The huge blackbird flocks continue in the River Rd./Opie Rd. area of Hillsborough/Branchburg Townships. I watched this morning at 7:00, parked at the power line cut near South Branch and River Roads in Hillsborough, as thousands of mostly Common Grackles flew from the east-southeast towards the stubble fields at the power lines.  Wild Turkeys on River Road and an adult Bald Eagle at the Opie Road Bridge were also in attendance.

Mike Britt reported Wild Turkeys, Killdeer and an American Kestrel at Florham Park Fields. There were no raptors at Black Meadows in Hanover Township.

For those familiar with Troy Meadows in Parsippany, the old, decayed wooden boardwalk that follows the power line through the marsh (the old boardwalk where a few of us have fallen through rotten boards into the marsh below, covering our clothes with creosote, then returning to work having to explain that to co-workers – I don’t know why I would know anything about that) has been replaced with some type of heavy duty plastic construction materials. While this is good news for accessing hard to reach sections of Troy Meadows, the problem remains as to how to get to the boardwalk without bushwhacking through the marsh.

Pine Siskins continue to appear at various feeders in Morris and Somerset Counties.

Ring-necked Duck numbers have increased at the Van Cleef Rd. Ponds in Franklin Township. Jeff Ellerbusch counted 68 this afternoon.

Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m., Sunday March 10, 18 days away.

The Vernal Equinox occurs on March 20, 4 weeks from today.

There is a chance of a snow storm on Sunday.