A Plea for Owls
This is meant primarily for the eBird nation but applies to all individuals as well. Please refrain from listing especially sensitive species’ locations. This applies specifically to Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet Owls this time of year but is applicable to any species deemed to be of extraordinary sensitivity.
The best tact to take is to wait a few weeks or even a season before submitting the checklist to eBird. The eBird people at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology published Guidelines for Reporting Sensitive Species. Please read it and abide by it. Be a conscientious birder, not just a lister.
The latest report of the Somerset Greater White-fronted Goose is January 16 at Duke Island Park (John J. Collins).
The 8 Franklin Township Sandhill Cranes continue at either Randolph Road or Mettlers Rd south of its intersection with Weston Road.
A few scant reports of Pine Siskins in Hillsborough Twp. and at Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary in Bernardsville during the past week are teasing but fail to substantiate a trend.
Reports from various parts of the state are promising, but Common Redpolls have yet to penetrate the mocosocoBirds region.
The Southwest Morris Winter Bird Count was held in rainy, cold, soggy, icy, slippery, dreary, foggy conditions on Sunday, January 20. A complete report is forthcoming.
A Merlin was on Pleasasnt Plains Road, Great Swamp NWR, Jan. 19.
Merlin, Great Swamp NWR, Jan. 19, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
A Purple Finch is reported in Bridgewater Twp. (Jason Denesevich).
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
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