March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

Birds 

March through May, 2009 — Volume XXXV, Number 4 

New Jersy Birds Records Committee — Annual Report 2009 76 

Scott Barnes, Joe Burgiel, Vince Elia, Jennifer Hanson, and Bill Boyle 

The Shorebird Migration in Delaware Bay 86 

Kathleen E. Clark, Ron R. Porter, and James Dowdell 

Spring 2009 Field Notes 94 

50 Years Ago 113 

Don Freiday

New Jersey Bird Records Committee 

— Annual Report 2009 

by Scott barnes, joe burgiel, vince elia, 

Jennifer hanson, and Bill Boyle 

Editor, 

New Jersey Birds 

Don Freiday 

Editor, Regional 

Reports 

Scott Barnes 

Contributors 

Scott Barnes 

William J. Boyle, Jr 

Joe Burgiel 

Kathleen E. Clark 

James Dowdell 

Vince Elia 

Don Freiday 

Jennifer Hanson 

Ron R. Porter 

Regional Editors 

Rick Radis, Northwest 

Patrick Belardo, 

Piedmont 

Scott Barnes, N. Coast 

Steve Sobocinski, 

Lower Delaware Valley 

Vince Elia, S. Coast 

New Jersey Birds, Volume 

XXXV, Number 4, quarterly. 

Published online by 

the New Jersey Audubon 

Society. General office: 

9 Hardscrabble Road, 

Bernardsville, NJ 07924. 

Editorial office: CMBO, 

600 Rte 47 N, Cape 

May Court House, 

NJ 08210. Tel. (609) 

8 6 1 - 0 7 0 0 ; e - m a i l : 

don.freiday@njaudubon. 

org. No parts of this magazine 

may be reproduced 

by any means without 

the written consent of 

New Jersey Audubon 

Society. 

New Jersey Birds is now 

available online on the 

New Jersey Audubon 

Society website: 

he New Jersey Bird Records Committee 

(hereafter “NJBRC” or “the Committee”) 

held meetings on 15 November 2008 at Cape TMay and 22 March 2009 at Sandy Hook. Eighty reports 

were considered and voted on. One species (Monk 

Parakeet) was added to the New Jersey state list in 

2008-2009. This action brings the grand total of the 

New Jersey State List to 465 species as of March 2009. 

The current State List is available at and current Review List can be 

found at . 

Voting NJBRC members during the period covered 

by this report were Scott Barnes, Bill Boyle, Joe 

Burgiel, Vince Elia, Don Freiday, Paul Guris, Jennifer 

Hanson, Paul Lehman, Matt Sharp, Richard Veit, 

and Jim Zamos. Vince Elia continues as Committee 

Chair and Bill Boyle continues as Secretary. Joining 

the Committee in 2009-2010 are Tom Boyle and Bob 

Fogg, as Richard Veit rotates off the Committee and 

Paul Lehman retires. 

With Paul Lehman’s move to California, the 

NJBRC loses one of its most tireless members and 

advocates. Paul became involved with the Committee 

when he moved to New Jersey in 1996. He served as 

Chair 1997-2001 and also served on the Historical 

Project Subcommittee. Paul graciously hosted the fall 

NJBRC meeting in Cape May for many years, even 

putting up out-of-towners overnight. His editorship 

of (Records of) New Jersey Birds and hard work on 

assembling the Annual Report every year were also 

essential to the Committee’s mission, as were his 

posts on the NJBIRDS Listserv. Paul will be greatly 

missed, and he leaves some very large shoes to fill; his 

encyclopedic knowledge of bird distribution and vast 

field experience (as well as his experience of serving 

on the California Bird Records Committee) have 

been invaluable to the NJBRC. 

The Committee also expresses its condolences to 

the family of former NJBRC member George Wenzelberger, 

who passed away early in 2009. 

All reports should be sent to , 

or via snail mail to Bill Boyle, Secretary, NJBRC, 14 

Crown Dr., Warren, NJ 07059. In addition, the NJBRC 

website can be found at . 

Articles dealing with Committee deliberations 

and published within the past year included “New 

Jersey’s first record of Long-billed Murrelet” by Scott 

Barnes (NJB 35:2-4). 

The NJBRC would also like to thank all the 

observers who submitted documentation during the 

past year. The Committee would have an impossible 

job without the support of these birders. Although 

“digiscoping” has made the documentation of many 

rarities easier, there is still an important place for field 

notes; good notes can strengthen the case made by 

photos of less-than-stellar quality. 

Field notes can also make the case for rare birds that 

are recorded only as brief mentions on the Internet. 

If you see a Review List bird and post a report to an 

e-mail list, please take a little extra time and submit 

a description to the NJBRC as well. Although the 

identification of rarities with no supporting details is 

often correct, such sightings cannot be accepted as 

part of the historical record, which relies on supporting 

evidence that can be consulted by researchers many 

years in the future. Even a brief description, or a sketch 

by an avowed non-artist, can support an observation 

sufficiently to add it to the official record. 

The format used to present data is standardized. 

Records are grouped by Committee actions, with 

accepted records listed first, followed by reports that 

the Committee did not accept (identification was not 

sufficiently supported by the documentation supplied), 

and then a group for records treated specially. Within 

each group, records are presented in phylogenetic 

order (according to the A.O.U. Check-list, 7 th edition 

and supplements). For each species, the English and 

scientific names are given, followed by the current 

total of accepted state records. The record(s) considered 

by the Committee are then listed, arranged 

by date. For each record entry, the internal NJBRC 

index number is given, followed by date, location, 

and county. If the report involved more than one 

individual, the number of birds is given following 

Design and layout by 

Middle Mountain 

Designs. 

COVER PHOTO: Records of Black Guillemot have increased dramatically in the past decade, but they are still 

mostly one-day wonders that turn up in early winter. This one, photographed here on 15 December 2008, fit 

both categories, and may have been the same bird that was photographed at Sandy Hook the preceding day. 

Photo/Bob Cunningham 

76 — March through May, 2009

the location; all records involve a single bird unless 

otherwise noted. Then, for accepted records, data 

on finders and documenters are given. The finder’s 

name, if known, is listed first, followed by a semicolon 

and the names of the other observers who submitted 

some form of documentation to the Committee (in 

alphabetical order), accompanied by symbols: “*” 

indicates that written documentation was submitted; 

“ph” denotes a photo or videotape. Following these 

data, comments are provided to explain important or 

interesting aspects of the records. 

Other abbreviations used: Co. = County; NJAS 

= New Jersey Audubon Society; NWR = National 

Wildlife Refuge; Res. = Reservoir; SP = State Park; 

Twp. = Township; WMA = Wildlife Management 

Area. 

ACCEPTED RECORDS 

“Black” Brant Branta bernicla nigricans (Since 

1996) (18) 

· 2009-001. 4 Apr 2008. Union Beach, Monmouth 

Co. T. Boyle* (ph). 

· 2009-035. 11 Nov 2008. South Amboy, Middlesex 

Co. A. Laquidara (ph). Returning bird. 

· 2009-036. 24-26 Nov 2008. Cape May, Cape 

May Co. M. O’Brien (ph). 

Large flocks of “pale-bellied” Brant should be 

searched for this western subspecies. The north 

coast and Raritan Bay area have the bulk of records, 

and the South Amboy bird has returned for several 

winters. Key features to note include the presence 

of dark black on the belly extending past the legs, a 

white flank patch offset by a dark back and belly, and 

a thicker white neck collar. 

Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis (13) 

· 2009-037. 6-30 Oct 2008. Burlington City, Burlington 

Co. J. Schill*, C. Krilowicz (ph). 

· 2009-038. 11 Nov 2008 - 7 Mar 2009. Califon, 

Hunterdon Co. A. & B. Rennie, J. Gilbert (ph), 

L. Mack (ph). Returning bird. 

Populations of Barnacle Geese have greatly 

increased in western Greenland. A few banded individuals 

accidentally shot by hunters in eastern North 

America have proven to be wild birds originating in 

Greenland. The Califon individual has wintered at 

the site for three years. Care should be taken distinguishing 

Barnacle Geese from potential hybrid geese, 

including Canada X Barnacle Goose. 

Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (48) 

· 2009-003. 7 Jan 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. 2 birds. S. Barnes*, L. Mack. 

· 2009-004. 6 Feb 2008. Keyport, Monmouth Co. 

P. Massas (ph). 

This nearly annual visitor to New Jersey is most 

often found at coastal sites. Identification is straightforward 

during winter, but care should be taken 

during March and April, when molting grebes can 

be problematic. Bill shape and structure, if visible, is 

the best field mark during spring. Typically Horned 

Grebes take several weeks to complete this molt while 

Eared Grebes tend to molt from basic to alternate 

plumage rather quickly. 

Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis (20) 

· 2009-005. 29 Feb - 11 Mar 2008. Sandy Hook, 

Monmouth Co. T. Boyle*(ph). 

· 2009-006. 29 May - 7 Jun 2008. Sandy Hook, 

Monmouth Co. J. Fleullan, N. Nappe (ph), N. 

Bates, R. Fanning, J. Stadelmier, C. Buchanan. 

Records of Western Grebe have clearly increased in 

the last decade in the state and all have been coastal. 

The late spring record is more unusual, with most 

other records falling between November and March. 

Whenever possible, observers should to attempt to 

rule out Clark’s Grebe, which has been recorded in 

Virginia and Maine. Careful photographs or descriptions 

of the bill color and loral area are important 

features to note. 

This beautifully photographed Western Grebe (here on 10 March) was present at 

Sandy Hook for almost two weeks, 29 February – 11 March 2008, but was elusive 

and frustrated the efforts of many birders. Photo/Tom Boyle 

Band-rumped/Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma 

castro/leucorhoa (1) 

· 2009-040. 26 Sep 2008. Avalon, Cape May Co. 

S. Fitzgerald*. 

The Committee felt that the description adequately 

eliminated Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. The similarities 

between Band-rumped and Leach’s Storm-Petrels are 

considerable, and the committee decided to take a 

conservative approach to this interesting record. 

➟ 

Vol. XXXV, no. 4 — 77

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster (8) 

· 2009-041. 14 Sep 2008. 10 miles east of Hereford 

Inlet, Cape May Co. M. Fritz* (ph). 

This individual was photographed sitting on top of 

a buoy off Hereford Inlet. Care should be used when 

identifying young sulids and in NJ should completely 

eliminate immature Northern Gannets. Brown Boobies, 

unlike other vagrant seabirds, are not normally 

associated with hurricanes or tropical storms when 

they appear in the state. 

Six of the eight accepted records of Brown Booby have come from Cape May 

County, but this is the first one away from shore. It was photographed roosting on 

a navigational buoy and also in flight 10 miles off Hereford Inlet on 14 September 

2008. Photo/ Mike Fritz 

Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens (4) 

· 2009-042. 8 Sep 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

Female. B. Fogg (ph). 

The size and shape of a frigatebird make it easy to 

identify, but pinning down which species is involved is 

more challenging. This individual was photographed 

well enough to show diagnostic characteristics for 

Magnificent Frigatebird. 

Frigatebird sp. Fregata sp. (20) 

· 2009-043. 27 Oct 2008. Montclair, Essex Co. Immature. 

J. Bosler*. 

The committee continues to take a conservative 

approach and leave some records as “frigatebird 

species.” Although many of these birds may well 

be Magnificent Frigatebirds, both Great and Lesser 

Frigatebirds have been recorded in the U.S. 

White Ibis Eudocimus albus (Since 1996) (20) 

· 2009-044. 21 Jul 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

Immature. C. Vogel*. 

· 2009-045. 6 Jul - 24 Aug 2008. Forsythe NWR, 

Atlantic Co. Immature. T. Bailey, H. Eskin (ph), 

R. Fanning*, S. Treesh. 

· 2009-046. 19 Aug - 13 Sep 2008. DeKorte SP, 

Bergen Co. Immature. M.Newhouse, R. Duffy 

(ph), S. Barnes*, J. Workman*(ph). 

Late summer and early fall are probably the best 

time to look for this near-annual vagrant to New Jersey. 

Although many records come from coastal Atlantic 

and Cape May counties, White Ibis have appeared 

inland and in the northern half of the state as well. 

White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi (36) 

· 2009-007. 22-26 Apr 2008. Heislerville, Cumberland 

Co. B. Boyle*, H.Burk, J. Davis (ph). 

Another species on the increase, observers should 

still take care to eliminate hybrid Glossy X Whitefaced 

Ibis. Careful observation of eye and leg color as 

well as the exact color and patterns of the facial skin 

are important features to note. Most records in the 

state come from the three southernmost counties. 

Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus (76) 

· 2009-008. 2 May 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. J. van Dort (ph), S.Barnes, L. Mack. 

· 2009-008a. 8 May 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. J. van Dort (ph), T. Anderson. 

· 2009-047. 11 Sep - 2 Oct 2008. Sussex Co. N. 

Powers*, R. McDonnell, G. Smisko*, M. Muller, 

J. Kowey, B. Hardiman, L. Obiso. 

· 2009-048. 4 Oct 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

T. Reed, S. Collins (ph), B. Fogg (ph). 

An expected “regular rarity” during April and 

May, the Sandy Hook records fit the species’ typical 

pattern of occurrence. More unusual—but definitely 

on the increase—are fall records. 

Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni (Since 1996) 

(31) 

· 2009-049. 29 Jul 2008. Ocean Co. Adult. M. 

McGraw*(ph). 

Unprecedented during the summer in the state— 

and anywhere in the northeast—this adult bird was 

photographed over the Pine Barrens in southern 

Ocean County. In the west Swainson’s Hawks begin 

post-breeding dispersal during late July and can appear 

hundreds of miles away from known nesting areas. 

Whimbrel (Eurasian) Numenius phaeopus ssp. 

(Since 1996) (4) 

· 2009-010. 21 Apr 2008. Stone Harbor, Cape May 

Co. D. Chaney*. 

The Eurasian races of Whimbrel can be reliably 

separated from the North American subspecies by 

combination of white rump, and paler belly and 

underwings. Several nearby states along the eastern 

seaboard have multiple records of this subspecies; 

most reports come from summer, making this April 

record more unusual. 


Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis (3) 

· 2009-051. 30 Aug 2008. Two Mile Landing, Cape 

May Co. R. Crossley, K. Lukens*(ph), B. Fogg (ph), 

S. Galick (ph). 

This well-photographed adult in fading breeding 

plumage marks the third record of this Eurasian stray 

to New Jersey (and Cape May County’s second); 

unfortunately the bird did not linger for more birders 

to see. 

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea (Since 

1996) (23) 

· 2009-011a. 14-29 May 2008. Heislerville, Cumberland 

Co. Male. V.Elia*, H. Eskin (ph). 

· 2009-011ab. 14-29 May 2008. Heislerville, Cumberland 

Co. Male. V.Elia*, H. Eskin (ph). 

· 2009-011b. 15-22 May 2008. Heislerville, Cumberland 

Co. Dull female.V. Elia*. 

· 2009-011c. 18-29 May 2008. Heislerville, Cumberland 

Co. Bright female. V. Elia*. 

The Heislerville impoundment in Cumberland 

County has become the hotspot in recent years for 

this attractive Eurasian wader, with an incredible 

total of four individuals documented this spring. The 

status of Curlew Sandpiper in New Jersey has waxed 

and waned over the decades; currently it appears to 

be a period of increase for this species. 

Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus (18) 


B. Fogg*. 

This record and the Cape May Sooty Tern record 

were both associated with the passage of a tropical 

storm; observers need to take care when identifying 

dark-backed tropical tern species due to their superficial 

similarities. Carefully note details on the neck 

pattern, darkness of the underside of the primaries, 

exact upperpart colors, tail pattern, and details of the 

supercilium if viewed at close range. 

Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus (40) 


B. Fogg (ph). 

See the Bridled Tern account above for this 

record. 

Sooty/Bridled Tern Onychoprion fuscatus/anaethetus 

(2) 

· 2007-054. 2 Sep 2006. Spruce Run Res., Hunterdon 

Co. M. Hiotis*. 

· 2009-014. 10 Jun 2001. Manahawkin Bay, Ocean 

Co. B. Palestris*. 

Identification of dark-backed terns can be tricky 

and viewing conditions during storms only exacerbate 

the difficulties. The committee felt that the Spruce 

Run bird was certainly one of these two species; it was 

associated with a tropical storm that passed through 

the state. The Manahawkin bird was adequately 

described to be one of the two species and seen at a 

Common Tern colony. 

Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia (Since 1996) 

(10) 

· 2009-057. 7 Nov 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

B. Fogg (ph). 

This Thick-billed Murre was well-documented by 

photos and represents the tenth record in twelve years. 

Thick-billed Murre is the murre species more likely to 

be seen from shore and special care should be taken 

to rule out the similar looking immature Razorbill, 

which is much more likely to be seen from land. 

There are about 11 accepted records of Thick-billed Murre, the majority of which are 

from land. This one, photographed at Cape May on the very early date of 7 November 

2008, did not look well. Photo/Bob Fogg 

Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle (15) 

· 2009-058. 14 Dec 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. T. Boyle* (ph). 

· 2009-059. 15 Dec 2008. Shark River Inlet, Monmouth 

Co. B. Cunningham* (ph). 

Historically, while normally present in winter as 

far south as eastern Long Island, Black Guillemot has 

been typically very elusive in New Jersey and even 

classified as accidental by some authors. Prior to the 

present decade there were only eight records for the 

state. However, beginning in 2002, seven more have 

been added. The current two reports are both supported 

by excellent photographs. 

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 

(15) 

· 2009-016a. 23 Apr – 12 May 2008. Cape May 

Point, Cape May Co. T. Leukering, M. O’Brien 

(ph). 

➟ 


80 — March through May, 2009 

· 2009-016. 2 May 2008. Atlantic City, Atlantic 

Co. A. Majewski (ph). 

· 2009-060. 21 Apr 2008. Toms River, Ocean Co. 

W. & B. Mazur (ph). 

· 2009-061. 9 Jul 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

D. Locke*. 

Introduced in the Bahamas in the1970s and spread 

to Florida in 1982, Eurasian Collared Dove is now 

common in many parts of central North America 

from the Gulf Coast north and west to the Great 

Lakes, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. On 

most of the eastern seaboard, however, it remains 

uncommon to rare. Interestingly, this pattern of 

spreading northward and westward is directionally 

the same as this species followed when it colonized 

Europe. It was first recorded in New Jersey in 1997, 

with additional records in 1998 and 2001. However 

beginning in 2005, 12 more records have been added. 

Perhaps this signals the beginning of more common 

occurrence here. 

White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica (30) 


Co. T. Boyle*. 

· 2009-018. 13 May 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

B. Lynn, K. Lukens (ph). 

White-winged Dove has been reported sporadically 

in the state beginning in 1981. As with the preceding 

two species, the frequency of reports has increased with 

time. Sixteen of the 30 reports are from the current 

decade. This species, like the preceding two, is easily 

recognized, and the increased frequency of reports 

cannot readily be attributed to increased skill of the 

observers. However, both the increasing number of 

observers and the increased ease of communicating 

observations are factors. 

Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus (18) 

· 2009-063. 2 Nov 2008 - 28 Feb 2009. Cedar Run, 

Ocean Co. Immature male. D. Desjardins*, F. 

Lesser*, A. Tongas (ph), R. Veit (captured). 

· 2009-064. 19 Oct 2008 - Jan 2009. Medford, 

Burlington Co. Adult female. W. Dasey*, R. Veit 

(banded, ph). 

· 2009-065. 27 Sep 2008 - 9 Jan 2009. Freehold, 

Monmouth Co. Immature female. P. McCoy, S. 

Barnes*, L. Mack (ph), R. Veit (banded). 

· 2009-066a. 13 Dec 2008 - 17 Jan 2009. Cape 

May, Cape May Co. P. Young, M. O’Brien (ph), 

C. Bohinski (ph). 

Rufous Hummingbird, like several other species 

in this very large family, was unknown in the state 

only 20 years ago. However the sharply increased 

number of reports is more easily explained, at least 

in part, than that of the previous three species. Two 

important factors are the awareness of observers that 

late hummingbirds are probably unusual species, and 

the related increase in feeders maintained into November. 

While this species is now very nearly annual, 

often with multiple individuals present, it remains 

on the Review List because, with the exception of 

adult males, in-hand measurements or photographs of 

critical details are normally required for unambiguous 

identification. 

Rufous and Allen’s Hummingbirds are very difficult to 

separate in the field, except for adult males. Rufous 

is by far the more expected, but both have occurred 

in the state. This young male Rufous Hummingbird, 

identified by capturing and measuring, spent almost 

four months at a Cedar Run, Ocean County feeder. 

Photo/Alex Tongas 

Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird 

Selasphorus rufus/sasin (23) 

· 2009-066. 12 Nov 2008 - late Jan 2009. Cape May, 

Cape May Co. B. Linn, K. Lukens (ph). 

As discussed immediately above, lack of the 

required measurements or of suitable photographs 

prevented this individual from being identified to 

species. 

Selasphorus sp. (2) 

· 2009-067. Oct 2008. Trenton, Mercer Co. L. Semmel. 

