I had the chance to take a tour of Jackson Township’s FREC Bluebird trail with Dr Laura Stone on 4.16.09. My family really enjoyed the walk with Dr. Stone and they got to hear someone else talk about birds the way I do, with passion.
Kids are so inquisitive and ask some of the darnest things. My youngest daughter, Chloe at 9, asked if Teradactyls were related to birds?
That evening I went down to Colliers Mills WMA for some quite time. I was not alone in my quest for peace. Although I think the male Belted Kingfisher, which was hunting the back cranberry bogs, was in search of dinner as well as peace. As warm as it was I was surprised by a pair of Juncos flitting about the banks of the pond.
The other highlight was a sparrow with a streaky chest picking at the ground in the front, recently burned, field. There was a mixed bunch in the field, Bluebirds, Robins, and sparrows. After watching the sparrow for a minute, my slow mind finally caught the movement of the other 3. These birds like most sparrows are seemingly dingy brown vagrants. However the Savannah sparrow is on New Jersey’s protected species list,as Endangered or Threatened. I searched and observed the field marks that would cinch this identification: yellow tinge on the eye lore, pink legs, and streaked breast but I could not see if the tail was notched.
Location: Oakford Lake, New Egypt
Observation date: 4/16/09
Notes: Sunny evening.
Number of species: 23
Canada Goose
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
Eastern Phoebe
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
American Robin
Pine Warbler
Swamp Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
Killdeer
Turkey Vulture
Savannah Sparrow
Eastern Bluebird
Belted Kingfisher
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