This group of birds are common visitors to most wetlands and watery areas in our country. Their large size and noticeable behavior makes them recognizable to even many non-birders. They run a wide variety of sizes from the smaller white egrets to the larger Great Blue Heron, and a range of habits from the open fishing habits of the GBH to the more secretive lifestyles of both species of bitterns. Similar in form, they represent a mostly common set of feeding habits, focused mostly on fish but taking opportunities for a wide variety of other prey including small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and anything else that gets too close to their large bills.

Herons

The largest of the group, the Great Blue Heron is also one of the most recognized by most early birders. Their large size and dramatic coloration make them extremely noticeable in a variety of habitats, and they are one of the more common of the herons, though the white morph of the species has a more limited range to southern Florida (where I was lucky enough to see a single specimen).

The medium-sized herons – Tricolored Heron and Little Blue Heron – are more common further south, although I have seen them both in NJ.

However, my best opportunity to see both species occurred in Texas – this immature little blue at Laguna Atascosa…

…and an incredibly close-up and personal view of the tricolored at Estero Llano State Park, where Shari and I were treated to a clinic as this heron deftly plucked fish after fish out of the water in front of us.

The more secretive Green Heron is a relatively common bird in our area – but common does not mean very often seen. They manage to blend in with their surroundings – wooded marsh and stream edges – and flush suddenly when disturbed, often giving a birder a quick view as the bird disappears. I’ve been lucky a couple of times to sit and watch them as they slowly walked along a shoreline or branch searching for food.

Note: there is also another species of heron – the Western Reef Heron which has been seen several times in the U.S., including in my general area. I’ve never seen one, and since they essentially an accidental species I didn’t include them here.

Egrets

Similar to herons – and in most ways essentially the same except taxonomically – egrets tend to be more primarily white birds with longer plumes during breeding. However, like everything birding this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule – the Reddish Egret has a strong coloration although they do have a white morph. Of the four species of egret in U.S., most of them tend to be on the small side. However, the aptly-named Great Egret is a large white bird with a dramatic yellow bill. I love visiting Forsythe NWR where these birds can run into the dozens and possibly hundreds during breeding season.

Mixed in with the large flocks of great egrets are usually large numbers of Snowy Egrets, relative miniature versions of the former bird. Snowy white – as per their name – they are smaller with black bills and black legs with gaudy yellow feet which give them a comical look. But when seeing them in full breeding plumage with their long plumes, they are a truly beautiful bird.

A more rare species is the Cattle Egret, a once-common bird in the NJ area that has become a rarer site – to the point where it usually makes the birding lists when sighted. A less dramatic white than the other two egrets, its brownish breeding plumage creates a unique and interesting outfit. Sadly, while I used to see these all the time as a kid, I’ve only had a couple of chances since I started birding.

The last of the egrets is a species that is rarely seen as far north as New Jersey, but was common during our visit to Texas a few years back – the Reddish Egret. This bird is notable in that it has two very distinct morphs – the colorful purple, mauve and blue dark morph and the snowy white morph. I’ve had a chance to see the dark morph as an adult, but have only been able to see the white morph as an immature bird.

Note: Another accidental bird that has been seen in our area is the Little Egret, which has been seen a few times at nearby Bombay Hook NWR, but I’ve never been able to make there during their short visits. Again, as an accidental it was worth a mention but not listed in my count.

Night-herons

I’m not sure how the night-herons fall into the whole heron group genetically, but since they’re broken out in all of the guides… Both of these species are common in my area, with several roosts located throughout the area – particularly one at the shore near Stone Harbor. The Black-crowned Night-Heron is the more common of the two, seen in many wet and wild spots throughout PA, NJ and DE.

Yellow-crowned Night Herons are less common to see but still semi-plentiful in the area, although I’ve seen more of them in the west and south. Most of the yellow-crowns I’ve seen have been immatures.

Bitterns

The last group of birds in this family are the very secretive and hard-to-spot bitterns Both American and Least Bitterns are found in my area, most often hidden in the high grasses along various bodies of water (mostly ponds and lakes). I’ve seen both species but their secretive nature and the fact that they blend so masterfully into their environment makes them hard to see even when they are right in front of you (to the point where I was literally standing only 2-3′ from one and missed him until someone kindly pointed it out to me).

The American bitterns are common at Forsythe NWR, where they breed and sometimes come out onto the mud flats to feed.

However, my best opportunity was when we found a bittern hanging out by the pond on Jen’s Trail. I’m not sure if the bird was ill or just didn’t care about us, but we were able to get within a few feet of it (I was told that he was there for a few days afterward not looking all that worse for wear so he might have been just very tolerant). It was a great experience, especially for such a hard-to-see bird.

Most of my chances to see the least bittern have also been at Forsythe NWR, although the aforementioned ‘hidden-in-plain-site’ bird was seen at John Heinz NWR. Frustratingly, even though it was so close I was unable to get any pictures so it represents one of the only 2 birds of this group I don’t have a photo record of.

The Pelecaniformes are probably the most diverse group on this list, encompassing 5 families of distinct birds. The whole group consists of fish-eating birds who live and spend a majority of their time in or around water, across the United States. I’ve been lucky enough to see a large number of them although I’ve yet to have a quantifiable ID of any of those in Sulidae yet.

Pelicans

I get to see Brown Pelicans every year in NC flying over my parents beach house — and yet it’s still hard to get a really killer shot (at least one that I find to be killer). White Pelicans are less common – I have to head much further south to see them. But either one is very cool – these huge, lumbering tanks of birds flying low over the waves, wing tips just barely touching.

Anhinga

Anhinga are a rare bird for me – I’ve only seen them in Florida and Texas, and only had a single change to photograph them – not my best work.

Cormorants

Cormorants are a frequent visitor to NJ, so I’ve had lots of chances to see Double-crested and Great Cormorants, the latter usually hanging out at Barnegat in winter. I had never realized how common the double-crested cormorant was until I started birding in earnest and realized that they are pretty much anywhere there’s a decent-sized river, lake or coastline.

A visit to Texas got me a chance to see the Neotropic Cormorant handing out at Estero Llano State Park, actually within a few yards of the place where I saw the Anhinga pictured above.

My trip to California with my friends Patty & Al Bruno gave me awesome sightings of Brandt’s Cormorants nesting along the Monterey pier, as well as their great locating of the beautiful Pelagic Cormorant right below my feet at the Monterey Aquarium.

Gannets & Boobies

I’m fairly sure that I’ve seen Gannets at the Jersey shore, particularly at Barnegat Lighthouse, but never had an absolutely confirmed sighting – until I went to Cape May the other day. There I got to see them in several places and finally had them fly close enough for some decent pictures.

Frigatebirds

Nope, sorry – never seen one.

For many of those remaining on my list, I’m going to have to make it to Florida again, especially the keys…

Tubenoses: Albatross, Petrels, Shearwaters and Storm-Petrels

Families:Diomedeidae, Procellariidae and Hydrobatidae

# of Albatross Species: 2

# of Petrel Species: 4

# of Shearwater Species: 5

# of Storm-petrel Species: 6

Species Seen / Photographed: 0 / 0

The “Tubenoses” are a group of pelagic birds who spend much of their lives in open water, rarely coming to shore except to nest. There ranges tend to keep them away from most birders who aren’t willing to board a ship, except during migration or when storms force them toward land. Unfortunately, that has resulted in me not having seen a single species in this group – I am fairly sure I was a storm-petrel in North Carolina on evening but can’t be sure.

Sigh… one of these days…

Grebes

Family:Podicidpedidae

# of Species: 7

Species Seen / Photographed: 5 / 5

Grebes are found throughout the United States, primarily in marshy and coastal areas. Pied-billed Grebes are the most common of the group, the only species that can be found in all states at some point of the year. The majority of the grebe species breed at least partially in Canada, with only the Clark’s Grebe and Least Grebe breeding only in the U.S., the latter restricted to only a few specific locations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of southern Texas.

I’ve always enjoyed grebes, although there only few times I get to see them other the most common pied-billed grebes.

