Island Beach State Park Trip

Today I lead a trip to Island Beach State Park for NJ Audubon. We had a group of 12 including me. Weather-wise, we couldn't have asked for a better day. The sky was clear with a cool morning that warmed up to produce a beautiful day. The birding was great, but died down as the day progresses. We explored the ocean, the brushy habitats surrounding the parking lots, as well as the wooded areas on the bay side of the park. Bird diversity was low, but we had great looks at many different birds. We saw 45 species total. Here are the highlights:

• A close look by all at a Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  
• Field Sparrow
  
• An immature White-crowned Sparrow
  
• Swamp Sparrow
  
• A female Indigo Buntin
  
• Brown Creeper
  
• Many Sharp-shinned Hawks circling the skies
  
• Several Northern Harriers
  
• Both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in large numbers
  
• Several groups of Black Scoters migrating south on the ocean
  

We also had a great butterfly day with tons of Monarchs flying throughout the day. We also saw Red Admiral, Orange Sulphur, Cabbage White, Eastern Tailed Blue and Common Buckeye.



The group looks for a Yellow-rumped Warbler


The group scans the ocean in hopes of seeing a loon or some scoters


Here I am scanning the bay. It was really windy on the bay side. That's my dad in the background.


Beth took this great picture of a Blue Jay at a tray feeder

Thanks to everyone who came out and thanks to Beth for being the photographer. Here's a complete list of species seen:

Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
American Black Duck
Black Scoter
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
American Herring Gull
Laughing Gull
Forster's Tern
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Cedar Waxwing
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Hermit Thrush
Carolina Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Blue Jay
American Crow
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow