For the second consecutive Saturday, my birding buddy Jim and I headed to Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, homing in on the hilly portion of the park that hosts the aviation navigation beacon.
The hilltop fields remain rich in wildflowers, a powerful draw for birds and butterflies in colors as vivid as the blossoms. The standout species for the day was the indigo bunting. Several were singing sweetly and flying all around us.
Before hiking up the beacon hill, we stopped at a nearby meadow carpeted in pink blossoms as far as the eye could see. We were surprised to spot a swamp sparrow, which only briefly distracted us from tracking a male indigo bunting doing touch-and-goes between the field and a couple of trees. My best bunting shots, including the one topping this post, were taken there.
Walking back to our car, we heard white-eyed vireos singing. They were poking about a row of trees and not giving us clear shots. Finally, one popped into clear view, giving me the chance I was waiting for.
We made the short drive to the parking lot at the base of the beacon hill and started up the trail. We were surprised to hear a couple of Northern yellow warblers, who seemed to be trading verses with common yellowthroats. We never did see the yellow warblers but did catch a few of the yellowthroats.
Upon reaching the crest of the hill, we heard several indigo buntings singing and watched them fly across the fields. At one point, we spotted a male adult with two brown companions, which we reckoned were immature males.
A blue grosbeak was also singing on the hilltop, but I wasn’t able to spot it, let alone get a photo. No matter. I was instead able to get a couple of shots of a grasshopper sparrow, a much less common visitor to central New Jersey.
Butterflies abounded. Jim and I took shots of monarches and swallowtails. This son of Ohio was delighted to get a shot of a buckeye, a butterfly I have rarely seen.
I’ve become a big fan of the navigation beacon area of Assunpink WMA. I look forward to returning many times come fall, when I’ll be able to spot ducks returning to the big lake in the center of the park. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 