Birds and Other Nature Sightings

     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

     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