This image of a Snow Goose was captured by Joseph Pescatore at Osborne Pond in Basking Ridge, NJ.  It was taken early in the morning on January 1st, 2012.  Happy New Year, indeed!

(c) 2012

Photo by Ellen & Tony (c) 2011

Eighteen birders broke the 300-bird barrier last year, and three (outside of Reed and Fritz) cracked 340.  The reasons for all the listing success can be speculated upon, but at least some of the credit can be given to a far-reaching network of information – birding email chains, text messaging services, and a community searching far and wide for rarities, sharing their findings in real time with other birders.

ebird.org is a great resource for both novice and experienced birders, helping to keep track of lists, report rarities, and map out trends over time and space.

For over 100 years, birders have taken part in annual Christmas Bird Counts.  These events help scientists gather information on what birds are spending the winter in certain regions.  This in turn can aid conservation efforts for species in peril, as a majority of North America’s birds need protection not only on their breeding grounds, but where they spend the colder months as well.

On Audubon’s page (click here) you can find all the information needed on the Christmas Bird Counts in your area – they run for almost a month, so finding a convenient time and date to participate shouldn’t be a major hurdle for any interested naturalists out there.

NJO contributor Tom Reed has now seen 343 different species of birds in the state of New Jersey since January 1st, 2011.  This is already 6 more than the previous record, set in 2002, but only 1 more than the number currently seen by another 2011 lister.  That means Tom has to keep searching for the next three months – the competition doesn’t end until the clock strikes midnight on December 31st.

Tom and the author, Bill Lynch, birding in early January

Tom was recently featured on http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/ - check out the article and Tom’s insightful quotes on birding by clicking here.

This NJO article reflects the updated counts for the two 2011 listers – both have seen new species since the writing of the linked article.

Click here to view a schedule of events and to sign up.

Contact your local Audubon nature center for more information. The dates and times (along with contact information) are:

Saturday August 6 – 1pm Plainsboro Preserve
80 Scotts Corner Road, Cranbury NJ 08512, (609) 897-9400

Saturday August 13 – 10am Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
11 Hardscrabble Rd. Bernardsville, NJ 07924 (908) 766-5787

Saturday August 13 – 2pm Lorrimer Sanctuary
790 Ewing Avenue, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 (201) 891-2185

Also be sure to stock up on bird seed during the big sale:

On October 15th, registered participants will hike 1-2 miles with a guidebook, stopping along the way to speak with naturalists, participate in scavenger hunts, and enjoy the beautiful natural setting of one of New Jersey Audubon’s most popular sanctuaries.  After the hike, the fun will continue with wildlife displays, games, and other activities.

Register early by clicking here or clicking the image above.  You can also volunteer as a naturalist by emailing hike@nwf.org

Photo by Joseph F. Pescatore (c) 2011

It is also curious that these birds seem to have arrived on their breeding grounds so late in the season.  Normally male Dickcissels will arrive at this latitude in late April to early May and began setting up territories for the eventual arrival of the female birds (about a week later).  The Negri Nepote birds, however, seem to have arrived sometime in early to mid-June, with the males still singing ceaselessly on conspicuous perches as of this posting.  One explanation could be that these are young birds that found their way to breeding grounds later than their more experienced relatives.  This could also explain why they are seemingly making a relatively small grassland in central NJ their home for the summer.

Regardless of why they are here, they have already attracted many birders to this natural oasis.  And we can all help them by staying on the mowed paths and not approaching too closely.  Before we know it, there could be little Dickcissels chirping away from their nest!

We geared up at the north end of Sandy Hook, ready to head down the Fisherman’s Trail.  I strapped on my binoculars and shouldered my camera while he got comfortable with my wife’s new Nikon Monarchs.  The sun had appeared and I was confident it would cast away the dark clouds looming behind us.  After all, I had just checked the forecast a day ago and it called for a sunny, clear morning with 0% chance of rain.

It rained.  We had walked all the way out to the beach and were scanning for the King Eider when we noticed the sun had vanished behind the darkening sky.  I decided we better start moving, but as we did, the first few drops began to descend.  Thirty seconds later, we were trudging through the dunes as the torrential downpour pelted us with seemingly horizontal streams of rain.  If it weren’t for my increasingly soaked camera equipment (my baseball cap didn’t work very well as an umbrella), it was actually somewhat fun.  When’s the last time you were caught up in an intense thunderstorm?  Not much we could do but walk back and try to enjoy the miserable situation.

We drove south a bit and parked in the next lot.  It was still raining, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from continuing my search for the King Eider.  We wrapped up our binoculars in a jacket and a plastic bag, respectively, and headed back out into the elements.  As we reached the water, the rain finally started to let up.  Two scoters cruised by, and a Great Black-Backed Gull flew in with a crab danging from its mouth.

Walking up the beach, we made some interesting finds.  A dead shark had washed ashore, and just a few feet further we discovered a dead Common Loon among the wrack.  Yes, there were living birds too.  My brother seemed impressed that we were able to see so many endangered species – Piping Plovers, Least Terns, Red Knots, and Black Skimmers all made appearances.  A trio of Black Skimmers even flew back and forth right in front of us, giving great views of their sleek wings and fascinating mandibles.

Black Skimmer

As we were walking along, admiring the spectacle of a large tern flock, my brother warned that there was a snake in front of me.  A dead snake, I thought confidently.  As I looked down and simultaneously took another step, I noticed that there was indeed a snake right next to my foot – and that no, it was not dead.  It flicked its tongue and hissed as I quickly stepped away.  Lacking any real knowledge regarding snake identification, we both marveled at the odd creature – its head appeared totally flattened, but the snake seemed perfectly healthy and ready to defend itself.  We studied it for some time before deciding to leave it to its own devices.  After some quick searching I realized it had been an Eastern Hognose Snake, explaining why it had been hanging out on the beach.

After spending some time with this mystery snake, we continued on our way until I noticed a pair of Forster’s Terns – one standing on top of the other.  Now, I’ve seen plenty of birds copulate.  I know this is the usual starting position.  These two, however, were doing nothing but standing: one on the sand, one on the back of the other.  We had a hearty laugh about it, especially my brother.  The birds were still stacked up when we finally headed back to the car.

Least Terns

A few more stops heading south and we were ready to call it a day somewhat early.  Our clothes were still soaked through, and we were getting hungry.

Being out in the field with a non-birder for the first time in quite awhile reminded me that you don’t need to be a birder to enjoy birding.  The birds and the lists (I never did see that King Eider) and the photographs are just an excuse to be outside and admire whatever nature decides she’s offering up on that particular day.  In this case, it was a lot of rain, some really cool birds, and a snake story neither of us will soon forget.