🐦 Do you know what a fish crow sounds like?
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Tweet tweet, neighbors! Opening NotesThis warbler's weekly musings and feathered observations I was around 6 or 7 years old the first time I heard birds sing. I had hearing issues as a fledgling which took a few surgeries to correct. I don’t think anyone truly understood how muffled my hearing was until after I’d recovered from the last surgery and announced that I could finally hear birds singing. My mom and grandmother started crying. I started crying. And then we went to Gino’s for fried chicken and that somehow made us all feel better. In the increasingly brief window between heater season and air conditioner season aka Swampy Spring, waking up to hear the birds chirping through my open windows is one of my most cherished creature comforts (and that’s not just because I’m a bird!). The swamp weather got the best of my smoke detectors, though, and set off a false alarm at the early bird hour of 4:45 a.m. on Sunday, before I’d even dipped my beak into some coffee! After I unruffled my feathers and got the coffee brewing, I sat on my porch to watch the sun rise and listen to the birds. If you listen to birds like many people do, you hear bird noise. I invite you to try the Merlin Bird ID app, which Carol Hennell, one of the artists I met at Lot 323 during the Clothesline Art Sale, shared with me. (Thank you Carol!) I didn’t realize how many different kinds of birds I was surrounded with until I used this app for the first time! So far I’ve heard:
What I love about this app is that after you record bird sounds, you can learn more about the birds you recorded and listen to other recordings of their songs. Once you understand what each bird sounds like, you stop hearing bird noise and start hearing the individual notes of many birds, each with its own particular way of signing its song. Getting to know your flock better is ✨ magical ✨ This Week's Migration PatternWhere the local flock is gathering Thursday, June 12🧨 Feather Your Nest with Patriotic Flair!Spread your creative wings at this crafting workshop where you’ll make patriotic decorations that’ll have your nest looking star-spangled spectacular! Sponsored by our friends at the Gloucester County Division of Senior Services. Preregister by calling 856-384-6900 to secure your perch! 📍First Baptist Church of Jericho, 981 Mail Avenue, Deptford 🕒 10-11 a.m. 💵 Free as a bird, materials and instructions provided 🪠 Don’t let your septic system go down the drain!As a nestling I once watched a dump truck sink into our front yard during septic repairs. This was peak entertainment for teenage me, but the adults weren’t exactly singing with joy. Want to avoid exciting excavation adventures like this? Flutter over to this class! Peek at the FB post for more details. FB post. 📍Rowan College - South Jersey, Room MEC 1203, 1400 Tanyard Road, Sewell 🕒 3-4 p.m. 💵 Free, preregister by calling the Gloucester County Health Department Environmental Unit at 856-218-4170 🚢 Set Sail with Yacht RockPop your collar and slip on your Topsiders, it’s time to soar into the West Deptford StreetFEST Market & Music Series. Enjoy food trucks like Carolina Blue, Il Fuoco Dentro, and Mister Softee. This series runs every other Thursday through the end of August. 📍 Riverwinds, 1000 Riverwinds Drive, West Deptford 🕒 Market and food trucks at 5 p.m., music at 7 p.m. 💵 Free, food and market pay-as-you-go Friday, June 13🎰 Time to Flutter Over to BINGO! (🔒 FB)Spread your wings and join the flock for some Friday fun! 📍 VFW Post 2174, 640 Tacoma Blvd., Westville Grove 🕒 Every Friday at 12 noon 💵 Light beverages and food available 🏳️🌈 Pride Takes Flight at Lot 323! 🏳️🌈Our musical nest is packed with songbirds tonight! Featuring the melodious tweets of Bethlehem & Sad Patrick, Anthony & The Sidecars, Max Davey, and DJ Sharp. 🎨 Watch as our artistic birds Frank Chappell, Jules Trace, and Danielle Cartier paint their hearts out! 🌭 Feed your flock with treats from Weenie Genie, Brooklyn Pizza, Dan’s Waffles, and Crave Pitman. 🍻 Wet your beak with craft brews from Eight & Sand Beer Co., Three 3’s Brewing Company, Neck of the Woods Brewing, and Swedesboro Brewing Company. Flap over here for more details! 📍115 S. Broad Street, Woodbury 🕒 6-9 p.m. 