Swamp Sparrow, Troy Meadows, NJ., NJ, Oct. 14, 2017 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

(Click on the photo for a larger image.)

Troy Meadows was thick with Swamp and Song Sparrows this morning. Add Field, White-crowned, White-throated, Vesper, Savannah, and Lincoln’s Sparrows to the mix and it spells Mid-October in northern New Jersey.

Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-rumped and Palm Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Northern Harrier were some of the other species typical of this time and place.

Swamp Sparrow, Troy Meadows, NJ., NJ, Oct. 14, 2017 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

A Sora flushed near the end of Troy Meadows Rd. today (Jeff Ellerbusch).

Rob Fanning found an extraordinary Grasshopper Sparrow on Oct. 13 along the power line at the south end of Troy Meadows.

Other Birds

American Pipit, Florham Park, NJ, Oct. 14, 2017 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

Chris Thomas found a group of six American Pipits this morning at Florham Park Fields. Later in the morning, the Pipits went missing but returned later as a group of nine, flying around the field before settling on the gravel section next to the south pond. This is a favored spot for Pipits in the past as well as Vesper Sparrows.

American Pipit, Florham Park, NJ, Oct. 14, 2017 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

A preening Pipit.

American Pipit, Florham Park, NJ, Oct. 14, 2017 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)

A Red-throated Loon was found at Budd Lake today by Alan Boyd. A Common Loon was found Oct. 12 at Lake Parsippany by Roger Johnson.

Orange-crowned Warblers were reported twice this week from Pleasant Plains Road, Great Swamp NWR: one on Oct. 8 (Marc Chelemer) and another at the overlook on Oct. 12 (Jeff Ellerbusch).

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.

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

@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.

Finis