Top 10 best birds of 2013

I didn't do a lot of traveling this past year, so most of my birding was close to home.  Here are my top 10 birds of 2013:

1) Mew Gull--back in January I was able to find this bird, the first one ever photographed in New Jersey.

First documented Mew Gull in NJ, photo Rob Fergus

2) Lazuli Bunting--six days after finding the first Mew Gull in New Jersey, I found this bird, the first Lazuli Bunting ever found in New Jersey.  I didn't get the best look and we weren't able to fully identify it until others were able to get photos a week later.  Thank goodness birding is a team sport :-)

First documented Lazuli Bunting in NJ, photo Sam Galick.

3) Blue-footed Booby--on one of only a couple out of state trips this year I was able to see two of these birds at Skinner Lake in Riverside County, California earlier this month.  Looks like it will be my only new bird for my ABA area list this year.

Blue-footed Boobies with cormorants, Skinner Lake, CA--photo Rob Fergus

4) Snowy Owl--there are hundreds of these guys across the East Coast this winter, and a couple weeks ago I got a call about one near my home.  A couple hours later it was relocated and I got to see it, the first one documented for our county (or so we thought until a photo of one a week earlier ended up in the local paper!).

2nd Hunterdon County NJ Snowy Owl record--photo Rob Fergus

5) Barnacle Goose--this bird from last January was one of 10 species I was able to add to my county list last year, and maybe a third county record.  Just got word this morning that it was seed again today, so hope to see it again in 2014.

6) Long-eared Owl--another scarce local bird I was able to add to my county list this year.

7) Pink-footed Goose--got this rare Eurasian bird for the first time in the county late in 2012, and at least three different birds showed up off and on in the county for the first part of 2013.  So far no reports from this winter, but we'll be looking.

Pink-footed Goose, Hunterdon Co, NJ--photo Rob Fergus

8) Glossy Ibis--saw my first one for the county back in May, a bird seen flying across the Spruce Run reservoir at the end of a very good day of birding there with friends.

9) Northern Lapwing--three birds in South Jersey were the first ones I've seen in North America since 1995.

10) Short-eared Owl--my first one for the county was pretty sweet to see, and took a lot of attempts at dusk and dawn to finally see.

I only saw 252 species this past year, my worst year probably in a long time.  That is fewer species than I saw in the county alone last year, and really not great. 1 new ABA bird is the fewest new ABA species I've added in a long time as well.  New responsibilities at church and a new job kind of slowed me down.  My blogging here has tapered off a lot too.  But even with all that, these are some very fine birds to have part of my life this past year, and I am grateful for them!

So what about birding goals for 2014?  I want to get 100 species for my yard next year.  Also want to help two of my kids get 200 species for the county in 2014.  So look forward to lots of birding with them in the coming year.  I'm close to an ABA birding milestone of 700 species, so I'm still playing with the possibility of a south Florida trip in the spring to (finally!) put me over that milestone.

Bird Control for Building Renovations

Sometimes contractors working on building renovations run into properties that have had serious bird problems--including pigeon infestations in abandoned buildings.  To help contractors get on the right path, here's a bird control article I recently had published with Retrofit Magazine online.

Crossing the Finish Line--1000 Species Challenge Final Day

Sora, Cold Brook Preserve, NJ

The day started with my not knowing exactly how many species I needed to cross the 1000 species threshold, as I hadn't tallied up all my species from Saturday.  But I thought I needed at least 30 species to finish the day.

After teaching my classes at East Stroudsburg University, I stopped by the greenhouse and picked up what I hoped would be at least a dozen species.  Then I stopped by Cold Brook Preserve to look for the Sora that had been there the last two days.  After many days of looking for this bird this fall and last fall, it was nice to get good looks of an adult Sora feeding on the edge of the small marshy pond there.

