Was seen with a large flock of Canada Geese and Snow Geese. We were on a day birding trip around local birding areas to get our year lists off to a big start. While we were driving home from Washington's Crossing, we went by a field that I saw Snow Geese in so I told my mom to pull of there. While I was watching the Snow Geese my aunt spotted "a goose that looked different" she got me on the bird and I confirmed that it was a Pink-footed Goose. We all watched the very rare goose in awe.
Pink-footed Goose (Center)
I saw one single Redhead at Churchville Nature Center with a large flock of Canada Geese. The Rough-legged Hawk was at Peace Valley Nature Center in a tree along side of the road. The redhead was a great surprise. Right before we saw it we were talking about redheads. I looked out onto the reservoir and saw one. I was so excited to see that lifer duck. The Rough-legged Hawk was also great to see. It had been reported there at Peace Valley Park at Sailor's Point so we decided to try to go get it. I assumed that it would be high up soaring but when we got there it was in a tree right next to the road.
Redhead
Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk Flying
2/2/13 Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve and Farm in New Egypt, NJ: Northern Saw-whet Owl and Northern Lapwing
I saw the Northern Saw-whet Owl in a cedar tree hanging over a fence right above the path. It was such a calm condition, snow on the ground, no wind, and very quiet. It was a long walk from the car, but well worth it. The Northern Lapwings on the other hand were in a field with loud tractors running. It was such and elegant bird with its two long plumes on its head and its iridescent green and purple body with a large thick band on its chest. The setting may not have been the best, but it was still a beautiful bird.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Lapwing
2/16/13 Shark River Inlet, NJ: Razorbill
We walked out onto the jetty at the inlet looking at many Common Loons when about halfway out I spotted the bird. I only saw it for a brief amount of time but long enough to identify it before it dove under the surface. It was an amazing bird with their namesake beak and high contrast black to white body. We also saw one flyby Long-tailed Duck and a few Bonaparte Gulls.3/8/13 Barnegat Light House, NJ and Newtown, PA: Harlequin Duck and American Woodcock
In a massive blizzard my mom and I walked out on a jetty that was about a mile long. We never walked out all the way to the end, but we did see three male Harlequin Ducks, two adults and one immature. On the way back, we had to go down onto the sand and walk backwards because the wind was blowing the snow so hard. Even though the weather was horrible it was a great trip. As soon as we got back and got out of the car we heard a woodcock in the backyard. We went back there and saw it "meeping" and flying up and around there.
Adult Male Harlequin Duck
3/29/13 Thundergust Lake in Parvin State Park, NJ: Tufted Duck
After a failed attempt to see a Crested Caracara on Kings Highway in Salem, NJ, we went over to Parvin State Park to look for a reported Tufted Duck as soon as we got there, we immediately got eyes on the duck because of very helpful information on hoe to pick it out from the very similar Ring-necked Ducks and Scaup. The information we received was to look for the duck with the whitest side. We were amazed at the great views we got of the beautiful duck.
Male Tufted Duck
4/13/13 Heislerville, NJ: Peregrine Falcon
As we were driving atop of the dike we see a Merlin swoop down and attack all of the Dunlin that were swarming the mudflats. It eventually singled out the weakest flyer and grabbed it. After that, a Peregrine Falcon came shooting out of nowhere and chased the Merlin over a hill and out of site. A few seconds later, the peregrine triumphantly came back into site with the Merlin's catch. It lands on a nearby telephone post and ate its stolen prize. As I approached it, it didn't pay any attention to me. I got great views of it.
Peregrine Falcon eating the Dunlin
Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
5/11/13 Churchville Nature Center: Yellow-billed Cuckoo
During the annual migration count for my local nature center we started out slow (probably because of the rain). Then about 30 minutes in we heard a cuckoo. I got so excited because it would be a lifer if I saw it. Then after about another 15-20 minutes we spotted it up in the top of a tree that was leaning over a small clearance eating caterpillars that were inside of a web-like nest. I couldn't have been more happy.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Caterpillar nest on left)
5/27/13 Baldpate Mountain, Washington Crossing, NJ: Blue-winged Warbler and Summer Tanager
On memorial day we went over to Baldpate Mountain hoping to see some warblers. When we got there, we went straight up to the top of the mountain. In a matter of only minutes, we heard a Blue-winged Warbler singing in the field. After watching that beautiful bird for a long time we headed up towards a trail expecting to see a nesting pair of Hooded Warblers. After doing that successful loop and seeing the Hooded Warblers, we got back to where the trail started. On the way back to the car, we heard a group of birders shout out "SUMMER TANAGER" we raced over to them and got on the bird very quickly. We watched that bird for about half an hour and then happily went back to the car and headed home.
Blue-winged Warbler
Summer Tanager
6/8/13 Belleplain, NJ: Yellow-throated Warbler and Hooded Warbler and Mississippi Kite
Just after arriving, we step out of the car and all we hear are 17 year cicadas. The noise is so loud, there must have been tens of thousands there. After about ten minutes of walking around, out of the blue we hear a Hooded Warbler. It pops out and gives us some great looks. Soon after, we hear a Yellow-throated Warbler. I quickly spot the bird up very high in a massive pine tree. Even though it was so high I can clearly see its vibrant yellow throat. After that we head back to the nature center and very surprisingly see a group of about seven Mississippi Kites fly over. We compare its body shape to all of the common raptors, and some uncommon ones, and confirm that it is a Mississippi Kite. The body shapes are exactly the same.
Hooded Warbler
Mississippi Kite
7/17/13 Onekama MI: Piping Plover and Red-headed Woodpecker
A few days in to our vacation at Michigan we go to the Platt River in the northwestern part of the state. We go to the far shoreline with some sections roped off for endangered breeding birds. Soon down the way we see a few Piping Plovers and their babies. It was so nice to see that they were doing so well there. A few days after, my mom spotted a Red-headed Woodpecker on the way back to the house from the grocery store. She immediately picked me up at the house and took me back to where she saw it. We got great views as it came in to a nearby telephone pole.
Piping Plover
Red-headed Woodpecker
8/11-17/13 Cape Henlopen, DE and Chincoteague VA and Cape May, NJ: Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bar-tailed Godwit and Black-necked Stilt and American Avocet and King Eider and Eurasian Collared Dove and Prairie Warbler
I saw all of these birds during ABA Camp Avocet. The Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bar-tailed Godwit were on the first day at Chincoteague National State Park. The Black-necked Stilt was on the second day at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The third day I saw an American Avocet at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and a King Eider in Mispillion, DE. The Eurasian Collared Dove was on the fourth day at Cape May, NJ. Finally, the Prairie Warbler was on the fifth day at Cape Henlopen National State Park.
Eurasian Collared Dove
Prairie Warbler
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
11/10/13 Core Creek Park: Egyptian Goose
After church, I got a call from one of the birders at the Churchville Nature Center that he was at Core Creek Park and he had seen a flock of Egyptian Geese. We got there and immediately saw these geese. Soon after our arrival, they were scared away by a child chasing them around. Luckily, they only swam to a near-by dock. I got a second chance at getting a good look at them. They let me get very close.
Egyptian Goose
11/30/13 Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge: Snowy Owl
Finally, after missing the Snowy Owl at the National Park, N.J. dredge spoils because of a dirt biker and an A.T.V., I couldn't be more thrilled to see the Snowy Owl at Forsythe. We were on the drive with a couple other of our local birders. Suddenly, they saw the large line cars watching the owl, so they shot up to them. We took our time up to the owl and saw a Clapper Rail swimming across that stretch. In a few minutes, we got up there and immediately saw the owl. We watched the beautiful bird of prey for about half an hour then we went off and finished the drive. We finished the day with a total of 48 species. Some highlights (other than the Snowy Owl) included: Clapper Rail, Immature Black-crowned Night Heron, Tundra Swan and Immature Bald Eagle swooping down at some ducks. Over-all, it was a great day.
Northern Pintail
Snowy Owl (Digiscoped)
Snowy Owl (Digiscoped)
Tundra Swan
12/7/13 John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and Pennypack on the Delaware: American Bittern and White-winged Scoter
It was a whole day trip with the Churchville Nature Center group to FDR Park, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, the Northeast Airport, the Water Treatment Plants in Philadelphia and finally to Pennypack on the Delaware. After searching around FDR Park, with some highlights including: Brown Creeper, and Golden-crowned Kinglet, we went over to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. We went straight to where the American Bittern had been seen earlier and we set up our scopes. After scanning the reed-covered shoreline for about 45 minutes, someone finally spotted it. It blended in so well that it took us about another 15 minutes to get on the bird. Once we did finally see the bird, we watched it for about half an hour. It was amazing, it acted like a reed and blended in so well, no wonder they're so hard to find. After that we went over to the airport and searched for a Snowy Owl for about ten minutes. After getting nothing there, we went over to Pennypack on the Delaware. I watched an unusually colored duck (mostly black, with vivid white wing patches) fly around behind a few scaups. I watch it land and set up a scope on it. I notice the two white patches on the front and back of its head and the average sized dark body and immediately thought to myself "scoter". I then notice the white patch on the wings, then I thought to myself "White-winged Scoter". I asked some of the more experienced birders for confirmation on the bird and after about 15 minutes of waiting for it to show its wing patch again, they confirmed that it is a White-winged Scoter. It was a great finish to a great day.
12/26/13 Peace Valley Park Angler's Pier: Red-headed Woodpecker
Although this Red-headed Woodpecker was not a life bird, it was still amazing to see and watch its behavior patterns. I noticed that every time it flew and landed on a different tree it made a chittering sound. It was also amazing to see its very vivid bright red head in the sunlight. We also saw a Northern Harrier fly over and two Bald Eagles fly over.
Red-headed Woodpecker
