Birding Barnegat Light

Two Saturdays ago, my mom and I traveled to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park in New Jersey. Although slightly chilly, the sun and lack of wind made the birding conditions excellent... or at least better than on most January days along the Jersey shore! Upon arriving, a small group of Black-crowned Night-Herons passed directly overhead, circling around the lighthouse several times before moving over the open water.

The "typical Barnegat" birds became visible while walking along the jetty for which the birding hotspot of Barnegat is known. Long-tailed and Harlequin Ducks swam close to shore, and Common and Red-throated Loons swam just a bit farther out in the inlet. At the start of the jetty, Long-tailed Ducks were the most cooperative species, as small groups would float up to me as I sat on the rocks with my camera. At times, these gorgeous ducks came so close that my camera could not focus.

As we went farther out on the jetty, Harlequin Ducks soon out numbered the Long-tails, with small groups of 6-8 birds loitering on the algae-covered boulders.

Whenever someone approached, the ducks would slip into the water. As soon as the "danger" had passed, the birds would wobble back out of the frigid ocean and onto the rocks.

When not milling around, the male Harlequin Ducks were busy chasing after females. Many times, groups of male Harlequins would swim up to a small group of females and chase them through the water. For the most part, the females simply scooted out of the way and ignored the males.

About halfway out on the rocks, I was sitting close to the water when two Ruddy Turnstones flew onto a nearby rock. Not minding my presence, the two birds searched for food on their rock, then fluttered over to the rock I was sitting on! For a little while, the turnstones were feeding inches from my feet!

A bit later, we came across a group of sleeping shorebirds consisting primarily of Purple Sandpipers, except for one Red Knot (the larger, paler bird):

One of the Purple Sandpipers woke up for a bit and walked to the top of the rock to stretch before taking another rest.

When I got to the very top of the jetty, I found a number of Harlequin Ducks, Black and Surf Scoters, and Common Eiders swimming in the water in this area. While not nearly as approachable as the birds closer to the shore, they still came close enough for decent photographs.

While scanning out into the ocean from this vantage point, I spotted a distant group of four Razorbills flying just above the horizon.

When I walked back part of the way to shore, a number of the brilliantly-plumaged male Long-tailed Ducks were even closer to the rocks than before. While some of the Long-tails had come close before, none of the brightest birds had been very cooperative.

One particular male Harlequin was also quite obliging... and apparently amused!

As I got off the jetty and walked along the beach, we watched a raft of about 80 Common Eiders (with a few Black Scoters mixed in) floating just offshore.

Barnegat is an incredible location for seeing amazingly beautiful species up-close. This is definitely a favorite winter birding spot of mine!

New Year Rarities

Late in the afternoon on January 1, I received an email that Rich Rehrig had discovered a Harris's Sparrow not far from my house. This rarity is a large sparrow species that is usually found in the central portion of the continent, although vagrants are encountered with some frequency in the eastern states. However, I had never had the opportunity to see a Harris's Sparrow, so my mom and I headed to the location to search for the bird.

At the location where the bird was found, we scoured the brush in search of an unusual sparrow. Unfortunately, we only found a number of common sparrow species, including Song, White-throated, and American Tree. Before long, the sky began to get darker, so we headed home without having found the bird.

This morning, I decided to head out to the sparrow spot around sunrise to search for the bird when it would be more active than late in the afternoon. When I arrived, I noticed a few White-throated Sparrows and two Dark-eyed Juncos sitting on the tallest autumn olive shrub, but the Harris's was nowhere to be seen. I walked up the road a bit, where I heard a Red Crossbill flying overhead. I never saw it, but I was able to hear the distinctive flight calls for about thirty seconds as the bird flew west over the nearby woods.

Not long after the crossbill, local birders Dave Hawk and Dustin Welch appeared on the scene with similar hopes of finding the rare sparrow. After a while of birdlessness, Dave had to leave, but Dustin and I decided to stick around for a bit longer. Around 9:15, a sparrow flew across the road with incredible speed and promptly disappeared into the densest brush. Dustin jokingly said, "There it was!" Then, the concealed bird started chipping with a call note unfamiliar to both me and Dustin. Dustin tried "pishing" to lure the bird into the open. Sure enough, the bird showed itself after a bit of coaxing. It was the Harris's! Although the view through the brambles was less than excellent, it was no doubt that we were looking at a bird that I never seen before other than in field guides and photographs!

