Winter Birding at Brigantine Island

Marbled Godwits and Western Willets:  Image:Harvey Tomlinson

At Forsythe NWR (Brig), New Egypt, and Brigantine Island near Atlantic City, birders are enjoying winter birding.

From the Voice of NJ Audubon hotline, we find reports of "19 MARBLED GODWITS, 73 WESTERN WILLETS, 240 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, and 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS" earlier this month.

Reports also have useful links like a Feb. 13 report of BARNACLE GOOSE, PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, PACIFIC LOON, NORTHERN LAPWING, CRESTED CARACARA, RUFOUS/ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD.

Not to ignore Northern NJ - there were also sightings from the NJ Meadowlands (DeKorte area) on Feb. 10 including a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK a mixed flock of HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, and one LAPLAND LONGSPUR; an unseasonal GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and a flock of 40 COMMON REDPOLLS.