Then I headed home to be with my kids as they got off the bus from school.  We wandered the yard and turned over logs hoping to get enough species to finish out the month.  By bedtime I was sure I had gotten 1000 species, but didn't know what my final tally would be.  As it is, the final tally will go up as I identify additional plants and moths that I have photographed this month, but for now at least the goal was met.

Later I'll post a recap and retrospective of what I learned doing this challenge this month.  I'm already thinking about how to go bigger next September :-)

Final Species Tally: 1004+

New Species

Jumping Spider	Salticidae sp.
Orb-weaving Spider	Araneidae sp.
Wolf Spider	Lycosidae sp.
Sora	Porzana carolina
Woodlouse	Oniscidea sp.
Ant	Formicidae sp.
Band-winged Grasshopper	Oedipodinae sp.
Bumblebee	Bombini sp.
Fruit Fly	Tephritidae sp.
Large Carpenter Bee	Xylocopinae sp.
Orange Sulphur	Colias eurytheme
Northern Short-tailed Shrew	Blarina brevicauda
Birdbill Dayflower	Commelina dianthifolia
Bowstring Hemp	Sansevieria hyacinthoides
False Lilac	Leptodermis oblonga
Fire Lilly	Cyrtanthus elatus
Fuchsia	Fuchsia hybrid
Grass Aloe	Aloe verecunda
Hippeastrum	Hippeastrum vittatum
Hippeastrum	Hippeastrum aulicum
Hummingbird Bush	Anisacanthus quadrifidu
Lindheimer's Beeblossom	Oenothera lindheimeri
Pelargonium Storksbill	Pelargonium sp.
Pink Friesland Sage	Salvia nemorosa
Porcupine Tomato	Solanum pyracanthum
Purple Passionflower	Passiflora incarnata
Red Clover	Trifolium pratense
Rose Cactus	Pereskia grandifolia
Spotted Touch-Me-Not	Impatiens capensis
Turquoise Crossanda	Ecbolium viride

1000 Species Challenge Homestretch--Day 28 Update

Northern Brown Snake

A big day, starting early driving down to Philadelphia to take my Rosemont College students on their first birding expedition to the John Heinz NWR.  We met up with a small group and walked the dike trail out into the refuge, and picked up a lot of new birds for the month including Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Marsh Wren.  I also picked up four reptiles--including a Northern Brown Snake, and several turtles.


On my way home I stopped off at Todd Marcus Birds Exotic in Delran, NJ and picked up a couple dozen exotic birds, mostly parrots.

The last species of the day reflects the difficulty of identifying many species in the food trade--wild caught Chinese Crawfish.  One can only hope these are accurately labeled, though I can only guess that they are native Asian crawfish, which would be from the family Cambaridae.  I don't have any other crawfish on my list, so it is a new species for the month even if it is misidentified.  But it sure would be nice to have species labels on seafood--and hats off to those companies that I found this month that do label their packaging.  Lets hope they are accurately labeled!