💵 Free to perch, food trucks and local brews available to purchase PS: Looking for some helper birds! Volunteer your wings here. Saturday, June 14🌽 Woodbury Farmers Market - Where Local Birds Gather!It's finally here!!!! Come visit Moore's Farm, Unexpected Farm, Coleman Farm, Chef Pepe, Breads & Buds, LesbiVeggies, Common Grounds Coffee, the Gloucester County Animal Shelter, and all kinds of other fun stuff! Fledglings can swoop by to catch Aaron teaching art in the street! Support your local nest-makers. Here’s a map to help you navigate to our favorite perch: 📍Railroad Avenue, Woodbury 🕒 9 a.m.-1p.m 💵Pay-as-you-go 🍎 Food PantryColonial Manor United Methodist Church and Pastor Walter Mander welcome residents of Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Wenonah, Westville, Deptford, National Park, and West Deptford to the food pantry at their church. Proof of residency in these towns is required. (Thank you, Nancy, for sharing this with us!) 📍56 Elberne Avenue, West Deptford 🕒 9:30-11 a.m. 💵 Free, proof of residency in one of the towns listed is required. 🍔 Gibbstown Food Truck & Music FEASTivalA flock of food trucks are perching in Gibbstown! Live music and fun activities including pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, bouncy houses, and such will entertain your nestlings while you enjoy the adult beverage garden and choose from one (or many!) of the fifteen gourmet food trucks rolling into town for the day. Feast your eyes on the details (FB). 📍60 Memorial Ave, Gibbstown, NJ 🕒 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 💵 $5, kids under 10 free, food, beverages, and other activities pay-as-you-go. BYO family, friends, appetite, lawn chairs, pop-ups, and blankets. Requested donations of nonperishable/canned food items to support the local food pantry. 🏡 Gloucester County Summer Concert SeriesGeyser Dogs have landed in Gloucester County and they're absolutely spectacular – a rock-solid crew of seasoned musicians blending classic rock, country soul, and harmonies so sweet they'll make the actual warblers jealous! This concert series runs all summer and visits many different corners of Gloucester County. Check the list to see if your town is next! 📍DJ Bentz Soccer Field, 1 Garwood Boulevard, Clayton 🕒7 p.m. 💵 Free! 🌧️ For rainout information you can call 856-251-6738 after 4pm Sunday, June 15🪕 Acoustic SundaysThe first ever Acoustic Sunday brought to you by FAF Coalition in partnership with Best Buds and On the Record. Enjoy coffee, breakfast pastries, live music, and local art for sale. Keek’s Touch and Death of the Fox will be there with food and coffee, and Cizy Jewelry and Artsy Absurdity will be there with art! 📍Gather, 115 South Broad Street, Woodbury 🕒 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 💵 Free, food and beverages pay-as-you-go 🦖 Dinosaur YogaYes, you heard that right. I like to think that when things got tough on Earth, the brontosauruses took up practicing yoga so they could stretch their necks longer to reach the leaves on the top of the trees. No one has been able to dig up evidence of this yet, but I suspect if they keep trying, they will. In the meantime, why not go do yoga with the dinosaurs and Seeds of Love Yoga. Register ahead of time here. See you there? 👀 📍66 Million Mosasaur Way, Edelman Fossil Museum Veranda, Mantua 🕒 9 a.m. 💵 Sliding scale, $10 suggested donation. Bring your mat, hydration, and an open mind and heart. Monday, June 16🎰 Feeling lucky?Casino bus trip sponsored by the West Deptford Senior Citizen’s Club. Reserve your spot and pay in advance, call Judy for arrangements at 856-685-9694. You don’t need to be a member or even a senior to go on these trips! 📍Bus leaves from/returns to Riverwinds Community Center 🕒 9 a.m.-around 5:30 p.m. 💵 $50 in advance, usually includes slot play bonus 🚗 Mondays in MantuaMeet up with the car enthusiast flock and enjoy some pizza from Sal’s and some ice cream from Dippy’s! 📍Old K-Mart Parking lot across from Dippy’s, 245 Bridgeton Pike, Mantua 🕒 Every Monday from around 4 p.m. to around 7:30 p.m. 