As in the preceding case neither measurements 

nor suitable photographs were available to permit 

identification to species. 

Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinarescens 

(42) 

· 2009-068. 3 Nov 2008. Spruce Run Res., Hunterdon 

Co. *D. Harrison. 

· 2009-069. 26 Nov - 4 Dec 2008. Cape May, Cape 

May Co. C. Hajduk, B. Fogg (ph), K. Lukens 

(ph). 

· 2009-070. 29 Nov- 2 Dec 2008. Thompson Park, 

Monmouth Co. S. & W. Malmid*, S. Barnes*, L. 

Mack (ph), T. Anderson (ph), K. Klapper (ph).

Ash-throated Flycatcher has become an annual late fall 

– early winter vagrant to the state, and 2008 produced 

three confirmed records. This one was present 

for four days at Thompson Park, Monmouth County, 

29 November to 2 December. Photo/Linda Mack 

While Ash-throated Flycatcher, much like the 

three species above, was unknown in the state 25 years 

ago, the frequency of reports beginning in 1995 has 

stabilized at two to three per year. With good photographs 

or detailed visual observation, this species 

is normally separable from Great-crested Flycatcher 

and its less common congeners. As with most New 

Jersey records of this species, all three of these are 

from November. 

Gray Kingbird Tyrannus dominicensis (11) 

· 2008-088. 28 Oct 2007. Franklin Twp., Somerset 

Co. V. Capp*. 

Breeding in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, the 

North American population of this species winters 

mostly in Panama and northern South America, 

though a few remain in coastal south-eastern United 

States. However there have been casual wanderers 

northward. Unlike nearly all New Jersey Gray Kingbird 

records, this is only the second inland one. But as with 

all but one of them, this one is again in the fall. And 

with only seven records in the twentieth century but 

four from 2006 through 2008, once again we have a 

species which has recently turned up in New Jersey 

much more often than previously. 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus (43) 

· 2009-019. 23 Apr 2008. Forsythe NWR, Atlantic 

Co. M. Britt*, E. Borowik, H. Eskin (ph). 

· 2009-020. 2-5 Jun 2008. Forsythe NWR, Atlantic 

Co. M. Gochfeld*, J. Burger (ph), S. Keller. 

Almost unmistakable as an adult, this attractive 

species has averaged about one record per year since 

1970. As is typical for Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in the 

state, both of these are spring records. Only about 20% 

have been in fall. Both records were well supported 

with photographs. 

Both of the records of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in 2008 came from Forsythe NWR, 

but occurred six weeks apart. This one was present for just one day, 23 April. 

Photo/Howard Eskin 

Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus 

(Since 1996) (6) 


Co. W. Malmid*, P. Dexter, T. Boyle (ph). 

Historically, Loggerhead Shrike was a regular 

migrant in New Jersey, occurring more commonly in 

fall than in spring, both coastally and in rural areas. 

This species averaged one or two records annually 

in the 70s and early 80s. Following a hiatus with no 

records, we have averaged about one record every 

two years since 1996. 

Loggerhead Shrike is now a very rare visitor to the state and no longer occurs every 

year. Most recent records are from Cape May in late summer, but this bird was at 

Sandy Hook, 6 May 2008. Photo/Tom Boyle 

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (21) 

· 2009-073. 17-19 Sep 2008. Cape May, Cape May 

Co. K. McCann (ph), B. Fogg (ph), M. O’Brien 

(ph). 

➟ 



B. Fogg (ph). 

· 2009-075. 3 Oct 2008. Garret Mt. Reservation, 

Passaic Co. R. Scherr, M. Britt* (ph), R. Fanning*, 

J. Workman*. 

As with all but one previous New Jersey record, 

both of these are from the fall. Most have been coastal, 

and the inland record from Garrett Mountain is 

unusual. All three reports were supported with good 

photographs. 

ing areas in moist, mainly coniferous forests in the 

Northwest. First recorded in 1848, occurrences of this 

species have been marked by periods of long absence 

interspersed with a few periods of more regular appearance. 

As with the current individual, this species 

has often been attracted to feeders while visiting our 

state. (Photo, NJB 34, 95.) 

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus (15) 

· 2009-024. 6 Jan - 7 Mar 2008. Sandy Hook, 

Monmouth Co. 3-4 birds. S. Ziegler, S. Barnes, 

m.obs. 

· 2009-025. 15 Feb 2008. Whitehouse Station, 

Hunterdon Co. E. Locker*. 

Though marked by regular winter irruptions as close 

as northern New York and New England, Bohemian 

Waxwing is rare in New Jersey occurring only during 

very large irruptions, but then often with multiple 

individuals. The Sandy Hook birds were present there 

together with a Townsend’s Solitaire (NJB, 34, 78). 

With both species breeding in the Northwest, it is 

tempting to assume both were brought here by the 

same weather conditions; however the arrival of the 

solitaire was more than a month earlier. 

One of three Northern Wheatears found in the state during the fall of 2008, this 

immature was present 17-19 September at Cape May Point State Park. Photo/ 

Michael O’Brien 

Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi (9) 

· 2009-077. 1 Nov 2008. Sunrise Mt., Sussex Co. F. 

Weber*. 

As with all previous occurrences in the state, 

this individual arrived in the fall. Possibly associated 

with the tendency of this species to breed at 

high elevations, four of the nine New Jersey records 

have been on the Kittatinny Ridge, three of them at 

this very same location. While the Alaskan and all 

but some of the southern-most Canadian breeders 

migrate south for the winter, most of those from the 

contiguous 48 states tend merely to move to lower 

elevations. So most probably our birds are all from 

northern populations. 

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius (23) 

· 2009-023. 13 Mar - 4 Apr 2008. Somerset, Somerset 

Co. Male. R. Arditty* (ph), B. Boyle* (ph). 

While for the most part only a short- to mediumdistance 

migrant, a fair number of Varied Thrushes 

have managed to reach New Jersey from their breed- 

Three or four Bohemian Waxwings were present at 

Sandy Hook for two months in early 2008, but they 

were erratic in the wanderings and difficult to locate. 

These were the first in the state since 2004 and the 

one here was photographed on 16 January. Photo/ 

Karl Lukens 

Townsend’s Warbler Dendroica townsendi (10) 


Co. B. Henschel (ph). 

A third species from the Northwest, this Townsend’s 

Warbler, a female, may have arrived from its wintering 

home in the Southwest rather from its breeding 

grounds as did the preceding two species. Of the ten 

state records, this is the third in spring; the remaining 

seven were in late fall. 


Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana (36) 

· 2009-081. 26 Aug 2008. Allendale Celery Farm, 

Bergen Co. R. Fanning*, F. Weber*. 

· 2009-082. 1 Nov 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

S. Galick, M. O’Brien (ph). 

With eight records beginning in 2005, Western 

Tanager is another species with formerly scattered 

appearance which recently has become more common. 

The August individual is the first to have visited in 

late summer. Most previous records have been from 

fall or winter. 

Most records of Townsend’s Warbler in New Jersey are 

in the fall or winter, but this female was present at 

Sandy Hook for just one day, 10 May 2008. Photo/ 

Bob Henschel 

Le Conte’s Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii (28) 

· 2009-078. 8 Oct 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. S. Barnes*. 

A skulker, Le Conte’s Sparrow tends to be difficult 

to see well. The description accompanying 

this report left no doubt regarding the identification 

of this individual. Of the 28 New Jersey records of 

this species, nine including this one have been from 

Sandy Hook, five from Cape May, and the remainder 

widely scattered throughout the state. The October 

date for this record is typical; about three quarters of 

our records have occurred in fall. 

Painted Bunting Passerina ciris (36) 

· 2009-079. 27 Oct 2008. Cape May, Cape May Co. 

Female. G. DeWaghe* (ph), B. Fogg (ph). 

· 2009-080. 10 Dec 2008 - 3 Apr 2009. Absecon, 

Atlantic Co. Male. S. Lindsey-Goldman (ph), E. 

Goldman*. 

Both of these records were supported with convincing 

photographs. The Cape May bird was a female or 

young male while the Absecon individual was an adult 

male. Beginning with the fall of 2004, this species has 

become quite regular in late fall or winter with no 

fewer than 13 records in the five years. Historically 

this species has been a sporadic visitor to the state 

but starting in 1994 has provided multiple records in 

six separate years. 

Western Tanager has occurred with increasing frequency in recent years. Most records 

are in the late fall, as was this individual at Higbee Beach, Cape May, 1 November 

2008. Photo/Michael O’Brien 

Brewer’s Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus 

(15) 

· 2009-031. 16 Feb - 20 Mar 2008. Pennsville, Salem 

Co. 3 birds. D. Larsen, S. Keller*. Returning birds. 

Note: 2009-030 was not accepted on its own, but 

was lumped into the accepted record 031 and 

extends the date range. 

· 2009-083. 23 Nov 2008 - 11 Apr 2009. Pennsville, 

Salem Co. 4 birds. P. Driver* (ph), C. Miller. 

Returning birds. 

After a period in the late 1980s to mid 1990s in 

which Brewers Blackbird was a regular winter visitor 

in Salem County, sometimes in large numbers, and 

a brief flurry from 2001 to 2004, this species seems 

to have returned to its historical status of irregular 

reports. The individuals in these two records are believed 

to have been present in 2007 as well as 2008, 

and though no official report was filed for 2007, the 

committee considered both reports to have been of 

returning birds. 

➟ 


NOT ACCEPTED 

Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii 

· 2009-039. 5 Oct 2008. 80 miles SE Barnegat 

Light. 

This report relied primarily on a photo, as only a 

limited written description was included. The photo 

seemed to show a fairly typical-looking Cory’s Shearwater. 

There was some anecdotal discussion about the 

possibility that the “wrong photo” was presented for 

review, however no subsequent information about 

the sighting was ever received. 

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata 

· 2009-052. 6 Sep 2008. Forsythe NWR, Atlantic 

Co. 

The documentation for this report fell far short of 

what would be required for acceptance on the New 

Jersey State List. In this age of photo documented 

records, those reports not accompanied by a photo 

need to include a full description and sound reasoning 

for ruling out similar, more common species. Neither 

of those criteria was met in this case. 

Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan 

· 2009-013. 20 Mar 2008. South Amboy, Middlesex 

Co. 2 birds. 

The photos accompanying this report depicted 

two Laughing Gulls. Although a written description 

would not likely have swayed the vote, it should be 

noted that it would have been nice to hear what 

pushed the observer toward the identification as 

Franklin’s Gulls. 

Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus 

· 2009-055. 7 Sep 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co, 

As with the previous report, the photos accompanying 

the report depicted a species different than 

that claimed, as the bird photographed was not a 

“dark-backed” tern, and appeared to be a young 

Common Tern. Again, though a written description 

would not likely have swayed the vote, it would have 

been educational to hear what pushed the observer 

toward Bridled Tern. 

Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia 

· 2009-015. 16 Jan 2008. Sandy Hook, Monmouth 

Co. 3 birds. 

While it is certainly possible that the observation 

of the three birds involved Alcids, the description 

does not rule out either Common Murre or immature 

Razorbill. In fact, the description did not definitively 

rule out Horned Grebe. 

Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina 

· 2009-062. 17 Jul 2008. Merrill Creek Res., Warren 

Co. 

As more than one committee member noted, 

this was a “tantalizing report”. On the one hand, the 

time of year is perfect for juvenile Mourning Dove, 

which is quite scaly in pattern. However, there 

were also features noted, such as rufous in the wings 

that seemed to rule that out. In the end, there were 

enough contradictory elements to the report to push 

it into the “Not Accepted” category. Single observer, 

non-photo reports of exceptionally rare birds, as is 

the case with Common Ground-Dove, need to be 

meticulously documented, which was not the case 

in this instance. 

Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides 

· 2009-076. 13 Nov 2008. Great Swamp NWR, 

Morris Co. 

Another intriguing report, which ultimately was 

moved to the “Not Accepted” list due to inconsistencies 

in the description. Most specifically, were the 

stated “white breast and belly” and a description of 

the size as being the same as the Eastern Bluebirds 

with which it associated. While the breast and belly 

can be paler than the upperparts, they shouldn’t 

appear “white”, and likewise the bird should have 

looked slightly larger, and especially longer-winged, 

than Eastern Bluebird. Again, Mountain Bluebird 

is exceptionally rare, and would require a more 

convincing description for acceptance on the New 

Jersey State List. 

Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana 

· 2009-028. 18 Jun 2008. Forsythe NWR, Atlantic 

Co. 

The time of year, though not conclusive, was a 

red flag for this report. When combined with a thin 

description, which did not fully eliminate the other 

tanagers or even an oriole, this report was relegated 

to the “Not Accepted” list. 

Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia 

· 2009-034. 3 Feb 2001. Sussex, Sussex Co. 2 

birds. 

The description of the two birds was barely adequate 

enough to suggest that the sighting involved 

were Black-billed Magpies, however the origin of the 

two birds was at best uncertain, and at worst almost 

surely “escapees”. 

Tabled Awaiting Further Pattern of 

Occurrence 

Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator (5) 

· 2009-032. 24 Feb 2008. East Brunswick, Middlesex 


Co. 2 birds. D. Brill*. Tagged Ontario bird. 

· 2009-033a. 15-18 Apr 2008. Walkill NWR, Sussex 

Co. C. McDermott (ph). 

It is still uncertain as to whether the Ontario 

population of Trumpeter Swans has become established, 

and until that determination can be made, 

Trumpeter Swan reports will be tabled until that issue 

becomes clearer. 

The Shorebird Migration in 

Delaware Bay 

by Kathleen E. Clark*, Ron r. porter and James D. Dowdell 

bstract. We surveyed northbound migrating 

shorebirds (family Scolopacidae) weekly by 

air on Delaware Bay beaches in New Jersey Aand Delaware annually in May-June, 1986 through 

2008. The single day peak count usually occurred 

between 24 and 30 May when an average of nearly 

180,000 birds was counted. The most abundant species 

were Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), Ruddy 

Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Red Knot (Calidris 

canutus) and Sanderling (Calidris alba). This survey 

documented high hemispheric counts for these species, 

but also identified declines in all four of the most 

abundant species, especially since 2003. These data are 

an index of shorebird populations that stopover here, 

and can serve as a key barometer in the conservation 

of Delaware Bay resources. 

Introduction 

Shorebirds spend up to two-thirds of the year in 

migration and on wintering grounds, therefore the 

conditions they encounter en route and at stopover 

areas are important for survival and reproduction. 

The significance of stopovers in the ecology of long 

distance migrants has gained worldwide attention 

(Senner and Howe 1984, Myers et al. 1987). Stopovers 

are especially important for migratory shorebirds that 

concentrate in small areas to build up energy reserves 

for continued flight. Unlike neotropical migrants, 

many shorebirds make non-stop, long-distance flights 

between a limited number of stopover sites where they 

reside temporarily (Morrison 1984). As long-distance 

migrants traveling as much as 30,000 km each year, 

shorebirds must take advantage of seasonally abundant 

foods at intermediate stopover areas to build up fat 

reserves for the next long distance non-stop flight. 

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that Delaware Bay 

was recognized for hosting a major spring stopover 

(Senner and Howe 1984, Burger 1986, Harrington 

1986, Myers et al. 1987). Prior to that, historic data 

were limited. Urner and Storer (1949) documented 

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers 

(Limnodromus griseus) and Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 

as abundant or very common, and Sanderlings, Red 

Knots, Ruddy Turnstones and Least Sandpipers (Calidris 

minutilla) as common or locally abundant in spring 

and fall migrations. Stone (1937) also noted these species 

were common in the Cape May region in spring, 

but did not explicitly describe a major concentration 

of shorebirds. Consequently there was a lack of data 

until 1981, when NJ Audubon staff conducted an 

aerial survey of New Jersey bay beaches, recording 

a total of 350,000 shorebirds of four species in one 

count in late May (Wander and Dunne 1981). In 

1982, Burger (1986) conducted ground counts from 

April through October: peak daily counts of several 

individual species ranged from 45,000 to 133,000 in 

late May. Also in 1982, NJ Audubon staff conducted 

three aerial surveys of the bay, finding a peak count over 

420,000 shorebirds (Dunne et al. 1982). NJ Audubon 

staff surveyed the bayshore again in spring 1983 and 

confirmed substantial numbers (Kochenberger 1983). 

These initial surveys were significant in documenting 

a huge shorebird migration in Delaware Bay, and the 

conservation responsibility held by both states. 

The early counts of shorebirds on Delaware Bay 

ranked the site as hosting one of the largest spring 

concentrations in the Western Hemisphere, second to 

the Copper River Delta on the Alaskan coast, where 

an estimated 20 million shorebirds pass on spring 

migration (Isleib 1979). The main reason that shorebirds 

concentrate in Delaware Bay is the abundant 

food provided by the large number of horseshoe crabs 

(Limulus polyphemus) spawning in spring (Myers 1986, 

Tsipoura and Burger 1999). Horseshoe crabs lay their 

eggs in the sandy bay beaches, providing a massive 

and rich food resource for migrating shorebirds in 

May and June. It is by far the largest concentration 

of horseshoe crab spawning along the Atlantic coast 

(Botton and Ropes 1987). Other foods are sporadically 

available, but none are comparable in quality 

and quantity to sustain the migration of thousands 

of shorebirds (Tsipoura and Burger 1999, Haramis 

et al. 2007). 


In 1986, the New Jersey Division of Fish and 

Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program 

began an annual survey of spring migrating 

shorebirds on Delaware Bay beaches to determine 

their distribution and trends. This annual shorebird 

survey documented significant numbers of spring 

shorebirds in Delaware Bay by the end of its initial 

seven years of operation (Clark et al. 1993). Since 

then, Delaware Bay has become widely recognized for 

the “shorebird-horseshoe crab phenomenon” that has 

attracted eco-tourists and galvanized conservation 

action to prevent its loss. In this paper we present 

data from the long-term aerial survey of shorebirds, 

1986 through 2008. 

Figure 1. The Delaware Bay study area and the route of the aerial shorebird survey conducted once per week for six weeks each spring, 

1986-2008. 


Study Area 

Delaware Bay is situated in the mid-Atlantic 

region of the United States, and is bounded by the 

lands of New Jersey and Delaware (Fig. 1). Tidal 

amplitude in the bay is approximately 2.5 m. The 

lower bay shoreline consists almost entirely of sandy 

beach, with very little adjacent tidal marsh (Spartina 

spp.). The upper bay shoreline is a mixture of sod and 

sand, with extensive adjacent tidal marsh. The upper 

regions of the bay also contain large river outflows that 

form sandy deltas. There is sparse development of 

residential buildings and bulkheads on both shores, 

although generally more development in the lower 

bay. 

Methods 

We surveyed approximately 80 km of shoreline 

in New Jersey and 80 km of shoreline in Delaware. 

Survey flights were made once per week for six weeks, 

from the first week of May to the second week of 

June, in a Cessna high-wing airplane. We began our 

flights on the New Jersey side at the Cape May Canal 

(approximately 2 km north of the bay entrance) 

and continued north to the Cohansey River, then 

crossed the bay into Delaware and flew south from 

Woodland Beach to Cape Henlopen (Fig. 1). All 

flights were conducted on the falling tide, 3-4 hours 

after high tide, a period when birds are usually feeding 

on beaches. The aircraft was flown at an altitude 

of approximately 25 m, 30 m offshore and a speed of 

110 km/hr. The plane temporarily flushed birds off 

the beaches as it passed, which facilitated counting 

and identification. Each survey was completed in 

approximately two hours. 

The survey crew included one biologist who 

counted birds in each flock, one who estimated the 

species composition of the flock, and a third person who 

recorded the information on U.S.G.S. topographic 

maps. The same count observer (K. Clark) participated 

in all 23 years of surveys. The species observer 

in 1986-1988 was P. Dunne (who also conducted the 

1981-1983 surveys by NJ Audubon) and J. Dowdell 

for most of the remaining years (1989-2005). R. 

Porter participated in other aerial surveys, and took 

over the species observer position in 2006-2008. 

There were many different survey recorders over the 

years, generally all with familiarity with the bay’s 

topographic features. The survey method was changed 

beginning in 2009, so we report only data between 

1986 and 2008. 

The majority of shorebirds were identified to species; 

small birds of the genus Calidris were classified 

as “peep” when species could not be determined. For 

each year we completed six counts of shorebirds at 

one week intervals, except 1987 and 1988 when we 

missed two surveys each year because of inclement 

weather, and 1995 and 1996 when we missed one and 

two surveys, respectively. 

Results 

The most abundant species in our surveys were 

Semipalmated Sandpiper, followed by Ruddy Turnstone, 

Red Knot and Sanderling (Table 1). These four 

species accounted for 92% of shorebirds counted, while 

Dunlin and dowitchers accounted for about 8%. 

While the number of total shorebirds counted in 

one two-hour survey averaged nearly 180,000 birds, it 

ranged from a high over 425,000 in 1986 to a low of 

105,000 in 1990 (Table 1). Annual variation was often 

substantial, both in the total shorebirds counted on 

one day, and in the peak counts of individual species 

that could occur on days other than the peak count 

of total birds. The peak count of total birds usually 

occurred on the fourth week of surveys between 24 

and 30 May; in 23 years only four (17%) season-peaks 

fell outside those dates (Fig. 2). 

Counts of nearly all six species of shorebirds varied 

significantly over the 23-year study period (Fig. 3). A 

regression analysis plotted on annual peak counts by 

species showed significant declines in Red Knot and 

Ruddy Turnstone (P


proximity of sandy New Jersey Atlantic coast beaches 

where they roost at night and during spring high 

tides (Sitters 2001, 2005). Semipalmated Sandpipers, 

Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers generally 

prefer to feed in mudflats, and can be found in large 

numbers dispersed over the mudflats of the upper bay 

from Moore’s Beach to Sea Breeze in New Jersey and 

from Port Mahon to Woodland Beach in Delaware. 

These species were most often recorded using the 

shoreline of the upper bay, which is dominated by 

sod bank interspersed with sandy stretches adjacent 

to creek inlets. Although there are species habitat 

preferences that seem to drive distribution in the bay, 

as shoreline habitats shift and change, horseshoe crabs 

and shorebirds take advantage of suitable habitats. For 

example, stretches of sandy beach at Fortescue and 

Dyers Cove in the northern NJ bay have hosted good 

concentrations of knots, turnstones and Sanderlings 

in recent years. 

Discussion 

Methodological considerations. This study consisted 

of weekly surveys of the Delaware Bay shoreline, averaging 

every seven days. If absolute peak numbers of 

shorebirds occurred between survey dates, they would 

have been missed by our surveys; but the costs of aerial 

surveys preclude daily counts that would assure recording 

absolute peaks. However, since most shorebirds 

remain in the bay for 10-17 days to build up adequate 

fat reserves (Baker et al. 2004, Sitters 2005), weekly 

counts are adequate to estimate their numbers. 

In four of the 23 years we were unable to survey 

during the third week (19-22 May) because of several 

days of bad weather. In the study period, the peak 

season counts occurred during 24-30 May in all years 

except four; none of the missing survey dates fell 

during key time period. On 21 May 2008, the count 

on the Delaware shoreline was incomplete when the 

survey plane was prohibited from entering Dover Air 

Force Base air space, causing 13 km of shoreline to 

go unsurveyed. That date was not a peak count date 

for any species, even when we estimated the number 

of birds that may have been missed. 

There is limited data on how long individuals 

remain in the bay and whether the length of stay 

varies among species. Recent data suggest that length 

of stay may vary annually, as well, due to shifts in 

available food from year to year. Thus it is difficult 

to accurately determine total populations for any 

species using the bay. We present the species’ peak 

counts and the total number of shorebirds counted on 

our surveys so they may be used as an index of total 

abundance and trends. 

Importance of Delaware Bay. Our surveys document 

the importance of Delaware Bay as a migratory stop- 

Figure 2. Mean number (+/-95% C.I.) of shorebirds counted in weekly aerial 

surveys on Delaware Bay beaches, 1986-2008. 

Figure 3. Peak counts of shorebird species observed during weekly aerial surveys 

of the Delaware Bay beaches each spring, 1986-2008. The line and r2 value in 

each graph are for the linear regression; P values are provided for the regressions 

that were significant. 


Figure 4. Mean peak counts (bars) with 95% confidence intervals (lines) of 

shorebirds observed on Delaware Bay beaches in aerial surveys, spring 1986- 

2008. Years were separated into groups of 6 years (except 1998-2002, 5 

years) to better portray general trends. 

over for shorebirds. Peak single day counts averaged 

nearly 180,000 shorebirds, with a high of over 426,000 

shorebirds counted on one survey in 1986, and a low 

of 100,000 in 2003. Although we cannot estimate 

how many individual shorebirds these counts represent 

without knowing length of stay, these counts are 

minimum numbers that place Delaware Bay among 

the ten largest staging sites in the Western Hemisphere 

(Senner and Howe 1984, WHSRN 2009). Moreover, 

the number of shorebirds using the vast marshes and 

mudflats of the bayshore were sampled in transect 

surveys conducted in the early 1990s, and were 

estimated to be more than double the number of 

birds counted on beaches (Clark unpubl. data). However, 

the actual number of total migrant shorebirds 

using Delaware Bay cannot be estimated without a 

better estimate of shorebirds using bay marshes and 

nearby Atlantic coastal habitats concurrent with 

shoreline surveys. The number of total shorebirds 

may be useful in the future as an index of shorebirds 

using the Delaware Bay shoreline, particularly in 

the context of measurable changes in habitats and 

sea level. 

Another element of stopover importance is the 

portion of a species population in one location at one 

time (WHSRN 1990). Our data show that a major 

portion of the Red Knot population uses Delaware Bay 

during the spring migration. In recent years the Red 

Knot population has been the subject of intense study, 

resulting in a well-informed estimate of population 

size of 18,000 to 33,000 in 2007-2008 (Niles et al. 

2008). Thus the Delaware Bay stopover supports the 

overwhelming majority of the hemispheric population 

of Red Knots each spring. 

Delaware Bay also hosts a large portion of the 

Ruddy Turnstone population: there is low confidence 

in the U.S. population estimate of 180,000 turnstones 

(Morrison et al. 2006), but if it correct, then the 

average peak count of 55,000 represents 26% of their 

population, and high counts of 100,000 (observed in 

1989 and 1998) are 47% of their population. Average 

and high counts of Sanderlings in Delaware Bay 

may represent 4% and 11%, respectively, of the total 

U.S.–hemispheric Sanderling population estimated 

at 300,000 (Morrison et al. 2006). The population of 

Semipalmated Sandpipers is estimated at 2 million, 

although there is low confidence in that number. 

The number of semipalmateds counted on Delaware 

Bay beaches is between 4% and 13% of that figure 

(Morrison et al. 2006), although many more were 

certainly uncounted in the salt marsh mudflats. Red 

Knots, turnstones and Sanderlings were all classified 

by Andres et al. (2006) as species of high conservation 

concern, mostly due to declining populations as 

measured in Delaware Bay and elsewhere. 


Status and Trends. The peak counts of Red Knots, 

Ruddy Turnstones and Semipalmated Sandpipers 

showed significant declining trends over the 23-year 

study period. Similar declining trends have been reported 

by those studying national and international 

population estimates: Brown (2004), Morrison et al. 

(2006) and Bart et al. (2007) have all reported these 

species to be in decline. 

The Red Knot is classified as a highly imperiled 

species due to its population level, declining trend 

and threats to wintering and stopover habitats (Brown 

2004). In 2006 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

classified the Red Knot as a candidate for inclusion on 

the Endangered Species List (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service 2006), and the species is on the New Jersey 

list as threatened and recommended for endangered 

status. The North American populations of Ruddy 

Turnstone and Sanderling have also been classified as 

high concern species by Brown (2004). Semipalmated 

Sandpipers, while of “moderate” population concern 

because their numbers are still relatively high (Brown 

2004), have shown a long term decline averaging 5% 

annually based on Bay of Fundy (Canada) surveys, 

where an estimated 75% of their North American 

population congregates in fall. 

The Delaware Bay counts of shorebirds showed 

substantial annual variation. Some possible causes of 

variation are weather-related variables: a cool spring 

delays horseshoe crab spawning, reducing food availability 

that limits areas of shorebird concentration. In 

those conditions, birds may be more widely dispersed 

along the bay and Atlantic coast. Stormy conditions 

with high winds and rain also affect the availability 

of horseshoe crab eggs, and similarly may affect bird 

distribution and length of stay, causing variations in 

shorebird activity and habitat selection (Burger 1984). 

Conditions in other areas of the Atlantic coast, such 

as nutrient fluctuations and changes in horseshoe 

crab spawning intensity, might result in favorable 

food resources for shorebirds elsewhere, and lead to 

lower numbers stopping over in Delaware Bay. Thus 

differences in the number of shorebirds on Delaware 

Bay may reflect stopover patterns rather than population 

trends. These factors make it difficult to interpret 

counts in a single stopover, but the declining trends we 

observed have been corroborated by studies conducted 

throughout the hemisphere. 

According to surveys of migrating shorebirds 

along the Atlantic coast, Delaware Bay is a singular 

resource for migrant shorebirds in the spring. There is 

no evidence of other major stopover areas for spring 

migrants along the Atlantic coast, so most birds 

arriving on Delaware Bay have made direct flights 

of 4,000 km or more, and generally are in low body 

condition upon arrival (Niles et al. 2008). The density 

of spawning horseshoe crabs on Delaware Bay beaches 

is unmatched, and provides the superabundant food 

supply required to sustain hundreds of thousands of 

shorebirds. In most years the timing of this bloom of 

food matches the needs of time-constricted shorebirds 

aiming to nest within the constraints of the short Arctic 

summer. While shorebirds are adapted to this system 

of hopscotch migration stopovers, amidst threats to 

habitats across the hemisphere, the conservation of 

Delaware Bay has become exceedingly important to 

their long term survival. 

Acknowledgments 

This was a cooperative study between New Jersey 

Division of Fish and Wildlife–Endangered and 

Nongame Species Program and Delaware Division of 

Fish and Wildlife–Nongame and Endangered Species 

Program. We thank the many participants in the survey 

over its 23 year history: J. Thomas, A. Doolittle and L. 

Gelvin-Innvaer from Delaware; surveyors P. Dunne, 

P. Kerlinger and D. Weidner; recorders H. Sitters, B. 

Pitts, S. Paturzo, S. Paul, J. Tash and J. Holt. 

We thank K. Bennett for funding and logistical 

support from Delaware. Funding for this study was 

provided from New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, New 

Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Delaware Division 

of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service’s State Wildlife Grants program. 

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Myers, J.P., R.I.G. Morrison, P.Z. Antas, B.A. Harrington, 

T.E. Lovejoy, M. Salaberry, S.E. Senner, 

and A. Tarak. 1987. Conservation strategy for 

migratory species. Am. Sci. 75: 18-26. 

Niles, L.J., H.P. Sitters, A.D. Dey, P.W. Atkinson, A.J. 

Baker, K.A. Bennett, R. Carmona, K.E. Clark, N.A. 

Clark, C. Espoz, P.M. Gonzalez, B.A. Harrington, 

D.E. Hernandez, K.S. Kalasz, R.G. Lathrop, R.N. 

Matus, C.D.T. Minton, R.I.G. Morrison, M.K. Peck, 

W. Pitts, R.A. Robinson, and I.L. Serrano. 2008. 

Status of the Red Knot (Calidris canutus rufa) in 

the Western Hemisphere. Studies in Avian Biology, 

No. 36. Cooper Ornithological Society 

Senner, S.E., and M.A. Howe. 1984. Conservation of 

nearctic shorebirds, p. 379-421. In J. Burger and B. 

L. Olla [eds.], Behavior of Marine Animals, Vol. 

5: Shorebirds: breeding behavior and populations. 

Plenum Press, New York. 

Sitters, H.P. 2001. Notes on sites where red knots fed a 

low water and roosted at high water in the Atlantic 

coast wetlands, near Stone Harbor, New Jersey 

during May 2001. Unpublished Report to New 

Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered 

and Nongame Species Program. 6 pp. 

Sitters, H.P. 2005. Radio-tracking of red knots in 

Delaware Bay 2005. Unpublished Report to New 

Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered 

and Nongame Species Program. 18 pp. 

Stone, W. 1937. Bird Studies at Old Cape May, Vol. 

1. Dover Publishing, New York. 

Tsipoura, N. and J. Burger. 1999. Shorebird diet during 

spring migration stopover on Delaware Bay. 

Condor 101:635-644. 

Urner, C.A., and R.W. Storer. 1949. The distribution 

and abundance of shorebirds on the north 

and central New Jersey coast, 1928-l 938. Auk 

66:177-194. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2006. Red Knot named 

candidate for Endangered Species Act protection. 

Accessed at http://www.fws.gov/news/NewsReleas- 

es/showNews.cfm?newsId=A26DAA75-DFC1- 

18FC-1DF52CD3E63D886F, January 2010. 

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of shorebirds on the Delaware Bayshore of New 

Jersey–Spring 1981.Occas. Paper No. 140. Records 

of New Jersey Birds 7(4):59-64. 

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Network. Manomet, MA, and found at [http://www. 

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—*NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered 

and Nongame Species Program 

2201 Rt. 631 

Woodbine, NJ 08270 

e-mail: kathy.clark@hughes.net 


Format of the 

Regional Reports 

Species name (major rarities in 

all-caps): significance of record (optional; 

see below), number of individuals 

(if more than one), location, 

date, observer initials. 

Abbreviations used for “significance” 

terms include: 

high = high count(s) for season 

all-time high = all-time high 

for that season in that region (not 

necessarily for entire state) 

low = an unusually low total 

late = somewhat or unusually 

late 

all-time late = all-time late for 

that region 

early = somewhat or unusually 

early 

all-time early = all-time early for 

that region 

dep = last record from that season, 

although not unusually late (listed 

only if of some significance) 

arr = first record from that season, 

although not unusually early (listed 

only if of some significance) 

Within a given species, records 

with a similar significance (e.g., 

seasonal high counts) are clumped 

together, separated by commas, 

and usually ordered by date. These 

reports are separated by a semicolon 

from those with a different significance 

(e.g., late records). 

County names appear in italics. 

Other Oft-used Abbreviations: 

ad: adult 

imm: immature 

juv: juvenile 

f: female 

m: male 

et al.: and others 

fide: vouched by 

m.obs: many observers 

v.obs: various observers 

Is: Island 

Lk: Lake 

Mt: Mountain 

NWR: National Wildlife Refuge 

Pt: Point 

Res: Reservoir 

SF: State Forest 

SP: State Park 

Twp: Township 

Spring Field Notes 

March 2009 – May 2009 

Northwestern Region, including 

Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, and the 

western parts of Morris and Passaic 

Counties. 

EDITOR—Rick Radis, 69 Ogden Avenue, 

Rockaway, NJ 07866; e-mail: 

isotria@verizon.net. 

It was another spring of what for the last 

decade has been “normal” weather: cool 

and wet - though there were two 90-degree 

days in late April - and unsettled weather 

patterns in the southeast of the country 

may have affected Neotropic migration 

patterns up here. Dismal conditions far to 

the north may have also been a factor with 

other birds. Nonetheless, several observers 

reported strong migration days on 19 April, 

3 May, 9 May, 12 May, 14 May, and 18 May; 

several of these were on drizzly, foggy days. 

Rich Kane witnessed a big flight of 100+ 

redstarts on 3 May along the Delaware River 

south of Belvidere; and another of Willow 

Flycatchers, Indigo Buntings, Magnolia 

Warblers, and Hooded Warblers in northwest 

Hunterdon and southern Warren Counties 

on 15 May. 

The big story was not the movements of 

Neotropical migrants, but about a northern 

species that moved south in huge numbers 

during the fall and winter of 2008-2009, and 

remained in force throughout the spring all 

over the region: Pine Siskin. Many observers 

noted that siskins often outnumbered 

American Goldfinches, even in May; they 

drowned goldfinches out in song and muscled 

them away from feeders. There were three 

confirmed Pine Siskin nestings, all in Morris: 

in northern white cedars (arbor vitae) 

in Rockaway Borough; in a Norway spruce 

at Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Twp; and 

a fledgling was seen begging food from an 

adult at a Randolph feeder on 17 May. There 

must have been more in Stokes, High Point, 

and the Delaware Water Gap, though none 

were reported. 

The bulk of the waterfowl migration was 

seemingly over by the end of February, and 

most numbers reported were unremarkable, 

though there were several notable species 

sightings, including 2 drake Eurasian 

Wigeons at Hyper Humus Swamp and a 

Eurasian Green-winged Teal in Readington 

Twp. There were only three Redhead sightings 

and only one sighting of the declining 

Canvasback. Spruce Run had a late-date 

high count of 20 Red-breasted Mergansers 

(just one male). 

The sole report of Ruffed Grouse was of 

a drumming male at the south end of the 

Hamilton Trail near the Old Mine Road 

at Millbrook on 2 and 9 May. An Eared 

Grebe coming into breeding plumage was 

again reported from Round Valley Reservoir 

starting on 4 March, and several Red-necked 

Grebes were sighted, all in mid- to late- 

March. A very wayward Northern Gannet 

on Spruce Run Reservoir on 3 May was the 

first Hunterdon record, and possibly the first 

regional record as well. A Sandhill Crane 

visited Black Dirt Marsh in Wantage on 10 

April; this is an area where the cranes have 

appeared in previous years. 

Spruce Run Reservoir was again the place 

to be for migrant gulls and terns. Up to 4 Little 

Gulls and an impressive triple-digit count of 

Bonaparte’s Gulls were recorded there during 

the first half of April; both Iceland and 

Glaucous Gulls were around in March and 

April as well; significant numbers of Lesser 


Black-backed Gulls were noted at Spruce 

Run in March (less than in some previous 

years); and Common and Forster’s Terns were 

found there 5-7 May. There was only one 

report of a Black Tern this spring. 

Bald Eagles continue to expand in the 

region, and several Osprey nestings in 

Hunterdon and Warren Counties along the 

Delaware River were also noted. Broadwinged 

Hawk continues its apparent decline, 

with only three nesting reports in the region, 

while Cooper’s Hawk has become the second 

most common hawk species throughout, in 

suburbs, small and large towns, farms, and 

parkland. 

Purple Martins continue to hang on in the 

region in Hunterdon, but Bank Swallows were 

seemingly nowhere to be found with only 

one sighting. Blooming apple and crabapple 

trees can be magnets for migrating passerines 

in spring, and Charlie Reeves described a 

large one at his back door in Lafayette, at 

the northern end of Hyper Humus Swamp. 

In addition to more common species, he saw 

a Philadelphia Vireo in it on 9 May and an 

Orange-crowned Warbler two days later. 

Always noteworthy in the region, a Prothonotary 

Warbler was a good find in Andover 

19 May. Most territorial Kentucky Warbler 

reports centered around northwestern Hunterdon 

and southwestern Warren. 

In addition to the siskins, excitement 

was provided by White-winged Crossbills, 

which were widely reported in early March 

where much larger numbers were seen earlier 

in the winter. The only report of Common 

Redpoll was from Frankford Township on 

2 March. 

Abbreviations/Locations 

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation 

Area (DWGNRA), High Point State 

Park (HPSP), Hyper Humus in Newton and 

Hampton Township (HH), Liberty Loop 

in Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge 

(LL); McBurney Woods (MW) refers to the 

breeding bird survey at the Northern Stony 

Brook Greenway Preserve in the Sourlands, 

Hunterdon, conducted by Sharyn Magee; 

Merrill Creek Reservoir (MCR), Old Mine 

Road in Worthington State Forest (OMR), 

Raccoon Ridge (RR), Round Valley Reservoir 

(RVR), Spruce Run Reservoir (SRR), 

Stokes State Forest (SSF), Swartswood 

Lake (SL), Wallkill River National Wildlife 

Refuge (WRNWR). 


WATERFOWL-RAILS 

A flock of 500+ Snow Geese in four 

wedges were seen flying north high over the 

Delaware River DWGNRA 11 Mar (JPa); 

small numbers of Snow Geese lingered in 

several areas in Warren through the end of 

the month (RR). The only Cackling Goose 

report was from Budd Lake 11 Mar (AB), 

and the only Tundra Swans were 2 on Pond 

#1 at HH 12 Mar (AB) and a single SRR 

20 Mar (RK). Eleven Wood Ducks were 

on Mount Hope Pond 1 Mar (RR) and 8 

Gadwall were reported from DeMotts Pond 

in Clinton 7 Mar (LK). Rarely seen in the 

region, a drake EURASIAN WIGEON was 

at the second pond at HH 12-13 Mar (AB, 

TS), and, remarkably, 2 were detected there 

15 Mar (WW, JZa, AB). American Wigeon 

numbers were sparse, with 24 at MC 6 Mar 

(RK), and 12 at Delaware Lake 13 Mar (BH). 

Merrill Creek had 50 American Black Ducks 

4 Mar (RK), and 135 Mallards were on SRR 

11 Mar (RK). As usual there were only a few 

Blue-winged Teal sightings: at SRR 7 Apr 

(RK), a pair Poxono Island DWGNRA 1 

May (BH), and 2 in flooded field Readington 

Twp 6 May (DH). A good total of 60 

Northern Pintail were at MCR 1 Mar (RK). 

A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL 

was with Green-winged Teal in Rockaway 

Creek in Readington Twp 12-16 Apr (FS, 

fide DH), and other Green-wingeds included 

20 at Delaware Lake 13 Mar (BH), and 20 

in a pond at the corner of Route 94 and Sid 

Taylor Rd. in Lafayette 22 Mar (KC). Canvasback 

remains in very low numbers; the 

only report was from Lake Musconetcong 11 

Mar (SF). Its congener Redhead continues 

to be seen in small numbers after a long 

absence: 2 were at SRR 4 Mar (RK), 3 at 

Mount Hope Pond 10 Mar (fide SB), and 14 

were on Boonton Reservoir 22 Mar (RR). 