The bird flew through the brush a little, even popping into the open for a few seconds before flying down the hill and completely out of sight. Nevertheless, we had seen the bird!

After finding the Harris's Sparrow, I returned home where the redpolls were again visiting the bird feeders! With better lighting than the day before, these cute little finches allowed for some great photos!

A little while after returning home, my mom decided she too wanted to see the unusual sparrow. We hopped in the car and headed back to the spot. As we pulled up, we saw the Harris's Sparrow sitting under a large autumn olive with a small group of juncos.

We watched as the sparrow occasionally ran out from the cover to grab a seed, then returned to the safety of the bushes. When it did come into the open, it gave us great views unlike the ones I had earlier in the morning!

Excited from seeing this rarity, we decided to head to the Nazareth Quarry where a pair of Eared Grebes, another uncommon species in this area, had taken up residence since at least the 13th of December, when Billy Weber found them. When we arrived at the quarry, we looked down and saw thousands and thousands of Snow Geese on the water.

The sound of so many geese honking was incredible! Scanning through the geese, we spotted several other waterfowl species including Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Duck, and a single Cackling Goose. Finally, I spotted a lone Eared Grebe on the quarry while scanning through the spotting scope. My mom and I both got looks at the bird before it swam out of sight. Just as we were leaving, several thousand of the Snow Geese lifted into the air and swirled over the quarry before returning to the water. It was a truly magnificent and beautiful sight.

Today was a perfect continuation of my birdy start to 2013! If only the rest of the year could be as productive!

A New Year

It has become a tradition for birders to make note of the first species that one finds while birding in the new year. For me, this is usually a species that is common around the house or at the feeder. This year is no different, as the first bird I spotted was a Dark-eyed Junco near the feeder on the deck.

Not long after, I was outside when I happened to check the cherry tree in the back of the house to see if anything was visiting the feeders. When I raised my binoculars, I noticed this bird among a group of chickadees and titmice:

Even from an awful view of the back of the bird, I knew that this was not a typical feeder visitor... it was a redpoll! I quickly ran inside and alerted my family of the Common Redpoll visiting the feeder. We got decent looks as it chowed down on black oil sunflower seeds. While watching this bird, my mom noticed three more redpolls high in the trees that border the yard.

For the next half-hour, I watched as the redpoll chased goldfinches and House Finches for a place to sit on the feeder.

After a while, the bird flew from the tube feeder to the ground. It spend another fifteen minutes or so plucking seeds off the snow, occasionally squabbling with a junco or White-throated Sparrow.

Unfortunately, the redpoll eventually took off, calling chet-chet-chet as in lifted into the snowy gray sky. An hour or so later, my dad spotted two Common Redpolls feeding on the thistle feeder on the deck! I ran to get my camera, and snapped a few photos of the close birds. Not long after a flock of eight goldfinches showed up at the feeder, the redpolls disappeared again.

Around three in the afternoon, I was working on the dining room table when I happened to look out the window at the feeders. The redpolls were back! And now there were three! These gorgeous little finches sat for a while, hardly caring that my dad and I were snapping photos through the window only a few feet away. Occasionally the birds fluttered into the air, only to return to a different perch on the same feeder.

For anyone who is not entirely familiar with the Common Redpoll, this is a small finch species that typically lives much farther north than Pennsylvania. However, periodic food shortages in typical wintering grounds cause large numbers of these, and other, winter finches to "irrupt" into more southern territories. Avian irruptions are frequent in a number of finch species; Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, and crossbills all move south occasionally. Since each species relies on different food sources, it is uncommon for many species to all move south in the same year. This past fall and winter was an exception. Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, Purple Finches, and both crossbill species all moved father south than usual. In fact, I recorded all of those species in my yard during the past few months!

My first experience with redpolls was at the end of November in 2007. I was conducting one of my bird surveys at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center when my mom and I found a flock of about 40 Common Redpolls in a stand of gray birches. As it would turn out, that was an excellent winter for redpolls in the region. Some birders found flocks of more than 200 redpolls in good habitat. I didn't see any more after that year until two flew over the yard early in 2011. Then, a few showed up in November of 2012. I saw small flocks of redpolls on-and-off throughout November and December. Despite a number of encounters with this species, today was only the second time I had seen them at my feeders, so this particular visit from these denizens of the north was a real surprise and treat!

What a way to kick off 2013!

Fall Warbler Quiz - Answers

It's long overdue, but here are the answers to the fall warbler photo quiz I posted a while back. Be sure to try the quiz before reading the answers.

Photo 1:

Photo 1 shows a bird that, in my opinion, falls under the category of "confusing fall warbler." This particular bird is plain, with some streaks, and relatively few prominent field marks. However, there are some characteristics on this bird that can help narrow it down quite easily. First, there are two prominent wingbars. In addition, the underside of the bird is a pale yellowish color, rather than the bright yellow of some warbler species. Looking through a field guide, there are only a few birds that fit this image, those in the Bay-breasted/Blackpoll/Pine group. These three species can appear very similar when viewed in the field. Pine can be ruled out for our bird by the streaks on the back. This leaves the "Baypoll" warblers. A few things to note are the few, dark streaks on the sides and the yellowish feet. These two field marks help identify this bird as a Blackpoll Warbler.

Photo 2:

Ahh! A warbler in flight. Impossible, right? Actually, this warbler is quite easy to identify. The first thing to notice is the bright yellow underside. This coloration rules out a number of warbler species. What other field marks are visible? One particularly useful field mark to use when identifying fall warblers is the undertail pattern. While many species have a similar pattern, there a few warblers, namely Palm, American Redstart, and Magnolia that have easily recognizable tail patterns. On this quiz bird, note that the tip of the tail is black, while the rest is white. This pattern is unique among the warblers and identifies this as a Magnolia Warbler. The yellow underside supports this identification.

Photo 3:

 

Like the previous photo, we can easily see the underside of the tail and body of this warbler. Unlike the Magnolia, the tail pattern is very plain. In fact, it appears entirely dark, rather than having a distinct pattern of white and black. This tail pattern narrows the pool of possible species down significantly. Next, take note of the bright yellow underside. This still doesn't identify the bird to species, but it gives us another clue as to its identity. Finally, look at the head. Yes, it is obscured by branches, but the gray color, strong white eyering, and yellow throat are all visible. These characteristics and the field marks previously mentioned all point to Nashville Warbler.


Photo 4:

Here we have a plain warbler species with a yellowish underside and two very strong white wingbars. As with the first photo in this quiz, these field marks leave us with the Blackpoll/Bay-breasted/Pine group. We cannot see streaks on the back to rule out Pine, but noting that this bird has no streaking on the underside and has all-dark feet help to eliminate Blackpoll. Next, look at the bird's flanks. Careful inspection shows a light pinkish wash. This is a characteristic of a fall Bay-breasted Warbler.


Photo 5:

In this photo, we have a very plain warbler. It is obvious that there are no bright colors or even significant field marks. Basically it's a brown, streaky bird. While brown and streaky may make sparrows difficult to identify, once we realize that this is a warbler (bill and body shape, behavior) the identification is actually quite easy. If we compare this bird to the one in the first quiz photo, we see that both birds are dull with dark streaks. However, one noticeable difference is the lack of bright wingbars in this bird. There are two faint lines visible, but nothing close to the immediately noticeable white wingbars on the Pine and "Baypoll" warblers. A lack of bright wingbars on a brown, streaky warbler narrows the identification down significantly. In fact, it really only leaves us with two possibilities, Yellow-rumped and Cape May Warblers. From this angle, we would be able to see a yellow patch near where the wing connects to the body if this were a Yellow-rump. Also, the bill would be shorter. That leaves Cape May Warbler. This is an extremely variable species in the fall, as some adult males are brilliant yellow, orange, and black and younger birds can be entirely brownish. When not immediately identifiable using the typical Cape May Warbler field marks (thick white wing patch, orange mark on face, grayish head on females), a good field mark for this species is the lack of obvious field marks!

I hope this quiz has been somewhat educational for those readers who have been perplexed by these confusing fall warblers! Although most warblers leave for the fall, Yellow-rumped Warblers and occasionally other species remain in this region for the winter... so keep an eye out for any winter warblers!

Birding in Superstorm Sandy

As anyone in the United States should know, a large storm hit the mid-Atlantic two weeks ago, bringing strong winds and rain to much of the eastern United States. This powerful storm brought hundreds of seabirds inland, causing jaegers to show up on inland lakes and storm-petrels to be found flying around major rivers. Birders all over the region flocked to locations where they could observe this unusual avian spectacle. For example, local birders at Beltzville State Park, just 9 miles from my house (as the tropicbird flies), found a number of incredible "storm birds" including Pomarine Jaegers, Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, Forster's Terns, Brant, all three scoter species, and a Cave Swallow. Wow. Due to strong winds, fallen trees, and dangling power lines along the roadways, I was unable to get to Beltzville. However, this did not mean I couldn't go birding. Throughout the day, I scanned the skies from my yard and porch hoping that something unusual would fly by.

For most of the day, the only birds moving overhead were small flocks of robins and the occasional Northern Flicker. Then, something changed. Around 3:15pm, I was working on moving boxes that were getting wet due to the newly-opened hole on the barn roof (thanks, Sandy). At one point, I looked to the north and noticed a large flock of small birds headed towards me. I quickly grabbed my binoculars and found the approaching flock against the dark gray sky. Their sudden movements and quick wingbeats quickly ruled out blackbirds, which is what I expected to see in such a large flock. These were something different. Before long, they were right overhead, and I could clearly see that these 30-40 birds were shorebirds, Dunlin in fact. These fast fliers disappeared into the fog and mist in a matter of seconds. But that was good enough for yard bird #182!

Flock of Dunlin

Now excited from finally seeing some interesting birds as a result of the bad weather, I set up a spotting scope on my front porch where I had a decent view of the sky and the Kittatinny Ridge, along which I imagined birds might be moving. Within minutes of scanning the ridgeline, I spotted another flock of shorebirds. This flock contained about 100 birds and moved right along the Kittatinny, which lies about a mile from where I was standing. As a result of this distance, "shorebird sp." is the best identification I could make of these distant specks, although it is very likely that these were more Dunlin. For the next hour or so, several flocks of presumed Dunlin passed overhead or along the major ridge.

Distant flock of shorebirds (likely more Dunlin)

 At one point, I was watching the shorebirds fly east along the ridge when a group of three ducks flew west across my binocular view. This got my heart rate up... who knows what ducks might show up as a result of the hurricane! I eventually re-spotted the group just before they disappeared into the fog--Mallards. Oh well.

The next fifteen minutes or so were slow, except for the passing of another shorebird flock or two. I then spotted a line of four distant ducks headed towards me. More Mallards, I figured. Nevertheless, I got the scope on them and focused on them one at a time. Male Mallard... male Mallard... female Mallard... WHAT?!?! I got enough of a look at the last bird to see that it was different, but as soon as I was able to focus the scope, the whole group of ducks disappeared into the fog, never to be spotted again. Based on the brief glimpse I got of the bird, it was likely a Northern Pintail, another locally unusual species, one that I had only seen from the yard once before. Soon after these ducks vanished into the mist, I observed two more ducks flying along the Kittatinny Ridge. These two ducks were clearly smaller than the numerous Mallards I had seen, but as luck would have it, they too dropped out of sight before I could get more than a quick silhouetted look. Darn... these could be awesome birds that I was missing. If only the visibility had been slightly better!

Although it was foggy and misty the entire time I was birding, there was very little steady rain... that is until I found something very intriguing. Just as I heard the sound of approaching rain, a group of about twenty dark birds appeared out of the mist from the western sky. Worried about the safety of my camera in the rain, I fired off a few quick shots before rushing for the cover of the front porch, from where I soon re-found the birds and got my binoculars on them. At this point I just about jumped for joy because of this new yard bird... Black. Scoter. A species I never even dreamed of seeing from the property. In less than a minute, the eastbound seaducks were out of sight, but I had just experienced something amazing and entirely unexpected.

