Tuesday I headed to BI despite the gray skies/lack of sun, there was little wind which made for a nice day out on the jetty & beach. It was mild (50's) light breeze.
Slideshows: One & Two
Species seen (from 11:30am to 2:45pm):
N. Mocking bird
Song Sparr's
WT Sparr's
N. Cards (M&F)
Harlequin Ducks
LT Ducks
C. Loons
RB Merg's
Brant
Herr Gulls
RB Gulls
Purple Sndprs (on the jetty)
Ruddy T's (on the jetty)
Dunlin (jetty & beach)
Sanderling (1 w/ a group of Dunlin on the beach)
BB Plover (2 on the jetty)
AO's (2 on jetty, 4 in flight over the bay)
CAN G's seen AT Harvey Cedar's Sunset Park

Mon. Mar. 17, 2008. Sunny, warm & windy (N 15-20mph),incoming tide (LT was around noon I think).

Corson's Inlet: 1:45-3:30pm. Scoped from Ocean Drive/Bay Ave. S of the bridge & from Corson's Inlet State Park I walked the shoreline along the inlet out to the ocean beach. Species seen in the inlet were: RT Loons, LTD's, C. Loon, Horned Grebe, Brant, Herr Gulls, ? California Gull (had all the markings except didn't have the dark eye. I'll post photos later & ask for ID help), C. Merg's (on Middle Thorofare, N of the bridge),& in the marsh pond were GW Teal, Amr. Wigeon & Mallards & 1 Gr. Egret. Also YR Warb's along native vegetation in the dunes.

Note: the LTD's (M & F) plumage has changed, they look like they are half way between non-breeding & breeding plumage.

Harry B. Stainton WR: 3:50-4:10pm. Species seen: B. Kingfisher, A. Wigeon, Mallards, GBB Gulls, Herr. Gulls & RW blackbirds.

Roosevelt Blvd./34th str.: 4:15pm-4:30pm: 1 of the blvd. opsrey nest platforms had a pair perched on the nest. 1 flew in w/ nesting material. Also seen in the marshes were 2 Gr. Egrets.

Click link below for Gull ID photo's
http://susan.thespikeranch.com/page22/page50/page50.html

Fri, FNWR, 10:45am - 3:15pm. Sunny, NE winds. 50's. Tides Fri @ Brigantine Channel @ Hoffman Thorofare: Fri HT: 2:16 AM, LT: 9:00 AM, HT: 2:56 PM.

Species seen Fri: Blue Jays, BC Chickadees, Tree Swallows, Belted Kingfisher, Mute Swans (11), C. Merg, Mallards, Blk Ducks, Pintails, GBH (3-4), WT Sparr's, N. Harriers, Herr. Gulls, RB Gulls, RB Merg's, H. Grebes, AO's (2), Scaup (Gr?), Bufflehead, Brant, (RB Merg's,
H. Grebes, AO's, M. Swans, Bufflehead, Scaup & Brant all out on Reeds Bay), Peregrine (cross dike platform), N. Shov's, Dunlin (1000's), Snow Geese ( ~ 2000 in the East pool, the group of 3 & 1 solo), CAN Geese,Song Sparr's, E. Bluebirds, RT Hawk, RW Blkbirds, A. Robins, G. Catbird, TV's & Pied-bill Grebe (on gull pond around 3pm).

Note: I did not see the osprey but a Jersey birder reported to me that she & her group spotted an Osprey flying over the (SW?, towards Somers Cove?) marshes.

To the Jersey Birders I met today, Barbara, Susan, Karen & Cliff, nice to meet you all & thanks for sharing your scopes!

Thur., sunny, breezey, chilly 40's. 12:45pm to 6pm. Note controlled burn @ Forsythe on NW side, drive was closed until ~ 1:30pm. Tides for Thur. @ Brigantine Channel @ Hoffman Thorofare: HT: 1:42 PM, LT: 7:44 PM;

Did not see the Osprey but was told others had seen an osprey. Species seen: Fish Crows, N.Cards (M&F), YR Warb's, GBH's, Mute Swans (10), N. Harriers (flying all over the place!), Herr. gulls, RB gulls, Peregrine out on the cross dike platform, Blk ducks, Mallards, Pintails, N. Shov's, GBB gulls (always on the 1 osprey nest, 2 on there today), Hooded Merg's, Dunlin,
DC Cormorant (2), Brant, CAN Geese, Buffleheads, RT Hawk, A. Robins, RW Blkbirds, E. Bluebirds & Pine Warb (1st yr F). Also Tree Swallows, Snow Geese (those same 3 that hang @ the 1 corner near the NW side of the cross dike), WT Sparr's & RB Wdpker (M).

Scott's Landing: ~ 6:15pm, N. Harriers seen over the marshes.

Oyster Creek: ~ 6:30pm, 1 GB Heron in waterway by the little wood bridge. 2 Gr. Yellowlegs out in a marsh pool area on the NW side of Oyster Creek Rd.

I started off with a drive over to Longport, down to the the S. 11th Ave. Jetty & the Atlantic Ave. jetty. Ocean high tide was 10:47am & low tide 4:53pm. No mussels on their jetties & fairly high waters so no birds around the jetties. The S. end of Longport beach was absent of birds as well. The only birds to be seen were out in the Great Egg Habor inlet looking across to Malibu Beach WMA. There I saw a group of ~ 115 Greater Scaup & ~ 30 LTD's. I then headed over to Malibu Beach WMA & scoped the ducks from there, closer in distance but now stuck looking into the sun. From MB-WMA I headed over to the OC-Longport Fishing Pier. From the pier I got some good looks @ 1 Common Loon & 1 Red-throated Loon that must have come from under the pier as all the sudden there they were. I had just finished shooting some photos of the Common when the Red-throated appeared. Even though they aren't in breeding plumage (although you could see some "spots" on their backs) they are amazing beautiful birds when you see them up close!

I also walked along the marshes along Broad Thorofare (going towards Longport-Somers Pt bridge) & saw some YT warb's (5), C. Grackles (3), RW Blkbirds (4), Bufflehead (5) & Brants (100's). In the marsh pond @ MB-WMA there was 1 pair of mallards & a good size group of Brant.

Click the photo's for a slide show of the Loons.

Thur., Feb. 6th, 2008, FNWR, 2:00pm - 5:00pm. A sunny & nice day out @ FNWR, temsp around 49-50'F. Breezey.

Notes: Saw a group of 8 Amr. Pipits walking around & then flying @ the "Tree Farm"/sapling field with a good sized group of Amr. Robins. In the thicket along the edge of the "Tree Farm" I could hear the "drink your tea" of a RS/Eastern Towhee. 1000's of Snow Geese. Saw 1 SEO. Tree Swallows seen on the way in flying over the "exit pond".

Species seen (& heard) today:
Blue Jay, TT's, GBH (3), Tree Swallows, Mallards, YR warb's (M&F), CC's, RWB's, Fish Crows, N. Harriers, Mute Swans (2), Car. Wrens (2), Song Sparr's, Fox Sparr, Pintails, Blk Ducks, N. Shov's, Herr Gulls, CAN Geese, Gr-wing Teal, GBB Gulls, RB Gulls, Dunlin (1000's), SEO, C. Merg's, H. Merg's, Brant, Snow Geese, Amr. Pipit (8), Amr. Robin, RS/East. Towhee.