Vermilion Flycatcher, Troy Meadows, Morris Co., NJ, May 26, 2020 (photo by Ted O’Reilly)

(Click on the photo for a larger image at Cornell’s Macaulay Library)

The vestiges of prehistoric Lake Passaic are having a western flycatcher fest this season. First, a Say’s Phoebe spent a morning at the Great Swamp NWR on April 23. See that post here.

Yesterday, May 26, a Vermilion Flycatcher was seen and photographed by a kayaker at Troy Meadows. If accepted by the New Jersey Bird Records Committee, this represents the fifth state record for New Jersey and the first inland. The previous four records are Stone Harbor in May of 2002, Cape May October 2014, and two in 2019, September 25 in Cape May, and October 5 at Sandy Hook.

Ted O’Reilly was kayaking from the Passaic River to the Rockaway River and then the Whippany River crossing under I-280. He then made the right turn onto Troy Brook where the Vermilion Flycatcher was found. Fortunately, he was able to capture the moment with a camera.

Vermilion Flycatcher, Troy Meadows, Morris Co., NJ, May 26, 2020 (photo by Ted O’Reilly)

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 as they occur. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.

Finis