Jeff Ellerbusch and Simon Lane visited Mahlon Dickerson Reservation in Jefferson Township, Morris County today. Following is their list which gives the reader a sense of some of the breeding species in this under birded location. A brief description of the park follows the list.
Mallard 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Mourning Dove 3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 11
Acadian Flycatcher 5 (exact count, all calling)
Willow Flycatcher 3
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 5
Yellow-throated Vireo 4
Warbling Vireo 2
Red-eyed Vireo 56 (exact count)
Blue Jay 5
American Crow 2
Fish Crow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Tree Swallow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 4
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
House Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
Veery 29 (exact count)
Wood Thrush 9
American Robin 10
Gray Catbird 10
Brown Thrasher 1
Cedar Waxwing 4
Ovenbird 23 (exact count)
Worm-eating Warbler 2
Northern Waterthrush 3 (All singing)
Black-and-white Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 6
Hooded Warbler 6
American Redstart 24
Yellow Warbler 17
Canada Warbler 4 (All singing)
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 4
Song Sparrow 1
Swamp Sparrow 7
Scarlet Tanager 12
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Indigo Bunting 1
Red-winged Blackbird 5
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Baltimore Oriole 2
American Goldfinch 5
There are 20 miles of trails in this 3,200-acre park, the largest in the Morris County park system. Weldon Road is the primary road through the park. In brief, the some of the more productive birding areas are:
• The Ogden Mine Railroad Bed on the opposite side of the road from the Saffin Pond parking area.
• The Headley Overlook, accessed from the picnic area which is also the trail head for a 3-plus mile loop trail.
• The Pine Swamp trail (a misnomer as the trail actually goes to a Spruce Bog on the border of Morris and Sussex counties) which can be accessed via Sparta Mountain Road or the aforementioned picnic area.
Of course, there are many other areas to explore within the Reservation. Other species encountered in previous trips which have a history of nesting in the park are are Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, Spotted Sandpiper, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Goshawk (rare), Pileated Woodpecker, Black-billed Cuckoo, Hermit Thrush, Blue-headed Vireo, Louisiana Waterthrush, Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers, Blackburnian Warbler, etc.
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