May 18th-20th 2012 Spring weekend: Nature of the Jersey Pine Barrens

Pitcher Plant at Webbs Mill Bog

(All photographs in this post taken by Sandy Paci; click on photo to enlarge)

May 18th-20th Spring 3-day weekend: Nature of the New Jersey Pine Barrens 

Trip leader: Peter Dorosh

Focus: exploring the natural wonders, habitats, flora, and wildlife of the famed Jersey Pine Barrens




Webbs Mill Bog ,taken by P.Dorosh


 

Locations                                

Day 1 Double Trouble State Park, Webbs Mill Bog, Lebanon /Brendan Byrne State Forest, Warren Grove Recreation Area, Rte 72 site

Day 2  Brigatine / Edward Forsthye NWR (AM & PM), Brigatine Island Natural Area

Day 3  Tuckahoe WMA, Estelle Manor Atlantic County Park, Wharton State Forest Atsion section

Highlights include 240 WHIMBREL among 250,000 + shorebirds in Brigatine /Forsthye NWR; some Whimbrel among 8 species shorebirds inc Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, Ruddy Turnstone in one grassy salt marsh section ; southern warblers PROTHONOTARY & YELLOW-THROATED; BLUE GROSBEAK ,CLAPPER RAILS with final tally 115 species. Dragon's Mouth ( Arethusa Bulbosa ) or Swamp Pink Orchid ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arethusa_bulbosa ) and Turkeybeard flower; Pine Elfin and Brown Elfin ,Red Banded Hairstreaks butterflies, Eastern Red Damselfly among best insects; Northern Water Snake,Northern Fence Lizard  and Spotted Turtle for best reptile and amphibian class, Red Fox on the preserve road. Most of all, the stunningly scenic landscapes less than 2 hrs from NYC.

Clapper Rail from Brigatine's Leeds Trail





Birds--115 species

Northern Gannet --offshore North Brigatine Natural Area

Double-crested Cormorant

Snowy Egret

Little Blue Heron -Tuckahoe WMA

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Glossy Ibis

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

Blue-winged Teal

Gadwall

American Black Duck

Snow Goose

Canada Goose

Wood Duck

Mute Swan

Mallard

Cooper's Hawk

Bald Eagle -Atlantic County Park, flyover

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-Shouldered Hawk-Lebanon State Forest Pakim Pond, flyover

Osprey

Clapper Rail -3 seen, 2 at Brigatine NWR Leeds trail

Killdeer

Black-bellied Plover -100's Brigatine

Semipalmated Plover 1000's Brigatine

American Oystercatcher

Semipalmated Sandpiper -abundant

Least Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher 10,000's Brigatine

Dunlin 100, 000+ Brigatine

Spotted Sandpiper

Willet

Solitary Sandpiper -Warren Grove Rec Area puddle

Ruddy Turnstone

Greater Yellowlegs

Whimbrel-240, 4 flocks Brigatine NWR evening excurcion

Gull-billed Tern -over 15 Brigatine NWR

Laughing Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Caspian Tern -Brigatine NWR

Forster's Tern

Common Tern

Black Skimmer

Herring Gull

Least Tern

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove

Chimney Swift

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Traills Empidonax species

Eastern Wood Pewee

Great Crested Flycatcher numerous spots

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Kingbird

White-eyed Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

American Crow

Blue Jay

Fish Crow

Tree Swallow

Purple Martin -Brigatine NWR , in gourds

Barn Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Tufted Titmouse

Carolina Chickadee

White-breasted Nuthatch

House Wren

Carolina Wren

Marsh Wren -Brigatine NWR, Leeds trail, seen well, heard in many spots

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

American Robin

Eastern Bluebird

Wood Thrush

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing

Magnolia Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Worm-eating Warbler -Atlantic County park

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler -3; one Tuckahoe WMA, 2 Atlantic County Park, nesting area, seen well

Black-and-white Warbler

Ovenbird

Common Yellowthroat

Prothonotary Warbler -2; Tuckahoe WMA, Atlantic County Park


Blue-winged Warbler

Northern Parula

Pine Warbler

Hooded Warbler --Double Trouble State Park

Chipping Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Seaside Sparrow -roadside marsh Galloway city tract

Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow --Brigatine NWR, also roadside marsh Galloway city tract

Field Sparrow

Eastern Towhee

Northern Cardinal

Indigo Bunting

Blue Grosbeak --Tuckahoe WMA, singing juv male

Boat-tailed Grackle

Red-winged Blackbird

Orchard Oriole

Common Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Spatulate Sundew at Webbs Mill Bog

 


Wildlflowers

Dragon’s mouth or Swamp Pink Orchid ( Arethusa Bulbosa)

Turkeybeard

Pitcher Plant

Sundews-3 species: Spatulate-leaved, Round leaved & Thread leaved

Blue Toadflax

Hawkweed species

St Johnswort

Highbush Blueberry

Leather Leaf or Cassandra

Mountain Laurel ( white )

Sheep Laurel or Lambskill (red form)

Sand Myrtle

Crown Vetch

Cow Vetch

Sweet Yellow Clover

American Cranberry

Indian Pipe

Golden Club (aquatic)

Yellow Pond Lily or Spatterdock

Fragrant or White Water Lily

Evening Lychnis

Blue Flag

White Clover

Cinquefoil

Ox-eyed Daisy

Buttercup

Wild Columbine

Sheep Sorrel

Deptford Pink

Wild Bleeding Heart

Purple Loosestrife

Curly Grass Fern

Sphagnum Moss

Arrow Arum

Eastern Red Damselfly

Dragonflies/Damselflies


Widow Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer

Whitetail

10 Spotted Skimmer

Blue Dasher

Ebony Jewelwing

Eastern Red Damselfly

White Corporal





Eastern Pine Elfin

Butterflies

Black swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

Spice Bush Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Clouded Suplhur

Brown Elfin

Pine Elfin

Red-banded Hairstreak

Spring Azure

Variegated Fritillary

Question Mark

American Lady

Red Admiral

Monarch

Wood Satyr

Juvenal Duskywing

Zabulon Skipper


Mammal

Red Fox

Cottontail

Whitetail Deer



Northen Fence Lizard


Reptiles/Amphibians

Northern Fence Lizard

Northern Water Snake

Fowler’s Toad

Snapping Turtle

Spotted Turtle

Eastern Painted Turtle

Yellow Warbler