The impending storm created hopes for a Scoter or two on Morris lakes. This was not to be the case today:

• a Common Loon and a few Buffleheads and Ruddy Ducks were on Lake Musconetcong. Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were numerous along with a few Purple Martins.
• Budd Lake had a few Double-crested Cormorants and 3 Swallow species.
• Mt. Hope Lake had 3 Bufflehead, 8 Double-crested Cormorants, and for those keeping count, 108 Mute Swans. Last year’s high count was 135 in July.
• Lake Parsippany had 11 Ruddy Ducks and 3 American Coot. All of the lakes had numerous swallows but nothing other than Tree, Northern Rough-winged and Barn were found.

Elsewhere in Morris County:

• Melanie Road Pond in Hanover Township continues to be a Wilson’s Snipe stronghold with 35 in the rain today. Also present were: 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 3 Killdeer, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 25+ Savannah Sparrows, and lots of the aforementioned 3 swallow species.
• Loantaka Brook Reservation in Harding/Morris Townships had Solitary Sandpiper, 6 Green-winged Teal, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Yellow-rumped, Yellow and Palm Warblers.
• Jamie Glydon spotted a Spotted Sandpiper at the corporate pond on American Road in Morris Plains.

In Somerset County (all reports from Jeff Ellerbusch):

• A late and apparently healthy Snow Goose was on the Selody Sod Farm in Montgomery Township.
• Finderne Wetlands in Bridgewater had Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Snipe and Orchard Oriole.
• The ponds along Duke Parkway West in Hillsborough had Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpiper.
• Negri-Nepote Grasslands in Franklin Township had 5 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Solitary Sandpiper and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper.