Great Cormorant in Parsippany

Great Cormorant, Parsippany, NJ, Sep. 14, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

(Click on the picture for a larger image.)

Anyone who was birding today in the mocosocoBirds region is aware that southbound migrants were dumped on the area as of this morning. Birds were everywhere. Yet, the main story of the day continues to be an innocuous pond in a corporate setting in Parsippany, hereafter known as  Jefferson Road Pond, or better yet, Julie’s Pond. On Monday, September 9, Julie Buechner found a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (YCNH) at the pond. It was seen again on September 10. On September 11, the YCNH continued and Julie found an immature Black-crowned Night-Heron (BCNH). A second juvenile YCNH joined the first on September 12 and the BCNH continued. Both YCNHs continue through today.

What would show up next? Julie answered that question today as she found a juvenile Great Cormorant, rare for Morris County. It was at the north end of the pond and remained there at least until 3 p.m. This is only the second Great Cormorant sighting of the season in all of New Jersey and one of very few south of Maine according to the eBird database. Dare I ask again, what will show up next?

Great Cormorant, Parsippany, NJ, Sep. 14, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Parsippany, NJ, Sep. 14, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

Migrants

Sasso Tract in Rockaway Twp. had multiples of most species including Ovenbird, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-throated Green and Canada Wablers, Swainson’s Thrush and Wood Thrush.

It was not difficult to find warblers today. Even while viewing the Great Cormorant in Parsippany, American Redstart, Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided and Canada Warblers were naked-eye observations directly over my head.