Cumulative Species Total: 974

New Species
African Grey Parrot                            Psittacus erithacus

American Black Duck	Anas rubripes
Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Black-capped Parakeet	Pyrrhura rupicola
Blue-and-yellow Macaw	Ara ararauna
Blue-fronted Amazon	Amazona aestiva
Blue-headed Parrot	Pionus menstruus
Blue-winged Teal	Anas discors
Brown-headed Parrot	Poicephalus cryptoxanthus
Canary	Serinus canaria
Chestnut-fronted Macaw	Ara severus
Cockatiel	Nymphicus hollandicus
Curl-crested Aracari	Pteroglossus beauharnaesii
Eclectus Parrot	Eclectus roratus
Galah	Eolophus roseicapilla
Gouldian Finch	Erythrura gouldiae
Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
Green Singing Finch	Serinus mozambicus
Green-backed Twinspot	Mandingoa nitidula
Green-cheeked Parrot	Ara severus
Green-winged Macaw	Ara chloropterus
Green-winged Teal	Anas carolinensis
Hyacinth Macaw	Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes
Little Blue Heron	Egretta caerulea
Marsh Wren	Cistothorus palustris
Northern Harrier	Circus cyaneus
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Pacific Parrotlet	Forpus coelestis
Palm Cockatoo	Probosciger aterrimus
Peach-faced Lovebird	Agapornis roseicollis
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus
Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps
Pin-tailed Wydah	Vidua macroura
Red-rumped Parrot	Psephotus haematonotus
Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Regulus calendula
Salmon-crested Cockatoo	Cacatua moluccensis
Scarlet Macaw	Ara macao
Snowy Egret	Egretta thula
Star Finch	Neochmia ruficauda
White Cockatoo	Cacatua alba
White-bellied Parrot	Pionites leucogaster
White-crowned Parrot	Pionus senilis
Yellow-crowned Amazon	Amazona ochrocephala
Boxelder	Acer negundo
Common Mugwart	Artemesia vulgaris
Creeping Primrose Willow	Ludwigia repens
Goldenrod	Solidago altissima
Pickerel Weed	Pontederia sp.
Purple Loosestrife	Lythrum salicaria
Spatterdock	Nuphar advena
Swamp Milkweed	Asclepias incarnata
Tickseed Sunflower	Bidens aristoa
Wild Rice	Zizania sp.
Northern Brown Snake	Storeria dekayi
Northern Red-bellied Turtle	Pseudemys rubriventris
Red-eared Slider	Trachemys scripta
Snapping Turtle	Chelydra serpentina

Chinese Crawfish

Cambaridae sp.

Down to the Wire--Day 26 Update--1000 Species Challenge

Only one new bird for the month--a Blue-headed Vireo that popped out in the trees while I was visiting with friends on my patio this morning.  At Amwell Lake I managed to find a Puffball as well as my first Odonates--actually the first dragonflies and damselfly that I've ever tried to ID, so hope I got them right :-)

Then I stopped by the Rutgers Landscape & Nursery on Hwy 202 south of Flemington and picked up over 80 additional plant species, and got some more ideas for landscaping our yard.

Northern Bluet, Amwell Lake, Hunterdon, NJ

Autumn Meadowhawk, Amwell Lake, Hunterdon, NJ

I only have a few more days in the month, and new species are harder to get all the time.  Looks like I need to plan on more than just the Rosemont College biodiversity class field trip on Saturday to put me over the top!

