Below Zero

The cold is keeping many of the birds quiet as the bays and lakes freeze. Still I was able to add a bunch more birds to my list. #64 Buffleheads #65 Wood Ducks #66 Common Goldeneye #67 Bluebird #68 Field Sparrow Also saw a snow bird but Im not going to count it.

Steady Hustle

Sometimes the birds come to you and sometimes you gotta go to the birds. I made it out to Cape May this weekend for some hard to find birds and although it was fairly slow I added a number of great additions. #61 Cedar Waxwings Waterbirds were scarce b/c the water just unfroze but there were plenty of Swans, including these Mute, #13 and this beautiful Tundra Swan #62 and a lifer! I also added quite a few passarines but will wait till I get some better shots to post them. Finally while I didnt get an owl, I did get 9 Merlin #63, hunting along the road along Sunset Drive! Dear Sweet Baby Jesus, with your little baby Jesus hands, please send me some birdys! Amen.

Quick Correction and New Additions

I made a numbering error in the last post and should be at 56. Number 57 was a Glaucous Gull at Island Beach SP along with number 58, White-winged Surf Scoter. Also present were some Greater Scaup, #59. and #60 Snow Buntings. Ill be out foxing around this weekend for some more!

Beautiful Barnegat

Looking to fill out my waterbird list I took a day trip to Barnegat Lighthouse on a brisk but clear day. A few hardcore birders were out there and we were all treated to great and prolonged looks at all the action as rafts of ducks hunted along the jetty on the outgoing tide. 31) Harlequin Duck 32) Red-breasted Merganser 33) Common Loon 34) Long-tailed Duck 35) Red-throated Loon 36) Northern Gannet 37,38,39) Surf, Black Scoter and Common Eider 40) Northern Pintail 41) Peregrine Falcon Also seen: 42) Dark Eyed Junco 43) White-throated Sparrow 44)Ruddy Turnstone 45) Purple Sandpiper 46) Dunlin 47) Semi-palmated Sandpiper 48) Herring Gull 49) Snow Goose 50) Atlantic Brandt 51) Double Crested Cormorant 52) European Starling 52) House finch 53) HOSP 54) Grackle 55) Rusty Blackbird

2014: Big Year

Thanks for all your support in 2013--hopefully 2014 will be something special! 1) Red-shouldered hawk 2) American Wigeon 3) Northern Mockingbird 4) American Robin 5) Turkey Vulture 6) Red-tailed Hawk 7) Black Vulture 8) Chickadee 9) Titmouse 10)Downy Woodpecker 11)Redbellied Woodpecker 12)Yellow rumped Warbler 13)Song Sparrow 14)Tree Swallow 15)Mute Swan 16)Mallard 17)Black Duck 18)Gadwall 19)Lesser Scaup 20)Hooded Merganser 21)American Coot 22)Great Blue Heron 23)Ring Billed Gull 24)Black backed Gull 25)Common Tern 26)Canada Goose 27)Cardinal 28)Carolina Wren 29)House Wren 30)Green winged Teal