Today we say goodbye to March 2014. It was a good month here at Birdquiz.net. Many new quizzes were added and the appearance and organization of the site were greatly improved. But more importantly, the birding was exciting this month. It was a long and snowy winter here in the east, and a remarkable winter for two species that are usually difficult to find: Snowy Owl and Red-necked Grebe. Here in NJ, seeing up to 6 Snowy Owls in a day or Red-necked Grebes at 4 different locations in a week is exceptional, but that’s the kind of month we had. This is a good time of year to get last looks at the ducks before they depart for northward locations, transitioning into their breeding plumage, and welcoming the vanguard of spring migrants. Speaking of migrants, the earliest visitors have begun to arrive, with a few Eastern Phoebes found in the past week or so, Laughing Gulls and Forster’s Terns have appeared along the shore, Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer are back, Tree Swallows are back gliding over the lakes, and the first Great Egrets have brightened up the marshes. Not only have birds begun arriving, but some are answering nature’s call. Bald Eagle chicks are being fed, Osprey are quickly building nests, Pine Warblers have arrived and begun trilling from the pines, and American Woodcock are performing their spring aerial displays.
Other birding highlights for me from this month include two Black-headed Gulls in Cape May, three Trumpeter Swans at Assunpink Lake, and a single lifer, a rare-for-the-east Eurasian Tree Sparrow that was found in Cape May. I’m looking forward to finding out what surprises April brings my way.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Cape May, March 2014
Red-necked Grebe, Whitesbog, NJ.
Black-headed Gull; Cape May.
Long-tailed Duck, Avalon jetty.
My new March birds:
Blue-winged Teal – 26 Mar – Edwin B. Forsythe NWR–Wildlife Drive
Black-headed Gull – 22 Mar – Cape May
Laughing Gull – 22 Mar – Cape May
Forster’s Tern – 22 Mar – Cape May
Eurasian Tree Sparrow – 22 Mar- Cape May (lifer)
Trumpeter Swan – 21 Mar – Assunpink WMA
Great Egret – 20 Mar – Parker Run Dock St.
Brown-headed Cowbird – 20 Mar – Manahawkin WMA
Osprey – 19 Mar – Double Trouble State Park
Wilson’s Snipe – 19 Mar – Double Trouble State Park
Pine Warbler – 19 Mar – Double Trouble State Park
Wild Turkey – 16 Mar – Leisure Village West
Greater Yellowlegs – 15 Mar – Edwin B. Forsythe NWR–Bridge to Nowhere
Killdeer – 14 Mar – Manasquan Reservoir IBA
Eastern Phoebe – 12 – Whitesbog
Green-winged Teal – 12 Mar – Whitesbog
Fish Crow – 08 Mar – Leisure Village West
American Woodcock – 01 Mar – Leisure Village West