In New Jersey, we are lucky enough to get 3 species commonly – the Pied-billed, which breeds in the state and Eared Grebes and Horned Grebes, which winter and migrate through the state. Rarely, Red-necked Grebes also make appearances. I’ve never seen a Red-necked Grebe, but I’ve been lucky enough to see the other two in winter close up, and in breeding plumage from a distance a few times.

I’ve tried several times out west to see the ‘western’ grebes, but so far have only see a Clark’s Grebe in a bay in Monterey Bay, California. It popped up as a surprise amidst a group of sea otters to make an already very cool situtation even better.

But my most special grebe sighting was when we found the rare (in fact, endangered) Least Grebe at the now (sadly) closed Sabal Palm Audubon Center. The center was known to be a place where they were seen, and we found a pair of them near the beginning of our visit and had some great chances to get wonderful looks at these interesting birds.

But the highlight was that we watched the pair building their nest, dragging sodden reeds from the water and pushing them into place. We watched and photographed them for a while, then decided to give them some peace. After wandering around the park for a while, we wanted to check in on the pair on our way out — and were surprised to find that they had laid an egg! It was a great experience that remains one of my most treasured birding moments.

The first category of birds in the guide is the LOONS.

Loons

Family: Gavidae

# of Species: 5

Species Seen / Photographed: 3 / 3

Loons are primary northern birds, with 4 of the 5 species spending the majority of their time in northern climates (Maine, Washington, Canada). For me, the majority of my loon sightings are at Barnegat Light, where I have seen quite a number of Common Loons and Red-throated Loons. Common loons are just what the name implies – the more commonly seen version, and the source of the famous loon call heard in many movies.

The red-throated loon is a less common visitor to Barnegat and a joy to see. They’re sleeker than the common loon, with a more bullet-like form.

I’ve also been fortunate to see a Pacific Loon in Monterey Bay, CA during my visit there last may.

Here is my list as I’ll tackle it over the next few months.

I. Loons (3/23)

II. Grebes (4/9)

III. Albatross, Petrel, Shearwaters & Storm-Petrels (4/9)

IV. Pelicans, Anhinga, Cormorants & Gannets (4/13)

V. Herons, Egrets & Bitterns (5/2)

VI. Wading Birds (Ibis, Spoonbills & Stork)

VII. Swans & Geese

VIII. Ducks

IX. Sea Ducks

X. Raptors
X.A Eagles
X.B Falcons
X.C Hawks
X.D Vultures

XI. Gamebirds

XII. Coots, Cranes & Rails

XIII. Shorebirds
XIII.A Large shorebirds
XIII.B Peeps

XIV. Jaegers & Skuas

XV. Gulls

XVI. Terns & Skimmers

XVII. Alcids

XVIII. Pigeons

XIX. Doves

XX. Parrots

XXI. Cuckoos, Anis & Roadrunners

XXII. Owls

XXIII. Goatsuckers & Swifts

XXIV. Hummingbirds

XXV. Trogons

XXVI. Kingfishers

XXVII. Woodpeckers

XXVIII. Tyrant Flycatchers

XXIX. Shrikes

XXX. Vireos

XXXI. Jays & Magpies

XXXII. Crows & Ravens

XXXIII. Larks

XXXIV. Swallows

XXXV. Chickadees, Titmice & Bushtits

XXXVI. Nuthatches & Creepers

XXXVII. Wrens and Dippers

XXXVIII. Old-World Warblers, Gnatcatchers & Kinglets

XXXIX. Thrushes

XXXX. Catbirds, Mockingbirds and Thrashers

XXXXI. Starlings & Mynahs

XXXXII. Wagtails & Pipits

XXXXIII. Silky Flycatchers & Waxwings

XXXXIV. Wood Warblers I

XXXXV. Wood Warblers II

XXXXVI. Tanagers & Cardinals

XXXXVII. Grosbeaks

XXXXVIII. Sparrows

XXXXIX. Juncos

XXXXX. Towhees

XXXXXI. Blackbirds, Grackles, Cowbirds & Bobolinks

XXXXXII. Meadowlarks & Orioles

XXXXXIII. Crossbills

XXXXXIV. Old World Sparrows

XXXXXV. Other International Species

From the start, it was obvious that the bugs were going to be the highlight of my visit. When I checked out the planting strip along the main road into the park, there were butterflies everywhere — hundreds of cabbage whites flittering between 2 large butterfly bushes and numerous other smaller flowering plants. I would estimate that each butterfly bush head 3 dozen butterflies, and one of the smaller bushes – probably no taller than 2 fee tall – was literally covered with them: probably 30-40 butterflies creating a cloud of life around the flowers.

