In the morning, Jeff Ellerbusch found 4 Vesper Sparrows in the community garden at the Orientation Center of Duke Farms in Hillsborough Township. The Rusty Blackbirds are the first known report for Somerset County this season. Impressive numbers of other species included:
19 Palm Warblers
2 Yellow-rumped Warblers
2 Chipping Sparrows
4 Vesper Sparrows
60 Savannah Sparrows
40 Song Sparrows
5 Lincoln’s Sparrows
20 Swamp Sparrows
25 White-throated Sparrows
6 White-crowned Sparrows
8 Eastern Meadowlarks
13 Rusty Blackbird flyovers
3 Purple Finches
51 Pine Siskins
100 (at least) American Goldfinches
60 House Finches
80 Brown-headed Cowbirds
Etc.
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Later in the afternoon, Mike Wolfe searched for an Eastern Meadowlark found by Jamie Glydon earlier that morning at the Pipit field of Birchwood Manor in Whippany. Unable to find the Ea. Meadowlark, Mike was able to locate 4 remaining American Pipits and 2 Vesper Sparrows as well as 8 Pine Siskins, and other Sparrow species including Lincoln, Savannah, Song, Swamp and White-throated and an Eastern Towhee. The Vesper Sparrow report is the only known listing for Vesper Sparrow in Morris County in 2012. Please be respectful of the fact that Birchwood Manor is private property.