mocosocoBirds

From Linda Matula:

This morning, 6/26, I saw an adult Red-headed Woodpecker in the Beaver Swamp, The Tourne, Boonton.

From Tim Vogel:

Saturday, June 23.
Tourne Park, beaver pond highlights
Great Egret 1
Black-billed Cuckoo – 2
Brown Creeper continues to call
Lots of green herons, wood ducks and bluebirds

Tim Vogel
Denville

The Red-breasted Nuthatch that was at Cozy Lake Road in Jefferson Township  throughout May is gone, or at least quiet. It was not found in the pine grove this morning. Two singing Golden-crowned Kinglets in White Pines next to the road were found instead. The Kinglets sang continuously at 9:45 a.m. The approximate coordinates are 41.04511,-74.46960. If the coordinates are inaccurate, the location is the first major pulloff on the north side of the road after it levels off if coming from the north end of Cozy Lake Road. Although Cozy Lake is a very public road, the forest is Newark-Pequannock Watershed property. There were no visible signs of nesting but given the date, nesting Golden-crowned Kinglets at this location are a possibility.

Another visit to Deerhaven Lake along Green Pond Road produced the same 20 or so Great Blue Herons in the heronry as last week. Green Herons, Red-eyed, Warbling and Yellow-throated Vireos, 5 woodpecker species, Veery, Wood Thrush, Song and Swamp Sparrows, et al are at this locale. This is also Newark-Pequannock Watershed property. Entry is by permit only and not for the feint of heart. Trails are of your own making. The walk is a wet, mushy, muddy, in other words swampy, trek.

Deerhaven Lake, Jefferson Township, NJ (click on photo for larger image).

Great Blue Herons at nest.

Green Heron

Photos by Jonathan Klizas.

The Bank Swallow colony at Tilcon Lake along Waterloo Valley Road and Kinny Road in Mt. Olive Township is thriving. Whether the population is stable cannot be determined without numbers from previous years. This colony has existed for a long time as Tom Halliwell stated in a previous post. Approximately, 20 Bank Swallows were seen around the nest site and in the area of the lake. The photograph below shows nests from previous years as well as the ones currently in use. Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher as well as a healthy number of expected species are at this location and along Waterloo Valley Road.

A Common Raven was heard in the area of Saxton Falls Sand and Gravel on Waterloo Valley Road. As Tom Halliwell suggested three weeks ago, Ravens probably nest in the immediate area. The quarry is still active. A dump truck left at 6:00 a.m. and there was another car or two driving on the premises.

Tilcon Lake and Waterloo Valley Road is an interesting area worthy of further exploration. It joins the Morris County section of Allamuchy State Park with Stephens State Park (the Musconetcong River is the border between Warren and Morris counties.) One word of caution: Waterloo Valley Road is an unimproved wreck of a road surface. It is drivable (the author used a Prius this morning) but care is required to navigate the many potholes.
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Cliff Miles from Mountain Lakes reports on JerseyBirds that he had a Pine Siskin at his feeder today.
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Yesterday’s Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Glossy Ibis are gone from Melanie Lane Pond in Hanover Township. The Glossy Ibis was seen leaving the area flying east at 8 p.m. last evening.
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Mt. Hope Lake’s Mute Swan population is approximately 130, down from 149 on June 2. Today’s count may lack accuracy because all of the Swans were bunched at the northern end of the lake creating quite a sight.

From all visible signs the Bald Eagles abandoned the nest at this location even though apparent incubation was going on well into the spring – maybe next year.
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The Bank Swallow colony of Tilcon Lake. Click on the photo for a larger image.

Wiilow Flycatcher at Tilcon Lake

(photos by J. Klizas)

The Glossy Ibis found last evening by Jamie Glydon was joined early this morning by an immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Melanie Lane Pond, Hanover Township. Both species are rare in Morris County so seeing them at the same time and place is special. This is the third Morris County Yellow-crowned Night-Heron record for the 21st century along with three others from the 20th century. The records are listed here. Four Great Egrets and a Great Blue Heron were also present. Melanie Lane Pond is a gem of Morris County and has already accumulated an impressive list of species in 2012. Highlights are various herons and egrets including Cattle Egret, shorebirds (Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, etc.), swallows (all of the New Jersey species), grassland species (Bobolink and Savannah Sparrow).

Glossy Ibis (Photos by J. Klizas)

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Jamie Glydon found a Glossy Ibis at Melanie Lane Pond in Hanover Township early this evening. The Ibis flushed, was seen in flight and then landed in vegetation where it was difficult to relocate it. This is only the third known record in recent years of Glossy Ibis in Morris County with those reports coming from the Great Swamp. 6 Killdeer and a Spotted Sandpiper were also present.