Brigantine
August 9, 2014
Leaders: Sam Wilson and Sam Galick
August 9, 2014
Leaders: Sam Wilson and Sam Galick
The NJ Young Birders Club's second trip to Brigantine was another fun and species-filled day! The day started off with cedar waxwings darting around and flying right over our heads to catch bugs in the parking lot where we met up. What a show that was! When all the birders had arrived, the trip leaders Sam Wilson and Sam Galick led us over to the observation tower area where two Caspian Terns and a Gull-billed Tern were hunting over the fresh water. After we had our fill of those, we continued along the main drive and stopped to scan the Semipalmated Sandpipers to see if there was anything interesting among them. There wasn't, but a Saltmarsh Sparrow flew up into a bush no more than 5 feet away from us where it would give brief glimpses. Many shorebirds and many terns later, the top of the drive produced a breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plover, two more Caspian Terns including a juvenile, and a few Diamond-backed Terrapins for the herpers on the trip. Further down the road, a hunting Peregrine Falcon, a group of Black Skimmers, a molting male Bobolink, and a nesting Seaside Sparrow were four more surprises along the dikes. Back by the fields, a singing male Blue Grosbeak was pointed out by Sam Galick and heard by the rest of the group. The day concluded with lunch at the picnic tables and a Red Velvet-Ant crawling around the area. Thanks to Sam Wilson and Sam Galick for leading us through the day and the young birders and their parents who made the trip down!
-Andrew Marden
-Andrew Marden
Species List
Total: 76 Species
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey Pandion
Clapper Rail
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet Tringa
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Total: 76 Species
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Turkey Vulture
Osprey Pandion
Clapper Rail
American Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet Tringa
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Least Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Black Skimmer
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea
Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch