From Terry Carruthers:
Hi Jonathan – An excellent day of birding starting with the Ross’s Goose this morning at Lord Stirling ended this evening with a Woodcock in full display mode in the Great Swamp (Pleasant Plains Rd.). Is this an early record?
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From the Editor:
American Woodcock are found on Christmas Bird Counts. They are now annual on the Boonton Christmas Bird Count in varying numbers. There was one on the CBC last December 23 and six in 2011 for example. Of course, wintering Woodcocks in north Jersey are dependent on mild weather. A displaying Woodcock is another matter. 2012 saw an attempt at a display at Glenhurst Meadows on January 31. The next day, a Woodcock was heard peenting in Morris Township. Here is the mocosocoBirds post documenting those sightings. Both of those days were unseasonably warm. Currently in 2013 according to eBird, there are only three American Woodcock records north of I-195 in New Jersey. One is from Assunpink in Monmouth County; another is from Somerset; the third is from Morris. A birder I just texted with brings up a good point. Displays probably happen often with weather like this but no one is in appropriate habitat during dusk/dawn to witness it. Nonetheless Terry, this is an unusually early record of a displaying American Woodcock in the Morris and Somerset County region.