Total Cumulative Species: 906+

New Species

Blue-headed Vireo	Vireo solitarius
Puffball	Bovista pila
Autumn Meadowhawk	Sympetrum vicinum
Eastern Pondhawk	Erythemis simplicicollis
European Honey Bee	Apis mellifera
Northern Bluet	Enallagma annexum
Adam's Needle	Yucca filamentosa
American Holly	Ilex opaca
American Sweetgum	Liquidambar styraciflua
American Willow	Salix discolor
Arkansas Blue Star	Amsonia hubrichtii
Autumn Joy	Hylotelephium telephium
Black Tupelo	Nyssa sylvatica
Blue Pacific Juniper	Juniperus conforta
Butterfly Blue	Scabiosa columbaria
Carpathian harebell	Campanula carpatica
Cheddar Pink	Dianthus gratianopolitanus
Cinnamon Fern	Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Common Holly	Ilex aquifolium
Cotoneaster Cranberry	Cotoneaster apiculatus
Crape Myrtle	Lagerstroemia indica
Curve-leaf Yucca	Yucca gloriosa
Darley Heath	Erica × darleyensis
Dense Blazing Star	Liatris spicata
Deutzia Hydrangea	Deutzia gracilis
European Hornbeam	Carpinus betulus
Flowering Dogwood	Cornus florida
Fountain Grass	Pennisetum alopecuroides
Foxglove Beard Tongue	Penstemon digitalis
Fraser's Photinia	Photinia x fraseri
Garden Catmint	Nepeta racemosa
Gold Flame Honeysuckle	Lonicera x heckrotti
Green Osier Dogwood	Cornus alternifolia
Honey Locust	Gleditsia triacanthos
Hosta	Hosta sieboldiana
Hydrangea	Hydrangea petiola
Hydrangea anomala	Hydrangea anomala
Japanese Anemone	Anemone tomentosa
Japanese Flowering Crabapple	Malus floribunda
Japanese Forest Grass	Hakonechloa macra
Japanese Lilac	Syringa reticulata
Japanese Snowball	Viburnum plicatum
Japanese Stewartia	Stewartia pseudocamellia
Japanese Stonecrop	Sedum makinoi
Japanese Wisteria	Wisteria floribunda
Korean Sun Pear	Pyrus fauriei
Large-flowered Tickseed	Coreopsis grandiflora
Maiden Grass	Miscanthus sinensis
Mediteranean Fan Palm	Chamaerops humiilis
Mexican Evening Primrose	Oenothera berlandieri
Montauk Daisy	Nipponanthemum nipponicum
Mountain Cornflower	Centaurea montana
Nandina	Nandina domestica
Pampas Grass	Saccharum ravennae
Persian Ironwood	Parrotia persica
Pin Oak	Quercus palustris
Prague Viburnum	Viburnam x praganse
Purple Willow	Salix purpurea
Red Carpet	Sedum spurium
Red Horse Chestnut	Aesculus x carnea
Redvein Enkianthus	Enkianthus campanulatus
Rose Mallow	Hibiscus moscheutos
Rosy Tickseed	Coreopsis rosea
Russian Sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia
Seaside Goldenrod	Solidago sempervivens
Short's Goldenrod	Solidago shortii
Showy Stonecrop	Hylotelephium spectabile
Siberian Bugloss	Brunnera macrophylla
Siberian Iris	Iris siberica
Silver Lime	Tilia tomentosa
Sneezeweed	Helenium x coppelia
Snow-in-Summer	Cerastium tormentorum
Solomon's Seal	Polygonatum multiflorum
South American Elephant Grass	Miscanthus sinensis
Spindle	Euonymus fortunei
Sugar Maple	Acer saccharum
Sullivant's Coneflower	Rudbeckia speciosa
Swamp White Oak	Quercus bicolor
Tropical Mandevilla	Mandevilla sp.
Violet	Viola etain
Virginia Knotweed	Persicaria virginiana
Weeping Willow	Salix babylonica
Weigela Florida	Weigela florida
White Snakeroot	Ageratina altissima
Windmill Palm	Trachycarpus fortunei
Winterberry	Ilex verticillata
Wood Oats	Chasmanthium latifolium

Day 24--1000 Species Challenge Catch Up Day

Over 100 species of plants to check out!

Morning birding was a bit slow, though I did get my first Bullfrog, Lincoln's Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow for the month at Cold Brook Preserve, Tewksbury Twp, NJ.  On the way home I stopped in for some shopping at the Four Seasons Greenery in White House and picked up almost 130 species.  Browsing a nursery or garden center is like shooting fish in a barrel, but the productivity does highlight just how many species we choose to surround ourselves with in our homes and yards.  I came away with a lot of thoughts about things to plant in my yard...that's going to be a big project, eventually!

I'm now a bit ahead of my initial projected pace, and need less than 40 new species a day to reach my goal of 1000 species for the month.

