Cliff Swallows in Somerset County
Bridges spanning the Raritan River are worth checking for nesting swallows, especially Cliff Swallows. Two bridges were checked today with opposite results. The I-287 bridge at Easton Avenue in Franklin Township was a hot bed of Cliff Swallow nesting activity a few years ago. For whatever reasons, the Cliff Swallows abandoned the site in 2014. That status remains the same for 2015.
Queens Bridge, S. Bound Brook, NJ, June 15, 2015 (iPhone photo by Jonathan Klizas)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
Queens Bridge in South Bound Brook has a small group of Cliff Swallows sharing the structure with Barn Swallows. This could be a new location for nesting Cliff Swallows unless someone has information otherwise.
Queens Bridge, S. Bound Brook, NJ, June 15, 2015 (iPhone photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The I-287 bridge at Weston Canal Road has yet to be checked in 2015. 24 Cliff Swallow nests were here in 2014.
Grasshopper Sparrows at Negri-Nepote
Grasshopper Sparrows, Negri-Nepote Grasslands, NJ, June 15, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
A Dickcissel reported Saturday morning at 10:30 on the wire leading to the farm-house at Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve has not been relocated since that time.
Nonetheless, quality time with Grasshopper Sparrows is precious and time well spent. At least 5 were by the bench and surrounding area and paths today.
Grasshopper Sparrow, Negri-Nepote Grasslands, NJ, June 15, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Grasshopper Sparrow, Negri-Nepote Grasslands, NJ, June 15, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
These are just some of the reports for today. View local eBird checklists in the mocosocoBirds region 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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