From Jeff Ellerbusch:

Did some Somerset County birding today and while migrant diversity was very underwhelming there were still some good birds around. One of these, the easy highlight of the day, a female Black Scoter on the biggest of the Bufflehead Rd ponds.

Scherman Hoffman

– Great Blue Heron- 2
– Wild turkey- few
– Bald Eagle- 1 adult
– Broad-winged Hawk- 1
– Pewee- 3+
– G-c Fly- a few
– Kingbird- a few
– W-eyed Vireo- 1
– Y-throated Vireo- 1
– Warbling vireo- 3
– R-eyed Vireo- 4+
– Waxwing- everywhere
– Blue-winged Warb- 1
– Yellow Warb- a few
– Blackpoll- 5
– Redstart- 1
– Worm-eating- 1
– Ovenbird- a few
– Louisiana Waterthrush- 1
– Yellowthroat- many
– Hooded- 1
– R-b Grosbeak- a few

Not good as far as migrants go…

River and New Center Roads

There is a very large field that spans from River Rd to the paralleling New Center Rd, slightly west of Roycefield Rd , that is very nice for Grassland birds. It is part of Duke’s and is private. There is a gravel pull off on both River and New Center Rd that you can view from, unfortunately this is the extent of the birding to be done here. There was a Short-eared owl here for at least one day this past Feb.

– Bald Eagle- 2
– Northern Harrier- 1 hen…breeder?
– Bobolink- 25++ males
– Meadowlark- 1
– Grasshopper Sparrow- 3-4

The Field (Google Maps)- 40.547184,-74.650726

Studdiford Dr and Opie Rd

Studdiford Drive is a small road that connects River Rd and South Branch Rd. On each side is recently plowed dirt fields which, with all this rain, looks quite nice at the moment…there were 4 Semi Plovers there on the 18th. Everyone who has read Mocosoco posts with regularity knows about Opie Rd and how good it has been for shorebirds lately. Unfortunately neither were very productive today.

– Least Sandpiper- 6
– Solitary Sandpiper – 1
– Spotted- 2
– Greater Yellowlegs- 1

If attempting to bird Studdiford be warned it is usually busy and there are only a few spots to pull over on. South Branch rd is equally nice looking but is far more treacherous as far as stopping goes. All but the Yellowlegs were on Studdiford. Seems that the Plovers are gone…and they took most the others with them.

Studdiford (Google Maps)- 40.547901,-74.698577
Opie (Google Maps)- 40.518938,-74.719155

Finderne Wetlands

– D-c cormorant- 1
– Great blue heron- 2
– Great Egret- 3
– Little blue Heron- 1, since the 15th
– Solitary Sandpiper- 2
– Spotted Sandpiper- 6
– Nighthawk- 4+
– Pewee- 2
– Willow Fly- 7
– Great-crested Fly- many
– Kingbird- 3+
– Warbling Vireo- 4+
– Red-eyed Vireo- a few
– Fish crow- 4ish
– Waxwing- everywhere
– Yellow warb- many
– Blackpoll- 1
– Redstart- 1
– Yellowthroat- many
– Indigo Bunting- 4+
– Bobolink- 1

Bufflehead Rd Ponds

– Black Scoter- 1 female