Cumulative Species Total: 822

New Species

Bullfrog	Rana catesbeiana
Lincoln's Sparrow	Melospiza lincolnii
Palm Warbler	Setophaga palmarum
American Milletgrass	Milium effusum
Anise Hyssop	Agastache foeniculum
Atlas Cedar	Cedrus atlantica
Austrian Speedwell	Veronica austriaca
Autumn Crocus	Colchicum speciosum
Bamboo	Fargesia rufa
Bear's Paw	Cotyledon tomentosa
Black Spruce	Picea mariana
Bletilla Orchid	Bletilla striata
Blue Fescue	Festuca glauca
Blue Spruce	Picea pungens
Blue Spruce Sedum	Sedum reflexum
Burkwood Viburnum	Viburnum burkwoodii
Butterfly Bush	Buddleja davidii
Carolina Allspice	Calycanthus floridus
Cherry Plum	Prunus cerasifera
Chinese Bush Cherry	Prunus glandulosa
Chinese Finger Tree	Chionanthus retisus
Chinese Juniper	Juniperus chinensis
Chinese Willow	Salix matsudana
Clematis	Clematis flammula
Coleus	Coleus sp.
Common Beach	Fagus sylvatica
Common Grape Hyacinth	Bellevalia pycnantha
Common Lilac	Syringa vulgaris
Corydalis	Corydalis lutea
Crabapple	Malus x coracale
Creeping Juniper	Juniperus horizontalis
Creeping Mazus	Mazus reptans
Creeping Phlox	Phlox stolonifera
Creeping Wire Vine	Muehlenbeckia axillaris
Crimson Beebalm	Monarda didyma
Crocus	Crocus cartwrightianus
Cyclamen	Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen-flowered Daffodil	Narcissus cyclamineus
Dawn Redwood	Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Dutch Iris	Iris x hollandica
Eastern Redbud	Cercis canadensis
Elephant Ear	Colocasia escuentla
Elephant Grass	Pennisetum purpureum
Elephant's Ear	Bergenia sp.
English Elm	Ulmus procera
Fairy Duster	Calliandra eriophylla
False Bucks Beard	Astilbe japonica
False Sunflower	Heliopsis helianthoides
Forbes' Glory-of-the-snow	Chionodoxa forbesii
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea
Galanthus	Galanthus woronowii
German Iris	Iris germanica
Geum	Geum fragarioides
Giant Foxtail	Setaria faberii
Goatsbeard	Aruncus dioicus
Ground Ivy	Glechoma hederacea
Heptacodium	Heptacodium miconioides
Himalayan Juniper	Juniperus squamata
Hosta Masquerade	Hosta sp.
Huachuca Agave	Agave parryi
Huernia	Huernia plowesii
Hybrid Witch Hazel	Hamamelis × intermedia
Impatiens	Impatiens hybrida
Japanese Andromeda	Pieris japonica
Japanese Holly	Ilex crenata
Japanese Honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica
Japanese Red Pine	Pinus densiflora
Japanese White Pine	Pinus parviflora
Japanese Zelkova	Zelkova serrata
Joe Pye Weed	Eutrochium sp.
Judy Zuk Magnolia	Magnolia x brooklynensis
Katsura	Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Ladybells	Adenophora confusa
Larkspur	Delphinium x elatum
Leyland Cypress	Cupressus x leylandi
Lilly of the Valley	Convallaria majalis
Limber Pine	Pinus flexilis
Lizard's Tail	Crassula muscosa
Miyamamatatabi	Actinidia kolomikta
Mountain Witch Alder	Fothergilla major
Multiflora Rose	Rosa multiflora
Nootka Cypress	Cupressus nootkatensis
Northern Highbush Blueberry	Vaccinium corymbosum
Obedient Plant	Physostegia virginiana
Othocalis	Othocallis siberica
Paperbark Maple	Acer griseum
Paperwhite	Narcissus tazetta
Persimmon	Diospyros kaki
Purple Dragon	Lamium maculatum
Red Barberry	Berberis thunbergii
Red Currant	Ribes rubrum
Reed Canarygrass	Phalaris arundinacea
Rhododendron	Rhododendron roseum
Saucer Magnolia	Magnolia × soulangeana
Sawara Cypress	Chamaecyparis pisifera
Schip Laurel	Prunus laurocerasus
Serbian Spruce	Picea omorika
Shasta Daisy	Leucanthemum × superbum
Siberian Carpet Cypress	Microbiota decussata
Siberian Dwarf Pine	Pinus pumila
Siberian Wallflower	Erysimum x allionii
Silver Arborvitae	Thuja occidentalis
Silver Dollar Plant	Crassula arborescens
Skimmia	Skimmia japonica
Smoke Bush	Cotinus coggygria
Southern Arrowwood	Viburnum dentatum
Spiked Speedwell	Veronica spicata
Spiraea	Spiraea x bumalda
Spotted Knapweed	Centaurea maculosa
Spotted Laurel	Aucuba japonica
Spotted Loosestrife	Lysimachia punctata
Staghorn Sumac	Rhus typhina
Summer Ragwort	Ligularia dentata
Sun Begonia	Begonia richmondensis
Thermopsis	Thermopsis villosa
Threadleaf Coreopsis	Coreopsis verticillata
Tiger Daylily	Hemerocallis fulva
Tree Peony	Paeonia suffruticosa
Umbrella Pine	Sciadopitys verticillata
Vinca	Vinca sp.
Vine Maple	Acer circinatum
Virginia Sweetspire	Itea virginica
Voss Chain Tree	Laburnum x watereri
White Fringetree	Chionanthus virginicus
White Mulberry	Morus alba
White Spruce	Picea glauca
White Turtlehead	Chelone glabra
White Willow	Salix alba
White Wood Aster	Eurybia divaricata
Willow	Salix integra
Wood Dock	Rumex sanguineus
Woodruff	Galium odoratum
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium
Yellow Archangel	Lamiastrum galeobdolon
Yellow Grape Hyacinth	Muscari macrocarpum