💵 Free (food and beverages from the various shops are pay-as-you-go), all makes and models welcome, and as the flyer says “No BS!” (no doing donuts in the parking lot, racing, etc.) Tuesday, June 17Even busy birds need a day to rest their wings sometimes! Wednesday, June 18Even busy birds need a day to rest their wings sometimes! Flock StewardshipKeeping our nest tidy and our community thriving Clean Out Your Nest! The Gloucester County Tire Amnesty Program is underway! If you have spare tires you can drop off up to 10 per household at the Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex, 493 Monroeville Road, South Harrison. M-F, June 1-June 30 from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Special date on Saturday, June 21 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Additional details here. Westville warblers: you’re not imagining things if you see people snooping around your house. On May 6, 2025, the Gloucester County Office of Assessment notified the Mayor and Council that property tax reassessments were going to begin in June 2025. These assessments, which will cover both interior and exterior, will be ongoing throughout the summer. The new assessments will become effective during the 2026 tax year. Property owners should soon receive a Formal Notice of Reassessment postcard with additional details, if they haven’t already. (If you rent, touch base with your landlord re: scheduled inspections.) Here’s a copy of the letter and a sample postcard. If you have any questions, contact the Gloucester County Office of Assessment at 856-307-6445. Also, construction continues on Route 47 over Big Timber Creek. Per a Borough of Westville FB post, the bridge will be closed in both directions overnight June 9-June 13 from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. The bridge will also be closed in both directions during the daytime from June 12-June 13 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 🧹 Heads up Westville, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: street sweeping time! Get ready to enjoy shiny, tidy roads again (if only they could hoover up all the water at the Brooklawn Circle - a bird can dream!). Wanna know when you’re gonna get a visit from the street-sweeping fairy? Check this map! Woodbury Warblers: if you drive one of those “cool motorcycle/car things” and blast your music really loud, a neighbor on [redacted] Avenue has a request for you: please play "Back that Azz Up." A neighbor on [redacted] requests Ruff Ryder's Anthem by DMX and also the Chicken Banana Song for their kids. Someone who drives a vehicle with good speakers graciously offered to play Spaghetti Spaghetti Meatballs. If this warbler may also make a request, please play the Hippo Noodle Song. And yes, they're still flushing the hydrants in Woodbury - that's why your water is yellow. Crowing about our kids!Supporting and celebrating our community's future leaders Eagle Scout in Training! Katie Wallis is a Life Scout with Troop 151 of Woodbury, NJ, working on their Eagle Scout project, which is "leading a revitalization effort at West Deptford Park. This project is designed to enhance both the usability and safety of the park while also improving the experience for athletes, spectators, and the local community." Right now they're at $120 out of their $700 fundraising goal. You can support this amazing project on GoFundMe! Street Hockey Takes Flight! West Deptford Street Hockey League signups are happening now for the Summer Season (month of July) and Fall Season (September through November). Open to boys and girls everywhere (not just West Deptford) aged 4-19. Summer registration is $50 per player, Fall registration is $150. Players will need to have their own equipment: hockey stick, shin pads, elbow pads, gloves, and helmet. Theatre Takes Wing! Summer Theatre Camp at Renaissance Performing Arts Center of NJ! This camp is open to all students in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware in grades 5-9 (as of September 2025). This summer’s performance is Peter Pan. Details re: registration and rehearsal/performance dates are on the RPACNJ website. Good Eggs and New NeighborsHighlighting the wonderful humans who make our community soar New bird in town! Chris Baglivo is an independent audio engineer and musician who’s expertise spans both the recording studio and live applications. A Philly native and long time member of the Philadelphia music scene, he recently moved to Woodbury. His production, recording, and mixing work can be heard in such Philadelphia favorites as Mannequin Pussy and Spirit of the Beehive, and his live clients include internationally beloved acts such as Joyce Manor, Bear Vs. Shark, and Pennsylvania’s own Tigers Jaw and Algernon Cadwallader. He’s also composed theme