Ocean County Big Count

First ever BC in OC, also corresponded to WSB so there was good reason to try to rep my section which was Lakewood, Jackson and New Egypt. Day was very birdy but conditions after lunch were not ideal. Still not bad for the first time out of the gate with this project. Great Blue Heron 3 Green Heron 1: Black Vulture 2 Turkey Vulture 20 Wood Duck 1 Mallard 20 RSH 2 at Metedeconk Preserve RTH 7 Wild Turkey 1 Killdeer 1 LAGU 1 Rock Dove 20 Mourning Dove 20 YBC 1 Chimney Swift 4 Ruby-throated hummer 1 Belted Kingfisher 1 RBWP 10 Downy 2 Northern Flicker 3 East. Peewee 2 East. Phoebe 2 East. Kingbird 2 GC Flycatcher 1 Blue Jay 20 American Crow 7 Tree Swallow 20+ at CM BCC 20+ Tufted Titmouse 20+ WBN 2 BG Gnatcatcher 20 Veery 1 Hermit thrush 1 American Robin 20+ Gray Catbird 20+ Northern Mocker 10 Brown Thrasher 1 Euro Star 20+ a note here is that they seem to be expanding quite a bit in my part of OC. They had taken over all the nest boxes that I saw at CM. Northern Parula 6 Yellow 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 Cape May 1 YRW 20 BTG 1 Pine Warbler 20 Most numerous at CM, many nesting! Bay-breasted 1 Blackpoll 1 B&W 2 American Redstart 5 Overbird 20 also very numerous at CM with many singing. Scarlet tanager 2 eastern towhee 2 chipping sparrow 20+ field sparrow 5 grasshopper sparrow 2 song sparrow 2 wts 5 northern cardinal 5 rwbb 2 common grackle 20+ orchard oriole 1 baltimore oriole 2 house finch 2 goldfinch 10 house sparrow 20+

Wild Hawk Nest

They have at least one chick, about 3 weeks old up there. Mom is still super protective!

Great Horned Owlet Rescue Part 2

So the eldest chick had been doing great all by himself. Strong enough to cling to branches there was enough space to hold on. As it has grown though it had started branching a bit and two days ago I had hard time finding him cuz he was out on a limb huddled next to mom. In the morning light this was the best pic and getting another angle proved impossible. Ever since I got the youngest baby mom has not been as relaxed around me so I left in order not to stress them. The problem was that when I returned in the late afternoon, everybody was gone! Turns out the little bugger decided to fledge a tad early! It took about 2 hours of scouring the woods but finally there he was, back in the woods by the stream! We scooped him up as he is still too young to fly. There's no doubt he can jump/flap but without any developed tail feathers this guy would be easy prey for a fox. Hopefully we can release him and the other owlet in about 2 weeks time.