Day 23--1000 Species Update

I taught at ESU this morning and didn't get out species hunting until this evening.  A trip to Petsmart to get a new dog collar landed me 46 new species--mostly aquarium plants, fish, and a couple others.  I don't have to teach tomorrow, so I can go for a bigger day--probably mostly some birding and then hit some garden centers for more plants.

Cumulative Species Total: 688

New Species:

Marsh Shrimp	Palaemonetus vulgaris
African Jewelfish	Hemichromis bimaculatus
Armored Catfish	Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps
Auratus Cichlid	Melanochromis auratus
Black Neon Tetra	Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Blotched Upside-down Catfish	Synodontis nigriventris
Blunthead Cichlid	Tropheus moorii
Bronze Corydoras	Corydoras aeneus
Bumblebee Cichlid	Pseudotropheus crabro
Clown Plecostomus	Panaqolus maccus
Demasoni Cichlid	Pseudotropheus demasoni
Denison's barb	Puntius denisonii
Emerald Cory	Brochis splendens
Featherfin Squeaker	Synodontis eupterus
Ghost Catfish	Kryptopterus minor
Golden Otocinclus	Macrotocinclus affinis
Lombardoi	Maylandia lombardoi
Ornate Tetra	Hyphessobrycon bentosi
Oscar	Astronotus ocellatus
Plecostomus	Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Rubberlip Pleco	Chaetostoma thomsoni
Silver Dollar	Metynnis argenteus
Spotfin Hatchetfish	Thoracocharax stellatus
Tete Sea Catfish	Ariopsis seemanni
Western Dwarf Clawed Frog	Hymenochirus curtipes
Mystery Snail	Pomacea bridgesii
Amazon Swordplant	Echinodorus amazonicus
Anubias	Anubias congensis
Aquarium Plant	Telanthera cardinalis
Bolbitis	Bolbitis heteroclita
Brazilian Waterweed	Egeria densa
Broadleaf Amazon	Echinodorus bleheri
Cryptocoryne	Cryptocoryne crispatula
Cyperus	Cyperus helferi
Dwarf Anubias	Anubias nana
Hairgrass	Eleocharis parvula
Java Fern	Microsorium pteropus
Lobelia	Lobelia cardinalis
Lucky Bamboo	Dracaena braunii
Moss Ball	Aegagropila linnaei
Narrow-leafed Anubias	Anubias afzelii
Peace Lily	Spathiphyllum walsii
Staurogyne	Staurogyne repens
Vine Spike Moss	Selaginella willdenowii
Water Hyssop	Bacopa caroliniana
Water Primrose	Ludwigia arcuata
Water Wisteria	Hygrophila difformis

