It was a very quiet Sunday in Morris and Somerset Counties.

Feeder watching has been more prevalent this winter with all of the cold, snow and ice we are experiencing. Jill Homcy found an extraordinary bird at her feeder in Lincoln Park this morning. The species is nothing particularly special but the ghostly appearance of the Great White Grackle (GWG) will make any birder’s head turn. Here are two pictures of the GWG taken with a point-and-shoot through a picture glass window. Click on the photo for a larger image.

Common and not-so-common Grackles, Lincoln Park, NJ, Mar. 2, 2014 (photo by Jill Homcy).

Common and not-so-common Grackles, Lincoln Park, NJ, Mar. 2, 2014 (photo by Jill Homcy).

Tom Gorman of Rockaway manged a close-up photo of the Trumpeter Swan that is using Indian Lake in Denville as its winter hang-out. Remember, all Trumpeter Swan sightings in Morris and Somerset Counties are treated as observations of escapees from the captive Bernardsville clan and are not considered valid wild individuals. In other words, they will be automatically invalidated on eBird. It is a handsome bird and a wonderful photo nonetheless.

Trumpeter Swan, Denville, NJ, Mar. 1, 2014 (photo by Tom Gorman).

You can view Tom’s photos at his Flickr page and Facebook page.