White-rumped Sandpiper in Florham Park

White-rumped Sandpiper, Florham Park, NJ, Sept. 9, 2016 (photo by Chris Thomas)

(Click on the photo for a larger image.)

Chris Thomas found and photographed a White-rumped Sandpiper this morning in a puddle near the back pond of Florham Park Fields. It was associating with Killdeer. All the birds flew when a helicopter came over the fields on its way to nearby Morristown Airport. The White-rumped Sandpiper was apparently seen later in the afternoon at the aforementioned puddle but again flushed to parts unknown.

This is only the second known record of White-rumped Sandpiper in the eBird database in Morris County since the 1970s although it is suspected other records do exist. The most recent sighting was in 2014 (that mocosocoBirds post is here).

Be aware that in the past few years, No Trespassing signs have proliferated along the driveway and the fence posts of the fields.

White-rumped Sandpiper, Florham Park, NJ, Sept. 9, 2016 (photo by Chris Thomas)

Stilt Sandpiper at the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits

Another Morris County shorebird rarity was found on Sunday, September 4. Roger Johnson located a Stilt Sandpiper at the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits. Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, American Woodcock, Solitary Sandpiper, and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were the other shorebird species present.

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.

Finis