mocosocoBirds

From Alan Boyd:
Hi Jonathan – The Glaucous Gull was flying around the municipal beach at the south end of Budd Lake today about 1:30. It’s a striking bird in flight and I noticed it even before I turned off of Rt 46. There were only about 20 other gulls around, all Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. No sign of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls reported earlier in the week.

Most of the waterfowl on the water were at the back edge of the lake and it was too windy to scope them well – Alan Boyd

[Editor’s Note: This is the seventh day for the Glaucous Gull at Budd Lake]
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Lake Parsippany’s Common Merganser flock grew in numbers the last few days. 720 were counted on the lake this afternoon. And, yes, the same Aytha floating raft continues with 7 Redheads, approximately 60 Ring-necked Ducks and 15 Lesser Scaup. 17 Hooded Mergansers, 4 Ruddy Ducks and 4 American Coot continue as well.
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Other than 8 Bufflehead, a pair of Common Mergansers and a group of roosting gulls near the south end (not studied), Boonton Reservoir was practically birdless this afternoon.
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Check your feeders for Pine Siskins. Jennifer Books’ continues to get a pair at her feeder in Basking Ridge. Mike Hiotis commented on yesterday’s post that he had a pair in the birches in his yard on Thursday morning.
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eBird.org published a must-read article today about the Rusty Blackbird, Unlocking the Rusty Blackbird Mystery. As the article states: “Rusty Blackbirds have experienced one of the steepest population declines of any once-common North American bird. Estimates from the last decade suggest that Rusty Blackbirds have experienced an 85-99% population drop over the past 40 years.”

Glaucous Gull, Budd Lake, NJ, Mar. 7, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

(Click on the photo for a larger image.)

Budd Lake was packed with 5,000 gulls and 8,000 Canada Geese as well as other waterfowl eight days ago on February 27. The gull numbers have dwindled day-by day but the quality of interesting species remains high. The Glaucous Gull is present for a sixth day. It was solitary on the ice while the wind-driven snow fell around it. The picture above was taken from Rt. 46 near the south end of the lake, not recommended during rush-hour, just to illustrate how the gull was a drive-by bird today. 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present. 14 Redheads (4 drakes and 10 females) were a surprise close to shore at the north end. 60 Lesser Scaup drifted further out. At least 225 Common Mergansers were counted. A solo American Coot was also seen, possibly the same individual present all winter.

9 of the 14 Redheads at Budd Lake, NJ, Mar. 7, 2013 (digiscoped by Jonathan Klizas).

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Lake Parsippany has the same waterfowl as reported yesterday including the seven Redheads in attendance for seven days.
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From Jennifer Books:
I saw two Pine Siskins at my feeder in Basking Ridge late this morning..so they are obviously still around.

The continuing Glaucous Gull of Budd Lake was seen this afternoon by various birders. Mike Wolfe adds a pair of Cackling Geese seen close to shore.
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The Iceland Gull of Mt. Hope Pond was not seen this afternoon by those who looked. There are no reports, yay or nay, from this morning when the gull has been reliable the past few days.
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A Greater White-fronted Goose was with the hundreds of Canada Geese this afternoon on the main lawn of Duke Island Park in Bridgewater Township. Jeff Ellerbusch thinks this is the same individual originally found by Mike Newlon at the same location on November 27, 2011.