Time To Spread The Wings

Spring is finally here and in the Garden State as birders on a long winter hiatus from their favorite warm weather pastime, are now taking their binoculars out of storage. The thought of warblers in breeding plumage and the beauty of their favorite bird songs are dancing in their heads, fostering a need to get out into the field, ASAP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Birding can still be slow now as birds begin to trickle in with migration in earnest not occurring for another few weeks or so. Early warblers such as palm, pine, yellow-throated and Louisiana waterthrush have already arrived with black-and-white, northern parula and yellow not far behind. The ubiquitous yellow-rumped warblers that have been around all winter in their drab attire are now looking quite spiffy in their breeding plumage. The vanguard of the remaining New Jersey arriving warblers will take place before month's end with the exception of Cape May, bay-breasted and mourning warblers, all strictly migrants that arrive here in May. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two excellent locations in your search for warblers this spring are Sandy Hook and Garret Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park, with Belleplain State Forest in Cape May County, a great place to drive south to meet spring in late April. Belleplain has nesting yellow-throated, prairie, prothonotary, worm-eating, Kentucky (occassionally) and hooded warblers as well as summer tanager, a difficult bird to find in North Jersey. Nearby Jakes Landing can offer great marsh birding to cap a great day in the field. ******************************************************************************* ******* What's Been Seen * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * Here are some sightings from the New Jersey Audubon Society's weekly "Voice of New Jersey Audubon" rare bird alert (732-872-2595): ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*Sandhill crane, Sandy Hook

*Red-headed woodpecker, Clark

*Yellow-headed blackbird, Sandy Hook

*Eurasian wigeon, Kittatinny State Park

*Louisiana waterthrush, Garret Mountain Reservation, Woodland Park

*Short-eared owl, Forsythe (Brigantine) National Wildlife Refuge

*Black-headed gull, Bayonne

*Glaugous gull, South Amboy

*Cliff swallow, Sandy Hook

*Caspian tern, Forsythe (Brigantine) National Wildlife Refuge

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On The Lookout

The Sandy Hook Bird Observatory will sponsor these birding field trips:

*April 17: Garret Mountain Reservation, Woodland Park

*April 17: Sandy Hook Beginning Birders, free

*April 30: Belleplain State Forest

There is a fee for these events, unless otherwise noted. For more information or to register, call the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory at: (732) 872-2500

This article post was written by Pete Bacinski and Scott Barnes of the New Jersey Audubon Society's Sandy Hook Bird Observatory. Questions or comments should be directed to them at (732) 872-2500. or shbo@njaudubon.org