RK tallied 125 Ring-necked Ducks at MCR 

6 March and a high of 160 at SRR 14 Mar; 

and 100+ flew into Splitrock Reservoir from 

the south on 23 Mar (RR). The only report 

of Lesser Scaup was of 35 on RVR 7 Mar 

(LK). Six Surf Scoters (4 males) were quite 

late at Lake Musconetcong 1 May (TH). Two 

White-winged Scoters were on Green Pond 

20 Mar (RR). Less common inland than 

scoters, a Long-tailed Duck was found at 

RVR 7 Mar (LK, RK). Six Bufflehead were 

rather late at SRR 7 May (RK), and later still 

at the Pequest River near Buttzville 17 May 

(KM). Twenty-five Common Goldeneye 

were at MCR 6 Mar (RK) and 12 were at 

Lake Musconetcong 11 Mar (SF). The high 

for Common Merganser was 110 at SRR 4 

Mar (RK), with 60-70 on Paulinskill Lake 

21 Mar (LM). A single Red-breasted Merganser 

was seen at SRR 22 Mar (fide SB), 

and a remarkable 20 (19 females) were at the 

same site on the late dates of 6-7 May (MH, 

RK, et al.). Splitrock Reservoir hosted 50+ 

Ruddy Ducks 23 Mar (RR), and 28 were 

seen at SL 1 May (TH). A stray, probably 

released Ring-necked Pheasant was seen at 

Phil Hardin Road, Newton 1 May (DP). The 

only report of Ruffed Grouse, now probably 

absent throughout most of the region, was 

of one heard drumming at the south end of 

Hamilton Trail OMR 2 & 9 May (BH). 

SRR had 2 Red-throated Loons 8 Apr 

(fide SB), and others were seen at the same 

site 3 May (DH) and 23 May (RK). Common 

Loons were on Little Swartswood Lake 

27 Mar (DP), the Delaware River at Tocks 

Island 25 Apr (BH), a high total of 14 was 

seen at SRR 6 May (MH, RK), and 2 were 

heard calling from Splitrock Reservoir on 

the evening of 27 May (RR). Seven Piedbilled 

Grebes were on SL 22 Mar (KC), 5 

were at HH 28 Mar (BBr), and breeding 

birds were along Dagmar Dale Trail near 

HQ WRNWR on 4 and 22 May (KW). 

SRR had 4 Horned Grebes 14 Mar (RK), 

and others were at Lake Musconetcong 10 

Mar (SF), HH 13 Mar (TS); and 5 were 

on Splitrock Reservoir 23 Mar (RR). The 

EARED GREBE found earlier in the winter 

was coming into breeding plumage at RVR 

4 Mar (MH, fide BBo). The number of 

sightings of Red-necked Grebe was about 

average: 1-2 at SL 16-26 Mar (LM, AB, RR, 

et al., fide SB), 2 at Split Rock Reservoir 

Rockaway 23 Mar (RR), SL 25 Mar (WW), 

and SRR 28 Mar (DH). Quite extraordinary 

and very lost was Hunterdon’s first-record 

NORTHERN GANNET at SRR 3 May 

(FS, DH, RK). A Great Cormorant visited 

Split Rock Reservoir 3 Mar (RR). 

There were 17 Great Blue Heron nests at 

the Kelly Road railbed marsh in WRNWR 

in May (KW); another great blue colony was 

still active despite disturbance in back of the 

Wharton Shop Rite on 3 May (TVl). Great 

Egrets were seen at Little Swartswood Lake 8 

Apr (JZu), Poxono Island in the DWGNRA 

5 May (BH), and Assiscong Marsh 6 May 

(DH). American Bitterns were found at HH 

26 Apr (JZa et al.), 2 were calling at Lake

Denmark 29 Apr (RR), and another was 

at Kelly Road railbed marsh in WRNWR 

30 Apr (KW). Three Least Bitterns were 

calling from the scrub swamp at the north 

end of Lake Denmark on 29 Apr (RR). An 

immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron at 

Assiscong Marsh 11 May was out of place 

(RR). Very scarce in spring in the region, 

a Glossy Ibis was rare find at SRR 17 Apr 

(RK, FS). 

Black Vultures were found nesting Pattenburg 

Quarry, Hunterdon, 10 Apr (DH). 

Ospreys returned to nest on the tower at 

Knowlton (mile marker 6 on Route 80) 

28 Mar (DB); one was seen harassing a 

larcenous Bald Eagle at the north end of 

Lake Hopatcong 13 Apr (SF); a pair nested 

on the cell tower off Route 12 Frenchtown 

10 Apr (LK); another nest was on the cell 

tower on Route 29 south of Frenchtown 

16 Apr (LK); and birds nested in Holland 

Twp near the Musconetcong River (DH). 

A pair of Bald Eagles were seen at HH 8 & 

22 Mar (ME, TH); second-year bird was at 

Paulinskill Lake 21 Mar (LM); and 2 adults 

at Splitrock Reservoir 23 Mar may have 

nested (RR); in a remarkable sighting 4 

immatures were seen from a sailplane above 

Poxono Island in the DWGNRA 24 Mar 

(BT); a pair was incubating eggs at Little 

Swartswood Lake 25 Mar (WW); 4 were at 

HH 13 Apr (KC); and a nest was found in 

Holland Twp near the Musconetcong River 

(DH). Four Red-shouldered Hawks were 

counted in Blairstown 19 Apr (DB); a nest 

was observed at Picatinny Arsenal 11 May 

(RR); and another bird was at Sawmill Road 

in HPSP 31 May, in an area where the species 

regularly nests (LK). An arriving Broadwinged 

Hawk was at Flanders 14 Apr (AB), 

44 migrants were over Blairstown during the 

19 Apr Big Sit (DB, AB); a nest was found 

on the west slope of Green Pond Mountain 

11 May (RR) and another nest was on the 

Picatinny Arsenal in Jefferson Twp 11 May 

(RR); Broad-winged also nested at Spruce 

Run in May (RK). The sole Rough-legged 

Hawk reported was seen along Route 565 

in Franklin on 3-4 Mar (JZu, MG, fide SB). 

A Golden Eagle also shared a thermal with 

a sailplane above Yards Creek Reservoir 24 

Mar (BT). Two American Kestrels were 

in Pittstown 7 Mar (LK); a male was seen 

near Baptistown, Hunterdon, 5 Mar through 

the period (LK); two were present along 

Route 513 Alexandria Twp during most of 

period (LK). Others were found at Snover 

Road in Lafayette 15 Apr (KC); a pair was 

east of Rosemont, Hunterdon, 18 Apr (LK); 

6 migrants were over Blairstown 19 Apr 

(DB, AB); 6 were found at roost on Kelly 

Road in WRNWR 18 Apr (KW); and 2 

different males were seen in Holland Twp 

25 & 31 May (DH). Northbound Merlins 

were in Tranquility Farms in Allamuchy 5 

Mar (BT), Holland Twp 14 Mar (DH), at 

Sawmill Road in HPSF 15 Mar (LK), and 

very late Picatinny Arsenal 11 May (RR). 

A Peregrine Falcon was in Blairstown 19 

Apr (DB, AB). 

Virginia Rails were at HH 26 Apr (JZa et 

al.); 3 at Lake Denmark 29 Apr (RR); at the 

Kelly Road railbed marshes WRNWR 8 & 

22 May (KW); and at Owens Station Road 

marsh WRNWR 13 & 22 May (KW). A 

Sora was seen and heard at Assiscong Marsh 

5 May (DH), and others were present at the 

Kelly Road railbed marshes in the WRNWR 

8 & 22 May (KW), and at the Owens Station 

Road marsh in WRNWR 13 May (KW). A 

Common Moorhen was heard calling at the 

marsh on Paulinskill Lake 11 May (fide AB), 

and the species was present at the Dagmar 

Dale Trail WRNWR 22 May (KW), the 

Kelly Road marshes in the WRNWR 22 

May (KW), and at the Owens Station Road 

marsh in WRNWR 22 May (KW). Sixty 

American Coots were at RVR 7 Mar (LK). 

In an area that seems to periodically attract 

the species, a SANDHILL CRANE was 

found at Quarry Road near Black Dirt Marsh 

in Wantage on 10 Apr (fide SB). 

SHOREBIRDS-PIPITS 

A Semipalmated Plover was out of place 

at Poxono Island 17 May (BH). The first 

Killdeer arrived in Lafayette 8 Mar (KC). 

The sandbars on the Delaware River’s bend 

at Poxono Island provided a stopover for 

Greater Yellowlegs 17 May (BH), and Solitary 

Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper 1 May 

(BH); a Least Sandpiper was there 17 May 

(BH). A very early Lesser Yellowlegs was 

at HH 22 Mar (TH). Nine Wilson’s Snipe 

flushed from the grassy edge of Lake Denmark 

in Rockaway 24 Mar (RR); 10 were at HH 

28 Mar (BBr) and 13 Apr (KC). American 

Woodcock were displaying in Columbia by 

7 Mar (BH); 3 males were at Kelly Road in 

WRNWR 18 Apr (KW). 

SRR remains the best place to find 

LITTLE GULL in the region. An adult 

was there with a small flock of Bonaparte’s 

Gulls 1 Apr (RK), and 4 were seen there 

very briefly 10 Apr (FS, MH). Seventeen 

Bonaparte’s Gulls were on Green Pond 8 

Apr (RR), and a phenomenal 265 were 

counted in heavy fog at SRR 12 Apr (MH); 

5 were late there on 6 May (fide SB). Merrill 

Creek still held 400 Ring-billed Gulls as 

late as 10 May (RK). An Iceland Gull was 

at Lake Hopatcong 1 Mar (DW); another 

was seen at SRR 6 Mar (fide SB) and again 

29-30 Mar (RK); an adult was with ring-bills 

at Green Pond 8 Apr (RR). Why is Spruce 

Run Reservoir so attractive to Lesser Blackbacked 

Gulls? Fifty-plus were there 4 Mar 

(RK), 20 on 7 Mar (fide SB), 15 on 16 Mar 

(fide SB), and 39 on 5 Apr (fide SB); a single 

bird was still at SR 7 May (RK). Glaucous 

Gulls were on Lake Hopatcong 1 Mar (DW), 

and 2 were found at the fishing pier at SRR 

1 Mar (fide SB). SRR also attracted a rare 

COMMON TERN and 5-6 FORSTER’S 

TERNS from 5-7 May (both MH, RK). A 

BLACK TERN was seen at Liberty Loop 

in WRNWR 1 May (KW). 

Black-billed Cuckoo returned to Lafayette 

9 May (CR), the Frenchtown Bike 

Path 11 May (LK), and Blairstown 18 May 

(DB, AB). Two Yellow-billed Cuckoos 

were found along the Frenchtown bike path 

11 May (LK), one was on territory at MW 

(SM), and another was seen in Blairstown 

18 May (DB, AB). 

Hard to get in the region but found 

at this site in past years, a Barn Owl was 

heard at Picatinny Arsenal 23 Apr, in the 

vicinity of old buildings (RR). Columbia’s 

first Common Nighthawk appeared 16 May 

(BH), and 30 were there by 19 May (BH); 

10 were along the Delaware River south of 

Milford 21 May (DH); birds were calling at 

dusk Picatinny Arsenal 29 May (RR); and 

46 were seen in Columbia 30 May (BH). 

Two calling Whip-Poor-Wills were at the 

AMC’s Mohican Center (Catfish Gap) 21 

May (BH); 12+ calling birds were heard 

along Green Pond Mountain in Picatinny 

Arsenal and Rockaway Twp 29 May (RR). 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived at 

Columbia 25 Apr (BH) and the same day 

at Blairstown (DB). Six Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers 

were calling in breeding territory at 

Sawmill Road in HPSP 19 May (RR). Thirty 

Northern Flickers were counted during a Big 

Sit in Blairstown 19 Apr (DB, AB). Three 

to four pairs of Pileated Woodpeckers were 


detected in western Rockaway Twp from 

Picatinny Arsenal north to Green Pond 

(RR). An Olive-sided Flycatcher was at 

Pompey Rd. on OMR 14 May (FW), a singing 

bird was found at Millbrook Village in 

the DWGNRA 15 May (LM), and another 

was along Hamilton Trail in the DWGNRA 

30 May (JF). Eastern Wood-pewee arrived 

in Holland Twp 11 May (DH); there were 

11 territories at MW during the season 

(SM). The only Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 

reported was a singing bird atop Green Pond 

Mountain 21 May (RR). Very early for the 

region was an Acadian Flycatcher singing 

in Holland Twp 29 Apr (DH). Two Alder 

Flycatchers were at Calno Swamp, located 

between Millbrook and Watergate in the 

DWGNRA, 23 May (BH); and others were 

at the shrub swamp at the north end of Lake 

Denmark 27 May (RR), and at the Tower 

Hill Reserve, Bethlehem Twp, Hunterdon, 27 

May (RK). A big flight of Willow Flycatchers 

was noted in various areas in Hunterdon 

15 May (RK); the bird arrived in Holland 

Township 11 May (DH); DH had a high of 

8 in Holland Twp 23 May. Least Flycatcher 

arrived at Black River WMA 25 Apr (DH), 

and at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation 29 

Apr (SF). 

White-eyed Vireo, uncommon in the 

northern part of the region, was in Blairstown 

18 May (DB, AB); in the power cut south of 

Watergate at DWGNRA 22 May (BH, BB); 

and there were 2 on territories in Holland 

Twp 12 & 26 May (DH). Only one Yellowthroated 

Vireo was on territory at MW (SM). 

Warbling Vireo arrived at Lafayette 27 Apr 

(KC), and a high count of 10 was in Holland 

Twp 8 May (DH). PHILADELPHIA 

VIREO visited the magnetic apple tree at 

the north end of HH swamp in Lafayette 9 

May (CR; see intro). Red-eyed Vireo had 5 

territories (low, ed.) at MW (SM). Common 

Raven was at Paulinskill Lake 28 Apr (DP); 

5 were counted in Blairstown 18 May during 

a Big Sit (DB, AB); a nest could be seen 

near Craigmeur on the cliffs of Green Pond 

Mountain in Rockaway 4 May (RR); one 

was at the Tower Hill Preserve, Hunterdon, 

19 May (RK). Two Purple Martin scouts 

were in Wharton, Morris, at the site of a 

former colony 12 Apr (RR), and colonies 

were located in Tewksbury 28 Apr (DH), 

and in Alexandria Twp 8 May (DH); 100+ 

were seen over the Delaware River at the 

Milford Bridge 29 May (DH). Rich Kane had 


his earliest-ever Rough-winged Swallow at 

SRR 20 Mar, and others were early at Lake 

Musconetcong 29 Mar (TH); birds arrived 

the Frenchtown Bridge 2 Apr, and Splitrock 

Reservoir 5 Apr (TVl, RR), about on time. 

The only report of the locally declining Bank 

Swallow was 3 at the Milford Bridge on the 

Delaware River 29 May (DH). Cliff Swallow 

was not reported in the northern part of the 

region this year; the colony at Pattenburg 

Quarry near Hoffman Park, Hunterdon, was 

first seen 10 Apr (DH, fide SB); at the Frenchtown 

Bridge 16 Apr (LK); in Harmony 17 

Apr (RK); and 15 were at Milford 29 May 

(DH). Barn Swallow arrived in Columbia 

19 Apr (BH). Watergate at the DWGNRA 

had a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatch on 12 

Mar (LM), and 2 were in Picatinny Arsenal 

in a Norway spruce planting 29 May (RR) 

There were two singing Brown Creepers at 

the Kelly Road railbed marsh in WRNWR 

25 May (KW). 

The western talus slopes of Green Pond 

Mountain in Picatinny Arsenal has 3 singing 

Winter Wrens 11 May (RR). Marsh 

Wrens were singling from the Kelly Road 

railbed marsh 25 May (KW). RK counted 

25 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at SRR 24 Apr 

and 40 were there 28 Apr (RK). Four Blue- 

Gray Gnatcatchers were counted at SRR 

on the rather early date of 10 Apr (RK). 

Aeroflex Airport in Andover had “many” 

Eastern Bluebirds 21 Mar (LM); bluebirds, 

up from a nadir in the 1970s, have become 

such a common sight in the region that they 

are rarely reported. Veery had 38 territories 

at MW (SM), and 20+ were at Jugtown 

Mountain Park, Hunterdon, 15 Apr (RK). 

Gray-Cheeked Thrush was reported twice: 

at MW 4 May (SM), and a Gray-cheeked 

/Bicknell’s Thrush at Holland Twp 23 May 

(DH). A Bicknell’s Thrush sang repeatedly 

at Green Pond Mountain 21 May (RR). 

Swainson’s Thrush was seen at MW 15 May 

(SM). Two Hermit Thrushes were singing 

at the undeveloped north end of Picatinny 

Arsenal 11 May (RR); this at southern end 

of the species’ range in the region. Fifteen 

Wood Thrushes were counted at Jugtown 

Mountain Park 15 May (RK), and there 

were 28 territories at MW (SM). A good 

total of 150 Cedar Waxwings were at SRR 

14 May (RK). 

WARBLERS-ORIOLES 

Blue-winged Warbler arrived at the 

Hamilton Trail in the DWGNRA 25 Apr 

(BH); 2 territories were counted at MW 

(SM); another was singing a Golden-winged 

song at Tower Hill Reserve 22 May (RK). 

Golden-winged Warbler arrived at OMR 

in WSF 26 Apr (fide PB); at the south end 

of the Hamilton Trail 16-17 May (BH); 

and at the DWGNRA 21 May (MH, HT). 

A “Brewster’s” Warbler singing a Bluewinged 

song was at Calno Swamp in the 

DWGNRA 12-13 May (BH); another was 

singing a Blue-winged song in Holland Twp 

20 May (DH). And a “Lawrence’s” Warbler 

was sounding like a blue-winged at Calno 

Swamp 3 May (BH). A few Tennessee 

Warblers were noted: 2 were in Holland 

Twp 11 May (DH); singles were found at 

Sawmill Road in HPSP 13 May (LK) and 

at MW 15 May (SM). An ORANGE- 

CROWNED WARBLER was found in the 

big apple tree at north end of HH swamp 

Lafayette 11 May (CR). Nashville Warbler 

was a little early for Sussex at Sparta 25 Apr 

(JZa), and others were at MW 15 May (SM), 

and Mashippacong Bog 29 May (RR), a site 

where the species has bred in previous years. 

Ten Magnolia Warblers were at Jugtown 

Mountain Park 15 May (RK). There were 

two reports of Cape May Warbler: at OMR 

in WSF 3 May (BH), and from Pompey Rd. 

near OMR south of Walpack Center 14 May 

(FW). Black-throated Green Warbler was 

a little early at Green Pond 22 Apr (RR). 

Blackburnian Warblers were found at Belvidere, 

Jugtown Mountain Preserve, Voorhees 

State Park (all RK), and at several sites along 

OMR (v.obs). A Yellow-throated Warbler 

was at the Delaware River at Rosencranz in 

the DWGNRA 11 May (RR), and at Bull’s 

Island 23 May (SM). Pine Warbler was early 

at Green Pond Mountain in Rockaway 2 

Apr (RR), where the species breeds in pitch 

pines on top of the ridge. Prairie Warbler 

arrived at OMR 25 Apr (BH), and 6 were 

at SRR by 28 Apr (RK). The high count of 

Palm Warblers was 8 at SRR 7 Apr (RK) and 

one was singing at Mashipacong Bog 1 May 

(RR). Rich Kane had 8 Blackpoll Warblers 

at Jugtown Mountain Park 15 May. Cerulean 

Warbler arrived OMR near Poxono Island 

3 May (BH); one was at SRR 16 May (RK); 

at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation 26 May 

(RR); Sparta Mountain WMA 26 May (RR); 

and there 11 singing males along Ridge Road 

in HPSP 29 May (RR, et al.). A Black-andwhite 

Warbler was early at the Frelinghuysen

Arboretum in Morristown 5 Apr (KC). A 

100+ American Redstarts were counted 

along Delaware River from Belvidere to 

Harmony 3 May (RK). A PROTHONO- 

TARY WARBLER was present at Hillside 

Park in Andover Township 19 May (TH). 

Worm-eating Warbler arrived at OMR near 

Poxono Island 3 May (BH); one territory was 

at MW (SM); and 3 were in Holland Twp 

May 8 (DH). Ovenbird arrived at OMR 25 

Apr (BH), and McBurney Woods had 78 

territories by the end of the period (SM). 

Northern Waterthrush, south of its usual 

north Jersey range, sang at the Lake Denmark 

Swamp 28 Apr through end of period (RR); 

others were at Sawmill Road in HPSP 20 

May (LK); 4 singing birds were at the Kelly 

Road railbed marsh 25 May (KW); and 2-3 

singing birds were in Mashipacong Bog 29 

May (RR). Louisiana Waterthrush was early 

at Green Pond Brook in Rockaway 3 Apr 

(RR); the bird arrived at MW 8 Apr (SM); 

at OMR 16 Apr (BH); the Sussex Branch 

Trail 17 Apr (ABa); and at Blairstown 19 

Apr (AB, DB). News of Kentucky Warbler 

is always welcome, almost all of it from Hunterdon 

and southern Warren: the arrival was 

one in Holland Twp 11 May (DH), 4 were 

at Jugtown Mountain Park 15 May (RK), 

2 were territorial in the same spot 23 May 

(DH); another was found at the power line 

cut south of Watergate in the DWGNRA 

23 May (BB), which did not linger; one was 

at Mine Road in West Portal, Hunterdon, 28 

May (RR); and MW had one territory (SM). 

