Since this trip was originally scheduled for last fall the thought was to segue from the nice Fall to the pleasant weather of Spring. What greeted the birders was a hint of Winter in May!! Overcast and chilly for this time of the year. Yet the abundance of bird life, great viewing and fine lunch at Shea’s was the perfect elixir to counter the weather. We walked a short song bird trail near the visitor’s center and then headed out for the eight mile loop around the preserve. We saw and heard a total of 57 species that included a variety of song birds, water fowl, shorebirds, gulls and a few raptors. The bird of the day was a Black-headed Gull that is a bird common in Europe, Asia and the Atlantic Coast of Canada and is an “accidental” visitor to New Jersey. Similarly, a single Snow Goose who forgot to head to the breeding grounds was spotted.

Participants: Joe Costanza, Peggy & Dino Fiabane, Earl Evens, Gil Goering, Robert Koch, Carol Neal, Kay Smith, Miriam Swartz, Louise Tompkins, Barbara Trought and Ro Wilson. Guests: Mary & Keith Johnson, Kathryn & Ron McIntosh and Mike Zickler.