Chasing 1000 - #999

I was scheduled to lead a birding trip down to Barnegat Lighthouse; however, today's high winds forced me to change my my plans. Brigantine (Edwin B. Forsythe NWR) was to be our backup trip if the weather was uncooperative, unless something very interesting showed up on the NJ Hot Line. Yesterday, an Ivory Gull was found flying around the harbor in Cape May, and was again located just minutes before we were set to depart this morning. The Ivory Gull is such a rare bird here in the Northeast, let alone New Jersey (4th modern NJ record), that it was an easy decision to change our plans and chase this bird. We arrived at its last reported location only to find out we had missed it by just a few minutes. After about a half hour of waiting at this location, we decided to try a second view point where it had been seen the day before. While there, we got a report that the Gull had returned to the previous location, so we drove back t the first location. The gull had only stayed around for a few minutes and was already gone by the time we arrived. Since it appeared that this bird was just moving around in the harbor, I decided we would stay here hoping it would reappear. It only took about 15 minutes before the a small almost pure white gull appeared and landed just a short distance in front of us. Ivory Gull - #999 on my Life List. After about a half hour of observing and photographing this bird from various angles, we departed content that it had alredy been a great day of Birding.


Ivory Gull


Ivory Gull in Flight

Chasing 1000 - #998

I could see that my wife needed a break from work/school, so on Saturday I took her down to Cape May for the day. After a late lunch, she dropped me back at the Lighthouse and went into town for some shopping. I knew it had been a slow day around the lighthouse, but upwards of 20 Cave Swallows were mixed in with the Tree Swallows flying overhead and 3-4 Eurasian Widgens were on the Gull Pond. When I arrived, the swallows were working over the parking lot and I was quickly able to pick out a couple of Cave Swallows. I then started on the birding trail out to Gull Pond seeking an Eurasian Widgeon. Since I had been following the Cape May Reports, I knew that these Eurasian Widgeons weren't mature males and would not be that easy to identify. Since I had never spent much time observing female American Windgeons before, this was the perfect opportunity for me to study them. So I took my time to carefully work my way through the "females" in the American Widgeon flock before I was able to locate one that definately looked different. At that point, I continued down the trail looking for an opportunity to upgrade my duck photographs. Suddenly a small black bird flushed from along the side of the boardwalk, less then 2 feet in front of me and flew only about 10 feet before diving into heavy cover. As I stood staring at the point where the bird had disappeared, I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a Black Rail (#998 on my Life List). Some days you just get lucky! Just wish I could have gotten a photograph.

Tracking Subspecies

Today I read an article that the Kentish Plover (Eurasia) and the Snowy Plover (America), which are currently considered to be subspecies, should be split into 2 species. I have seen both and include records of both subspecies on my Life List (FYI - I track but don't count additional subspecies on my Life List). The Plain Titmouse taught me that I should track the different subspecies I've seen. Ever hear of the Plain Titmouse? If you look at a 1990's edition of the Peterson Guide to Western Birds, you will find this bird listed. However, in the new (2008) Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of North America, you will find 2 species and a note that "Juniper and Oak titmice were once combined as a single species, Plain Titmouse." I had seen my first Plain Titmouse back in the mid-nineties while in Colorado. Later when I learned that the Plain Timouse had been split into the Oak and Juniper titmice, it was easy for me to determine that my lifer Plain Titmouse was actually a Juniper Titmouse. However, I didn't have any documentation that I may have seen the Oak Titmouse on a previous trip to the West Coast. (I officially got my lifer Oak Titmouse this past September.) The Plain into Oak & Juniper titmice split was a good was a good lesson that I needed to be aware of subspecies, especially in species like the Willet and Savannah where possible splits are being evaluated. Currently, I have 27 species on my Life List where I list 2 or more subspecies that I've seen. Subspecies in at least 3 of these species are very likely to be split and become full species. therefore , I may have already seen #1000 on my Life List. Unfortunately, I just can not count it yet.


Willet (Western)




Oak Titmouse