The expression Leave no stone unturned can be altered in a birding sense to Leave no pond unviewed. Jamie Glydon practiced this today when he found a Pacific Loon at a corporate pond amongst office buildings on American Way in Morris Plains. The Loon was still floating in the pond as the last light of day turned to dark. Last year, Jamie found a Long-tailed Duck swimming between the fountains in this same, small, innocuous, sterile looking pond. He found a Horned Grebe in the same pond another year. The Loon was identified as a Red-throated, albeit a weird Red-throated, at first. Read the next day’s posts for more information.

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On this last day of Daylight Standard Time, Ducks is the word in Morris County. 1,100 Ring-necked Ducks were tallied in the Brady Road area of Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township. These were Ring-necked Ducks that could be seen. There are numerous coves and hideaways that other waterfowl are lurking in, uncounted. This is the highest number of Ring-necked Ducks reported in one location in Morris County since 2,000-3,000 were tallied at Lake Parsippany in March of 2001. The majority of the Ring-necked Ducks were north of the Brady Road Bridge. A minimum of 85 Buffleheads were also in the same area. Last week’s Tundra Swans may still be there. There was one distant group of sleeping swans on ice that defied positive identification. 200 Common Mergansers were near Bertrand Island (see Lake Hopatcong).

Ring-necked Ducks are currently ubiquitous in Morris County – 20 here, 50 there, Ring-necked Ducks are everywhere.

On the subject of ice – Lake Parsippany, Boonton Reservoir and the mid-to southern lakes of Morris County are thawed. Lake Hopatcong is slowly thawing with much more open water that was seen one week ago. The same cannot be said for other bodies of water in northern Jefferson and Rockaway Townships. Split Rock Reservoir and other lakes in that area remain completely frozen with some shore line edges showing just a razor-thin crack of open water.
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The Deerhaven Lake heronry on Green Pond Road shows damage from Sandy with some nesting trees blown down. No herons were seen at all which may have something to do with the adult Bald Eagle roosting on a snag in the middle of the marsh.
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Lake Parsippany continues to have the same 7 Redheads, ~67 Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Lesser Scaup, 17 Hooded Mergansers, 565+ Common Mergansers, and 4 American Coot.
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From Zach Batren:
Hey Jon! – Took a walk around Griggstown Grassland Preserve today around 1:00. Quickly located 7 Eastern Meadowlarks who were actively moving around, feeding, and calling.
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From Jennifer Books:
Hi Jonathan – Today I did some local birding around my neighborhood and in the Great Swamp. Around noon I was on Pleasant Plains Road in the Great Swamp and saw 1 adult Red-tailed Hawk several Turkey Vultures, a male Kestrel, about 30 Ring-necked Ducks, several Mallards, and 2 male Pintails hanging out in the various small ponds found along that road.

Shortly thereafter I checked out Loantaka Brook Reservation and noted that it is no longer devoid of waterfowl. Instead, it was nice to see a small group of Green-winged Teal again (6 males, 2 females) and 3 Gadwalls (2 male, 1 female). In addition, there were 14 Ring-billed Gulls and a few Canada Geese.

And finally, I will add that I am still seeing the Pine Siskins at my feeders.