Snowy Owl--Confirmed!

You may recall that this "Big New Jersey Year" was partially brought about because Shayne got on an E-mail list of rare birds seen in New Jersey. On Saturday, January 28, she set out with her friend Kathy to see a Snowy owl that has wandered a little far south and has been hanging out at Merrill Creek Reservoir since November 8, 2011. (Unfortunately, I missed Shayne's E-mails and texts--slept late and missed the departure time.) They found it quickly after their 2 hour drive north, parked, and walked a quarter of a mile to the encampment of birders and photographers scoping the white gem.

I was extemely sad and jealous that I had missed the outing, but it was for the best as I got a big job done on Saturday. As you read on "It all Begins..." The sighting of the Snowy Owl and Shayne seeing "The Big Year" gave rise to this brain child. So of course, I had to head north the following Saturday and see her.

So, off Dan and I go to visit the snowy owl. We are pretty early risers in general, so our arrival at the reservoir was a full hour before the visitor center opened. I had been planning on getting directions to find the owl from the visitor center--with texts from Shayne and Dan reading the signs on the park maps, we headed off hiking in the wrong direction. My ineptness allowed us to see 4 or 5 buffleheads along the lake trail and a flock of snow geese overhead. The nice thing about buffleheads is they are pretty easy to distinguish with their distinctive markings, so it's not too impressive that I could identify this species, and actually Dan probably named them before I did. Shayne had identified these two species the previous week, so we included them in our confirmed count. I hope that doesn't conflict with rules 2 and 3!After hiking this way for a half an hour we decided we were definitely getting farther from our intended bird. I tried to approach a few other folks who looked like they might be searching for our arctic friend, ( I astutely noted scoping and photography paraphernalia about the neck) but my friendly overtures were not met with mutual friendliness. I could hardly get a smile or hello from the others on the path. So dan and I turned around and headed back to the car and drove to yet another likely parking area, we couldn't seem to figure out the way Shayne was telling us to go, we just couldn't find the right road. We tried another parking area, from which we could see the proper dam and started out again. We consulted a dog and his owner about the direction to go, and were assured we would find the owl if we kept going this direction. We were told to look for a large boulder wall and long wooden stairs. Another hiker passed us making a beeline in that direction with his scope, so we hurried to follow him, but lost him he veered off our path and disappeared around a corner into some woods. Should we try to follow him or walk up across the dam as the dog had directed us? And there appeared to be a gate up across the dam barring our way.We went the dam way, found our way through the gate, which was actually not there to stop hikers but vehicles. I finally felt confident we were on our way to see the owl at last. Hmmm. Here came those unfriendly hikers I couldn't get to speak earlier. It seems instead of hopping in and out of the car one could have continued walking and gotten to the owl more quickly. "Did you see the owl?" I asked hopefully.

"No," one of the hikers reluctantly did finally answer my inquiry. "it must be somewhere else today." the disapointed hiker followed her group up the dam and away from those of us.

Instead of trudging back to the car I looked down the dam and at the rocky area we had been instructed to look for. There was a log on its side toward the bottom of the hill. It looked like the log in the picture Shayne had shown me earlier in the week. Hmmm, looked like there was a bump on the end right where the bird had sat last week. My earlier worry and disappointment turned to excitement as I raised my binoculars. I almost turned and hollered back at the non-talkative crew of hikers that I saw the owl right where it was supposed to be, just waiting for us.

Dan and I got as close as we could from the top of the dam, but could see that there was a group of people at the base of the dam with scopes and cameras. I really wanted as close a view as I could get, especially after we had driven so far. We circled back and went the way of the earl!ier speed walker.

The trip down was pretty steep, but definitely worth it when we shared peeps through the camped out birders. As we stood there admiring the snowy owl, several folks walked in from a parking lot. Hmmm. We should have kept looking.

We spent as much time as seemed polite talking to the nice people with the scope. The birding gentleman even gave me some tips on getting a scope. He had done the research and found that his Vortex held up quite nicely to the highest-end products. (Perhaps in addition to keeping up with the birds I count this year, I should keep up with the money spent!)

