Sandy Hook to Barnegat Light

Took a trip with Jim Hoyson, Bruce Troy, and Mark Kasper to the Jersey Coast yesterday for a bit of ocean/start of the year birding.

The highlight was an adult Glaucous Gull that I kicked up right in front of me at Shark River Inlet. It landed in the inlet right in front of me so I ran to the car for my camera— because I’m stupid and will never learn my lesson to always have it at the ready. By the time I got back it was sitting on the opposite side of the inlet, but not too far for some documentary photos. The bird hung out for about 10-15 minutes until a jogger on the other side pushed it up and we watched as it headed into the ocean. Also present on a jetty viewable from the inlet were a couple Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

The amazing thing is that I got not one, but two Glaucous Gulls on the trip. A second cycle bird was standing on the rocks across from Barnegat Inlet. Way too far for photography, but scopable. Two Glaucous and not a single Iceland— which was one of my target birds I was fairly confident I’d score. I wasn’t even entertaining the idea of Glaucous…

Other highlights were the Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpipers at Barnegat. And, really, all the coastal species I don’t get to enjoy here, or at least not in the same numbers and so close.

Glaucous Gull
Harlequin Ducks

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Countdown to 300

After re-entering birding in June 2007 and subsequently throwing away my life list, I am finally approaching 300 species on my new life list. So I’m going to countdown the last ten.

#290 Arctic Tern
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Oct. 24, 2009
After a crazy storm pushed down lots of seabirds. Not accepted by PORC but I didn’t get a photo. But I’m positive of ID.

#291 Common Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#292 Lapland Longspur
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#293 King Eider
Sandy Hook, NJ Nov. 8, 2009

#294 Ivory Gull
Cape May, NJ Dec. 6, 2009
Seen on my first true “chase” of a single bird.

#295 Cackling Goose
Harvey’s Lake, PA Dec. 9, 2009
Weird to see this on my list after a mega like Ivory Gull, but I wasn’t very aware of this species since it wasn’t it’s own species when I originally birded. Then I haven’t crossed paths with it since studying up on the ID until now.

#296 Brown-headed Nuthatch
Lewes, DE Apr. 2, 2010

#297 Little Gull
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA Apr. 10, 2010
This was on my most wanted list for a while. Now on to Black-headed Gull.

#298 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
PPL Riverlands, PA June 14, 2010
In county lifer. Nice.

#299 Black-headed Gull
Bombay Hook, DE August, 21 2010
One of my most wanted birds. Check.

#300 Clay-colored Sparrow
Forty Fort, PA September, 16 2010
The fight is over! And it ends in what is my most birded locales!!