The Red-throated Loon, found by Tom Halliwell on Nov. 23, continues at Budd Lake. Jeff Ellerbusch put the other species on the lake in finer focus this afternoon. The Scaup raft, which has also been present all week, contains two Greater Scaup to accompany the 16 Lesser Scaup. 6 Red-breasted Mergansers are in the lake as well as 20 Common Mergansers. The gull numbers are increasing. Jeff counted 113 Herring Gulls which continued to arrive as he was there. Budd Lake is a favorite winter roosting spot for gulls. It has been a reliable location hosting Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Morris County the past few years. Through diligent and regular searching, a white-winged gull seems an inevitability at Budd Lake in the future.

Jeff’s totals are as follows:
5 Snow Geese
300 Canada Geese
4 Mute Swans
2 Mallards
1 Ring-necked Duck
16 Lesser Scaup
2 Greater Scaup
2 Bufflehead
20 Common Mergansers
6 Red-breasted Mergansers
4 Ruddy Ducks
1 Red-throated Loon
90 Ring-billed Gulls
113 Herring Gulls
3 Great Black-backed Gulls
1 American Coot

Red-throated Loon, Budd Lake, NJ, Nov. 29, 2012 (Photo by Jeff Ellerbusch)

Greater Scaup, Budd Lake, NJ, Nov. 29, 2012 (Photo by Jeff Ellerbusch)

Red-breasted Mergansers, Budd Lake, NJ, Nov. 29, 2012 (Photo by Jeff Ellerbusch)