Now it was time to get back up the dam. I really wished we had found the correct drive with the quarter mile walk in. I didn't have a heart attack, but I did have to stop and breath. . . more than once.

Once home, I was so excited to show my new bird pictures to my children! Alex looked at the white bird on the end of the log and said, "Looks like a bump on a log." Even after I enlarged it.

Emie's reaction? "It's so cute! I want one! Can I have one? People have owls as pets. I want one, please?"

A Robin in Every Tree

February 3, 2012

For our first big outing, Shayne and I (Rhonda) decided to go for a sure thing--swans at my family's cranberry bogs. We couldn't wait to get going on our bird count, so Friday as soon as school was out, we grabbed our gear and headed east. First stop would be the Bass River Farm. Every day a family member has to drive to the farm to chase out the elegant but pesky Tundra Swans. (Cranberries are covered with water in the winter, and the swans feed by pulling up shallow vegetation and can destroy large patches of the bog.)

On the way up we rounded the corner at Harrisville Lake and Shayne gave a startling, excited exclamation something to the effect of "big blue bird!" We pulled over and got our first official bird, a Great Blue Heron, wading on the opposite shore.

At the Bass River Farm we totally struck-out. Not a single bird; no swans, no ducks, not a wing beat of any kins. Great start! On to Wading River.

At Wading River we thought we had stumbled upon a party. A family was digging around the drive with a metal detector, and at the gate we were greeted by a Weimaraner and her owner enjoying a romp. No ducks at the reservoir as a result. I had no key to get through the gate, so we hiked in toward the river, excited to get some serious water fowl. On the way, Shayne saw someone sitting in a tree and after a few minutes we confidently determined it was a pair of robins. "Oh boy! We drove all this way for a couple of robins?"

Closer to the river we identified a couple of chickadees, and when we got to the water across the way were Canada Geese. Still no one we couldn't have seen at home. On the way back to the gate we did hear a red winged blackbird. Then came the big excitement, a Bald Eagle made an appearance and flew right through. The nest isn't empty either, she's got a couple of eggs in there! We will be back in 35 days!

More robins! Robins and robins! Every time we saw someone we thought deserved a closer look, it was a robin. A robin in every tree. That was the theme of the day.

Here's the day one total: Blue Heron, Robin, Chickadee, Canada Goose, Red-winged Blackbird, Bald Eagle. 6. Whoopee.

It Begins! February 1, 2012

How did it come to be that Shayne and Rhonda decided to find every possible bird species in New Jersey? And how is that working out for them?

It all started for the kids. Many years ago (how many was it Shayne?) Shayne had a dream that children at Kenneth R. Olson Middle School would become "citizen scientists" and contribute to the body of knowledge contained at Cornell University's Ornithology Lab. When Rhonda heard about it she got all excited and gave her usual comment, "Let's do it!"

So Shayne wrote a grant proposal for the Education Fund, and got money to get started. Then they figured they better learn how to be birders and went to Rancocas Nature Center to take their first bird walk. It was there Rhonda found a Zen state, all the stress and anxiety left her body as she quietly walked through the woods looking for the Great Horned Owl. When he flew on silent wings, the majesty of the moment enthralled her so, became a hopeless bird nerd, and never looked back.

There have been a few other notable stories to tell since then, but back to "The Big (New Jersey) Year. " ( There was also this bit about the two of them wanting to become experts in something, and wondering if they would ever find something they had a chance at.)

Shayne saw the movie and the Owl. The movie being, "The Big Year." (They meant to see it at the theater, but it got by before they did.) Then Shayne got an E-mail that let her in on the sighting of a snowy owl in the north of New Jersey. "We should see how many birds we could put on our life list in a year," she suggested. And Rhonda did that "Let's do it," thing again. And here we are.

What are the rules? (1) Birds must be seen in the state. After all, it is "The Big New Jersey Year." (2) Both Shayne and Rhonda must confirm the bird. (3) Was there a third or was it just don't cheat on number 2?

So February 1 2012 we begin our year!

Total Bird Count: 0