Jeff Ellerbusch found a female Common Yellowthroat at Griggstown Grasslands this afternoon. Also present was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, another interesting January sighting. Yesterday, Baltimore Orioles were in Hillsborough and the continuing Wilson’s Warbler in Chatham, today a Common Yellowthroat. What could be next?
The Redheads found yesterday by Mike Hiotis at the Bernardsville Quarry have topped out at 8 with 3 drakes and 5 hens. As far as is known that sets a Somerset County record. Here’s a photo of 7 of the Redheads this afternoon. The eighth was lagging behind. Click on the image for a larger view.
A visit to Ann Van Middlesworth Park in Hillsborough was made this morning with the hopes of getting some Oriole photos. The three Baltimore Orioles were active in the tangle the day before occasionally posing as a trio for brief periods. But at 9:30 a.m. another visitor was in the tangle instead looking well fed, content and satisfied. The Orioles were not found.
Photos by Jonathan Klizas
mocosocoBirds 
Oh, boy. NOT what you want to see when checking a tree for a lingering January songbird! Ortolans – it’s what’s for dinner.
I’ve been watching that Cooper’s hawk for a few months. There’s usually a little pile of gray and white songbird feathers on the bike path–I wonder if there is a new little pile of orange/yellow feathers now?