The 1000birds.com 2007 WSB Team
Here are some preliminary thoughts from our master planner (that would be Bob) :
2/11/07 - This is what the winning teams do on the big day:
They arrived at the Great Swamp by 11:30 p.m. and used the remaining time to get into position. They moved around to different spots picking up between 23 and 31 birds by ear...owls, rails, flyover thrushes, sandpipers, etc. I have been to the Great Swamp two times, once many years ago and once three years ago. I will scout it throroughly with an early visit to learn all of the roads and good spots, and probably two midnight visits during the week before the WSB.
Teams then moved on (heading north) to places like Lewisburg Road Swamp and Libertyville Marsh, picking up a few more birds. Don't know where these places are...will research.
They arrive at their daybreak site, "Vesper Hill" on Sally Harden Road, well before first light. Bankert noted that his team was in place about an hour before expecting to get any target birds and ended up getting some good night mirgrants in flight. At 4:20 the first Grasshopper Sparrow started to sing. I found Sally Harden Road today in the referenced DeLorme quadrangle block. I think I found the referenced hill...lots of farms around which don't look open to the public but one area is owned by a local rod and gun club. It has a grassy hill that sounds like the one described in the reports.
Next stop is High Point State Park, all the way up north. Highest elevation in the state of NJ, 1806 feet. Bankert calls the Sawmill Campground "woodpecker central." From HP State Park, down to Stokes State Forest and Culver's Lake, the teams pick up many of the needed northern passerines and other species. I went to HP State Park today, on down to Culver's Lake. Some of the referenced roads and camp grounds were closed due to winter road conditions, but I developed a good feel for the roads and some of the referenced locations.
The teams then travel along the Delaware River from Dinghman's Ferry Bridge down to I-80. I covered this area pretty much in a straight line today...great habitat with many side roads to poke around. When I got to I-80 I headed for home. I can get from my house to HP State Park in less than two hours.
Note that on the way south after I-80, none of these three team and probably none of the teams that top 200 birds go to Brigantine. They basically drive from I-80 directly to Florence, across the Delaware River from northeastern Philadelphia. There is a huge dump in Tullytown, PA, just across the river from Florence. Therefore, Florence is the best gull site in NJ. I have never been there, but I have been to Tullytown and know that their are 1,000s of gulls. Weekdays are better because the crews are working the dump and the gulls are helping.
After Florence they head south to Salem County, on the Delaware River south of Philadelphia. Next stop is Cumberland County further south, still hugging now Delaware Bay. There are big shore bird spots at Heislersville, Bi-Valve and other spots, including saltmarshes. They then head all the way down to Cape May to scan the seawatches, Meadows, State Park, etc. Finally, they head back up to Cumberland County to pick of the local nightjars and maybe a Black Rail.
