Trip Highlights

This scheduled trip was moved up a week earlier to escape the holiday, but the forecast was rain by mid-morning in southern New Jersey, so a scant five of us decided to visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Long Island.  There were a few other birders around and one larger group.  The West Pond trail was still blocked by a breach from Storm Sandy, so we took the shorter walk straight out along the open bay, where there were many distant shorebirds and some quite close, including one Pectoral Sandpiper and a few Oystercatchers.  We turned to see a group of birders approach and noticed a Clapper Rail standing in the trail before it scampered across the causeway and into the reeds on the other side.  We visited a Barn Owl nesting in a box at a blind where we could see the mother moving around through the hole and a little bit of fluff from the baby.  At the East Pond we scanned for Shovelers, Coot, many Ruddy Ducks, and some Glossy Ibis.  

The rain was heavy at times until we got to Brigantine, where it had let up to a drizzle, but with the wind still brisk.  The south loop was open only to the tower and the tide was low.  The ocean side channel mudflats were covered with mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers, but among them were good numbers of Dowitchers, Dunlin, Willets, Turnstones, and Semipalmated Plovers.  Among the Forster’s Terns and Laughing Gulls were a hundred Black Skimmers, some feeding, but most huddled on a sandbar inside the dike.  Other birds present were Glossy Ibis, Great and Snowy Egrets, Cormorants, an adult Bald Eagle, Ospreys, a Green-winged Teal, and swallows.  At the end we found a big flock of 60 Whimbrels on a sandbar with some calling loudly.        

The next day was cloudy, with some rain showers, but we headed for the Belleplain State Forest, where we stopped to find birds still singing in profusion.  We heard Yellow-throated Warbler right away, plus Acadian Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, and many familiar birds.  At triangle we met up with another group from Westchester Bird Club in Pennsylvania who were very friendly and helpful with information and scopes.  We heard a Worm-eating Warbler among the many Pine Warblers, and good looks at several Hooded Warblers.  When we caught up to the other group, they were watching Summer Tanagers.  One of the group told us about a Prothonotary Warbler at campsite 11, which we got to see well after some searching.  After returning to Cape May for lunch, we returned north to Reeds Beach, where we found the spectacle of shorebirds and gulls as the tide started to fall.  Laughing Gulls and Red Knots were in the thousands, starting right at our feet and the clamor was amazing. With them were many Turnstones and Dunlin and the odd Willet and Yellowlegs.  The rain and wind got the back of our legs soaked, but it was worth it.  Later at the Wetlands Institute there were much needed restrooms and a lot of people, but only a few Egrets, an Osprey nest, some Ibis and Plovers, mostly seen from the Observatory.  We went south through Stone Harbor to Nummy’s Island, where we stayed in the cars and saw one Little Blue Heron.  

        We tried Higbee early in the morning, but it held mostly resident species, including many White-eyed Vireos singing.  A bird perched on a small dead tree singing vigorously turned out to be an immature Blue Grosbeak.  Then we went to Cape May Meadows, where we watched a reported Red-necked Phalarope male twirling at the back of the pond.  Other birds there were egrets, terns, various expected shorebirds, Ibis, Oystercatchers, Killdeer, Green Heron in flight and Purple Martins.  On our way north we stopped at Jake’s Landing, where the salt marsh was alive with Marsh Wrens singing and performing wild dances.  Even better was a long, close look at singing Seaside Sparrows.  We only heard one Sharp-tailed Sparrow sing, plus Virginia and Clapper Rail.  There was plenty to remember on the long ride home.

Six members of the Allen Bird Club traveled to Pomfret to enjoy a birding adventure at a new destination for our Club.  The sky was cloudy and there were a few light showers, but the birds were there.  As we crossed the meadow near the headquarters, a male Bobolink rose from the grasses and gave us a display.  We heard two Black-billed and one Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling.  There were five different flycatchers: Eastern Kingbirds, Eastern Phoebes, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatchers and Eastern Wood-Pewee.  There were several Wood Thrushes and Veeries, but the best display was put on by several pairs of Eastern Bluebirds posing on their nest boxes.  We found a nesting pair of Blue-winged Warblers as well as two singing males.  In the woods along the ravine were a Scarlet Tanager and an Indigo Bunting.  One curious sight was a female Tree Swallow trying to figure out how to get a long stick through the hole of her nest box.  It took several tries, but she succeeded.
After we were done birding, three of us drove to the famous Vanilla Bean Café in downtown Pomfret for an al fresco lunch.  We had left Ludlow at 7:00 in the morning and were back home by two in the afternoon.

The 20 participants were ready to go and the trip started off well at the spillway with a ravenous Raven (juvenile) being fed by an adult.  Also there was a pair of perched Rough-winged Swallows at eye level.  We soon saw the first of many Towhees, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Indigo Buntings and Ovenbird.  A cooperative Swainson's Thrush approached our large group within 30 feet as we walked down to the water.  It repeated its approach on our return, making us wonder who was studying whom.  Heard but not seen were Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Least Flycatcher, Prairie Warbler and Wood Thrushes.  It ended up being a five hour walk, but nobody seemed like quitting until our tally was 53 species and our batteries ran out.  Thanks to Tim, Jan, Donna, Howard & Pete for all their help.

Eleven birders, including leaders, enjoyed our visit to this wetland area.  As soon as we exited our vehicles, we were hearing the first of many Blue-winged Warblers.  During the walk to the second entrance gate, birds seemed to be teed up everywhere - Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Catbirds, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers belted out their songs.  Perhaps the best sighting here, though, was a resting Common Nighthawk.  It perched on a nearby sycamore limb completely oblivious to the onlookers.  As we walked the trail down to the water and the loop by the marshes, everyone became very familiar with the sight and song of the Ovenbird, Woodthrush, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Several warblers - Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, Redstarts, and Yellow - added brief bits of color to our walk.  Some in the group were able to hear the calls of a distant Black-billed Cuckoo and see a first of year/life Swainson's Thrush.  We ended our morning with a count of 48 species.

The walk was a huge success for nine participants who saw 29 species, including the target birds, Worm-eating and Cerulean Warblers!  One Cerulean was very vocal with a textbook perfect song; the other rather abbreviated and laid back. We missed seeing the female Cerulean by minutes.  Other highlights were at least three Scarlet Tanagers, some Baltimore Orioles and Indigo Buntings.  A male Black-throated Blue Warbler also showed up for all the cameras that we birders had brought along to record what were life birds for quite a few.  The wind was strong as we ascended the road, but nothing like the blasts that pelted us on the porch of Skinner House, reminding one of Mt. Washington.  The descent was a happy and snappy walk after seeing such fine birds.