And then there were two

Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Parsippany, NJ, Sep. 12, 2013 (photo by Glenn Mahler).

(Click on the photo for a larger image).

You may paraphrase a quote attributed to Frederic Chopin: “Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, save perhaps two”, or come up with numerous spin-offs of “Doubling your pleasure”, but, in any case, what was one juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (YCNH) in Parsippany since September 9, became TWO today, September 12. This is unprecedented in Morris County and was witnessed during different times of the day by Glenn and Eileen Mahler, Alan Boyd, and Julie Buechner, who found the first YCNH on September 9. The Parsippany Night-Heron Day Care Center on Jefferson Road is also playing host to the continuing juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron found yesterday by Julie and seen today, as well. It will be interesting to see how the coming cold front affects the Night-Heron’s stay.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Parsipany, NJ, Sep. 12, 2013 (photo by Alan Boyd)

Baird’s Sandpiper in Somerset County

Jeff Ellerbusch found the third known Somerset County record of Baird’s Sandpiper, a juvenile, this afternoon. It is also the second record this month. To quote Jeff, it was at “the Superfund pond/large puddle below the I-287 bridge- viewable from the towpath”. Here is a map.

Other Field Notes

An American Bittern was seen at Glenhurst Meadows today (Jim Mulvey). It was observed between the wetland area and rear eastern pond (smaller pond).

At the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits late this afternoon (J. Klizas): 2 Northern Shovelers, Pied-billed Grebe, 5 Great Blue Herons, Northern Harrier, 20 Killdeer, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Greater and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper and 1 Wilson’s Snipe.