Pre-dawn, Great Swamp NWR, NJ, Oct. 12, 2014 (iPhone photo by Jonathan Klizas)

The Swamp Sitters and the Friends of the Great Swamp held their annual Big Sit at the overlook on Pleasant Plains Road in the Great Swamp NWR on Sunday, October 12.

From Karen English:
Our final tally was 72 species over the 16 hours. Posted on eBird and on the Birders Digest web site. The afternoon was very quiet for birds but a steady stream of visitors kept us awake. The clear blue sky made it difficult to pick up on any high flyers. We were unable to woo those White-crowned Sparrows to come down the road. Simon found a Blue-headed Vireo late in the day and our last flyover was a Merlin.

Cheerio
Karen

Species:
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Sora (Porzana carolina)
Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata)
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Barred Owl (Strix varia)
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata)
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)
Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)