I started at the small pond near the entrance, where several dragonflies were occupying the edges of the pond. Unfortunately, they were just a bit too far out into the muck to get any clear shots. I then started walking into the big pit, where I was greeted by a legion of different bees – dozens of large cicada killers and what seemed like thousands of smaller digger wasps buzzing around the sandy terrain looking for places to build their lairs. Strangely, despite all of these bees buzzing around, I never felt at risk from a sting – they seemed far too busy looking for each other than me. However, I did have an interesting moment when a red admiral landed on me — repeatedly, in fact — taking up position on my socks and hitching a ride for a while.

After an interesting but fairly birdless run around the pit, I started heading back toward the park proper, past the “warbler” pit which lived up to its name with several yellow warblers running around a mimosa next to the trail. Several other birds – notably catbirds – were also all over the place. In the air over the pit, I watched as a Cooper’s Hawk (which has a nest in the park) harassed a turkey vulture which must have passed too close to its nest. I’ve seen other birds mob hawks, but never seen a hawk take its turn.

As I walked along the trails in the woods, I was constantly mobbed by cabbage white and Red Admiral butterflies, with 3 more landing on me while I was in the woods (including two at once, one per leg). I’ve struggled to get any butterfly to land on me, but the vast quantities of red admirals (there must have been over 300+) must have made them more friendly. My mother-in-law had mentioned to me earlier in the day that the normally plentiful stinging nettle plants throughout the park were nearly stripped by the first brood of caterpillars born of the migratory red admirals in the spring — the evidence was all over the place; I don’t think I have ever seen the park as denuded of nettle as this. The number of admirals about was pretty good evidence, as well. Combined with the admirals were a large number of blue dasher dragonflies.

Eventually, I came to the back path that leads to the beaver pond near where I always see orioles. I wasn’t disappointed, as I saw a bunch of orchard orioles in the trees as well as a single Baltimore oriole flying across the glade. The mowed trail not only held birds along its edges but also had a ton of butterflies and dragonflies along the grassy path. In a short space, I saw wandering gliders, slaty skimmers, blue dashers, pearl crescents, common checkered skippers and several other skippers, monarchs and Eastern Comma. There were several others that I was unable to identify as they rapidly moved back and forth from the brush and flowers around the trail.

At the beaver pond, the dragonflies were more plentiful than I have seen in years. Strangely, it seems like both butterflies and dragonflies have had abundant population increases this year, particularly over the paucity I saw last year. As I investigated the phragamites along the sure, I saw my first-of-year Widow Skimmers, as well as a single Common Green Darner hunting the pond edge. Several skippers I haven’t identified were fluttering amid the reeds, but the pond belonged to the numerous (25+) dragonflies. On my way out, I stopped to look at the catalpa trees on both sides of the path. Some looked as though they had been ravaged by locusts, while others appeared nearly untouched by the annual population of catalpa moth caterpillars; however, at first glance I couldn’t see any of the caterpillars on the trees. Eventually, however, I saw some hanging on the undersides of the leaves, staying out of the heat. And most of them were in turn being affected by a second annual visitor to the park and a scourge to the caterpillars – braconid wasps who lay their eggs on the caterpillars in great numbers. Nearly every caterpillar I saw had a significant number of parasitic wasp eggs, although a few were ‘clean’.

