mocosocoBirds

From Terry Carruthers:

Hi Jonathan,
Do pine siskins carry an app with the locations of good feeders on them? This morning (Oct 19th) I noticed one pine siskin on my feeder (Whitebridge Rd, in the Great Swamp), along with a female purple finch, before I left for work. I got home early around 2 pm and there were eight present. By late afternoon I had sixteen at the feeders (I put out a second to reduce the squabbling and bickering), along with the solitary purple finch. I have noticed this ‘news gathering’ facility with Eurasian siskins (Carduelis spinus) in Ireland but I wonder why the purple finches don’t do the same. I know they’re around too in small numbers. So many questions, so little time…..

The 2012 version of the Big Sit on Sunday, Oct. 14 at the overlook at Pleasant Plains Road at the Great Swamp, N.W.R. produced 72 species in a 15 hour period.

From compiler Karen English:
Highlights were a traveling Golden Eagle, 3 high flying Snow Geese and same count of Common Loon, and a resting Merlin. Pine Siskin and Purple Finch numbers were higher than typical for our area.

The list as submitted to eBird:
3 Snow Goose
36 Canada Goose
24 Wood Duck
12 American Wigeon
24 American Black Duck
36 Mallard
4 Green-winged Teal
3 Common Loon
3 Great Blue Heron
3 Black Vulture
12 Turkey Vulture
1 Osprey Pandion
1 Golden Eagle – Traveling southeast, but at low altitude that was easily seen by all. Juvenile white patches on primaries, but overall dark . Team included NJAS naturalist.
2 Northern Harrier
3 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Cooper’s Hawk
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
7 Red-tailed Hawk
7 Wilson’s Snipe
2 Rock Pigeon
2 Mourning Dove
3 Great Horned Owl
2 Barred Owl
1 Belted Kingfisher
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
2 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
2 American Kestrel
1 Merlin – Perched in scope range,easily identified by color patches, yellow legs
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee – Team concurrence. Bird perched in close proximity
1 Eastern Phoebe
7 Blue Jay
18 American Crow
2 Common Raven
3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow – Team concurrence on small flock.
3 Tree Swallow
3 Black-capped Chickadee
5 Tufted Titmouse
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Winter Wren
1 Carolina Wren
5 Golden-crowned Kinglet
4 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
7 Eastern Bluebird
5 American Robin
3 Gray Catbird
18 European Starling
9 Cedar Waxwing
1 Common Yellowthroat
2 Palm Warbler
5 Yellow-rumped Warbler
2 Eastern Towhee
1 Chipping Sparrow
2 Field Sparrow
1 Savannah Sparrow
2 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
1 Swamp Sparrow
5 White-throated Sparrow
2 White-crowned Sparrow
2 Dark-eyed Junco
2 Northern Cardinal
18 Red-winged Blackbird
2 Rusty Blackbird
500 Common Grackle
3 Brown-headed Cowbird
36 Purple Finch
20 Pine Siskin
4 American Goldfinch

Wildcat Ridge
Hibernia, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 18, 2012

Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 10.5 hours

Official Counter: Pete Wilner
Observers:
Visitors:
Maria + 6

Weather:
TEMP: 50 rising to 63
WIND:10-20 SE
CLOUD COVER: 90% decreasing to 40% by 13:00
VISIBILITY: 3 miles until noon, then increasing to 30 miles

Raptor Observations:
ABE: 12:50,14:05, 14:45
The14:05 EAGLE WAS ATTACKING AN OSPREY. THE 14:45 EAGLE WAS OVER THE
HAWKWATCH AT ARMS REACH(ALMOST)
THE 1ST BIRD WAS THE KESTREL-IT LANDED IN A TREE NEXT TO THE CEDAR FOR 5
MINUTES THEN FLEW SOUTH.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of KILLER ladybugs in the afternoon

Predictions:
Rain
=======================================
Report submitted by Pete W
Wildcat Ridge – New Jersey information may be found at:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wldcthwk.htm

From Alan Boyd:

Hi Jonathan,
This morning I had a juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker near the parking lot on Pleasant Hill Rd that is near the intersection with Flanders Rd. It was perched briefly in the top of a tree and then it flew north across Pleasant Hill Rd and out of the WMA. The extensive white on the back half of the wings and on the tail caught my eye from a distance.

Not many sparrows considering the numbers that others have been reporting lately. I did have a late house wren and about 15 hermit thrushes.

Alan Boyd

Wildcat Ridge
Hibernia, New Jersey, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 16, 2012

Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 13:30:00
Total observation time: 5 hours

Official Counter: Frank Budney
Observers: Kevin M
Visitors:
Visitors = 2

Weather:
Mostly clear with scattered clouds ranging from 20% 50%. Visibility to 25
miles. Temperature Range, 50º to 56º. Wind, NW 5 to 10 mph with gusts to
25 mph.

Raptor Observations:
Local TVs, numbering about 15, and BVs (5) circling the valley throughout
the day. What appeared to be ideal conditions produced few migrating
raptors of a single species. First SS arrived at 0935 at tree top level
over the ridge while the remainder of the SSs were high over the Tourne
except for the final SS (1230) at eye level in front of the ledge.

Non-raptor Observations:
Fall foliage is starting to show.
Non-Raptors: Eastern Bluebird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped
Chickadee, Eastern Phoebe, American Crow, Blue Jay.
=====================================
Report submitted by Fred Vanderburgh
Wildcat Ridge – New Jersey information may be found at:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wldcthwk.htm