Harlequin Romance - Saturday, December 8, 2018

Leaders: Mary, Watkins, Janet Crawford, and Rebecca Perruci.

Barnegat Lighthouse SP, Ocean County, New Jersey, US
37 species

Brant  50
American Black Duck  1
Common Eider  150
Harlequin Duck  7
Surf Scoter  7
Black Scoter  50
Long-tailed Duck  36
Bufflehead  6
Red-breasted Merganser  6
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  8
Ruddy Turnstone  7
Sanderling  35
Dunlin  50
Purple Sandpiper  1
Herring Gull  500
Great Black-backed Gull  15
Red-throated Loon  7
Common Loon  6
Northern Gannet  3
Double-crested Cormorant  4
Northern Harrier  1
Sharp-shinned Hawk  2
Bald Eagle  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
American Kestrel  1
Merlin  1
American Crow  5
Horned Lark  3
Tree Swallow  1
Carolina Wren  2
Golden-crowned Kinglet  1
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  25
Savannah Sparrow (Ipswich)  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  3
Northern Cardinal  2
House Sparrow  12

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

US-NJ-Barnegat Light-West 25th Street Bayview Area, Ocean County, New Jersey, US

10 species

Brant  9
Mallard  4
American Black Duck  11
Greater Scaup  3
White-winged Scoter  1
Bufflehead  50
Red-breasted Merganser  5
Herring Gull  50
Lesser Black-backed Gull  1
Great Black-backed Gull  3

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Harvey Cedars--Sunset Park, Ocean County, New Jersey, US

16 species

Brant  27
Canada Goose  1
Mute Swan  4
Mallard  13
American Black Duck  4
Lesser Scaup  2
Bufflehead  75
Common Goldeneye  3
Red-breasted Merganser  3
Horned Grebe  1
Purple Sandpiper  2
Herring Gull  50
Great Black-backed Gull  2
Turkey Vulture  1
Bald Eagle  1
Song Sparrow  1

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 8th, 2018

Despite the cold, the birding was HOT at the State Park this morning! Not one but two American Bitterns were sitting along the plover ponds in good view, seemingly enjoying the sunny edges. The duck variety is excellent at the Park now and most were concentrated in the limited areas of open water; the Hooded Mergansers were particularly stunning in the morning light. A Blue-headed Vireo was a late surprise and Tundra Swans were close enough to see the yellow spots at the base of their bills.

46 species (+2 other taxa)

Canada Goose  85
Mute Swan  20
Tundra Swan  9
Northern Shoveler  15
Gadwall  80
American Wigeon  35
Mallard  35
Northern Pintail  18
Green-winged Teal (American)  24
Redhead  1
Surf Scoter  30
Black Scoter  10
Surf/Black Scoter  80
Bufflehead  14
Hooded Merganser  17
Ruddy Duck  2
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Mourning Dove  4
American Coot  10
Herring Gull (American)  3
Red-throated Loon  1
American Bittern  2     Dark malar, thick neck streaks, unspotted brown wing coverts; mostly still with bill skyward. Photos to be posted.
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)  2
Turkey Vulture  2
Sharp-shinned Hawk  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Accipiter sp.  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)  1
Blue-headed Vireo  1
American Crow  1
Carolina Chickadee  2
Carolina Wren  4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  3
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  3
American Goldfinch  2
Fox Sparrow (Red)  1
White-throated Sparrow  8
Song Sparrow  5
Swamp Sparrow  1
Eastern Towhee  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  40
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  5
Northern Cardinal  8
House Sparrow  6

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

American Bittern photo by Roger Horn

American Bittern photo by Roger Horn

Blue-headed Vireo photo by Roger Horn

Cooper's Hawk photo by Roger Horn

Northern Mockingbird photo by Roger Horn

Birding Cape May Point - Saturday, December 1st, 2018

Although the elusive female Evening Grosbeak that seems to be hanging around Cape May Point did not show up for us today, other birds were quite cooperative. A Hermit Thrush gave us views of all sides and both White- and Red-breasted Nuthatches were busy at backyard feeders. Purple Finches gave us an opportunity to study both males, in their lovely raspberry, and females with their bold eyebrows. As expected for this time of year, there are a good variety and number of ducks on the State Park ponds but a flock of Greater Yellowlegs was a bit of a surprise.  Leaders: Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Michael McCabe

48 species

Canada Goose  15
Mute Swan  13
Northern Shoveler  24
Gadwall  60
American Wigeon  22
Mallard  11
American Black Duck  3
Northern Pintail  1
Ring-necked Duck  19
Surf Scoter  20
Bufflehead  1
Hooded Merganser  4
Ruddy Duck  25
Pied-billed Grebe  3
Mourning Dove  20
American Coot  10
Greater Yellowlegs  10
Ring-billed Gull  1
Herring Gull (American)  3
Red-throated Loon  3
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)  6
Turkey Vulture  32
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Northern)  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker (Eastern)  2
Blue Jay  5
Carolina Chickadee  4
Tufted Titmouse  2
Red-breasted Nuthatch  4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern)  1
Carolina Wren (Northern)  4
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  8
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  22
House Finch  8
Purple Finch (Eastern)  6
American Goldfinch  30
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)  4
White-throated Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)  1
Northern Cardinal  8
House Sparrow  28

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)