Birding By Ear North - Day 2

CMBO's Birding By Ear - North School of Birding workshop finished with a flourish yesterday in Stokes State Forest, Sussex County. We enjoyed close scoped views of a Red-eyed Vireo on its nest (found by NJAS Board Chair Mark Levy), a neat cup woven below a branch fork in classic vireo fashion, while listening to the weeta-weeta-weeteo of a nearby Hooded Warbler. We later compared Hooded's song with Magnolia Warbler and American Redstart - all can be similar in pattern, but are different in quality. An elusive Mourning Warbler sang near the Stokes headquarters. Three Alder Flycatchers and a very persistent Black-billed Cuckoo at Van Ness Road, near Layton, were vocal highlights there, while the Blue-winged Warbler literally over my head (3 feet over) was a visual delight.

The lists from the second day of the workshop are posted below. Many workshop participants ask for completed lists since in the heat of birding it can be hard to track all the species we're seeing or hearing, so we almost always post them here for retrieval. Plus, as co-leader Mark Garland pointed out to participants, one way to reinforce newly learned bird vocalizations is to go back and listen to recordings after hearing the birds in the field. We'll be offering this workshop next year - watch for it!

Location: Stokes State Forest
Observation date: 5/31/08
Number of species: 65

Canada Goose X
Wild Turkey X female with ~ 10 VERY small young! Unfortunately, only seen by part of the group before they disappeared peeping into the undergrowth.
Great Blue Heron X
Turkey Vulture X
Red-tailed Hawk X
Mourning Dove X
Yellow-billed Cuckoo X
Black-billed Cuckoo X
Chimney Swift X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Belted Kingfisher X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X
Downy Woodpecker X
Hairy Woodpecker X
Northern Flicker X
Pileated Woodpecker X
Eastern Wood-Pewee X
Acadian Flycatcher X
Eastern Phoebe X
Great Crested Flycatcher X
Yellow-throated Vireo X
Blue-headed Vireo X
Warbling Vireo X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Common Raven X
Tree Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Brown Creeper X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher X
Veery X
Wood Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Cedar Waxwing X
Northern Parula X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Magnolia Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Blackburnian Warbler X
Pine Warbler X
Cerulean Warbler X
Black-and-white Warbler X
American Redstart X
Ovenbird X
Louisiana Waterthrush X
Common Yellowthroat X
Hooded Warbler X
Scarlet Tanager X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Indigo Bunting X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Baltimore Oriole X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X

Location: Van Ness Road
Observation date: 5/31/08
Number of species: 52

Canada Goose X
Great Blue Heron X
Mourning Dove X
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 2
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Downy Woodpecker X
Eastern Wood-Pewee 5
Alder Flycatcher 3
Eastern Phoebe X
Great Crested Flycatcher X
Yellow-throated Vireo X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay 2
American Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
White-breasted Nuthatch X
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher X
Eastern Bluebird X
Veery X
Wood Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Cedar Waxwing X
Blue-winged Warbler X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Prairie Warbler X
Black-and-white Warbler X
American Redstart X
Ovenbird X
Common Yellowthroat X
Scarlet Tanager X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Field Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Rose-breasted Grosbeak X
Indigo Bunting X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird X
Baltimore Oriole X
House Finch X
American Goldfinch X