Black Scoters flying east

Black Scoter flock flying in front of the Kittatinny Ridge

Unfortunately, after the scoters passed, things became extremely slow. The sky became even darker, the rain picked up, and birds stopped flying. I waited a while longer, but it seemed as if the heavier rain was going to stay. Just as I was wrapping things up, I heard a strange noise from the other side of the house. I ran out into the yard and watched as a flock of over 130 Brant flew low over the house! Honking the entire way, the gaggle moved quickly towards the southeast, soon engulfed by the same fog that had obscured many other waterfowl that day. Brant was the third new yard bird species for the day, bringing the yard list up to 184 species and the yard year list to 156 species!

Brant low over the yard

The only other exciting birds I saw that afternoon were 14 more Brant that followed the same course as the first flock.

Brant

No, I didn't see Pomarine Jaegers or Cave Swallows, but I still managed to have an awesome afternoon of birding thanks to Superstorm Sandy. It is terribly unfortunate that these birds can only be found in this area as the result of a destructive storm. As much as I would love to see seabirds in Pennsylvania, I hope it is a long time for another storm like this hits the region.

#153

Every year I keep track of the number of species that I find in my yard. Last year was an excellent year--I broke my previous yard year record by finding 150 species from January to December. However, this year has been even better. On September 30, a flock of Pine Siskins in the yard brought my 2012 list to 150 species, tying last year's result. Since then, siskins have become very abundant in the yard.
 

Pine Siskin on goldenrod

During the big sit on October 13, I found two more species (that I will post about in a full report of the day soon!) for the year list. Although I had now seen 152 species in the yard during 2012, I was missing a few fairly common species. One such bird was the White-crowned Sparrow, a generally uncommon bird in the area, but one that I occasionally see in the fall. While out birding on the morning of the 21st, I finally found a White-crown, an immature that was feeding in a large patch of goldenrod with variety of other sparrows. The bird then flew into a nearby tree before disappearing back into the weedy field.

immature White-crowned Sparrow - yard year bird #153

As I mentioned, the White-crowned Sparrow was certainly not the only sparrow in the field. In fact, the entire meadow was filled with lots of sparrows. The most abundant species was the White-throated Sparrow. These large relatives of the White-crowned could be found in almost every goldenrod patch of brushy edge this morning. Singing and chipping, this species is hard to miss.

Song Sparrows were next in terms of abundance. This is a species that, for some reason, disappeared over the summer here in Kunkletown, but has since returned in full force. While not nearly as noisy as the White-throats, Song Sparrows will sing and call this time of year. Learning the various call notes of sparrows can be particularly helpful when searching through a flock of sparrows that is rapidly moving through dense goldenrod or a brushy edge.

Somewhat surprisingly, Swamp Sparrows were very common that morning. These drab birds are quite common in the field, but I rarely see more than one or two at a time. On this morning, at least six of these guys were sitting along the field's eastern edge, hiding among the tangles of low shrubs and vines. Swamp Sparrows can be very hard to photograph, as they stay deep in the brush, but one individual popped out for a moment.

As I mentioned in my last post, Lincoln's Sparrows are migrating through the region this time of year. Although the peak for this species was a few weeks past, there were still some around including one that I discovered along the brushy edge of the field, not far from where the Swamp Sparrow was photographed. I often find these two closely-related species together in brushy and weedy habitats.

As the Lincoln's Sparrows reach the end of their migration through Pennsylvania, other species are just starting to arrive. One such species is the Fox Sparrow, a bird that is most common in the state during the months of November and March. However, they begin to show up in brushy areas in the end of October. I saw two, the first ones of the season, in the yard on this sparrow-filled day. Their bright reddish coloration really stood out in the tangle of green and brown leafless vines.

Warblers have moved on, and sparrows have arrived. By some accounts, we are entering into a season of dull birding. However, the truth is quite the opposite. The month of November is an excellent time of year to find rarities! The shorter days and chilly temperatures don't necessarily mean fewer exciting birds!

A Pretty Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrows are secretive birds. When they migrate through Pennsylvania in the spring and fall, they stick to the cover of dense brush and weedy fields. As a result, it is often very tricky to get a good look or photograph of this species. However, I came across a very cooperative Lincoln's Sparrow this morning that sat in the open for several minutes. What an opportunity to observe this beautiful sparrow!