March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

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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 102 — March through May, 2009
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 Vol. XXXV, no. 4 — 103
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 and 10: Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Page 11 and 12: Co. 2 birds. D. Brill*. Tagged Onta
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: This Thayer’s Gull, left, at Sout
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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