Mourning Warblers visited Holland Twp 12 

May (DH); Blairstown 18 May (DB, AB); 

OMR at Depew in the DWGNRA 18 May 

(BH); and the DWGNRA 21 May (MH). 

Hooded Warbler arrived early at OMR 2 

Apr (BH, fide PB); was new to a yard list in 

Roxbury 27 Apr (AB); arrived at MW 28 

Apr (SM); 6 were in Holland Twp 11 May 

(DH), and MW had 12 territories (SM). A 

Wilson’s Warbler was at the north end of 

HH swamp in Lafayette 3 May (CR), and at 

Hillside Park in Andover 19 May (TH). A 

male and female Canada Warbler were on 

territory in Lake Denmark Swamp from late 

April through the end of the period (RR); 

4 were at SRR 16 May (RK); and 10 were 

counted at OMR from Worthington State 

Forest to Millbrook 17 May (BH). A Yellowbreasted 

Chat was at Parsons Road at the 

north end of Paulinskill Lake 11 May (fide 

AB); in Holland Twp 13 & 20 May (DH), 

and at Hillside Park 19 May (TH). 

A few Vesper Sparrows were at SRR 8-10 

Apr (fide SB), and DH found 10 Savannah 

Sparrows in Holland Twp 10 Apr (DH). A 

Grasshopper Sparrow was heard and seen 

in Alexandria Twp 20 May (DH). A low 

high-count of northbound Fox Sparrows 

were 2 at Featherbed Lane, Hunterdon, 8 Mar 

(LK). Single Lincoln’s Sparrows at Calno 

Swamp on OMR 10 & 17 May (BH) were 

the only reports. Two White-throated Sparrows 

were still visiting a feeder at the late 

date of 27 May in Rockaway Borough (RR). 

Two White-crowned Sparrows remained 

through 22 Apr in Holland Twp (DH), 2 were 

at Columbia 29 Apr (BH); 2 in Lafayette 1-4 

May (CR); and in a yard in Holland Twp 

12-13 May (DH). Dark-eyed Junco was 

late in Frenchtown 17 May (LK), and one 

was singing near Mashipacong Bog 29 May 

(RR). Scarlet Tanager had 4 territories at 

MW (SM). Rose-breasted Grosbeak was 

at Paulinskill Lake by 27 Apr (DP); 5 were 

at feeders at the north end of HH swamp in 

Lafayette in early May (CR); and there were 

2 territories at MW (SM). A Blue Grosbeak 

sang from a field near Vince’s Falls southeast 

of Walpack 19 May (RR). Two Bobolinks 

were at Featherbed Lane, Hunterdon, 3 May 

(LK), and the species was seen in Lafayette 24 

May (KC). A field in Lafayette had Eastern 

Meadowlark 10 April (KC), and 2 were 

found at Hunt Farm on Phil Hardin Road 

in Newton 1 May (DP). Orchard Oriole 

returned to Featherbed Lane, Hunterdon 

26 Apr (LK); 3 were Holland Twp 11 May 

(DH); and the species was at the Tower Hill 

Reserve 22 May (RK). A Baltimore Oriole 

was a bit early in Lafayette 10 Apr (KC). 

Singing Rusty Blackbirds were found at HH 

28 Mar (BB), and at the Black River WMA 

25 Apr (DH). Four Purple Finches were 

at feeders in Lafayette through mid-April 

(CR), 25+ visited feeders in Hardyston Twp 

21 April (KW), and birds were at feeders 

in Frenchtown 26 Apr (LK). There were 

30+ White-winged Crossbills in a stand of 

Norway spruces along Route 517 in Green 

Twp 1 March (SW, WW, TH, TVl, TK, RR); 

others were at the Tranquility cemetery 4 

Mar (MM); 5 were at KVSP 7 March (TH 

et al.); at Echo Hill Park in Clinton 7 March 

(fide SB); 6 in Green Twp 8 Mar (PG, et al.); 

21 were in Ken Lockwood Gorge north of 

High Bridge 19 Mar (RR); and 6 (2 males 

4 females) were in Andover 9 Apr (JZu). 

The sole report of Common Redpoll was in 

Frankford Twp 2 Mar (D&DT). Pine Siskin 

remained widespread through the season 

with high totals and late dates: 60+ were 

found in Frankford Twp 2 Mar (D&DT); 

25 in Holland Twp 14 Mar (DH); 100s 

along Green Pond Road near Craigmeur 

on 13 Apr (TV, RR); feeding young in nest 

Rockaway Borough 11 May (RR); nest in 

Norway spruce at Picatinny Arsenal 29 Apr 

(RR), at feeders in Frenchtown 2 May (LK), 

fledgling begging food from adult at feeders 

Randolph 17 May (BG). 

Contributors 

Pete Bacinski, Allen Barlow (ABa), 

Scott Barnes, Alan Boyd (AB), Bill Boyle 

(BBo), Blais Brancheau (BBr), Dennis 

Briede, Karyn Cichocki, Maryjean Ellis, 

Steve Fasciana, John Fuller, Mike Gannon, 

Barbara Goodson, Peter Grannis, Tom 

Halliwell, Brian Hardiman, David Harrison, 

Mike Hiotis, Rich Kane, Larry King, Tim 

Koebel, Kevin McCarthy, Sharyn Magee, 

Linda Matula, Mike Muller, Jack Padalino 

(JPa), Denny Pegg, Charlie Reeves, Rick 

Radis, Frank Sencher, Tommy Sudol, Bob 

Templin, Harvey Tomlinson, Donna & Don 

Traylor, Tom Vouglas (TVs), Tim Vogel 

(TVl), Sharon Wander, Wade Wander, Fred 

Weber, Dorie Winsted, Ken Witkowski, Jim 

Zamos (JZa), Joe Zurovchak (JZu). 


Piedmont Region, including Bergen, 

Essex, Hudson, Union, Somerset, 

Middlesex, Mercer, and eastern parts 

of Passaic and Morris Counties. 

EDITOR — Patrick Belardo, 395 Keswick 

Drive, Piscataway, NJ 08854. 

email: pbelardo@yahoo.com 

Spring 2009 was the 23rd warmest on 

record. Of the three months, April was the 

most above normal with a late-month heat 

wave, followed by May and then a close to 

average March. Precipitation totaled 11.16” 

over the three months; ranking spring 2009 

as the 53rd wettest on record. The most 

notable weather event of the season was the 

snowstorm that kicked things off on March 

1-2. Larger bodies of water were open for the 

season in all but the most northern portions 

of the region. 

Noteworthy migration flights occurred on 

19 April, 25 April, 2 May, and 8 May. Garret 

Mountain dominated the reports during 

spring migration with minimal reports from 

Union, Mercer, and Essex counties. Species 

noted for higher than normal flights include 

Bald Eagle, Black Vulture, Tennessee Warbler, 

Cape May Warbler, and Rose-breasted 

Grosbeak. A group of 70 Tundra Swans at 

Pole Farm 19 Mar is likely an all-time high 

count for the region. The Montclair Hawk 

Watch tallied its second lowest tally all-time, 

but did have record counts for Bald Eagles 

and Black Vultures. There were zero reports 

for Redhead or any of the Scoters. Other species 

with lower than average reports include 

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, and 

Vesper Sparrow. 

There were quite a few rarities this spring. 

A Eurasian Green-winged Teal continued at 

DeKorte into late March. An Eared Grebe 

near full breeding plumage was found on 

Newark Bay on 6 May and a Western Grebe 

was seen at South Amboy, possibly the same 

bird that’s been seen there sporadically since 

November 2004. A rare inland White Ibis 

spent 19-24 May at the Great Swamp NWR. 

South Amboy proved to be a hotspot for 

gull sightings with 9 species of gull for the 

season including Thayer’s Gull, Little Gull, 

and Black-headed Gull. The Thayer’s Gull 

is likely the first record for the region. One 

Snowy Owl remained at the NJ Meadowlands 

on 7 Mar. The Northern Shrike at the 

Great Swamp NWR also remained until 

3 Mar. A rare spring Philadelphia Vireo 

was found at Garret Mountain 7 May. A 

Swainson’s Warbler was heard at Hamilton 

The wintering “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal continued into March at the NJ Meadowlands 

DeKorte Environment Center. Photo/Kevin Bolton 

Veteran’s Memorial Park 28 May (details 

submitted to NJBRC). A Western Tanager 

visited a feeder in Plainfield 14-18 Apr and 

a Dickcissel visited a Monroe feeder 14 

Mar - 3 Apr. 

The winter invasion of White-winged 

Crossbills and Pine Siskins continued into 

the spring. White-winged Crossbills were 

being seen throughout the region into late 

April, while Pine Siskins were seen throughout 

the period. Evidence of Pine Siskins 

breeding was cited in multiple locations. 

Abbreviations/Locations 

DeKorte is NJ Meadowlands DeKorte 

Environment Center, Garret is Garret 

Mountain Reservation, GSNWR is Great 

Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Halifax Rd 

is in Mahwah, LSP is Liberty State Park. 

WATERFOWL – RAILS 

A Cackling Goose was found at Kearny 

Marsh 8 Mar (NM). Seventy Tundra Swans 

at the Pole Farm 19 Mar (WK) may represent 

a new season high count for a bird not seen 

annually in the region. The high count of 

Wood Ducks was 100 at GSNWR 9 May 

(TO). Walker Avenue Wetlands had 34 

Blue-winged Teal 12 April. The large flock 

of Northern Shovelers at Mehrhof Pond 

maxed out at 145 birds 4 Apr (NM). DeKorte 

had the high count of 160 Northern Pintails 

7 Apr (CH). Walker Avenue Wetlands 

also had the high count of Green-winged 

Teal with 100+ 1 Mar. The EURASIAN 

GREEN-WINGED TEAL that spent a 

portion of the winter at DeKorte was last 

seen there on 22 Mar. A high count of 62 

Canvasbacks were at Kearny Marsh on 6 

Mar (NM); a late pair was still on Newark 

Bay in Jersey City 30 Apr and a hen was 

present in the same area 25 May (both MB). 

Ring-necked Ducks peaked with 115 on 

Bear Swamp Lake in Ramapo Mountains 

15 Mar (JWo). Forty-six Lesser Scaup were 

at Mehrhof Pond 1 Mar (NM). Six late 

Buffleheads were on Lake Parsippany on 

5 May (TV). A Hooded Merganser with 

young was at Tourne County Park 8 May 

(TV). The huge wintering flock of Common 

Mergansers at Oradell Reservoir dwindled to 

150 there 3 Mar. Up to 400 Ruddy Ducks 

were noted at Mehrhof pond through mid- 

April (NM). 

A singing Northern Bobwhite was 

heard and seen at DeKorte 23 April (JT). 


An Eared Grebe on Newark Bay was a surprise 

find 6 May. Photo/Marshall Iliff 

An EARED GREBE was a nice surprise at 

Bayonne Park 6 May (Marshal Iliff, accepted 

by NJBRC). A WESTERN GREBE was 

seen again this year at South Amboy 18-22 

Apr (TB). This likely represents the same 

individual that has been seen there from 

late fall through early spring since November 

2004. Northern Gannets in the region 

were not as plentiful as last spring with a 

high count of only 6 at South Amboy 30 

Mar (TB). Single American Bitterns were 

noted at various sites; notable were 3 departing 

Troy Meadows at dusk 24 Apr (MB). 

Single Least Bitterns were found at the 

Celery Farm 25 May (RF), Kearny Marsh 30 

May (Evan Zupfer) and GSNWR 31 May 

(SL). Single Little Blue Herons were found 

12 May at Rogers Refuge (SM) and 5 Apr 

at the Celery Farm (RF). Yellow-crowned 

Night-Herons were found nesting in Bergen, 

Hudson, and Middlesex counties. A rare inland 

WHITE IBIS visited GSNWR 19-24 

May (JG, v.obs). Up to 3 Glossy Ibis were 

at LSP 6-12 May. 

Black Vultures were found nesting at 

Raritan Center 31 May (fide TB), Turkey 

This Golden Eagle delighted visitors at the 

Great Swamp on 22 March. Photo/Tom 

Smith 

Vultures were confirmed nesting at two 

locations in Allendale, and Bald Eagles are 

nesting in Princeton and Mendham. The 

Montclair Hawk Watch also had an all-time 

season tally for that site of 17 Bald Eagles. 

A male Northern Harrier was hunting 

at Berry’s Creek in the NJ Meadowlands 

8 May, possibly a local breeder (MB). A 

juvenile Northern Goshawk was observed 

at GSNWR 29 Mar (SL). The wintering 

Rough-legged Hawk population at the NJ 

Meadowlands was down to one bird 7 Mar. 

A Golden Eagle was enjoyed by many at 

GSNWR 22 Mar (v. obs). A King Rail was 

a rare find at GSNWR 6 May (MH). Three 

Virginia Rails called at Troy Meadows 26 

Apr (MB) and 5 were at GSNWR 2 May 

(MH). Five Soras were found at a wetland 

in Monroe Twp 12 May (NT) and 2 were at 

GSNWR 6 May (MH). A Common Moorhen 

was seen at GSNWR 2 May (MH). Multiple 

SANDHILL CRANE sightings were 

of singles at Garret 28 Apr (BE), Montclair 

Hawk Watch 10 May (fide EG), and Rogers 

Refuge 12 May (SM). 

A rare inland White Ibis, an adult, visited 

Great Swamp NWR 19-24 May. Photo/ 

Jim Gilbert 

These Bald Eagles were photographed at their Princeton nest 20 May. Photo/Harry Schaefer 


SHOREBIRDS – PIPITS 

A season high count of 10 Black-bellied 

Plovers was at LSP 19 May (CH). The same 

day and location held a season high 65 Semipalmated 

Plovers (CH). Four American 

Oystercatchers were at South Amboy 2 May 

(CH). A single Whimbrel, an uncommon 

migrant in the region, was at South Amboy 

5 Apr (AL). Five White-rumped Sandpipers 

were observed at Mill Creek Marsh 15 

May (NM). Seventeen Wilson’s Snipe 

were noted at Glenhurst Meadows 25 Apr 

(MH). The American Woodcock show at 

GSNWR peaked with 8 on 12 Mar. There 

were several sightings of LITTLE GULL at 

South Amboy with single birds on 10 Apr 

(AL), 2 May (CH) and 9 May (AL), and two 

birds on 11 May (TB). South Amboy also 

hosted a BLACK-HEADED GULL on 1 

Apr (TB), 13 Apr (NK), and 25 May (TB). 

Bonaparte’s Gulls were abundant at South 

Amboy in early April peaking at 1000+ on 

7 Apr (TB). Adding to the South Amboy 

gull show was an immature THAYER’S 

GULL 29 Apr (TB, accepted by NJBRC). 

An Iceland Gull was seen in a field in 

Cranbury on 29 Mar (AL); another was in 

South Amboy on 12 Apr (TB). A stellar 

count of 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls was 

in a field in Cranbury 29 Mar (AL); one was 

also at South Amboy on 30 Mar and 22 Apr 

(TB). Two Glaucous Gulls were also noted 

in the same field in Cranbury 29 Mar (AL). 

A Caspian Tern was found at LSP 7 May 

(CH) and 2 were at DeKorte 31 May (RF). 

A Least Tern was found 15 May at Mill 

Creek Marsh (NM) and 2 were at DeKorte 

16 May (RD). Two Black Skimmers were 

patrolling the cove adjacent to the Bayonne 

Golf Club 14 May (MB). 

Monk Parakeets were seen in Ridgefield 

South Amboy was the place to see gulls this 

spring including multiple sightings of Little 

Gull, including 5 there on 11 April. Photo/ 

Tom Boyle 

(JWo) and at two nest sites in Carteret 

(S&WM). Three Black-billed Cuckoos at 

Garret 2 May was the high count for the 

season (RF). Garret also had the high count 

of Yellow-billed Cuckoos with 8 on 8 May 

(CT). A single SNOWY OWL remained at 

the NJ Meadowlands 7 Mar. Single Barred 

Owls were found at Tourne County Park 

11 May (TV, m.obs) and Hatfield Swamp 

11 May (DH). Two Long-eared Owls were 

at GSNWR through 29 Mar (v.obs) and 

one was observed in Clifton 9 Apr (MB). A 

migrant Short-eared Owl flew by the Montclair 

Hawk Watch 6 May (fide EG); another 

was late at Raritan Center 23 May (PM). A 

Northern Saw-whet Owl at Greenbrook 

Sanctuary 22 Mar was the only report (SB). 

Migrant Common Nighthawks peaked at 75 

on 15 May in Mahwah (RF); another was 

heard calling overhead in the Ironbound 

section of Newark—a historic breeding area 

30 May (MB). A Chuck-will’s-widow was 

an excellent find at Garret 9 May (BE). 

Red-headed Woodpeckers had a good 

showing with sightings at GSNWR through 

25 Apr (v.obs), 2 at Lord Stirling Park 27 Apr 

, and a possible breeder at the Woodbridge 

River Watch 31 May (TB, PM). Single 

Olive-sided Flycatchers were observed at 

Garret 9 May (BE) and Halifax Road 13 May 

(JWo). Single Yellow-bellied Flycatchers 

were seen at Oradell Reservoir (JWo) and 

GSNWR on 31 May (SL). A late Acadian 

Flycatcher was seen at South Amboy 31 

May (TB). The wintering NORTHERN 

SHRIKE at GSNWR was last seen 3 Mar 

(MH). A PHILADELPHIA VIREO at 

Garret 7 May was a rare spring find (NM). 

Common Raven sightings continue to 

increase in the region with up to 3 birds at 

Garret through the period (v.obs) and up 

to 4 at Laurel Hill County Park, including 

a breeding pair (RD). The only Horned 

Lark report was 7 at the NJ Meadowlands 

28 Mar. A Purple Martin at a cemetery in 

Bergen County 25 Apr was an uncommon 

find (JWo). Cliff Swallow colonies were 

found at South River, Point View Reservoir, 

Oradell Reservoir and New Brunswick (JWo, 

PBe). Red-breasted Nuthatch sightings 

were few with 2 at Ringwood Manor 18 Mar 

(CH) and 1 at Garret 9 May. Twelve Winter 

Wrens were at Garret 18 Apr (CT). A high 

count of 5 Gray-cheeked Thrushes was at 

Garret 21 May (SS). Garret also had the 

high count of 12 Swainson’s Thrushes 12 

May (CT) and a high count of 75 Hermit 

Thrushes 18 April (CT). Twenty American 

Pipits were recorded at Glenhurst Meadows 

8 Mar (MN). 

There were three sightings of Black-headed Gull at South Amboy this spring, including this 

one 12 Apr. Photo/Nerses Kazanjian 

WARBLERS – FINCHES 

The season high count for Blue-winged 

Warblers was 12 at Stony Brook-Millstone 

Watershed 29 Apr (SM). A “Lawrence’s” 

Warbler returned for a second season at the 

Kay Environmental Center in Chester 3 

May+ (v.obs). Three Tennessee Warblers 

were at Garret 10 May (RF). Ten Nashville 

Warblers were at Garret 4 May (RF) and a 

late individual was at DeKorte 31 May (NM). 

An impressive 24 Northern Parulas visited 

Garret 11 May (NM). A high count of 15 

Chestnut-sided Warblers was at Baldpate 

Mt 6 May (SM). Cape May Warbler sight- 


This Thayer’s Gull, left, at South Amboy 29 Apr was likely a first record for Region 2, and was 

accepted by the NJBRC. Photo/Tom Boyle 

ings were numerous and widespread including 

12+ at Garret 9 May (CT) and 4 at Duke 

Farms 12 May. Twenty Black-throated Blue 

Warblers was a noteworthy tally at Garret 

9 May (TO). Twenty-five Black-throated 

Green Warblers were at Garret 2 May (CT). 

Five Blackburnian Warblers at Garret 4 May 

were the high count for the season (RF). 

Single Yellow-throated Warblers were seen 

15 May at Halifax Road (RF) and 19 May in 

South Amboy (TB). Pine Warblers peaked 

with 22 at Garret 9 Apr (CT). A high count 

of 20 Prairie Warblers was at Losen Slote 

Creek Park 26 Apr (NM). Twenty-seven 

Palm Warblers were at Garret 19 Apr (CT). 

An impressive 5 Bay-breasted Warblers 

were at Duke Farms 19 May (NM). A rare 

Cerulean Warbler was found singing at 

Hofstra Park 29 Apr (KB). A Prothonotary 

Warbler was found at Duke Island Park 22 

May (SE). A high count of 6 Worm-eating 

Warblers were at Baldpate Mt 6 May (SM). 

A SWAINSON’S WARBLER was heard at 

Hamilton Veteran’s Memorial Park 28 May 

(Chris Brown - details submitted to NJBRC). 

