4 White-winged Scoters, 18 Horned Grebes at Lake Parsippany
White-winged Scoters, Horned Grebes at Lake Parsippany, NJ, Nov. 6, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The photo above may look like a gray scale or black-and-white image, but that is the result when attempting a long-distance photograph of 4 White-winged Scoters and basic-plumaged Horned Grebes on a dreary, rainy morning at Lake Parsippany.
Besides the scoters and 18 Horned Grebes, Lake Parsippany has its largest waterfowl collection of the season with 2 Gadwall, 10 Bufflehead, 4 Hooded and 14 Common Mergansers and 48 Ruddy Ducks.
The weather front passing through the eastern United States created waterbird fallout conditions in parts of New Jersey today.
In a steady rain, the north end of Boonton Reservoir had a raft consisting of 20 Gadwall, 82 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Horned Grebes and 22 American Coots.
727 Ruddy Ducks at Mt. Hope Lake
What may be the second highest recorded total at Mt. Hope Lake, 727 Ruddy Ducks, was tallied this morning during the rain. 900 were counted on Oct. 27, 2013 and remains the all-time high count for Morris County. The lake did not attract any storm related waterfowl. Observed in difficult visibility were 60 Mute Swans, the continuing, uncountable Trumpeter Swan (more about this is in a future post), 52 Gadwall, 4 American Wigeon, 10 Mallards, 2 Northern Shovelers, 10 Ring-necked Ducks, 1 Bufflehead, 3 Hooded Mergansers, 727 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Double-crested Cormorant, 2 Great Blue Herons and 1 of the (probable) resident Bald Eagles.
Lake Hopatcong is the largest lake in New Jersey. Why those storm-driven scoters and grebes pass by this big body of water is a mystery. Most of the following birds, except the majority of Mute Swans who were south of Brady Road, were at Lake Forest, the north end of the lake: 87 Mute Swans, 4 Gadwall, 2 American Wigeon, 37 Mallards, 40 Ring-necked Ducks, 25 Bufflehead, 2 Hooded Mergansers, 14 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, 1 American Coot.
20 Horned Grebes at Lake Musconetcong
9 of 20 Horned Grebes at Lake Musconetcong, NJ, Nov. 6, 2014 (photograph by Jonathan Klizas)
With the help of Mike Hiotis, 20 Horned Grebes were counted at Lake Musconetcong today. Also present were 2 Pied-billed Grebes, 4 Bufflehead, 4 Hooded Mergansers, 57 Ruddy Ducks, 5 American Coot and the usual Double-crested Cormorants, Mute Swans and Mallards. The 2 Redheads and Lesser Scaup seen at the lake yesterday are gone.
3 Snow Buntings continue at Budd Lake
The 3 Snow Buntings of Budd Lake spent their 3rd known day foraging in the grasses of the municipal beach at the south end of the lake. Yesterday’s post with photos is here. More waterfowl is in the lake today as well: 15 Mute Swans, 6 Gadwall, 2 Lesser Scaup, 27 Bufflehead, 180 Ruddy Ducks and 2 Horned Grebes.
In all of the lakes surveyed in this post, 45 Horned Grebes and 1,108 Ruddy Ducks were observed on Morris County lakes today.
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