May 16 - King Eider

Today I made a trip to Canon to have a lens worked on. While down the turnpike I decided to go to Sandy Hook to search for the Little Gull and King Eider. While I had no luck with finding the Little gull, I did find the Eider and many assorted sandpipers and plovers. A few Piping Plovers were on the beach as well as Black-bellied, Semi-palmated Plovers and Red Knot. I'm using King Eider as my bird today. As you could see from my friend Peter Burke's wonderful photo, this is a breeding plumage bird.

May 15 - Least Sandpiper

This morning we got the results of the WSB. We finished second in our category just 2% behind. That's 5 birds from a tie for first. I spent the morning at DeKorte looking for the Black Scoter we heard had dropped in. No luck. Rain started so I guess I'll use the Least Sandpiper today for my bird-a-day.

May 14 - Saltmarsh Sparrow

Today's the World Series of Birding day. Woodcock and Barn Owl were 2 of the first birds we saw, both just outside of DeKorte Park, our starting point. We had no luck with any of the Great Horned Owls scouted. Starting at Halifax Rd. in Mahwah, we struggled for passerines all morning. Things didn't get much better on the east side of the county. We were starting to get a little punchy and our hopes of a real good day were fading. In the afternoon were made a boat trip down the Hackensack River and things turned around. Boat-tailed Grackle, Moorhen, Clapper Rail, Yellow-crowned Night Heron and Marsh Hawks were seen in Saw Mill Creek WMA. Wilson's Warbler was found at the boat launch before heading out to MRI. MRI is a secure area on the Hackensack River we have access to because of Mike at NJMC. Upon stopping to put on boots for out trek into the marsh, our first Ring-necked Pheasant called. Within 5 minutes we had our target bird, Saltmarsh Sparrow as well as 3 Wilson's Snipe and Swamp Sparrow. We continued on, spending the remaining time in The Meadowlands, finishing around 8:30 PM with Common Nighthawk and Black Skimmer as our last 2 birds. Our total for the day was 127 species, a little short of our goal, but considering the weather and lack of warblers we felt we did well. Saltmarsh Sparrow will be today's bird. Photo is from the Harrier Meadow banding station a year ago.

May 13 - Black-throated Blue Warbler

Today was some final scouting for the WSB on Saturday. Mike and I made a trip to Palisades Interstate Park to get a feel for the trip. 10 Species of warblers and finally Cedar Waxwings were seen. At least 15 Worm-eating Warblers were seen and heard. Black-throated Blue Warbler will be my bird today.

May 12 - Bobolink

I spent the early morning at harrier Meadow. Upon arrival I heard at least a dozen Boblinks on the landfill. They flew to a large cottonwood and continued to be vocal. I saw Northern Waterthrush out there in Harrier. Mike and I went to the Barn Owl building to be able to view the Barn Owl for our World Series of Birding list on Saturday. Missed him!! But today the Bobolink is my bird.

May 11 - Wilson's Warbler

I spent the early morning at Harrier Meadow. I walked the Erie Landfill first seeing only a few Savannah Sparrows and many blackbirds. After while walking Harrier to help out with the mist nets if needed, I saw Scarlet Tanager, Swainson's Thrush, Ovenbird, both Orioles and a few shorebirds. A Wilson's Warbler was seen near the far nets in Harrier. I believe it was caught and banded a bit later. Wilson's is today's bird. Photo is of a banded bird.

May 10 - Golden-winged Warbler

I started out early today at Halifax Rd. A dozen or so warblers were seen, 50+ bird species seen in 1-1/2 hours. I met up with Rich and while birding the lake, we saw that the Hooded Merganser had only 4 babies left. We continued around the lake and spent a bit of time between the lake and the stream where we heard an odd bird song. Rich called out Golden-winged! This would be a life bird for me. We crossed the stream and followed the song. After 10 minutes we finally located a singing male bird and watched it in 2 trees before it flew off. This has to be my bird today!

May 9 - Black-throated Green Warbler

Today I spent the day scouting the central part of Bergen county. Except for The Celery Farm not too much was happening in my 4 other stops. My highlights from Celery Farm were 2 Ravens and 4 Northern Waterthrush. My bird-a-day is Black-throated Green Warbler today.

May 8 - Cape May Warbler

Today I didn't have too much time to bird, and I received an early morning call that Cape May Warbler was singing in Fred's yard. So off I went and arrived at 6:50 and within 10 minutes I saw 2 Cape Mays and heard them both singing. I left Fred's for a brief stop at Rifle Camp Park where the warblers seen included Blackpoll and Bay-breasted. Still Cape May will be my bird-a-day.

May 7 - Veery

Today I spent the morning at Garret Mountain Reservation. 14 species of Warbler were seen or heard including Tennessee, go figure, a bird that always seems to be a problem for me to find. Also Worm-eating, Blackburnian and numerous Ovenbirds were seen. 10+ Swainson's Thrushes and a few Veery were seen too. Veery is my bird-a-day.

May 6 - Tennessee Warbler

While doing some World Series scouting today at Halifax Rd. and Lake Henry, I came across a Hooded Merganser with 6 ducklings. 13 species of warbler were seen today too including Canada and Tennessee. Tennessee was singing then viewed while perched in a little area south of the lake. Tennessee has always been a problem for me to find and this is my first in Bergen County so it will be my bird-a-day.