Day 20--1000 Species Challenge Update

Not the most productive day, species wise.  I taught in the morning at ESU, then drove down to suburban Philly to give a talk at the Wyncote Audubon Society.  Had a great time, but my only new species were a cool starfish that I've been looking for and finally found in the saltwater aquarium at work, and a series of strange and exotic plants that I found by searching herbal supplement labels at CVS pharmacy!  I ended the day with only 13 new species, for a total of 641 for the month.

I'm just over a day behind schedule now, but still in it to win!



New Species

Banded Serpent Starfish	Ophioderma appressum
Red Yeast	Monascus purpureus
Horny Goat Weed	Epimedium grandiflorum
Maca	Lepidium meyenii
Cowitch	Mucuna pruriens
Common Polypody	Polypodium vulgare
Fermenting Bacteria	Lactobacillus fermentum
Lactobacteria	Lactobacillus gasseri
Narrow-leaf Tea Tree	Melaleuca alternifolia
Evening Primrose	Oenothera sp.
Goldenseal	Hydrastis canadensis
Greater Burdock	Arctium lappa
Wood Betony	Stachys officinalis

Day 19--1000 Species Challenge

There is supposed to be a Connecticut Warbler here...somewhere!

I managed a good day today for the species count, with some morning birding and an evening visit to Petsmart and Walmart.

Birding was great this morning, with my best bird being two Connecticut Warblers calling in the underbrush at the Clinton Wildlife Management Area.  While grocery shopping, I checked out the herbal tea section, which I had previously skipped, and found a lot of exotic chinese herb species.  Petsmart had a few more reptiles and amphibians, and I didn't have time to check out all the fish and aquatic plants, so I'll be making another trip over there next week.  At Walmart, I just had time to skim through the cactus collection, and pulled out quite a haul there.

Cactus collection at Walmart

My final daily tally was 93 new species, for a total of 628--only 28 behind the pace I need to hit 1000 by the end of the month.

My strategy, such as there is, will be to hit a bunch of nurseries and hopefully some botanical gardens for the bulk of the remaining needed species.  I may have to hit some big pet bird stores in the state as well.  I can probably get another 20 birds or so with some luck this week, unless I head to the shore--then I could probably pick up some more.  Will have to do some additional exploring to see where I might pick up a bunch of additional species without having to go to the Philadelphia Zoo!

