18th Annual World Series of Birding
TEAM RIVERKEEPER BREAKS 100!
Dawn to dusk birdathon lists 106 species throughout Hackensack River watershed
By Hugh Carola
Hackensack Riverkeeper's first foray into the word of "extreme birding" took place on May 12. As part of New Jersey Audubon's World Series of Birding (WSB), Team Riverkeeper (myself, birder-naturalist Kerul Kassel, Urner Ornithological Club member Tim Vogel and Fyke Nature Association Vice President Stan Blumenfeld) took to the field at 4:45 AM and didn't come in until fifteen hours and 106 bird species later. (See the listà) It was also a great way to break in my new car.
Begun in 1984, the WSB attracts teams from across North America and Europe that scour New Jersey on the second Saturday in May (the height of the Spring migration) to list as many species as they can during that 24-hour period. The teams solicit pledges from supporters with the proceeds going to NJ Audubon and other conservation groups such as Riverkeeper. In addition to providing a good reason for hundreds of birders to take to the field, the WSB has publicized bird conservation and the avocation of birding. This year, teams from the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology tied for First Place – each with an outstanding 214 species listed!
We used Rich Kane's Hackensack River Migratory Bird Report which was published in 1997 as our field guide. Essentially, we followed the River south from Lake Tappan near the New York border to the Saw Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lyndhurst/Kearny. During the day we birded in various habitats: lakeshore, mature forest, second-growth forest, freshwater wetlands, streamsides, grasslands, saltmarsh and finishing on the water aboard the "Robert H. Boyle." The best times for us were the first hours (when most birds are beginning to feed) and the last hours of the day (when many are settling in to roost for the night).
The day also afforded us the opportunity to observe birds and how they interact with both natural and developed habitat. For example, while birding along the shore of Lake Tappan, we noted the condominiums that sit within 100 feet of the lakeshore (and our water supply). One of our most prolific sites was the woods around Flat Rock Brook Nature Center in Englewood where we listed ten warbler species within earshot of the traffic on Route 4. Birds truly are indicators of ecological health and they are remarkable in their ability to exploit sources of food, water and cover wherever they find them.
Of course we wouldn't have finished with anywhere near 106 species had it not been for our top-notch Team. I am truly in awe of their skills and I fervently hope that they will honor Hackensack Riverkeeper with their time and talents again next year. As for the good folks who pledged and supported our efforts to the tune of more than $600 (despite the Spring issue of Tidelines being delayed until after the WSB), you have our sincerest thanks. NJ Audubon made the World Series fun; my teammates made it a success and our supporters made it all worthwhile.
May 12, 2001
4:45 AM – 7:45 PM
106 species listed:
Common loon
Pied-billed grebe
Double-crested
cormorant
Great blue heron
Great egret
Snowy egret
Green heron
Black-crowned night heron
Yellow-crowned night heron
Mute swan
Canada goose
Wood duck
Green-winged teal
American Black duck
Mallard
Gadwall
Ruddy duck
Turkey vulture
Northern harrier
Sharp-shinned hawk
(List continued on next page)