songs for clients including writers from “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver!” Additionally he has PA equipment for rent for local events and he is available for any audio application you can imagine. His recording studio Jamtown is based in North Philadelphia and offers competitive rates for a professional recording studio setting, but he can mix or master any recording you have right from his home in Woodbury. Welcome to the flock, Chris! Got some good news? New in town? Just want to say hi to all your neighbors? Send a carrier pigeon to editor@woodburywarbler.com. Our Animal FriendsBecause every creature deserves a loving nest 🐶 Snoop is a “quirky little guy” Chinese Crested/Chihuahua mix ISO a forever lap to curl up in! Good with dogs, cats, and children, appreciates a chill vibe. 🐱 This sweet, trusting, love-full calico, Minnie, is incredibly friendly and well-adjusted. Will she stare you down at 6 a.m. when you want to sleep in and her food bowl is empty? Maybe! But she’s so cute you’ll forgive her. Bulletin BirdCommunity announcements that'll make you chirp Woodbury Public Schools is hiring a custodian! 5-11 p.m., 12 months position, full benefits and pension, custodial and floor care experience required, as well as a driver’s license. Submit your resume to Chuck Alter, Facilities Director at calter@woodburysch.com. Have you ever wanted to own a fire truck? Now’s your chance! Woodbury is selling its Warbler Yellow (editor’s note: I made this color up) 2015 KME Panther Rescue Engine and as I write this the highest bid is only $11,200! One of the questions on the listing is: “Are you getting rid of the truck due to the milkshake nightmare?” Woodbury Fire Department shared on Facebook that they’re selling this fire truck to save money on maintenance and operational costs and to more efficiently reallocate resources. This auction closes on June 16, and The Milkshake Nightmare is my new band name. Zillow Snoop and SwoopDream nests near and far Snoop: I have to admit I mainly selected this house because of its close proximity to the best wings in town (Colonial Cafe). The enclosed front porch is lovely and the kitchen has excellent lighting so when you’re slicing jalapenos for salsa you’ll spot all the seeds and not end up making the salsa too hot, though that may just be a me problem. I adore the octagon window in the stairwell - this house has fantastic light! The back yard is huge and looks like a great spot to plant a garden and some bird feeders. I may swoop over there for a peep, it’s super cute! Swoop: When I spotted this house in New Orleans on the market I couldn’t not include it, even though it is a ridiculous house. It’s described in the listing as “Ken Fulk’s fully furnished private residence” and recently Paul Allen’s home. (Yes, Paul Allen the Microsoft cofounder.) I don’t know what the rest of the words in the listing mean because warblers aren’t fancy birds (Swedish reverse? Delafosse engravings? Chinoiseries wallpaper?) but I definitely appreciate the pretty pictures! The secluded patio whispers, “sit out here for a few hours with a book and a Sazerac or two.” The balcony screams…well, you know what they scream in New Orleans. One last warble...Final chirps before I fly away until next week In challenging times it’s helpful to, as Mr. Rogers put it, look for the helpers. Orienting toward the good people and good things in our communities can be a powerful reminder that we’re not in this alone. In that sense, being able to write this newsletter for you each week has been a gift, even if I had to write this one twice because the computer (literally) ate my homework. I hope this newsletter can help you orient toward the birdsong as well! See you at Lot 323 on Friday. Last week was a blast and it was nice to meet so many of you in person! Singing the songs of our shared communities, Jen Russell, your neighbor and Editor-in-Chief, The Woodbury Warbler PS – Thank you again for being an early bird to The Woodbury Warbler. This is a pre-launch birdseed-sized newsletter while I’m organizing information and building the nest. Anything you’d like to see more of? Hate the format? Too many bird puns? Don’t want to hear about my Thumbnail image: "File:Marmora's Warbler - Sardinia - Italy S4E1036.jpg" by Francesco Veronesi is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. ©️2025 Caged Bird Media, LLC |