American Green Tree Frog	Hyla cinerea	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Cranwell's Horned Frog	Ceratophrys cranwelli	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Pickerel Frog	Rana palustris	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Blackpoll Warbler	Setophaga striata	19-Sep-13	Home, Hunterdon, NJ
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Connecticut Warbler	Oporornis agilis	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Nashville Warbler	Oreothlypis ruficapilla	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Northern Parula	Setophaga americana	19-Sep-13	Home, Hunterdon, NJ
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Society Finch	Lonchura striata	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Tennessee Warbler	Oreothlypis peregrina	19-Sep-13	Home, Hunterdon, NJ
White-eyed Vireo	Vireo griseus	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Zebra Finch	Taeniopygia guttata	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Red-clawed Crab	Perisesarma bidens	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Scale Insect (Carmine)	Dactylopius coccus	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Monarch Butterfly	Danaus plexippus	19-Sep-13	Spruce Run, Hunterdon, NJ
Chinese Hamster	Cricetulus griseus	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Djungarian Hamster	Phodopus sungorus	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Roborovski Hamster	Phodopus roborovskii	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Adromischus cristatus	Adromischus cristatus	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Aloe Zanzibarica	Aloe juvenna	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Alstroemeria	Alstroemeria sp.	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Anemarrhena rhizome	Anemarrhena asphodeloides	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Autumn-Olive	Elaeagnus umbellata	19-Sep-13	Spruce Run, Hunterdon, NJ
Baby's Breath	Gypsophila paniculata	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Balloon Flower	Platycodon grandiflorus	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Beleric Myrobalan	Terminalia bellirica	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Blessed Thistle	Cnicus benedictu	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Blue Candle Cactus	Pilosocereus azureus	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Blue Gum	Eucalyptus globulus	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Bull Thistle	Cirsium vulgare	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Bunny-ears Cactus	Opuntia microdasys	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Caper Bush	Capparis spinosa	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Carnation	Dianthus caryophyllus	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Chebulic Myrobalan	Terminalia chebula	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Chin Cactus	Gymnocalycium mihanovichii,	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Cobweb Houseleek	Sempervivum arachnoideum	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Common Chicory	Cichorium intybus	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Common Climbing Aloe	Aloe ciliaris	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Cotyledon macrantha	Cotyledon macrantha	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Crassula	Crassula mesembryanthemoides	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Cryptanthus	Cryptanthus marginatus	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Drooping Prickly Pear	Opuntia monacantha	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Dwarf Jade Plant	Portulacaria afra	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria	Echeveria runyonii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria	Echeveria x mazarine	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria	Echeveria peacockii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria	Echeveria x chroma	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria Cactus	Echeveria runyonii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria Cactus	Echeveria harmsii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echeveria Dondo	Echeveria x derenbergii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Echinacea	Echinacea angostifolia	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Fenugreek	Trigonella foenum-graecum	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Forsythia	Forsythia suspensa	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Garden Angelica	Angelica archangelica	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Giant Ragweed	Ambrosia trifida	19-Sep-13	Spruce Run, Hunterdon, NJ
Goji/Wolfberry	Lycium barbarum	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Golden Sedum	Sedum adolphii	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Golden-toothed Aloe	Aloe noblis	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Indian Fig Opuntia/Prickly Pear	Opuntia ficus-indica	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Indian Gooseberry	Phyllanthus emblica	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Indian Sarsparilla	Hemidesmus indicus	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Japanese Stiltgrass	Microstegium vimineum	19-Sep-13	Clinton WMA, Hunterdon, NJ
Jing Jie	Schizonepeta tenuifolia	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi	Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Kombu	Saccharina japonica	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Lemon Myrtle	Backhousia citriodora	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Licorice	Glycyrrhiza glabra	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Mammillaria	Mammillaria celsiana	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Marshmallow	Althaea officinalis	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Money Tree	Crassula ovata	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Omija	Schisandra chinensis	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Opuntia Prickly Pear	Opuntia subulata	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Parodia	Parodia mammulosa	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Pork and Beans	Sedum rubrotinctum	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Red-button Opuntia	Opuntia quitensis	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Rooibos	Aspalathus linearis	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Safari Conebush	Leucadendron laureolum x L. salignum	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Sedum nussbaumerianum	Sedum nussbaumerianum	19-Sep-13	Walmart, Flemington, NJ
Shiso	Perilla frutescens	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Skullcap	Scutellaria lateriflora	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Spearmint	Mentha spicata	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Sprenger's Magnolia	Magnolia sprengeri	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Star Anise	Illicium verum	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Stevia	Stevia rebaudiana	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Tillandsia	Tillandsia sp.	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Yerba Mate	Ilex paraguariensis	19-Sep-13	Shoprite, Clinton, NJ
Brown Anole	Anolis sagrei	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Central Bearded Dragon	Pogona vitticep	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Chinese Water Dragon	Physignathus cocincinus	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Eastern Kingsnake	Lampropeltis getula	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Long-tailed Grass Lizard	Takydromus sexlineatus	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ
Veiled Chameleon	Chamaeleo calyptratus	19-Sep-13	Petsmart, Flemington,NJ