One response to “Birds moving over Jersey”

1. Blake and I went to Sandy Hook this morning to see what might be flitting about. When we arrived to the north end parking lot we could hear Bobolinks “wink”ing overhead. A traill’s type empid was in the vegetation near the lot, but nothing was stirring in the Locust grove. On the dune trail to the hawkwatch platform we saw a Peregrine falcon cruising over the scrubby vegetation. The salt pond was probably the most exciting part of the morning, with one BAIRD’S SANDPIPER in fresh juvenile plumage, and two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS. They were accompanied by the usual suspects: Least, Semipalmated, and Western sandpipers, a Spotted sandpiper, and a lone Greater yellowlegs. A juvenile female Cooper’s hawk sent the sandpipers in every direction, before disappearing over the dunes (lucky for us the shorebirds returned). Where the fisherman trail meets the beach, hundreds of Tree swallows were flocking, sitting on the sand, and foraging voraciously on the poison ivy fruits- quite a spectacle!
   On the bike path there were plenty of Red-eyed vireos and noticeably less White-eyed vireos than last week. A few Yellow warblers and Am. Restarts were around, but again, in much lower numbers than in previous weeks. At the pump house on Raccoon road we had a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT and a Least flycatcher. On the trail to the rusty shed we had fleeting looks at a probable Yellow-bellied flycatcher, and another Traill’s type empid. On the woods trail north of the boy scout camp we encountered a small flock of warblers including N. Waterthrush, Am. Redstart, Black-throated green, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and Ovenbird.