Trip Report

The weather cooperated. Although cloudy there was no rain and warm temperatures and high humidity. After a very slow start with several stops and few birds (at least to see, save for a close Scarlet Tanager which all the folks in back likely missed) by the time we got to the end of road a fairly cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo provided most a good look. Quickly following a very cooperative Blue-winged Warbler bee-bzzed through the treetops although the known Prothonotary Warbler failed to show or vocalize in this area. Back at another nestbox near the footbridge Prothonotary Warbler failed to answer the tape and the leader felt certain a mutiny was about to unfold. Fortunately a Hooded Warbler sang his alternate song and put on a spectacular show for several minutes. Finally assembling the group at Box 10A a brilliant Protonotary flew into view before one note finished playing on the tape and paused in a no foliage area barely 20 feet from the group. While here a Louisiana Waterthrush sang and obliged everyone by responding to the tape. We managed Redstart and Black-throated Blue on the walk back and a pair of Eastern Kingbirds seemed out of place habitat-wise. The determined group said “let’s make another try for the Acadian Flycatcher”. It had failed to materialize earlier in the morning. On this attempt the bird came into view and I believe everyone saw the bird although it only reluctantly sang a few times. Back at the road we added a visual White-eyed Vireo and told the group we’d re-assemble at Brightview Farm in about an hour.

When I reached my car, most of the group had already left for Brightview. I found a note on my windshield from Gar Reed and Eileen Krause stating they had observed a Sandhill Crane on the soccer field of the Burlington County Vo-Tech School less than a mile from our location. Dave Hoffman, Margo and Tom Sutherland were still there and we proceeded to the location and found the crane still on the soccer field. However before Dave and I left the crane flew off toward Medford then banked left toward Route 206.

Brightview provided the usual characters-Boblink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow. Eastern Bluebird, and both orioles. We had two Black Vultures and a Bald Eagle (the first for this trip ever) thanks to Butch Lishman’s keen eyes. Thanks Butch! This is the first year we’ve dipped on having everyone see Grasshopper Sparrow well or for that matter-at all. Butch thought he heard one in the same area they occupied last year but none responded to a tape in that area.

Thanks to all who joined the forced march. By my count we totaled 60 species for the day-fairly typical of this itinerary. If you find any ommisions please let me know.

Don Jones

Participants (11):
David Hoffman
Margie Keefe
Butch Lishman
YY & Jane Huang
Steve Liebhaber & Nancy Cooke
Tom & Margo Sutherland
Fran Hovey
Win Schafer

Trip List

Great Blue Heron
Sandhill Crane
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Laughing Gull
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
Veery
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Blue-winged Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole