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Island Beach SP - Wilson’s Plover 4/22/24

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     My last few trips to Island Beach State Park have signaled a slow change of the seasons.  Most of the winter waterfowl have pulled out, and the numbers of the few lingering species have significantly dwindled.  Breeding colors are quickly replacing the basic plumage of many remaining birds.  Spring migrants are beginning to appear, though not as many as I would like to see.  My anticipation of new arrivals is bordering on impatience.   It has become harder to spot scoters, eiders and long-tailed ducks.  The only two eiders I have seen lately is a pair of king eiders .  On Monday, I was down to only six long-tailed ducks .  The only horned grebe I saw was in nearly full alternate plumage, as are most of the common loons that are still around.  On the flip side, eastern towhee and white-eyed vireo numbers are steadily increasing.  All of the expected waders, except for green heron ,  are now regular sights in the marshes.  Even white ibis are present, and will hopefully make br
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4/8/24- Pre-Eclipse Birding at Island Beach SP - Iceland Gull, Redhead and Gray Seals

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     Yesterday I had the day to myself and it was the first nice spring day we’ve had around here in awhile so I headed out to my favorite spot, Island Beach State Park.  The much hyped solar eclipse was expected in New Jersey shortly after 2 p.m..  Since we were outside of the path of totality , I felt the event would not have much of an affect on our wildlife.  I never obtained a pair of viewing glasses, so I spent the day walking the trails and driving the beach.  I could always catch the eclipse highlights on the news. It turned out to be a good day at the park, my most productive birding day of the year, logging 70 bird species.  I saw a few other interesting creatures too:  my first red admiral butterfly of the season, a large black racer snake and two large gray seals resting on the beach.   Two gray seals basking on the beach, 4/8/24.   © S. Weiss Young gray seal basking on beach, 3/22/24.   © S. Weiss Along my drive on the beach, I came upon a young Iceland gull standing near
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4/5/24 - Post Earthquake Birding- Hooded Warbler at Island Beach

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     Mother Nature has been spreading her wrath across the country lately and New Jersey has not escaped her fury.  For three days this week wind and rain dumped a few more inches of precipitation on the already soggy Garden State.  The lousy conditions kept me close to home, only birding my backyard and the recreation fields down the street.  I did hear my first Eastern screech-owl of the year a couple nights earlier in the week.  I could hear the soft trilling song coming from the woods behind my yard.  Hopefully it and a mate will find the nest box I attached to a pine tree just behind my back fence. The recreation fields down the street are part of the township’s Shelter Cove Park.  The ball fields are bordered by a salt marsh and bay beach.  During the Revolutionary War era, this area was part of the Pennsylvania Salt Works.  Now, spring rains often flood the fields which in turn attracts spring migrants.   Ospreys have already reclaimed nests left atop the light posts around th
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New Jersey’s Bird Species Reach 500 (3/30/2024)

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     This month the New Jersey Bird Records Committee announced completion of its review of bird reports for 2023.  Six new birds were added to the state list bringing the total of species seen in NJ to 500.  Personally, I only saw two of these new additions.  Two of the six, a Limpkin and a Red-flanked Bluetail , stayed for more than one day and both were only about a half hours drive from my home.  Another, a Black-whiskered Vireo , popped up at my favorite birding patch, Island Beach State Park.  That one I missed twice, the second time only by a few minutes.  Two of the other three were more distant, and not staying long enough for other people to see.  The two one day wonders were a Red-footed Booby and a Mountain Plover .  The sixth bird, a European Robin , was brought to a rehab center and later released.  Here is a summary of NJ’s newest birds. New Jersey’s first red-flanked bluetail.  © S. Weiss Red-footed booby was the first new state bird of 2023.  On May 1, a photo of the
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Cape May Pelagic - Puffins and Dovekies 2/25/2024

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     After being back home in New Jersey for a week, I got on the American Princess for a 12-hour pelagic out of Cape May.  There is potential for several good winter birds on a February pelagic, some of which are best seen offshore.  Alcids, such as razorbills, murres and dovekies, are good bets to find on a pelagic this time of year.  Atlantic puffins and northern fulmars can be had the farther out you go.  February is also the best chance to come across a great skua.  I have seen a good number of razorbills and dovekies already this winter, so my hopes were for murres, puffins, fulmars and kittiwakes.  A great skua would be awesome, but while my fingers were crossed, my expectations weren’t high. The boat left the dock at about 6:30 a.m. and it was cold.  I have done several of these trips, so I was prepared.  Like the other seasoned winter pelagic birders on board, I planned to be out on the deck for the majority of the 12 hours out on the water.  I dressed in layers and was comfo
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Long Beach, CA - 2/16/2024 to 2/18/2024

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     After our short stay in Las Vegas, we flew back to San Diego on Friday and drove north to Long Beach in Los Angeles County where we finished out our 10-day west coast vacation.  My daughter was attending the three-day Cali Vibes music festival from Friday through Sunday, which was the main reason for our trip. Our Airbnb was only a few blocks from the beach and only about a 15-minute drive from the music festival.  We pretty much stayed local for Friday and Saturday.  I did not get out to any of the better eBird hotspots around Long Beach.  They were a little too far for me to leave my wife behind while my daughter was at the festival.  I got to know the neighborhood and beach area as that is where I did most of my walking.  There was a park about a half mile or so away that I walked to several times. Left, Friday sunset at Long Beach, CA.  Right, RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach.   © S. Weiss The Queen Mary now offers restaurants, a museum and hotel for tourists. The beach, neighbor
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Lake Mead and Hoover Dam - 2/15/2024

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    On our second day in Las Vegas, we spent most of it on a tour to Hoover Dam.  I wasn’t guaranteed to see any birds or wildlife on this trip, but it was my best shot at finding something since we were heading out of the city.  I tried the best I could to find something with the limited stops we made.  I was hoping for at least a glimpse of a roadrunner or the bighorn sheep that our tour bus operator said are often seen along the route.  The bus driver tried to find them for us too when, on the ride back, he swung by a small park where the sheep often graze.  The sheep were a no show.  The only roadrunner I saw was a metal sculpture of one in Boulder City.  I did see some other, though smaller, wildlife on the tour. Our first stop as we were leaving the city was at the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  This was a short photograph opportunity for us tourists.  It was also my first and only Elvis sighting.  One impersonator of an older and out of shape Elvis with orange-tanned skin,
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