March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

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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 84 — March through May, 2009
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). Vol. XXXV, no. 4 — 85
Page 1 and 2: Birds March through May, 2009 — V
Page 3 and 4: the location; all records involve a
Page 5 and 6: Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficolli
Page 7 and 8: Ash-throated Flycatcher has become
Page 9: Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Page 13 and 14: Study Area Delaware Bay is situated
Page 15 and 16: proximity of sandy New Jersey Atlan
Page 17 and 18: Status and Trends. The peak counts
Page 19 and 20: Format of the Regional Reports Spec
Page 21 and 22: Denmark 29 Apr (RR), and another wa
Page 23 and 24: Arboretum in Morristown 5 Apr (KC).
Page 25 and 26: An Eared Grebe on Newark Bay was a
Page 27 and 28: This Thayer’s Gull, left, at Sout
Page 29 and 30: Twp; IBSP is Island Beach State Par
Page 31 and 32: Nine Black-billed Cuckoos were foun
Page 33 and 34: Lower Delaware Valley, including Bu
Page 35 and 36: Up to 5 Brewer’s Blackbirds (3 ma
Page 37 and 38: The impoundment at Heislerville, Cu
Page 39 and 40: Fifty Years Ago — Spring 1959 com

March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

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