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DVOC Field Trip Report
by Frank Windfelder

Palmyra Cove Nature Park, New Jersey
September 4, 2011 (Sunday)

A forecast high of 88 degrees with south winds is not exactly a harbinger of good things to come. Nonetheless, we did manage to squeeze out 8 species of warblers, including a cooperative Canada Warbler. There were lots of flycatchers, including an Eastern Wood-Pewee or two, Eastern Kingbird, and Great-crested Flycatchers. Most of us saw a Least Flycatcher.

Sarah Besadny found a Pied-billed Grebe in the impoundment, and a Lesser Yellowlegs was prospecting for a place to land. Later, Bert Filemyr was the only one to see a Blue-winged Warbler. An Osprey flew over. An unusually large group of about 40 Chimney swifts were hawking insects over the Beaver Pond.

What was common? Well, there was the usual early morning spectacle of hundreds of Laughing Gulls heading upriver. And, not surprising for this time of year, we needed a fly swatter to shoo away all the Warbling Vireos. I was surprised to calculate that despite the slowness of the morning, we had managed to find 60 species.

Other participants were Penelope Myers, Jim Meiers, Barbara and Bob Brezak, Terri Kirk, Alice Sevareid, Emmo Chou, Connie Goldman and Sam Perloff.

Frank Windfelder
Philadelphia, PA

Pictures by Bert Filemyr with the exception of the Russet-tipped Clubtail picture which is by Frank Windfelder