Ring-billed Gull  3
Herring Gull  6
Great Black-backed Gull  10
Common Tern  2
Forster's Tern  26
Royal Tern  6
Black Skimmer  15
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  3
Mourning Dove  10
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  3
American Crow  1     heard
Fish Crow  10
Tree Swallow  3
Barn Swallow  7
American Robin  3
Gray Catbird  2     heard
European Starling 11
Northern Waterthrush  1
Song Sparrow  2
Blue Grosbeak  1     heard
Indigo Bunting  3
Bobolink  32
Red-winged Blackbird  25
American Goldfinch  15
House Sparrow  3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)