Alas, it was getting toward noon and I needed to start heading out. But the park wasn’t ready to stop offering interesting tidbits here and there. An Eastern Towhee challenged me when I dared reply to his call, and an Indigo Bunting surprised me with a visit. As I was walking down the path toward the entrance, another pair of red admirals landed on me – one of my leg and another on my shoulder. The last one hung on for a while with me as I walked down, finally taking off as I approached my car.

Overall, it was a short visit — about 3.5 hours — but it was a good trip and a nice hike.

Bird List

Our first stop was “Dennis the Menace” park which was probably the only miss of the day: only mallards, Canada geese and gulls (never got close enough to ID). From there we went to the Monterey marina and the fishery pier there. It was crowded with divers and made me think fondly on my days of diving (it’s been a while). Then as we walked up the pier, Al pointed out my first new bird of the trip – a Pigeon Guillemot*, which was also my first alcid. I followed them around for a while, struggling to get nice shots of the uncooperative birds in tough light. Actually, the light was gorgeous but not when you’re shooting down from a pier. We spent a bit of time there then moved on to see what else was lurking. Turns out that a LOT of sea lions like this area: there were dozens in this little cove alone, along with a smaller number of harbor seals.

I’ve seen both species before but never together and never in quantities like this (Al commented later that he had never seen this many pinnipeds in Monterey before). So I took quite a few shots of these neat animals, who were laying on buoys, rocks and even the occasional boat. A harbor seal came up below me, looking eagerly for a handout, according to Al. After a short time, it seemed to figure out that I was fishless and dove into the cerulean waters.

On our way back to the car, I had a chance to watch a half-dozen more pigeon guillemots in the waters just below the pier, including one who was showing off what I’d guess was mating behavior (noisy little buggers!) and a California Gull* An extra treat was yet to come – in the marina just opposite of the car, a single cormorant swam happily among the boats – a gleaming blue eye stood out from the black feathers: a Brandt’s cormorant*!  Life list entry #3.

Monterey Bay Coast Guard Pier

Our next stop was the Coast Guard pier, a wonderful place to see a number of cool things: hundreds of sea lions everywhere, timid enough for approaching close enough to touch, of all ages – it was a wonder to see and experience. They were of all ages, and the young ones were undeniably cute. Further along we were greeted by a few seals, another few Brandt’s cormorants and a small flotilla of divers all along the jetty (I have to admit, diving among the sea lions/seals would be pretty cool). But the big payoff was at the end of the jetty: dozens of sea lions, including a huge bull and a nesting colony of Brandt’s cormorants. I had the privilege of seeing mated pairs building their nests on the rocks out of colorful seaweed and other debris pulled from the sea. The male would return with the seaweed, do a short presentation dance, bright blue throat patch extended and glowing in the light.  Then he’ d place the materials gingerly at the feet of the female, where they nuzzled and worked together to put it in just the right place. Hard to describe how beautiful it was watching them work to make their nest in what seemed like a tenuous spot on the bare rocks amongst the huge sees lions.

Monterey Bay / Fisherman’s Wharf

Al was determined to help me find the other new cormorant for me, the pelagic cormorant, so after checking in with Patty, we walked along the bay toward Fisherman’s Wharf. Little did we know that this short side trip would actually be more productive than just the pelagic cormorant (which we never saw despite several false positives). Waking past the picnic area, I noticed a number of small birds flying back and forth among some trees and something made me stop. I’m glad I did, as those little birds were my first chestnut-backed chickadee*; a half- dozen of the little auburn-accented songbirds flitted in and out (and just out of sight) amongst the branches. But a few pssts later, I was rewarded by a couple of them coming out into the light on the end of some branches. A second bonus was when a couple of white crowned sparrows joined the fun. I’ve seen these tons of times but rarely in full breeding plumage, and I figured I’d try to get some shots. Turns out that these were a coastal sub species – Nuttall’s white-crowned sparrow*.

After this short sidestep, we continued on along the bay. The place was gorgeous, a meeting of jagged islets and bright blue green water, coupled with a gentle breeze that complemented the near perfect temperatures coming off the bay. We spent some time investigating several cormorants on a small rocky islet in a cove, desperately trying to make one a pelagic cormorant, to no avail. But my eye caught another shallow in the water nearby, which turned out to be a Pacific loon*, another new species (#5 so far, incl. the WCSP sub species).

