The Lincoln Park Gravel Pits, an historic Morris birding location from the 1960s through the early 1980s, proved to be a local hotspot today. 80+ species were tallied in the morning by Roger Johnson. The highlights are 18 warbler species including Mourning and Prothonotary Warblers, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and only the second known record of White-rumped Sandpiper in Morris County in the past 40 years.

In the afternoon, the alleged same Mourning Warbler was seen and barely photographed as witnessed in the photo below, before two young boys (younger than teen-age) on ATVs passed by, spooking the Mourning Warbler. It was not relocated.

Mourning Warbler, Lincoln Park Gravel Pits, NJ, May 17, 2016 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

The White-rumped Sandpiper was not seen in the afternoon. 76 Least Sandpipers, 1 Semipalmated Plover, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs and 4 Greater Yellowlegs as well as 5 Killdeer, 2 Solitary Sandpipers and 1 Spotted Sandpiper were foraging on the partially flooded flats of the Pits.

Semipalmated Plover, Lincoln Park Gravel Pits, NJ, May 17, 2016 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

The Gravel Pits is not a convenience birding destination. Explicit directions are not given here because there really is no easy way to get around in the pits unless you know it. Walking the berm between the municipal lake and the Pits main pond is the only relatively convenient path. Other than that, you are on your own and wear boots if you go.

Least Sandpiper, Lincoln Park Gravel Pits, NJ, May 17, 2016 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

View local eBird checklists in the mocosocoBirds region via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:

• Morris County
• Somerset County

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.

The mocosocoBirds Facebook page is located here and also posts timely information not found on the mocosocoBirds web site.

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