Fall 2014 Birds

Fall arrived as it always does, resulting in a change in our avifauna.  The birds of summer are departing, but luckily they are replaced by species that we haven’t seen since they departed last spring.  So now, for example, fall begins with the southward migration of shorebirds back through our area, the orioles and warblers and tanagers are becoming more difficult to find, but the ducks and Red-breasted Nuthatches and Winter Wrens and Pine Siskins and kinglets are back. A great pleasure of fall birding is finding surprises…either a summer bird that has not yet departed for warmer climates, or a new first-of-season bird returning back sooner than expected. As shining examples, for me the best surprises in this last part of the year have been a late Tennessee Warbler found at Sandy Hook, a Northern Shrike returning back to Whitesbog, and a Sedge Wren at Franklin Parker Preserve. I love these surprises!

Here’s a few photos of the notable birds from fall excursions.

Here’s my list of new year birds seen so far this fall (September / October / November):
American Pipit – Dec. 1 – Island Beach State Park
Sedge Wren – Nov. 23 – Franklin Parker Preserve
Horned Lark – Nov. 14 – Stone Harbor Point
Northern Shrike – Nov. 10 – Whitesbog
Tennessee Warbler – Nov. 8 – Sandy Hook
Lincoln’s Sparrow – Oct. 25 – Island Beach State Park
Purple Finch – Oct. 20 – Tuckerton Great Bay Blvd.
Common Gallinule – Oct. 14 – Forsythe NWR
Rufous Hummingbird – Oct. 10 – Cape May
Eastern Meadowlark- Oct. 10 – Higbee’s Beach Cape May
Pine Siskin- Oct. 10 – Cape May
Orange-crowned Warbler – Oct. 9 – Higbee’s Beach Cape May
Rusty Blackbird – Oct. 9 – Higbee’s Beach Cape May
Eared Grebe – Sept 30 – Barnegat Bay
Gray-cheeked Thrush- Sept. 22 – Sandy Hook
Lark Sparrow – Sept. 22 – Sandy Hook
Whiskered Tern – Sept. 16 – Cape May State Park
Wilson’s Phalarope – Sept. 7 – Forsythe NWR
Western Sandpiper – Sept. 7 – Forsythe NWR