Day 42 Saturday May 14, 2016. Visit E.B. Forsythe NWR - Brigantine Unit.

Day 42  Saturday May 14, 2016. Visit E.B. Forsythe NWR - Brigantine Unit.

Fo us two ”oldsters” it was an earlier start than usual as we wanted to get to the NWR before the Saturday crowds and … we had read that this Refuge was hit hard by the Storm “Sandy” two years ago and the restoration program  is mammoth and large. As a result many of the auto tour routes in the refuge have been closed during the week and only part of them are open during the weekend. So we headed up the New Jersey Parkway (with caution, as there is much work being done on it) and turned off at the Atlantic City expressway for a short stretch and then north again on Route 9. This took us through a few towns and some rural country (could actually see the Great Marsh) until we reached the entrance to the NWR.

The E. B. Forsythe NWR on the NJ shore

The NWR Headquarters and Visitor Center

The only road open at this time is a two way road.
There are impoundments and also a tidal slough.

Entry to the NWR

After trying to secure a map from the HQ (they were out of maps) we took the auto tour road that was open and three other trails to complete what we could there at the Refuge. It was excellent birding as the day was sunny, with little or no wind, and not too hot (64F) after a cool start to the morning (57F). The tide was just at the low end of the ebb side so many birds were still feeding in the mud and shallow waters. 

The New Jersey Audubon team is "flying high"
about birds today

We spotted the New Jersey Audubon folks in the tower on “.03 mile” Rd. They were in the middle of spotting birds as a team for the Great World Birding Day.  We bagged a pair of Wood ducks on a pond at about the same time. Well Done Audubon!

We encountered no new birds today, but our total for the trip stands at 167 as of today. Today was a good day with 54 birds identified.  For me, spotting the two Whimbrels in the distant “island” of weeds and mud was the highlight.  One Upland Sandpiper was also a great find.  The Black and White warbler was indicative of the warblers that cannot be far behind.  For Ruth, it was the Clapper Rails that seemed to just come right out of the reeds and walk along the mud on the low tide. We were fortunate to see at least three of them in plain sight.

One of the Clapper Rails we saw today in the tidal mud.

An Eastern Kingbird

Black Backed Gulls (Greater) and some young ones.

There were many Dunlins 

A numbr of Black Skimmers on a sand bar

We did take a drive early in the afternoon to the Smithville, NWR unit, but saw little there at the boat launch.  I was interested in the “Guide for Hunters” that was posted  and even an ‘aiming’ chart’ and poles at certain  distances to sight in your guns. Not being a hunter, I sometimes forget that a major use of much of this land is for hunting.

We returned by Route 9 a little earlier than usual to give us time to download photos and do the necessary note taking for the day. Ruth has posted every bird on every trip that we have been on since 1996Tomorrow will be church service, a lunch, and then the necessary “laundry time”. That will allow us clean shirts/sheets all the way back to Michigan next weekend. If there is time Sunday   (and on Monday) we will poke in around the south end of the Peninsula for some warblers . See you tomorrow.