mocosocoBirds

A wonderful push of migrants descended on Washington Valley in Morris Township this morning. The highlight was the second Philadelphia Vireo in the past week found at Sayre’s Farm – this time by Jamie Glydon. At one point, Jamie and I could not keep up with all of the warbler activity in the trees on the edge of the field. A Lincoln’s Sparrow was found for the 4th day in a row in the county, either at Bee Meadow Park in Whippany or Sayre’s Farm. A Swainson’s Thrush appeared briefly by the nursery. The following list is mostly from Sayre’s Farm but also includes totals from Patriot’s Path on Washington Valley Road creating a snapshot of activity in Morris Township’s Washington Valley for the morning of September 16, 2012.

6 Canada Goose
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Mourning Dove
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
6 Red-bellied Woodpecker
4 Downy Woodpecker
3 Northern Flicker
1 American Kestrel
4 Eastern Wood-Pewee
4 Eastern Phoebe
1 Philadelphia Vireo
7 Red-eyed Vireo
30 Blue Jay
6 American Crow
2 Tree Swallow
5 Black-capped Chickadee
9 Tufted Titmouse
2 White-breasted Nuthatch
4 House Wren
3 Carolina Wren
1 Swainson’s Thrush
1 American Robin
20 Gray Catbird
3 Brown Thrasher
60 Cedar Waxwing
4 Black-and-white Warbler
1 Tennessee Warbler
3 Nashville Warbler
13 Common Yellowthroat
2 American Redstart
4 Northern Parula
10 Magnolia Warbler
5 Chestnut-sided Warbler
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
6 Palm Warbler
15 Black-throated Green Warbler
2 Canada Warbler
1 Eastern Towhee
1 Chipping Sparrow
12 Song Sparrow
1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
2 Swamp Sparrow
2 Northern Cardinal
2 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
2 Indigo Bunting
125 Common Grackle
12 House Finch
20 American Goldfinch

Jamie Glydon found Morris County’s 1st Connecticut Warbler of 2012 this morning at Bee Meadow Park in Whippany. In addition, if that was not enough, he turned up the first Lincoln’s Sparrow documented on eBird for Morris County in 2012. It is surprising that none were reported in the Spring.

Birders should keep in mind that eBird is THE main source of bird records and they should enter their sightings whether extraordinary or commonplace. This writer and an entire upcoming generation of researchers does not have the time to rummage through emails and old periodicals in search of bird records. Simply, going forward, if it is not on eBird, it does not exist.