May 5 - Yellow-throated Vireo

I spent the morning doing a bit of scouting for the WSB. I took the road at Palisades Interstate Park down to the Alpine boat basin. After a phone call to Ray, my raptor guy, I knew where the Peregrine Falcon nest was located. As soon as I found it the male flew off the cliff and defended the nest from a wandering Osprey. Along the road I found 6 Worm-eating Warblers, probably on territory. Most came close when I pished. 5 or 6 other warbler species were present as well as Red-eyed Vireo, Numerous Baltimore Orioles and 1 very vocal Yellow-throated Vireo. The YT Vireo will be my bird-a-day.

May 4 - Bank Swallow

We had rains coming in the morning that would last most of the day, so I made a quick trip to Harrier Meadow and DeKorte Park early. After checking to see the Harrier feeders were full, I took a brief walk out the trail. On the walk I saw a Grasshopper Sparrow near the first blind, but never got a great look, only pieces of the bird as it sat in some woody groundsel after flying up from the grass. The rains started and I made a quick trip to DeKorte and walked around the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve. Many Yellow-rumps were there as well as 6+ White-crowned Sparrows, 1 Indigo Bunting and a very wet White-eyed Vireo. After dinner the rains ended, I took a walk at DeKorte again. hundreds of swallows were flying low all around. I stood on the Kingsland Overlook among the midges and let the Barns, Trees and Rough-winged Swallows fly within a foot of me as they devoured the bugs. I was so close to some of the swallows I could here their wing flap and bill snapping closed on bugs. Pretty cool. I took a short walk out on the boardwalk and saw 2 Bank Swallows, always a tough bird for me. That's my bird-a-day.

May 3 - Tri-colored Heron

I spent the morning at Garret Mountain today. I picked up 4 new birds for the year today including Veery, Swainson's Thrush and Magnolia Warbler. I saw 18 Warbler species in total today missing a few that others saw. Also missed Pine Siskin today. After dinner I went to DeKorte Park in The Meadowlands briefly. After running into a friend in the parking lot, I went out the boardwalk to find the Tri-colored Heron that was found an hour earlier by Frank Bobowski. Nice bird, very easy to see and a new year bird. Tri-colored Heron will be my bird -a-day. Again thanks to Ron Shields for his great photo!

May 2 - Chestnut-sided Warbler

Today I spent the morning getting familiar with some of the territory we need to cover in the morning on our World Series of Birding day. I went to Halifax Rd. in Mahwah and 2 other Mahwah locations. At Halifax rd. I saw at least 10 species of Warbler including my first Chestnut-sided of the year. Another location produced my first Worm-eating Warbler. Overall at least 15 species of Warbler were found today. Chestnut-sided Warbler is going to be my bird-a-day.

May 1 - Nashville Warbler

Today I went with Bergen Audubon and NJ Meadowlands to Losen Sloat Park in Little Ferry. I helped locate some warblers for the group. Some got their first sightings of Blackburnian Warbler, my first in Bergen County. We also had Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumps, Black and white and Nashville. I'm using Nashville as my bird-a-day.

April 30 - Yellow-throated Warbler

After getting some texts and calls about the refound Yellow-throated Warbler at Garret, I made my way up to Garret. I arrived at 10 AM and by 10:02 I had some great looks. By getting there so late today, I really didn't see much but added another new bird for the year Nashville Warbler. Yellow-throated Warbler is clearly the bird to use today. Thanks to my friend Kevin Watson for the great photo! Next stop MAY!!!

April 29 - Blackburian Warbler

I spent the morning in NJ Meadowlands from sun up trying to relocated the Red-necked Phalarope for some friends that couldn't get to see it Thursday evening. No luck. Did see Orchard Oriole, Sora, Virginia Rail and a few others in The Meadowlands. I got a call about a Yellow-throated Warbler at Garret Mt. This has been a nemesis bird for a friend Bill. Well he found it. I went up and missed it. Funny to say I have to settle for a Blackburian Warbler as my Bird-a-day.

April 28 - Red-necked Phalarope

Yesterday I was asked by Mike from NJ Meadowlands if I was interested in looking for an American Bittern in Harrier Meadow. I'm game for that and put on the boots and met Mike 7 AM on Thursday. We spent 1-1/2 hours walking through the marshes of Harrier to find the Bittern in a small pool. It flew off to another. This would be my bird-a-day bird until an after dinner walk to find a Bergen County Moorhen would lead us towards a Red-necked Phalarope. It's a rare spring sighting in North Jersey. This is a life bird for me and Linda and is my 200th bird of the year in NJ and my bird-a-day bird. Thanks to Ron Shields for getting a great photo.

April 27 - Little Blue Heron

I spent the morning on Garret Mountain, but it seemed that the 18 species of Warblers seen the other day have moved on. In the evening after dinner we took a walk at DeKorte and some surrounding Meadowlands areas. With the water level in the impoundment at DeKorte lowered, Sora was seen along the edge of the phrags. We walked to the Hackensack River along the canal and flushed a couple of Snipe and Savannah Sparrows. An interesting wader flew over, smaller than a Great Egret, but not a Snowy Egret either. Grayish bill and legs with no yellow feet, different, thicker body than a Snowy. Little Blue! My bird today.