Look what surfed in at Sea Isle!

Dad and I went striper fishing down at Sea Isle today. What a gorgeous day!

Only caught two (non-keeper) stripers and several kingfish.

There were about two hundred shorebirds in assorted flocks at the water's edge, including Sanderlings, a few Least, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, and Semi-Palmated Plovers. Also saw one Osprey and the usual Laughing gulls fighting over the clam shells.

Suddenly, about 150 feet down the beach, about 30 feet out, I saw a large bird floating in the water and coming in through the surf. I grabbed my camera and ran down to see it. Unbelievably, the bird came right in, almost to my feet. It was a juvenile (first year?) Northern Gannet with perhaps a broken right wing.

I was able to get many great pics of it. Eventually two young gals came down and asked what it was and what we should do. They made a phone call and got connected to the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, who said put a wet towel around it and bring it in. Easy to say, when you're not looking at that strong bill. But that's just what they did.

So, Lisa, you can be extremely happy that this bird may not meet the same sad fate as the young Gannet of yesteryear!

Looks like it's smiling . . .

Willow Flycatcher & Cerulean Warblers

Saturday the Yeichs and I headed West to Thompson WMA and Sky Meadows State Park for some late spring birding. Our target bird was Cerulean Warbler, and they did not let us down! In fact, the first one we saw was on the ground in the path in front of us! Very unusual for a treetop species. We got looks at both males and a female. The other highlight at Thompson was a pair of Kentucky Warblers that were following each other through the understory and gave us excellent views. The whole time they were making a harsh chek note. Other highlights were Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanagers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. We also found a dismembered Luna Moth, whose body had been eaten, but whose wings were scattered on the path.

Our plan was to observe the Red-Headed Woodpeckers at Sky Meadows, however that quickly changed when we found out that we couldn't enter the main part of the park without paying $20, because of a strawberry festival that half of the people in Virginia were attending. So we went across the street to a different trail, and were pleasantly surprised with a life bird: a singing Willow Flycatcher beside a stream!

Some Pics From Our Family All Day Bird Trip Around South Jersey

Local Notes: Blackpolls and an Owl

Last night Lisa and I took a walk through a local nearby park. I had been told that at a place where the trail crosses a road Barred Owls had nested in the past, and so we headed that way to see if we could track one down. Sure enough, when we were getting close to the street, we spooked an owl 30 feet from us. He flew back a ways, but then a band of Blue Jays managed to chase him back our way, where he perched for several minutes!


Then today when I pulled into a parking spot at my doctor's office in Falls Church. In a little 20 ft tree beside my car were two male Blackpoll Warblers with a third singing nearby. Also heard two more in our apartment complex while taking out the trash tonight. It's amazing how much can be seen in the most common of places.

I'm also excited to have a Gray Catbird eating hulled sunflower seeds off my porch, along with the oddball American Robin that has been feasting on the sunflower for over a month (and visited some last year as well).

I'm Alive!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey all. Been a while since I last posted. I may backtrack and do a few posts from trips over the last few months.

But, for now, I will catch you up on recent occurences.....there haven't been too many. I've been working a lot, doing yard work alot, and have very little free time to get out and about.

But, in my yard this month I've already recorded 51 species of birds and a handful of butterflies so that's been good.

The yard/field across the street highlights are as follows:
May 3 - 3 singing male Northern Parulas and a singing Prairie Warbler
May 4 - 1 American Redstart, 3 Yellowthroats, 1 Prairie Warbler
May 6 - a male Blue Grosbeak, a singing Blackpoll Warbler, a singing Yellow Warbler
May 7 - Brown Thrasher, Osprey, American Kestrel
May 9 - a male Scarlet Tanager flyover, a Great Crested Flycatcher, 2 E Kingbirds
May 10 - a male Indigo Bunting, Blackpoll Warblers continue

The latest interesting butterflies in the yard have been an American Copper, a Silver Spotted Skipper, and a Red Spotted Purple. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails have become regular in the last few days, as well as American Ladys.

I'll be doing a herping post soon from a few weeks ago.

NJ Nature Notes

I would be remiss to omit some interesting sightings of the last week:

First, I have heard and then located a striking male Baltimore Oriole (of the non-baseball variety) in a front yard tree twice in the past week. I took some photos, but they are more or less like a Where's Waldo picture.

Second, a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak visited our front yard on Thursday in the early afternoon. This species has visited us four of the last five years:


2007 - male on May 2
2008 - female on May 2, male on May 8
2009 - male at window feeder on May 2, male & female in BigTop feeder on May 7
2010 - No grosbeaks seen
2011 - male feeding on ground under tube and window feeders on May 5th
















Last, but not least, some sightings on the Sea Isle trip:

• Thousands of high-flying brant in long lines, headed north



• Several schools of dolphin, passing close off-shore.



• An amazing Little Blue Heron in the bay marsh off Corsons Inlet



• Semi-palms (plover and piper) and 2 least on the beach



• A kestrel over the ocean (sighted by Dad).



• These crazy gulls fighting over the leftover bait:

We bird, we herp, we fish

There has been some discussion as to whether fishing photos are allowed on our nature blog. Let me resolve this controversy by saying that I have decided they are allowed and here they are.

Dad and I had a wonderful time at Sea Isle this very fine Mother's Day. The weather was perfect -- sunny and 70 degrees with a light wind. Dad set four surf rods out, baited with fresh clam. The first (supposed) striper of the day took not only the bait but the entire rig off of line #1. That was a good omen.

Next, Dad reeled in a 30", 8#11 oz striper and no sooner had beached that one, then he was pulling in another non-keeper.

Dad with his stripers

About an hour later, another rod bent and this one was mine. I started fighting what ultimately turned out to be not only my first striper ever, but the largest keeper of the day at 10#4oz and 30". I thought I was in good shape, but man, what a fight! Complicated by the fact that Dad was reeling in something on the line next to me. That turned out to be a skate . . . AND my line. At that point, I was convinced that my fish was off. The lines were tangled -- and a mess. About a minute later, Dad realized that the fish might still be on my line and hand pulled my fish to the beach!

Then, ten minutes later, the big surf rod bent again and I was off to the races fighting my second fish which fought harder than the first. My shoulders and arms eventually gave out and I had to let Dad get this one onto the beach for me also. It was a first for the Webster family: a black drum 25", 9.5#. An strikingly beautiful fish which takes its name from the drumming noise that it makes (and we heard). Since we heard that it's not as good eatin', we threw it back.

What a day --one that I will never forget!

We bird, we herp, we fish . . .

Only we sometimes eat the fish.

Hummer Pic & WV birds

For over a week now we've had a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird coming to the feeder on our office window. I managed to get quite a few more photos the other day, the best of which is here.

Today while watching my brother-in-laws motorcycle racing in WV, there were a number of Baltimore Orioles around, and I also heard Scarlet Tanager. A couple of Northern Parulas were singing in the area around my apartment complex.

A Real Owl Sighting

This morning I spent an hour trying to track down a Mourning Warbler that had been seen a day before in an area not far from where I work. The disappointment of my search for that bird can be summed up in these words: I might have seen it. I had heard a rustling sound in the leaves beside the path. Thinking that it was awfully close for a bird, and probably one of the many squirrels, I took a step toward it only for it to fly. Clearly warbler sized...thought I picked up yellow, though truthfully it could  have been the Ovenbird that I spotted later. Anyway, it flew in far enough that I couldn't relocate it. Someday I'll find a Mourning Warbler.

On the bright side, a group of 5 or 6 crows alerted me to the presence of a Barred Owl, which they eventually managed to flush. Also saw several warblers, two Scarlet Tanagers and a FOS Swainson's Thrush. Interesting that White-Throated Sparrows are still lingering around.--Mike

Unusual Owl Sighting

This morning the alarm was beeping at 6:00am. I gave the snooze button a rude slap and nestled down for what I thought would be five minutes. Instead, I slipped back into dreamland where the following scene took place:

I was standing in the bedroom at my parents’ house where I grew up, peering out the window overlooking our neighbors open front lawn. I saw an object spiraling down out of the sky towards the grass. It was apparent that it was a large bird, but its flight indicated it could be injured. While watching this object plunge, I witnessed another healthy owl fly down and snatch the other owl out of the air. This rescuer owl then landed in my parents’ backyard. This should have been my first clue that this owl was something special.

Zzzz….break in dream where I don’t remember what happened.

The next thing I knew the owl was in my parents’ living room. It stood about 18 inches tall, but it quickly became apparent this was not your average wise old owl. As I edged into the living room, the owl began igniting the fuses of multiple pyrotechnics around him….primarily sparklers. I’m not quite sure whether that set him off to dancing in the middle of them or what. I just remember being struck at how clever this guy was.

I don’t think there is any moral to this story. Just a strange dream. And an unusual, pyrotechnic-loving owl.