Monterey Bay Aquarium

At this point, Al is getting a little bent at not having produced a pelagic cormorant for me (which wouldn’t be a lifebird, but would be my first GOOD look). In my mind, I was more than satisfied with what we HAD seen, so anything else would be gravy but he was determined, so we tried one last ‘can’t fail’ spot – the platform at the entrance of the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium. Along the way, I got to see Steinbeck’s famous “Cannery Row” and the rest of the nice town of Monterey. A first stop just short of the aquarium produced only Brandt’s cormorants and more pigeon guillemots, and we hurried to the aquarium. Sadly there wasn’t time to go into this landmark, but I was having a good enough time regardless.

We walked to the end of the canterlevered platform and quickly spied more Brandt’s cormorants and pigeon guillemots, but none of or target bird. Suddenly Al yelled,” There! With the green back!” I got a brief glimpse of an ebony bird with green accents, too fast to be sure as it sailed under the platform beneath us, but definitely leading. Sure enough, it or another bird came sailing out and this time I definitively saw the green tint and white patches on the wings that were defining field marks for a pelagic cormorant*. Now to get a picture, which was tougher as these seabirds moved quickly. After several near successes, I decided to see if I could spy one underneath the platform – and was surprised to find a male preening no more than 5′ from me!

It was a beauty in its own way, the green-black plumage iridescent in the sun, giving way to the bright red face of a breeding adult. The KALEIDESCOPE of colors was both beautiful and garish at the same time, brighter and more eye- catching than either the double- created or Brandt’s cormorants. Three only problem was that with my 300mm lens, I was actually too close to fit the whole bird in the frame! So I moved to the another side opposite of where I had been, trading proximity and optional light for a full-body shot.

A bonus moment was our chance to catch the attention of some other aquarium visitors (probably in part due to my hanging precariously over the railing to get the best angle). Al and I were able to interest two couples in the bird, explaining a little about it and maybe planting a little seed of interest in birding.

Pacific Grove

Now that I had my trophy shot of a pelagic cormorant, Al and Patty prompted me for anything else I might want to see. It took only a short moment for me to rattle off a short list: Heerman’s gull, black oystercatcher, black turnstone. It took them only a few seconds more to come up with just the place and off we went up the road to Pacific Grove. The drive alone would have been worth it for the breath taking views of the Pacific ocean, deep blue ocean crashing in frothy chaos against the rocks of the shoreline. I was captivated by the scenery, trying to capture it on my phone’s camera since my Nikon lens could never capture the breath of what I was seeing through the narrow aperture.

We then made our way to a particular pull off and Al and I trekked onto the rocks to search for the trio of birds I had mentioned. Sure enough, a pair of mated black oystercatchers* appeared on the small island just beyond the spit of land we were on, the black feathers seeming to absorb as much light as their bright orange bills reflected. And nearby wandered not the requested black turnstones but something just as nice: a trio of surfbirds* which had lingered past their normal migration date. Other birds we encountered included numerous western gulls of all ages, a single 3rd-year California gull, a whimbrel and a Caspian tern. No Hearmann’s gull but a responding success nonetheless.

Monterey Bay preserve

Our last stop before lunch was part of the Monterey Bay preserve near Moss’s Landing. Housing a marina and access to the ocean, it also turned out to be one of the best spots to see the nearly famous California sea otters – nearly 30 strong, these large (~3 – 4′ long) mammals were a sight to see laying out and playing in the bay near the sea lions and seals nearby. Lucky for us, there was even one otter on the beach sunning himself (I’m going to pretend that’s all he was doing and he wasn’t sick).

Seeing the otters was an unexpected pleasure, but hardly the only one as a Clark’s Grebe* popped up amidst the otters and gave me a good show as well. Then, after several minutes taking pictures of these magnificent and amusing critters, we were off to the locally famous Phil’s Fish Market for lunch, with a quick stop to take a couple pictures of a pair of otters (mother/child) who were lounging in the marina on the way. Sadly, it was then time to head back as I had a workshop that night, and we stopped only for Al to show me a Eurasian Collared Dove that he and Patty told me would be in a particular 50-square-foot parking lot; true to their word, there it was (with a second one) almost as though they had dialed in their order.

Overall, I had a GREAT time in the Monterey area – the combination of awesome weather, great wildlife, good food and good friends (who were GREAT guides) really made the day a pleasant experience throughout.

After getting into town and checking in, I immediately went out to the Palo Alto Baylands up the road to see some of the specialties there. I wasn’t disappointed.  As soon add I got there I saw two of my primary goals: American Avocets and Black-necked stilts, right up against the shoreline, closer than I’ve ever had the chance to be. Creeping up to the protective barrier along the road (I needn’t of bothered), I crept closer to a single stilt and a pair of advocates who were feeding peacefully in the beautiful afternoon light. Dozens more of both species lingered in the background, going on their noisy ways through the thin marsh. I was amazed at how closer they let me get and I snapped away happily. Another photographer caught my attention and motioned me over, then pointed out a nest with a pair of stilt chicks in it. Those fuzzballs were extremely cute, and evidently were ready to investigate their surroundings.

After spending an hour with the nesting birds, I wanted to move on. Crossing the road and heading toward the nature center, I was treated to the sight of an adult stilt leading around three juveniles, puffballs of a slightly larger variety who were seemingly oblivious to my presence. It was a thrill to get to see this species so closely and in such nice light. A nearby ruddy duck wasn’t nearly as congenial, only briefly peeking his head out, never long enough for me to get my first shot of one in breeding plumage.

Other birds were also in the area, but none that I couldn’t see at home so I moved along to the duck pond to see if anything interesting was hanging out. For the most part, the standard duck pond species were there: mallards, domestic ducks and hybrids, a couple of geese and pigeons. But a little bit of wandering revealed some hidden treasures in thus alcove of mundanity.

A pair of California gulls* (1 adult, 1 immature) flew in later, a black phoebe was checking out the mud flats across the parking lot, while several nesting snowy egrets and black-crowned night herons croaked at each other from the branches of a nearby tree. A one- legged ‘grackle’ sat on a part nearby, hopping occasionally in the breeze (it turns out that grackles are rare in this area – it was actually a Brewer’s blackbird). Across the street, I was surprised by a large flock of what I thought were dowitchers, but turned out to be willets and marbled godwits* (my second new species of the day).

All too soon, it was time to get some food – it had been almost twelve hours since I ate, so I decided to hit a California tradition: In N’ Out Burger.  It was good but I don’t know that I’d call it legendary – about the same as a Five Guys burger, I’d say.

Anyway, here are some photo highlights of day 1 of my trip:

Birding List:

Still, any time birding is a bonus and I did have the opportunity to get out more than a few times. Here’s a look back at 2009:

Birding

Total Species (overall): 421 species
Total Species (2009): 209
New Species (2009): 76

New Jersey

Total Species (overall): 225 species
Total Species (2009): 145
New Species (2009): 11

Highlights:

The year started off well, with 5 new species early in January, all relative rarities in my area: Green-tailed Towhee, Snowy Owl, Rough-Legged Hawk, Horned Grebe and White-winged Crossbill. Obviously, the Arizona trip was a major highlight – lots of new species (69, to be exact), great scenery and habitats, as well as a few lifebirds in the real sense – the Elegant Trogon, Flame-colored Tanager and White-eared Hummingbird. Seeing the Trogons was an amazing thing – especially since I got to see them mating, as well.

After a slow spring and summer with little birding, I was able to end the year on a high note with 2 more addition to the lifelist (Ivory Gull and Eurasian Wigeon), plus a new state bird (Spotted Towhee).

Overall, a slow year of birding – not many times out and not a whole lot of new birds outside of Arizona – but I’m still happy with what I got to do. Not sure how much I’ll get out in 2010 – but my goal is to top 450 species, but that will probably require a few day trips or some extra travel to get. Not that I mind that!

Pictorial Highlights

As always, you can see my Best of 2009 set on Flickr.