Seven Northern Waterthrushes were noted 

at the Celery Farm 3 May (RF) and 3 Louisiana 

Waterthrushes were at Hacklebarney SP 

31 May (CS). Five Kentucky Warblers were 

noted in the region: one singing at Garret 

12 May (BE), Baldpate Mt 20 May (CR), 

Watchung Reservation 22 May (MH), a dead 

bird at Rutgers Newark 27 April (CH), and 

another heard at Kay Environmental Center 

28 May (BB, HB). Mourning Warblers 

were sighted at the Celery Farm 19 May and 

30 May (RF), Baldpate Mt 20 May (CR), 

GSNWR 24 May (PBe), and Woodbridge 

River Watch 31 May (TB, PM). A high 

count of 8 Hooded Warblers was found at 

the Elizabeth Kay Center 24 May (PBu). A 

duo of Wilson’s Warblers was observed at 

the Celery Farm 12 May (RF) and at LSP 

the same day (SL). Four Canada Warblers 

at Garret 20 May was the season high count 

(SL). Single Yellow-breasted Chats came 

from Baldpate Mt 27 Apr and 22 May (both 

SM) and Six Mile Run 15 May. 

A Vesper Sparrow was spotted at GSN- 

WR 17 Apr (JG) and another was at Tourne 

County Park 1-3 May (TV). A Grasshopper 

Sparrow was observed at Hofstra Park 29 

Apr (KB); 12 were found at Negri-Nepote 

Grasslands 23 May (JB). Ten Fox Sparrows 

were at Schmidt’s Woods 13 Mar (RD). A 

single Lincoln’s Sparrow was seen at the 

Celery Farm 5 May (RF), 3 were at Garret 

12 May (BE), and another was cited on 

Halifax Road 17 May (JWo). A high count of 

8 White-crowned Sparrows was seen in the 

NJ Meadowlands 2 May (CT). A SUMMER 

TANAGER was at Overpeck 4 May (FW) 

and another was at Garret 13 May (BE). A 

WESTERN TANAGER visited a feeder in 

A “Lawrence’s” Warbler, the less common of the two Blue-winged Warbler X Golden-winged 

Warbler hybrids, was at Kay Environmental Center 3-31 May. Photo/Peter Burke 


Plainfield 14-18 Apr (HH, accepted by NJ- 

BRC). A huge flight of 500+ Rose-breasted 

Grosbeaks occurred at Garret 2 May (CT). A 

Blue Grosbeak was in Monroe Twp 12 May 

(NT); another was at Griggstown Grasslands 

17 May. A DICKCISSEL visited a Monroe 

Twp feeder 14 Mar - 3 Apr (S& WM). Twenty 

Bobolinks in Monroe Twp 12 May was the 

high count for the season (NT). Twenty-five 

Rusty Blackbirds were noted at GSNWR 13 

Apr, the high count for the region (SL). A 

Baltimore Oriole that visited a Hightstown 

feeder 2 Mar (TF) may have wintered locally. 

Purple Finch reports were low with 

a high count of 6 at Garret 22 Apr (CT). 

The WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 

invasion from the winter season continued 

into the early spring throughout the region. 

Highlights included 36 in Monroe Twp 11 

Mar , 33 in Hatfield Swamp 14 Apr, and up 

to 19 at Sayen Gardens through 24 Apr. The 

Pine Siskin invasion also continued into 

the spring season with double-digit sightings 

throughout the region. The high number 

of individuals trailed off, but evidence of 

breeding was noted with a fledgling at Garret 

9 May (BE) and juveniles seen late in the 

period in a Ridgewood yard (JWo). 

Contributors 

John Beetham, Patrick Belardo (PBe), 

Cathy Blumig, Kevin Bolton, Bill Boyle, 

Frank Budney, Hank Burke, Peter Burke 

This very young Pine Siskin was found at Garret Mountain Park on 9 May. The bird was incapable 

of sustained flight and strongly suggests nearby nesting. Photo/Bill Elrick 

(PBu), Sandra Bonardi, Tom Boyle, Michael 

Britt, Ray Duffy, Bill Elrick, Sandra Escala, 

Rob Fanning, Todd Frantz, Jim Gilbert, 

Rich Greendyk, Else Greenstone, Wayne 

Greenstone, David Hall, Mike Hiotis, 

Holly Hoffman, Claus Holzapfel, Marcia 

Ian, Nerses Kazanjian, William Keim, Simon 

Lane, Laurie Larson, Anthony Laquidara, 

Randy Little, Sharyn Magee, Stuart & 

Wendy Malmid, Neil Maruca, Pat McNulty, 

Mike Newlon, Tom Ostrand, Rick Radis, 

Christie Riehl, Chase Schiefer, Stephanie 

Seymour, Christopher Takacs, Nicholas 

Taylor, John Thieroff, Tim Vogel, Gil Wald, 

Steve Walker, Fred Weber, Bill Weiss, Joanne 

Williams (JWi), John Workman (JWo), Jim 

Wright (JWr). 

A Western Tanager that visited a Plainfield feeder in April is the first spring record for Region 

2. Photo/Linda Federico 


Twp; IBSP is Island Beach State Park, SH 

is Sandy Hook, Assunpink, Collier’s Mills, 

Great Bay Blvd, and Manahawkin all refer 

to the Wildlife Management Areas. 

North Coast Region, including Monmouth 

and Ocean Counties. 

EDITOR — Scott Barnes, Sandy Hook 

Bird Observatory, 20 Hartshorne 

Drive, Highlands, NJ 07732. e-mail: 

scott. barnes@njaudubon.org 

Coastal temperatures this spring were 

slightly cooler than average during March 

and warmer than normal in April and May. A 

heat-wave with temperature peaking around 

90 degrees occurred in late April, resulting 

in an early leaf-out of deciduous vegetation. 

Precipitation levels were below normal in 

March, well above average in April, and near 

normal in May. Along with plentiful rain 

during April, coastal locations were again 

plagued with persistent northeast winds 

unfavorable to migrants. Good landbird/passerine 

migration days this spring were Apr 

26-27, May 2, May 7-9, and May 20. 

Some stand-out birds found this spring 

included a belatedly identified Barnacle 

Goose in Barnegat that represents the latest 

record for the species in NJ; the bird had what 

appeared to be a metal band on one leg—if 

only we knew what the numbers were! 

Western Grebe—a bird that not long 

ago was extremely rare in the state, but 

SANDY HOOK MIGRATION 

WATCH TOTALS 

Black Vulture 12 

Turkey Vulture 310 

Osprey 37 

Bald Eagle 12 

Northern Harrier 81 

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1,223 

Cooper’s Hawk 248 

Red-shouldered Hawk 181 

Broad-winged Hawk 58 

Red-tailed Hawk 193 

American Kestrel 502 

Merlin 105 

Peregrine Falcon 19 

Total 2,981 

This banded Barnacle Goose photographed 

26 April became the first for Ocean and the 

latest recorded in NJ. Photo/George Snyder 

recently has been recorded almost annually 

along the north coast, lingered through 

April and a Rufous Hummingbird in Cedar 

Run successfully over-wintered there. Two 

Golden-winged Warblers were by far the 

rarest wood-warbler recorded this spring and 

are less than annual in the region. Another 

excellent find was a Western Tanager that 

turned up at a Locust, Monmouth feeder during 

March; was this bird an early migrant or 

did it winter locally, only appearing at the 

feeder during the tag end of winter? 

Abbreviations 

BLSP is Barnegat Light State Park; Barnegat 

Impoundments refers to the pools/freshwater 

wetlands of Forsythe NWR at Barnegat 

WATERFOWL – RAILS: 

A Black Brant was found at Sandy Hook 

13 May (TBo). A BARNACLE GOOSE 

photographed in Barnegat Twp 26 Apr was 

Ocean’s first and represents the new late 

departure date for this increasing vagrant to 

New Jersey (fide McB, p.a. NJBRC). Fourteen 

Tundra Swans were tallied at Stafford 

Forge WMA 8 Mar (SBr, LM). The Eurasian 

Wigeon at Belmar was last seen 12 Mar. Respectable 

regional counts of 230 Northern 

Shovelers and 200 Northern Pintails were 

made at the Barnegat Impoundments 5 Mar 

(McB, BH). The wintering Eurasian Greenwinged 

Teal at Lake Takanassee was last seen 

21 Mar (v.obs). One to two Redheads were 

noted at Lake Como in early Mar (v.obs), 

5 at the Oceanic Bridge on the Navesink 4 

Mar was the high count (TA), and 2 were 

found at Manasquan Reservoir 16 Mar (JF). 

The high count for Greater Scaup was 3,800 

at the Barnegat Impoundments 9 Apr (McB, 

BH). The wintering Harlequin Duck flock 

at BLSP numbered 40 birds 8 Mar (TM). An 

unusual composition of 14 male Common 

Eiders were off Deal 15 Mar (CM). Two Surf 

Scoters were inland during foul weather at 

Assunpink 20 Apr (AL). A concentration 

of 900 Long-tailed Ducks spent 14-21 Mar 

off Monmouth Beach (SBr, LM). A pair of 

Bufflehead was late at SH 9 May (SBr, LM). 

The Eared Grebe in Keyport remained 28 Feb – 16 Mar. Photo/Scott Barnes 


The female Barrow’s Goldeneye was last 

seen at SH 7 Mar with a “low high count” 

of 80 Common Goldeneyes (SBr, LM). A 

tardy Ruddy Duck spent 13-19 May at SH’s 

salt pond (TBo). 

Six Pied-billed Grebes were found at 

Manasquan Reservoir 23 Mar (SBr, LM) 

and 2 migrants at SH 15 May decreased to 

a single there 19 May (TBo). There was a 

good showing of Red-necked Grebes this 

spring, with about 12+ individuals noted, 

including a high of 3-4 present from SH 

south to Monmouth Beach 15 Mar (SBr, TBo, 

LM). A single Red-necked Grebe remained 

at BLSP through 28 Mar (SBg) and the only 

inland report came from Manasquan Reservoir 

16 Mar (JF). An alternate-plumaged 

Red-necked Grebe at SH 2-12 May (DJ, 

SBr) was unexpected and late. An Eared 

Grebe discovered on the last day of Feb 

remained in Keyport Harbor through 13 Mar 

(DM, ph.). The wide-ranging WESTERN 

GREBE from the winter continued in the 

Elberon/Monmouth Beach/Sea Bright area 

through 15 Mar (FW, SBr, LM, TBo) and 

was seen on the same day (specifically within 

the same hour or so) as the Western Grebe 

frequenting the south shore of Staten Island, 

finally establishing that two individuals were 

present in the Raritan Bay/North Shore area. 

A Northern Fulmar got relatively close to 

shore at 10 miles east of Beach Haven 29 

May (fide JCn). An impressive concentration 

of Northern Gannets occurred again 

this spring around SH, with the peak count of 

18,000(!) tallied 9 Apr (SC). An “overshoot” 

Brown Pelican was discovered at SH 25-26 

Apr (MN, L. Matula). Eleven American 

Bitterns were noted this spring, with the 

arrival at Wreck Pond 7 Mar (PJ); all other 

reports came from SH including a high of 3 

on 1 May (TBo). Least Bitterns continue 

to breed at SH’s north pond, where up to 

3-4 individuals were noted this May (PD, 

TBo, JD). Four single migrant Little Blue 

Herons were detected at SH during late 

Apr-early May (v.obs) and the high count 

of 3 came from Reedy Creek 3 May (BR). 

Four Tricolored Herons were migrants at 

SH 19 Apr-11 May (v.obs) and another was 

at Conaskonk Point 27 May (NK). Migrant 

Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were noted 

at SH 25 Apr (MN), 1 & 3 May (both TBo); 

another individual in Manasquan 31 May 

was probably a local breeder (BR). The vanguard 

Osprey appeared at Ocean Gate 9 Mar 

Thayer’s/Iceland gull – The jury remains out, probably forever, on the identity of this gull 

found at Belmar March 9. It is either a second cycle dark “Kumlien’s” Iceland Gull, a Thayer’s 

Gull, or it could be a hybrid. Photo/Linda Mack 

(BB). A Swallow-tailed Kite was reported 

without details over Deal Lake 10 May (BD). 

Two Mississippi Kites were found at SH 9 

May (LM, SBr, et al). A juvenile Sharpshinned 

Hawk was a late migrant at Hazlet 

28 May (TBo). A Rough-legged Hawk at 

Cedar Bonnet Island 22 Mar was the only 

report (CS). A Virginia Rail found at SH 

21 Mar was though to have over-wintered; 

a migrant was at noted there 11 May (TBo). 

The only Sora reported was a single at Belford 

Marsh 9 May (TBo). A Common Moorhen 

lingered at SH 6-9 May (TBo, SBr). 

SHOREBIRDS – SHRIKES 

An early Whimbrel was at Sea Bright 

15 Apr and a late Whimbrel was found 

at SH 27 May (both TBo). A high of 100 

Red Knots was observed at Great Bay Blvd 

WMA 24 May, including two birds banded 

in Tierra del Fuego, Chile in 2007 and a 

third individual banded in Delaware in 2001 

(VS, LM, SBr). Another Red Knot banded 

in 2008 in Chile was noted at IBSP 25 May 

(AT). Four White-rumped Sandpipers were 

tallied at Conaskonk Point 27 May (NK). SH 

hosted a late Wilson’s Snipe 12 May (TBo). 

A Red-necked Phalarope was a nice find at 

Dorbrook Park 29 May (AS). 

A light-morph adult Parasitic Jaeger 

blasted past SH 7 May (TBo). The only Little 

Gull found this spring was a first-year bird 

at SH 13-14 May (TBo, SBr). A first-year 

Black-headed Gull was a fly-by at SH 7 Mar 

(SBr, LM) and 3 individuals tallied at SH 23 

Apr were an all-time site high (SC). A late 

first-year Black-headed Gull was detected at 

Belford 25 May (LM, SBr). Twelve Iceland 

Gulls were recorded this spring—all coastal, 

including adult birds at Shark River 1 Mar 

and Elberon 2 Mar (both SBr, LM). All other 

Iceland Gulls were first-year birds, including 

one at SH 15-19 Apr (TBo, VS) and a late 

individual at SH 9 May (VS, et al). Lesser 

Black-backed Gull was found in low numbers 

this spring. The species is a low-density 

winter resident at several locations along 

the north shore, including Wreck Pond and 

Shark River. Two second-year “less-backs” 

and an adult were riding out foul weather 

at SH 14 May (SBr) and another was noted 

at Conaskonk Point 23 May (CH). It was 

a better than average season for Glaucous 

Gull, with seven birds recorded. The 28th 

of March must have been a migration day 

for Glaucous Gulls, when singles were noted 

at SH (SC), BLSP (SBg), and Manasquan 

Inlet (BR). Another bird was noted at SH 

19 Apr (VS) and a late bird spent 9-12 May 

there (VS, TBo). The last Glaucous Gull was 

noted at Conaskonk Point 12 May (SBr). 

The vanguard Caspian Tern flew by SH 7 

Apr (PB) and 2 late migrants were noted at 

SH 31 May (SBr, LM). Two Royal Terns at 

SH 14 May was the only report (TBo). Up 

to 7 Black Terns were tallied at SH 4-5 May 

(SC, SBr, LM). An early Black Skimmer 

was reported at BLSP 22 Mar (CS). 


Nine Black-billed Cuckoos were found, 

mostly from SH during early May (v.obs); 2 

individuals were noted at Collier’s Mills 20 

May (BR). A new location for Barred Owl 

has been discovered at Hartshorne Woods, 

where 1-2 birds were calling this spring (fide 

SS). Two Short-eared Owls were noted at 

Big Brook Park in Marlboro 1 Mar (AL) and 

a late migrant was detected at Manahawkin 

2 May (BH). The “low high count” of Common 

Nighthawks was 6 over Hazlet 17 May 

(TBo). Sandy Hook recorded its all-time 

high count of 4 Chuck-wills-widows 9 May 

(SBr, LM). Another Chuck-wills-widow was 

heard at SH 17 May (TBo). Somewhat out 

of place was a singing Whip-poor-will near 

Wreck Pond 24 Apr (TL). 

The first-year male RUFOUS HUM- 

MINGBIRD successfully over-wintered in 

Cedar Run and was last seen 1 Mar (DD). 

A Red-headed Woodpecker graced SH 30 

Apr (CZ) and 2 birds were found in Allaire 

SP 6 May (JCr). The vanguard Olive-sided 

Flycatcher of the season was found at SH 

13 May (SC) with a high of 3 there 17 May 

(RF, TBo). Additional Olive-sided Flycatchers 

were noted at SH 19-20 May (JLe, BS) 

and 23 May (SBr, LM). It was a poor spring 

for migrant empidonax flycatchers. Single 

Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were recorded 

at SH 15 May (TBo, SB), Bay Head 27 May 

(BR), and SH 30 May (PD). An Acadian 

Flycatcher at Allaire SP 9 May was probably 

a local nester (BR). Lone Alder Flycatchers 

were identified by song at SH 21 & 31 May 

(both SBr) and 2 Alder Flycatchers were 

detected at SH 31 May (S&WM). A “low 

high count” of 4 Least Flycatchers was made 

at SH 6 May (TBo). A SHRIKE sp. was 

seen in Berkley Twp, Ocean 13 Apr (DD). 

An early White-eyed Vireo was found at 

SH 14 Mar (DP) and is the second year in 

a row for this species to appear here much 

earlier than normal. Seven Yellow-throated 

Vireos were detected at SH 27 Apr—8 May 

(PD, TBo, SBr). The high count of Blueheaded 

Vireos was 4 at SH 19 Apr (VS) and 

3 birds were on the late side there 16 May 

(SBr). Four Warbling Vireos at SH 25 Apr 

(MN) and 3 at SH 8 May (TBo) were good 

totals for this scarce coastal migrant. Lessthan-annual 

in spring, a PHILADELPHIA 

VIREO was photographed at IBSP 23 May 

(DB). Two thousand Blue Jays were recorded 

at SH 26 Apr (BF). Now a nearly annual 

spring visitor, a Common Raven flew past 

the Sandy Hook Migration Watch 25 Apr 

(SC). A Cliff Swallow at SH 15 May was 

the only report (SBr). 

TITMICE – SISKINS 

Unusual on barrier islands/peninsulas, a 

Tufted Titmouse was noted at SH 24-26 Apr 

(TBo). The high count for Winter Wren was 

Philadelphia Vireo is less than annual in spring, so this one beautifully captured 22 May at 

Island Beach State Park is noteworthy. Photo/David Blinder 

8 birds at SH 24 Apr (TBo). An excellent 

total of 100 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers was 

tallied at SH 26 Apr (TBo). There were 10+ 

Gray-cheeked Thrushes at SH this spring 

from 8-31 May, mostly singles (v.obs). Two 

Gray-cheeked Thrushes were there 19 

May (TBr) and 4 were at the hook 24 May 

(TBo). Twenty Swainson’s Thrushes at SH 

15 May was the high count this spring (SBr). 

SH had 14 Wood Thrushes 8 May (TBo). 

The arriving American Pipit was noted at 

Allaire SP 7 Mar (BR) and 11 others for the 

season included 4 at SH 1 May (TBo). A 

holdover from winter, the SH BOHEMIAN 

WAXWING was last seen 7 Apr—a near 

record late date for NJ (TBo). 

Very rare were 2 GOLDEN-WINGED 

WARBLERS discovered at SH 7 May (SBr, 

TBo, PD); years often go by between spring 

records of this species along the north coast. 

Four Tennessee Warblers were recorded 

at SH 4-17 May (JCr, PD, et al). Seven 

Nashville Warblers were found at SH 6 

May (TBo). The high count for Northern 

Parula was 15+ at SH 27 Apr (PD). Ten 

Chestnut-sided Warblers were tallied at 

SH 20 May (PD). A Cape May Warbler 

was found at BLSP 8 May (DD) and 4 were 

detected at SH 12 May (TBo). There were 

34 Blackburnian Warblers found this spring 

with the arriving bird at Natco Lake 26 Apr 

(TBo) and a high of 3 at SH 15 May (SBr). 

A Prairie Warbler at SH 31 Mar was a bit 

early (TA). The first Bay-breasted Warbler 

appeared at SH 8 May (SBr) where 6 birds 

were found 16 May (TBo). Thirty American 

Redstarts were noted at SH 31 May (SBr, 

LM). Prothonotary Warbler sightings came 

from Jackson Twp on the early date of 5 Apr 

(TC, ph), SH 26 Apr (RF, TBo), and Hazlet 

1 May (TBo). Four Worm-eating Warblers 

was the high count at SH 7 May (TBo); a 

late migrant was detected at Bay Head 21 

May (BR). A singing Swainson’s Warbler 

was heard at SH 23 May (SBr, LM, et al). 

Locally rare was a migrant Louisiana Waterthrush 

at SH 18 Apr (TBo); another at 

Allaire SP 19 Apr may have been a breeder 

(BR). Always rare in the region, a Kentucky 

Warbler graced SH 8 May (TBo). Six 

Mourning Warblers was low season total, 

with the arrival (!!) at Bay Head 27 May 

(BR) and a high of 3-4 at SH 31 May (JD, 

SBr, LM, S&WM). Nine Hooded Warblers 

were recorded this season at SH with 2 birds 

arriving there 17 Apr (TBo; fide SBr). Six 


Wilson’s Warblers were tallied at SH 20 

May (PD). An excellent count of 15 Canada 

Warblers was noted at SH 20 May (PD). 

There were six migrant Yellow-breasted 

Chats recorded at SH this spring 7-22 May 

(v.obs); 3 singing Yellow-breasted Chats at 

Assunpink 18 May were likely breeders at a 

traditional site (SBr, LM). 

An early “overshoot” male Summer 

Tanager was found in Belmar 5 Apr (NT). 

Other Summer Tanagers were found at 

Sandy Hook 8 May (S&WM), BLSP 8 May 

(DD), and SH 20 May (S&WM). A male 

WESTERN TANAGER visited a Locust 

feeder 6-18 Mar (JL; PB, SB, LM). A migrant 

Grasshopper Sparrow visited SH 15 

May (TBo). Eight Seaside Sparrows was a 

high count of migrants at SH 4 May, where 

the species doesn’t breed (JCr). Thirteen 

Lincoln’s Sparrows this spring were found 

mostly at SH, where 4 were detected 24 May 

(TBo); the only report elsewhere was of one 

at Bay Head 8 May (BR). White-crowned 

Sparrows peaked at SH 8 May, when an 

excellent total of 30+ were recorded (TBo, 

SBr). A late White-throated Sparrow was 

noted at SH 31 May (S&WM). A probable 

White-throated X White-crowned 

Sparrow was photographed at SH 8 Mar 

(TBo). A late Dark-eyed Junco was at SH 

8 May (SBr). A possible Dark-eyed Junco 

X White-throated Sparrow was found at SH 

27 May (TBo, SB). A Lapland Longspur 

was found at Monmouth Battlefield SP 8 Mar 

(AL). One hundred fifty Snow Buntings at 

SH 7 Mar were probably staging migrants 

(RK). Rose-breasted Grosbeaks peaked 

at 20 individuals at SH 8 May (SBr). A 


This Western Tanager appeared at a feeder in Locust, Monmouth 6-18 Mar may have wintered 

locally. Photo/John Lewis 

non-breeding male Blue Grosbeak was an 

overshoot at SH 29 Mar (SC). Other Blue 

Grosbeaks were found at SH 7 May (TBo, 

PD) and Thompson Park 16 May (DT). An 

immature male Dickcissel spent 5-7 Mar at 

a Toms River feeder (BB). The spring’s first 

Rusty Blackbirds arrived at SH and Allaire 

SP 8 Mar (JS, JM); other Rusty Blackbird 

reports were of singles at Navesink 31 Mar 

(SBr), Bay Head 2 Apr (BR), Allaire SP 

7 Apr (BR), and 4 at SH 17 Apr (TBo). 

Higher Baltimore Oriole counts were 15+ 

at SH 27 Apr (PD) and 30+ at SH 8 May 

(SBr). Seven Purple Finches were recorded 

this spring, all coastal with the departing 

bird at SH 9 May (LM). Residual Whitewinged 

Crossbills from the winter invasion 

were 3 at Thompson Park 3 Mar (AS), 2 at 

7 Apr was the last date this Sandy Hook Bohemian Waxwing was reported, a near-record late 

date for NJ. Photo/Tom Boyle 

Pullman Ave, Elberon 9 Mar (SBr, LM), and 

a male visited a Tinton Falls feeder 4 Apr 

(RRp). Two Common Redpolls were found 

at SH 15 Mar (RF; RRd) and a flyover went 

past the Sandy Hook Migration Watch 31 

Mar (SBr, SC, VS). Higher counts of Pine 

Siskins were 25 at Huber Woods 11 Mar 

(SS) and 35 at Manasquan Reservoir 23 

Mar (SBr, LM). The last migrant siskins 

were 2 at SH 9 May (SBr, LM). Three Pine 

Siskins found at DD’s Cedar Run feeder 27 

May exhibited behavior suggestive of two 

parents feeding a youngster; Pine Siskins 

breeding far south of their normal range are 

not unusual after huge irruptions such as the 

winter of 2008-2009. 

Contributors 

Trina Anderson, Pete Bacinski, Steven 

Bagen, Scott Barnes, McDuffy Barrow, John 

Beetham, David Blinder, Tom Boyle, Tom 

Brown, Barbara Brozyna, Toni Canzoneri, Joe 

Corvino, Seth Cutright, Bill Dalton, Donna 

Desjardins, Patty Dexter, James Duffy, Rob 

Fanning, Bruce Fetz, Jack Connor, James 

Fleullan, Becky Hedden, Claus Holzapfel, 

Phil Jeffrey, Donna Juettner, Rich Kane, 

Nerses Kazanjian, Anthony Laquidara, 

Jimmy Lee, John Lewis, Thelma Loveland, 

Linda Mack, Stuart & Wendy Malmid, Jack 

McKee, Cliff Miller, Dan Morley, Mike Newlon, 

Dan Poalillo, Rick Radis, Ruth Rapkin, 

Bill Resotko, Jim Schlick, Volker Schmidt, 

Sam Skinner, Cindy Smith, Andrew Spears, 

Bonnie Strand, Nick Taylor, Dena Temple, 

Alex Tongas, Fred Weber, Carole Zeigler

Lower Delaware Valley, including 

Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, 

and Salem Counties. 

Editor—Steve Sobocinski, 3 Barkley 

Court, Marlton, NJ 08053. e-mail: 

ssobocinski@comcast.net 

March started with a snowstorm, although 

the month was dry overall and there was 

talk of a potential drought. This was averted 

quickly with a very wet April. Temperatures 

were near average throughout the period. 

The event of the season was a major passerine 

movement in the western portion 

of the region on 8 May. Both Palmyra and 

National Park were brimming with warblers 

that day. Aside from the 8 May flight, there 

were no significant weather fronts during the 

April/May passerine migration. Overall migration 

seemed average at best, with limited 

reports from Salem and Gloucester. Diving 

ducks, shorebirds, raptors, and flycatchers 

were sparsely reported. Good birds included 

Greater White-fronted Goose, a continuing 

Eurasian Wigeon, Black Skimmer, Northern 

Saw-whet Owl, Brewer’s Blackbird, Whitewinged 

Crossbill, and potentially breeding 

Pine Siskins. 

Abbreviations 

Palmyra is Palmyra Cove Nature Park; 

Piney Hollow is Piney Hollow Preservation 

Area in Franklin Twp, Glassboro Woods 

refers to the Wildlife Management Area. 

WATERFOWL – WOODPECKERS 

A Greater White-fronted Goose and 

Ross’s Goose were found in Sharptown 29 

Mar (TB). A large movement of 1,700 Snow 

Geese was headed north over Palmyra 8 Mar 

(BH). Two hundred fifty Northern Pintails 

and 75 Common Mergansers were also noted 

at Palmyra heading north 8 Mar (BH). The 

snowstorm in early March was broken by 

some very mild weather and southerly winds 

that likely produced this strong—albeit localized—push 

of waterfowl. Burlington’s first 

EURASIAN WIGEON discovered in the 

winter season was still hanging out at the 

Ramblewood Golf Course in Mount Laurel 

on 11 Mar (TB). The first Blue-winged Teal 

(4) were at Taylor’s Preserve on 21 Mar (SS). 

The Green-winged Teal high was 400 at 

Mannington Marsh 28 Mar (SB, LM); 160+ 

were noted at Palmyra 21 Mar (TB). Two 

hundred Northern Shovelers were tallied at 

Mannington Marsh 28 Mar (SB, LM). 

Diving ducks were lightly reported, possibly 

due to the general lack of coverage in 

Salem and along the Delaware in Gloucester. 

Thirty-eight Canvasbacks were noted at 

Dredge Harbor, Cinnaminson 15 Mar (TB). 

Ring-necked Duck sightings were sparse, 

with higher counts of 114 at the Piney 

Hollow 8 Mar (SS) and 100 at Whitesbogs 

on 12 Mar (BC). The high Greater Scaup 

and Lesser Scaup counts both came from 

Dredge Harbor 15 Mar, with 22 and 16 

respectively (TB). 

The expected light Common Loon migration 

showed only at Palmyra with 7 birds tallied 

25 Apr-16 May (TB, RF, AR, BR, MW). 

An intriguing sighting was a Pied-billed 

Grebe at Piney Hollow 10 May (BR, MW). 

This site’s extensive marsh habitat appears 

ideal for Pied-billed Grebe and the possibility 

of local breeding should be watched for in 

future years. A single individual at Franklin 

Parker Preserve 3 May was likely a migrant, 

although this is another potential breeding 

spot (TB). Three Horned Grebes were on 

the Delaware River in Palmyra on 8 Mar 

(BH). Singles were on the Delaware River 

in Cinnaminson on 15 Mar (TB) and 21 

Mar (SS), and Palmyra 28 Mar (TB). Rednecked 

Grebe barely made into the region 

this year. Two sightings of likely the same 

individual were on the Delaware River in 

Riverton 15 Mar (TB) and Cinnaminson 21 

March (SS). The peak of the Double-crested 

Cormorant movement was 18 Apr when 

TB counted 385+ in northbound groups 

over Palmyra. 

The only two American Bitterns were 

singles at Taylor’s Preserve 15 Mar and another 

25 Apr at Franklin Parker Preserve 

(both TB). Least Bittern was under-reported. 

This species is undoubtedly more 

common than the reports from two areas 

in Burlington. One Least Bittern spent 28 

Apr through early May at Reeve’s Bog in 

Lebanon State Forest (LL) and another was 

at Palmyra 16 May (JS). An excellent find 

was a Cattle Egret in Southampton 9 May 

(SK). This species is rare in Burlington. More 

expected were 3 at Mannington Marsh and 

6 at Fort Elfsborg Rd in Salem 19 Apr (both 

TB). The first Green Heron checked in at 

Marlton on 8 Apr (SS). A Yellow-crowned 

Night Heron in a Bordentown backyard on 

2 Apr was an exciting discovery (fide LS). 

Twenty-four Glossy Ibis were at Freas Road 

near Salem on 5 Apr (WK). 

Raptor sightings were sparse. A darkmorph 

Rough-legged Hawk was noted 

at Amasa Landing Rd 8 Mar (SB, LM). 

Red-shouldered Hawk nested yet again 

at Taylor’s Preserve (TB). Another pair 

was at Tyler Lake, Gloucester through May 

(JR), certainly raising a strong prospect of 

breeding. The only other sighting was a 

single bird at Palmyra 22-28 Mar (TB). A 

Merlin was at Mannington Marsh on 29 

Mar (TB). The status of American Kestrel 

continues to erode. A possible breeder was 

at Southampton 23 May (TB), while a pair 

was on a cavity-filled dead tree at Columbus 

Sod Farm 19 Apr (SS). The pair did 

not stick around. Ten migrants at Franklin 

Parker Preserve on 12 Apr was the highest 

count (TB). 

The locus of the rail sightings this season 

shifted to the pinelands. All sightings 

occurred at either Franklin Parker Preserve 

or Whitesbog. There was not one report 

from Salem, although this is certainly due 

to the lack of coverage there this spring. 

There were five Virginia Rails at Franklin 

Parker Preserve on 30 May 30 (TB) and 

two pairs at Whitesbogs 28 Apr (LL). A 

Sora was at Franklin Parker Preserve on 25 

Apr- 17 May, with a second individual there 

9 May (TB). 

The 8 May fallout brought 27 Solitary 

Sandpipers to a small section of Franklin 

Parker Preserve (SS). Twelve Willets were 

at Amasa Landing Rd in New Gretna 25 

May (TB). Twelve Pectoral Sandpipers at 

Pedricktown 19 Apr (TB) were one of the 

few shorebird reports from this former spring 

hotspot. TB’s sightings of Wilson’s Snipe 

show the expected migration window: 8 

at Franklin Parker Preserve 15 Mar, 14 at 

Stow Neck Road 29 Mar, and 11 at Franklin 

Parker Preserve 3 May. There were no 

sightings thereafter when potential breeding 

might occur. 

Single Iceland and Glaucous Gulls 

were tabbed at Florence 5 Mar (TL). The 

mystery of the Least Terns in the pinelands 

continues. Following up on last year’s 23 

Jun sighting of a single bird at Whitesbogs, 


a pair turned up there 17-21 May (LL). Is 

this species nesting locally? A Caspian Tern 

was at Palmyra 26 April (TB). One of the 

best sightings of the season was Burlington’s 

second Black Skimmer at Amasa Landing 

Rd on May 17 (TB). This under-birded area 

in eastern Burlington and nearby Bass River 

has good potential all seasons. 

Single Black-billed Cuckoos were at 

Palmyra 2 & 16 May and Taylor’s Preserve 10 

May (all TB). A pair of Barred Owls was at 

Bear Swamp in Southampton on 5 Apr (TB). 

Although totally unreported in the winter 

season, a Northern Saw-whet Owl turned 

up at Franklin Parker Preserve 28 Mar (TB). 

A Whip-poor-will was at Woodford Cedar 

Run Refuge 11 Apr (DD). A Red-headed 

Woodpecker heading north at Palmyra 24 

May was an unusually late migrant. Other 

Red-headed Woodpeckers were found at a 

traditional site in Lebanon State Forest (fide 

LL), Bass River State Forest 2-4 May (fide 

CC) and Hawkins Rd 25 Apr (DB). 

FLYCATCHERS – FINCHES 

Flycatcher sightings were sparse. Two 

Acadian Flycatchers were singing along 

Burrs Mill Rd in Southampton 16 May 

(SS). Willow Flycatchers were back early 

at National Park 8 May (SK). Two Least 

Flycatchers were at Palmyra 2 May (TB), 

and one was at National Park 8 May (SK). A 

singing Least Flycatcher was at Whitesbogs 

for three weeks until 30 May (LL). Its disappearance 

thereafter likely rules out breeding, 

although the late departure is interesting. 

The first Great-crested Flycatcher was at the 

Stavola Preserve in Pemberton 25 Apr (SS). 

The most sought-after flycatchers, Alder and 

Olive-sided, were not reported. 

Blue-headed Vireo was widely reported. 

Seven were at Palmyra 25 Apr-9 May (TB, 

WD). Yellow-throated Vireo is an uncommon 

migrant and a very local breeder in the 

region. There were two reports this season, 

migrants at Palmyra 8 May and Taylor’s Preserve 

22 May (SS). Three Horned Larks at 

the Columbus Sod Farm 23 May were probable 

breeders (DE). This bird is a presumed 

nester there in the fine habitat, but is hard 

to confirm. The first Tree Swallows were at 

Palmyra 8 Mar (BH), while the first Barn 

Swallows were back at Wheelabrator Refuge 

in Westville 5 Apr (SS). TB counted over 

300+ Barn Swallows and 21 Bank Swallows 

in a dismal weather swallow show at Amasa 


Landing Rd 17 May. The only Cliff Swallow 

sighting was at Franklin Parker Preserve 3 

May (TB). Seven Blue-gray Gnatcatchers 

at Piney Hollow 8 Apr was a nice early count 

(SS), but was dwarfed by a high of 19 on 

25 Apr at Palmyra (TB). Sixteen Hermit 

Thrushes were at Palmyra 18 Apr and 8 were 

there on 2 May (both TB). There were no 

reports of other migrant thrushes. An early 

Brown Thrasher was singing at Taylor’s 

Preserve on 29 Mar (SS). 

The peak warbler migration day was 

undoubtedly 8 May. Palmyra was loaded 

with birds. WD had 2 Tennessee Warblers, 

26 Northern Parulas, 21 Yellow 

Warblers, 7 Chestnut-sided Warblers, 11 

Magnolia Warblers, 1 Cape May Warbler, 

20 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 24 Yellow-rumped 

Warblers, 11 Black-throated 

Green Warblers, 2 Blackburnian Warblers, 

45 Black-and-white Warblers, 16 American 

Redstarts, 29 Ovenbirds and a Northern 

Waterthrush. SK had a similar experience 

at National Park. The dredge spoils area 

there yielded 16 warbler species, including 

15 Northern Parulas, 10 Magnolia Warblers, 

Bay-breasted Warbler, and 3 Blackpoll 

Warblers. This warbler fall-out might have 

been confined to the western section of the 

region, as Franklin Parker Preserve in the 

pinelands had a mere handful of migrant 

warblers on the same date. A Tennessee 

Warbler was at Marlton 31 May (RS). There 

was a smattering of early warbler sightings. 

A Northern Parula was at Medford 12 Apr 

(WD). A Black-throated Green was back at 

Wharton State Forest 11 Apr (TB). The first 

Pine Warbler appeared at Piney Hollow 8 

March (SS). Kentucky Warbler continues 

to hold on as a breeder in Burlington. One 

was back at Hawkins Rd 6 May (SK). Two 

singing birds were at the Dot & Brooks 

Evert Trail 16 May (SS) and another was 

singing the same day on Burrs Mill Rd in 

Southampton (SS). The first Worm-eating 

Warblers (two singers) were back at the 

Dot & Brooks Evert Trail 25 Apr and by 

16 May all the expected nesters were on 

territory there, including a Prothonotary 

Warbler, 4 Worm-eating Warblers, and 7 

Hooded Warblers (all SS). Eight Hooded 

Warblers were at Hawkins Rd 3 May (JS). 

Three Wilson Warblers migrated through 

Palmyra 9-16 May (TB). 

A Summer Tanager at Glassboro Woods 

25 May was an excellent find and an interesting 

date for a non-breeding locale (SK). 

The first Scarlet Tanager report was from 

Pemberton 25 Apr (SS). Two American 

Tree Sparrows at Taylor’s Refuge 29 Mar 

(SS) were the only reported. 

The Columbus Sod Farm continues to 

carry an interesting mix of grassland birds. 

A Vesper Sparrow was there 25 Apr (DE). 

This is a former breeder from years ago, but 

the bird did not linger. Savannah Sparrow 

continues its year-round status, with close 

to a double-digit total of breeding territories 

(DE, PD). Two singing Grasshopper Sparrows 

returned to Columbus Sod Farm 19 

Apr (SS). An incredible count of 39 singing 

Grasshopper Sparrows was recorded there 23 

May (DE), easily surpassing the mid-May 

2008 high of 28. The Columbus Sod Farm 

was purchased by Burlington County and a 

portion will be used for the Burlington County 

Farm Fair. The remainder will be managed for 

grassland species and trails will be created. 

Hopefully, Burlington County will manage 

this ongoing project successfully. The site 

is a premier grassland breeding area and 

it would be a shame to lose it. Due to the 

ongoing construction, Burlington County has 

temporarily closed the area to the public. 

Amasa Landing produced 4 Saltmarsh 

Sparrows 25 May (TB). A Lincoln’s Sparrow 

turned up at Palmyra 9 May (WD) and the 

only migrant White-crowned Sparrow was 

at the same spot 2 May (TB). Five Whitecrowned 

Sparrows at Freas Rd in Pennsville 

28 Mar were likely wintering birds (SB, 

LM). Bobolink numbers increased this year 

at Columbus Sod Farm with 5 males and 2 

females there 23 May (DE). A singing male 

23 May in Buddtown was near a past breeding 

locale (TB). Twenty-five Bobolinks were at 

Brightview Farm 3 May (SK). Four singing 

Eastern Meadowlarks were on territory at 

Columbus Sod Farm 23 May (DE). Rusty 

Blackbird remains a bird of special concern. 

The high was 15 at Pedricktown 29 Mar 

(TB). The other sightings were at Taylor’s 

Preserve, with 9 on 21 Mar and 2 on 19 Apr 

(both SS). BREWER’S BLACKBIRDS 

again made their annual foray to Freas 

Road near Salem, with up to 5 (3 males and 

2 females) seen from 23-29 Mar (SK, SB, 

LM, JS; accepted by NJBRC). 

The White-winged Crossbill irruption 

continued into March, with sightings from 

two locations. They were present in Riverton 

as follows: 6 on 21 Mar, 8 on 22 Mar, and 3 on

Up to 5 Brewer’s Blackbirds (3 males, 2 females) 

again appeared in Salem, this season 

23-29 March. Photo/ 

24 Apr (all MT). Twenty-plus White-winged 

Crossbills were seen and photographed in 

Wharton State Forest (near the Carranza 

Memorial) 6 Mar (GH, fide TB). Pine Siskin 

sightings continued well into May. Most 

interesting was a very vocal pair over the 

Hamilton-Georgetown tract in Evesham 

on May 30 (SS). This is in close proximity 

to a likely breeding location from years ago. 

The birds could not be found in follow-up 

visits in June. Other May sightings were at 

a Tabernacle feeder 10 May (TB) and 11 

May at Glassboro Woods (SK). 

Contributors 

Tom Bailey, Scott Barnes, Lee Beam, 

Denise Bittle, Bob Confer, Cynthia Coritz, 

Bob Cunningham, Debbie Dahl, Ward 

Dasey, Mario DeAngelo, Paul Driver, Dana 

Eglinton, Ron Fry, John Gavrity, Glen 

Green, Brian Hart, Cynthia Hess, Gary 

Horn, Sandra Keller, William Keim, David 

Larsen, Tony Leukering, Len Little, Linda 

Mack, Tom Nolan, Andrew Rochat, Ben 

Rochat, Jayne Rhynard, Jim Schill, Roy 

Seneca, Lillian Shupe, Steve Sobocinski, 

Mike Testa, Matt Webster, Ted Young. 

South Coast and Delaware Bay area 

including Cape May, Cumberland, 

and Atlantic Counties. 

EDITOR — Vince Elia, CMBO R&E 

Center, 600 Rte. 47 North, Cape May 

Court House, NJ 08210. e-mail: vince. 

elia@njaudubon.org 

The spring birding season in southern 

New Jersey is really a combination of three 

distinct bird groups: late winter lingerers, 

northbound migrants, and local breeders. 

You’ll find all three represented in the following 

write-up. However, the entire time 

span does encompass a period of migration, 

from waterfowl and gull movement very 

early, to shorebirds and passerine movements 

from April through late May. Spring 

weather patterns in the south Jersey region 

are not as critical to migration, or maybe not 

as easily interpreted, as in fall so parsing the 

weather and its effect on bird movements 

is more tenuous. In general it boils down to 

the fact that southerly winds are better than 

anything else. 

There were a number of rare, wayward, 

and/or directionally challenged species during 

the period. Included were: Black-bellied 

Whistling-Duck, Cackling Goose, Eurasian 

Wigeon, Red-necked Grebe, White-faced 

Ibis, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, 

Yellow Rail, American Avocet, Blacknecked 

Stilt, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, 

Sandwich Tern, Eurasian Collared-Dove, 

Snowy Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Say’s 

Phoebe, Painted Bunting, and White-winged 

Crossbill. 

The Bird of the Season (or BOTS) award 

was well contested, leading to four finalists: 

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Pileated 

Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, and Painted 

Bunting. The arbitrarily determined BOTS 

award this season (requisite drum-roll please) 

goes to the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. 

I extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all those 

who took the time to write down, or send 

in, their reports. 

Abbreviations 

Belleplain State Forest (BSF), Cape 

May Point (CMPt), Cape May Point State 

Park (CMPt SP), Edwin B. Forsythe (aka 

Brigantine) NWR (BNWR), Hidden Valley 

Ranch (HVR) Higbee Beach (HB), South 

Cape May Meadows (SCMM), Stone Harbor 

Point (SHPt), Turley Point (TPt), Two Mile 

Beach (TMB), and West Cape May (WCM). 

Note that Cape Island refers to the entire 

geographic area south of the Cape May canal. 

Also: multiple observers (m.obs) and various 

observers (v.obs). 

WATERFOWL – TERNS 

One of the highlights of the spring was the 

quartet of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks 

that spent 25 May on the edge of a pond 

adjacent to the CMPt SP (fide CMBO). 

The Cackling Goose that spent late fall 

and winter around Cape Island, was last 

reported at SCMM 12 Mar (TM). Two of 

the best locales to see Tundra Swans in 

season in southern New Jersey are BNWR 

“Birds of the Season” for Region 5, these 4 Black-bellied Whistling-ducks appeared 25 May at 

Cape May Point State Park. Photo/Bob Fogg 


This was the best season on record for Swallow-tailed 

Kite, with 10 reports comprising 

perhaps 5 individuals, including 3 seen together 

over the South Cape May Meadows 

11 May. This photo is from 6 May. Photo/ 

Michael O’Brien 

up of Glossy Ibis at Beaver Swamp WMA 

reached 150 on 11 May (WK), and also attracted 

a White-faced Ibis 3-9 May (TR et 

al.). White-faced Ibis were also discovered 

at BNWR 17-31 May (SB, LM et al.), and 

on Cape Island on 30 May (KL et al.). 

There were at least 10 different reports 

of Swallow-tailed Kites around Cape Island 

White-faced Ibis is annual in Region 5, e.g. this bird 17 May at Forsythe/”Brig.” Photo/Linda 

Mack 

and Tuckahoe WMA, and respectively, 

they held 50+ 7-8 Mar (SB, LM) and 53 

on 8 Mar (JC). 

Also holdovers from the winter season 

were Eurasian Wigeons at BNWR through 8 

Mar (fide SB), and at Villas WMA through 15 

Mar (KH). The Delaware Bay shore marshes 

are awash in Green-winged Teal through 

early spring, and a representative total was 

the 750 at the Glades Wildlife Refuge 22 Mar 

(JB). A stunning total of 500+ Canvasbacks 

was reported from BNWR 22 Mar (JD), 

and 27 Redheads were tallied at BNWR 7 

Mar (fide SB). Greater Scaup topped out 

at 3520 at BNWR 19 Mar (BNWR staff), 

while Lesser Scaup totaled 6000 there 8 

Mar (SB, LM). Three King Eiders were off 

Cape May 31 Mar (MO). 

There were 150 Red-throated Loons off 

CMPt 22 Mar (MO), a fairly typical total for 

the date. Less typical were the 45 Common 

Loons tallied in active migration on 19 Apr 

(MO). Horned Grebe numbers seem to have 

declined in both spring and fall, so the 39 at 

BNWR 9 Apr is a nice total (BNWR staff). 

There were a couple of reports of the even 

scarcer Red-necked Grebe, with two off 

Cape May 25 Mar-1 Apr (MO et al.), and 

one at BNWR 6 Apr (BH). 

One or two Sooty Shearwaters were off 

Cape May in mid-May (v,obs). Typical for 

the date, though substantial in number, a 

tally of Northern Gannets numbered 4500 

off CMPt 29 Mar (MO). A predictable buildbetween 

13 Apr and 11 May (v.obs), with a 

maximum of three on the 11th (DF et al.). A 

best guess would suggest that five individuals 

may have been involved, two in April and 

three in May. Mississippi Kites maxed out 

with three on the lower peninsula 10 May 

(fide VE), with sightings ranging from 28 

Apr to 11 May (v.obs). A tally of 60 Broadwinged 

Hawks 12 May in the Cape May 

area is a good spring total (MO). 

Yellow Rail reports are becoming almost 

expected from TPt in mid-to-late April, with 

two heard there on the 24th (fide DF). A 

Black Rail was heard at the same locale 1 

May (AL). Virginia Rails totaled seven at 

TPt 1 May (DL). 

There may be no better spring shore-birding 

spot in New Jersey than at the Heislerville 

impoundment, where 1000s of shorebirds 

roost at high tide during late April and much 

of May. Some peak number from that locale 

included: 500 Black-bellied Plovers 21 May 

(KM), 600 Semipalmated Plovers 18 May 

(CV), 245 Greater Yellowlegs 22 Apr (TL), 

10,000+ Semipalmated Sandpipers 18 May 

(VE), 500 Least Sandpipers 8 May (MS), 

12,000 Dunlin 5 May (fide VE), and 5000 

Short-billed Dowitchers 21 May (MF). 

The impoundment also held an American 

Avocet from 12-16 May (PC et al.) and at 

least two Curlew Sandpipers (one male and 

one female) between 10-20 May (v.obs). 

A count of 30 Piping Plover at Sea Isle 

City 5 May was impressive (CW). A female 

American Golden-plover was observed at 

BNWR 23-24 May (SB, LM, VS). A Blacknecked 

Stilt took up residence in the SCMM 

29 Apr-10 May (m.obs). Other Black-necked 

Stilt sightings came from the Coast Guard 

ponds 1 May (MF) and 2 at BNWR 20 May 

(fide SB). A nice tally (for spring) of Lesser 

Yellowlegs was the 65 on 22 Apr from TPt 

(CV). Only two Upland Sandpipers were 

reported, 30 Apr at SCMM (RC) and 3 May 

at BNWR (MN). Typical seasonal counts of 

200 Whimbrel came from both northern 

Cape May 10 May (VZ) and from BNWR 

26 Apr (PB et al.). 

Some Delaware Bay shorebird counts 

included 1000 Ruddy Turnstones and 

2000 Red Knots at Cook’s Beach 27 May 

(DF). The high count for White-rumped 

Sandpipers came from BNWR 24 May with 

30+ tallied (SB, LM, VS). Stilt Sandpipers, 

generally quite scarce in spring, were 

represented by 1-2 at Heislerville 22-26 Apr 


The impoundment at Heislerville, Cumberland again proved its ability to attract rare shorebirds 

in spring, e.g. this American Avocet 12 May. Photo/Karl Lukens 

(v.obs), one at SCMM 6 May (DF et al.) and 

one at BNWR on 20 May (SB). 

A Little Gull was at SCMM 5 May (BF), 

and another (or the same) was off Villas 7 

May (TL). Two Black-headed Gulls were 

at East Point 15 Apr (CV). Iceland Gulls 

were represented on the more typical dates 

of 20 and 29 Mar at SCMM and CMPt (fide 

DF) respectively, and by one at SHPt 11 Apr 

(fide DF). There was another at Cook’s Beach 

on the very untypical date of 27 May (DF). 

Glaucous Gull reports, probably involving 

the same bird, came from the SCMM on 1, 

9, and 11 May (KL et al.). Roseate Terns 

were reported from SCMM on 2, 9, and 23 

May (CW, EB, et al.), though how many birds 

were involved would be a guess. A Sandwich 

Tern was also at SCMM on the 23rd (TR). 

The high count of Parasitic Jaegers was 6 

on 16 May (fide VE), though a trip on the 

Cape May-Lewes ferry was required. The 

impoundment at Heislerville, besides being 

a premier shore-birding location, holds a 

significant Black Skimmer roost throughout 

the spring, with 275 there 20 May (TL). 

The lone alcid report for the period was a 

Razorbill off CMPt 11 Mar (CV). 

reporting period, one a holdover from winter 

and the other a late winter arrival. The SHPt 

owl was present until 15 Mar (DF), while 

another was in Cape May 13 Mar (fide DF). 

Short-eared Owls were still present at Jakes 

Landing in late March, with 3 there on the 

24th (fide DF). Three Short-eared Owls 

were also noted at BNWR 19 Mar (fide SB). 

Common Nighthawks are much scarcer in 

spring than fall, so 4 on 9 May over Pond 

Creek Marsh was a nice gathering (MO). 

A very nice tally of migrant Chimney 

Swifts was the 250 around Cape Island 

18 May (MO). Red-headed Woodpeckers 

topped out with 6 at CMPt 9-10 May (MG 

et al.). A stunning sighting was that of a Pileated 

Woodpecker near New England Road 

10 Apr (DF). Much less regular in spring 

than fall, an Olive-sided Flycatcher was 

at HB 20 May (MG, TR). A sweep around 

various locales in BSF yielded a total of 34 

Eastern Pewees and 16 Acadian Flycatchers 

23 May (both MO). One of the highlights 

of the spring was a Say’s Phoebe present 30 

Apr-2 May along the dunes at SCMM (AM 

et al). An excellent total of 30 Great-crested 

Flycatchers on Cape Island 9 May (MG) no 

doubt included a number of migrants. 

A count of 35 White-eyed Vireos around 

Cape Island was remarkable 9 May (GD), 

DOVES – SISKINS 

A Eurasian Collared-Dove at SCMM 15 

May (TR) perfectly fits the May-through- 

September time-frame for this species in New 

Jersey. From a southern visitor to a northern 

one, two Snowy Owls were in evidence this 

Male (left) and female Curlew Sandpipers at Heislerville, Cumberland, with a Semipalmated 

Plover demonstrating the abundant food supply. Photo/Don Freiday 


This Roseate Tern was at the South Cape May Meadows May 29. If in doubt on a Roseate 

i.d., look for bands – almost all New Jersey Roseates are banded. Photo/Karl Lukens 

and likely consisted mostly of breeders. 

There were 9 Horned Larks in the snow at 

the Beanery 2 Mar (VE). Some nice swallow 

counts on Cape Island included 45 Northern 

Rough-winged Swallows 9 May (GD), 40 

Bank Swallows 18 May (CV), and 15 Cliff 

Swallows 9 May (RS). Tufted Titmouse is 

a bird rarely if ever reported by observers, 

but 100 were recorded at various BSF locales 

5 Apr (MO). 

A full perusal of Cape Island 18 Apr 

produced 45 Ruby-crowned Kinglets along 

with 40 Hermit Thrushes (both JG). An 

Orange-crowned Warbler that was seen at 

Davies Lake 14 Mar likely wintered in the 

area (TM). A perusal of various locales in 

BSF produced 23 Yellow-throated Warblers 

23 May (MO). A count of 40 Palm 

Warblers around Cape Island 18 Apr was 

the maximum report (VE), as was the 25 

Blackpoll Warblers around CMPt on the 

27th (LZ). 

Cerulean Warblers were encountered 26 

Apr (BF et al.) and 8 May at HB (m.obs), 

while another was on New Road, Cumberland 

6 May (fide VE). A probable Cerulean 

Warbler x Northern Parula hybrid, an 

outstanding find, was discovered 5 May at 

Head of River, Cumberland (MO, LZ). A 

high tally of 19 Worm-eating Warblers came 

from various locations around BSF 1 May 

(MO), a good indicator of a healthy breeding 


population in that area. The same date and 

general location produced 80 Ovenbirds 

(MO). Additionally, 30 Ovenbirds were 

counted in the Dividing Creek area on the 

13th (JC). Typically late as spring migrants, 

two Mourning Warblers were around CMPt 

27 May (MO). Several BSF locations collectively 

held 11 Hooded Warblers 1 May 

(MO). 

The 25 American Tree Sparrows tallied 

at BNWR 14 Mar (SG) was an impressive 

count for the region. A Vesper Sparrow 

was on territory at Buckshutem WMA 13 

May (JC), an oddity in the region whether 

successful or not. There were four Grasshopper 

Sparrows there as well on 13 May 

(JC). Migrant Grasshopper Sparrows were 

along Bayshore Road 12 May (MO) and at 

the Beanery on the 23rd (KL). There were 

5 White-crowned Sparrows along New 

England Road in the snow 1 Mar (VE). 

A count of 40 Indigo Buntings on Cape 

Island 9 May (GD) gives an indication of 

their relative abundance in the region. Rare 

at any time of year, but especially in spring, 

was a Painted Bunting at the Beanery 5 

May (MG). The only Dickcissel report of 

the spring was one along Bayshore Road 

12 May (MO). Up to nine White-winged 

Crossbills lingered at BNWR until at least 

21 Mar (MN, v.obs). Counts of 12 Pine 

Siskins in Galloway Township 5 Apr (JW), 

and 10 at HB 19 Apr (BF) give an indication 

of northward movement after a good winter 

for the species. 

Contributors 

Pete Bacinski, Scott Barnes, John 

Beetham, Erica Brendel, Paula Clark, Janet 

Crawford, Richard Crossley, Glen Davis, Joe 

Delasantro, Vince Elia, Bob Fogg, Don Frieday, 

Mike Fritz, Sam Galick, Mark Garland, 

Jason Guerard, Barb Hiebsch, Kathy Horn, 

William Keim, Anthony Laquidara, Dave 

Lord, Tony Luekering, Karl Lukens, Linda 

Mack, Tom Magarian, Alan Mapes, Katie 

Margo, Mike Newlon, Michael O’Brien, Tom 

Reed, Mark Schilling, Volker Schmidt, Rob 

Scranton, Chris Vogel, Chris Walters, Janis 

Weisberger, Chris Wood, Louise Zemaitis, 

Vince Zollo. 

A highlight from spring was this Say’s Phoebe 30 Apr - May 2 on the dunes at the South Cape 

May Meadows. Photo/Michael O’Brien

Fifty Years Ago — Spring 1959 

compiled by Don Freiday 

n each issue of NJB, we feature a few excerpts from 

corresponding NJAS publications half a century 

ago. The following are from New Jersey Nature INews, Volume 14, No.3, published July, 1959, which 

contains regional reports from spring, 1959. 

Wilderness Preservation – A Wilderness Preservation 

Bill was first introduced in 1956. Meeting stiff 

opposition, it has since been revised by conservation 

leaders, government administrators of Federal lands 

and critics who have studied and amended the bill 

carefully. . . The Congress recognizes that an increasing 

population, expanding settlement and growing 

mechanization, will occupy and modify all areas of the 

United States except those designated for preservation 

and protection in their natural condition. The 

preservation of such designated areas of wilderness is 

recognized as a desirable policy of the Government 

for the health, welfare, knowledge and happiness of 

present and future generations. . . .” (p. 49. Author: 

Elsie E. Weisbrod.) [Ed.’s note: Weisbrod’s article was 

a quaint but poignant call for support of the federal bill, 

which became the Wilderness Act, eventually signed into 

law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. It defined 

“wilderness” famously and poetically: “A wilderness, in 

contrast with those areas where man and his own works 

dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area 

where the earth and community of life are untrammeled 

by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not 

remain.” Currently over 100 million acres in the U.S. 

are designated as Wilderness.] 

Latest Nomenclature – “In response to many 

requests we are listing below changes in nomenclature 

based on the latest edition of the American 

Ornithologist’s Union check list of North American 

Birds. . . 

Former Name New Name 

Water Turkey Anhinga 

Old-squaw 

Oldsquaw 

Wilson’s Snipe Common Snipe 

Red-backed Sandpiper Dunlin 

Arkansas Kingbird Western Kingbird 

(p. 61. Author: Frank W. McLaughlin.) [Ed.’s note: 

this is only a partial list of the name changes McLaughlin 

listed.] 

Region 1, Sussex County and adjacent areas 

– Earliest broadwing report was February 21. (p. 65. 

Author: Mrs. Allen Black.) [Ed.’s note: With such an 

early date, this record is almost certainly wrong, but at 

least Mrs. Black used the regional editor’s time-honored 

word for such sightings: “report.”] 

Region 2, North Hill Region – During late winter 

and early spring of this year, an unprecedented flight of 

red-necked grebes occurred on the New Jersey Coast, 

and a good number of these birds appeared inland as 

well. . . Sixty-four [sic! – ed.]of these birds were seen 

in a day’s trip by several members of the Urner Club, 

who covered most of northern and northwestern New 

Jersey. (p. 66. Author: Frank P. Frazier.) 

Region 3, North Central [Ed.’s note: this region is 

now mostly included in current NJB Region 2] – Perhaps 

the outstanding feature of spring migration was a definite 

movement of red-necked grebes up the Delaware 

during the early weeks of March. One to four grebes 

were found at virtually every bridge. . . (p. 67. Author: 

Edwin D. Bloor.) 

Region 4, Lower Delaware Valley – Mrs. Betty 

Woodford, of Cedar Run Lake, counted 1,538 whippoor-will 

calls during the full moon of may – one 

sits right on her housetop. (p. 69. Author: May A. 

Middleton.) 

Region 5, Atlantic Coast and Delaware Bay – The 

most recent rarity is a Sprague’s pipit. This bird was 

seen by 21 members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological 

Club at Brigantine Wildlife Refuge on May 

10. It was in good light and painstakingly observed. 

(p. 69. Author: E. A. Choate.) 


New Jersey Audubon Society 

Headquarters 

9 Hardscrabble Road 

Bernardsville, NJ 07924 

(908) 204-8998 

web site: www.njaudubon.org 

Cape May Bird Observatory 

Center for Research and Education 

600 Route 47 North 

Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 

(609) 861-0700 

Cape May Bird Observatory 

Northwood Center 

701 E. Lake Drive, P.O. Box 3 

Cape May Point, NJ 08212 

(609) 884-2736 

Lorrimer Sanctuary 

790 Ewing Avenue, P.O. Box 125 

Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 

(201) 891-2185 

Nature center of Cape May 

1600 Delaware Avenue 

Cape May, NJ 08204 

(609) 898-8848 

Plainsboro Preserve 

80 Scott’s Corner Road 

Cranbury, NJ 08512 

(609) 897-9400 

Rancocas Nature Center 

794 Rancocas Road 

Mount Holly, NJ 08060 

(609) 261-2495 

SANDY HOOK BIRD OBSERVATORY 

20 Hartshorne Drive 

Highlands, NJ 07732 

(732) 872-2500 

Scherman-Hoffman wildlife 

Sanctuary 

11 Hardscrabble Road 

Bernardsville, NJ 07924 

(908) 766-5787 

Weis Ecology Center 

150 Snake Den Road 

Ringwood, NJ 07456 

(973) 835-2160 

Get Involved—Join 

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New Jersey Birds (NJB) - This quarterly, published by New Jersey Audubon, features articles on status, distribution 

and populations of New Jersey birds, and compiles in each issue observations on birds from each of five regions, 

called Regional Field Notes. The information is of interest to recreational birders, professionals, consultants, 

planners and government agency officials, and is useful for conservation of habitat and research projects. 

RNJB is only available as a PDF download, not as a printed publication. 

RNJB welcomes notes on distribution, status and populations of New Jersey Birds, as well as photos and short 

articles of interest to birders, such as identification or site guides. Details on submission requirements can be 

found at 

< http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionResearch/NewJerseyBirds.aspx > 

All submissions and photos should be sent to: Don Freiday, Director of Birding Programs, New Jersey Audubon’s 

Cape May Bird Observatory, 600 Route 47 North, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210; e-mail don.freiday@ 

njaudubon.org .

March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

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