mocosocoBirds

From Tom Halliwell:
Hi Jon,

Between 11:00 a.m. and noon I found the three female Hooded Mergs on the beaver pond at The Tourne (Boonton Township). I saw no activity, other than their presence at this time, that might suggest breeding (i.e., no chicks, no flying to nest hole, etc.). There was one noisy Red-headed Woodpecker adult seen repeatedly on trees in various spots at the pond.

Also there was at least one Purple Martin flying around, perching, and one time possibly entering a hole. I can’t be sure of this because it was in a thick tree far back in the pond and I may have just lost the bird against the dark lower background. But I didn’t see it for 5-10 minutes after that suggesting it may have actually entered the hole. At some times it would hunt high in the air, calling. In the time I watched it was harassed by several Tree Swallows and one Great-crested Flycatcher. It was not an adult male, but I could not get a close enough look to determine its actual plumage. But it was very interesting that it was here at all. Perhaps there is nesting occurring here in a natural cavity.

All the best,
Tom Halliwell
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There are reports of the Mississippi Kite of the Great Swamp during the week from the overlook on Pleasant Plains Road. The latest sighting was Thursday, June 7 at 3:15 p.m.

A White-eyed Vireo was singing beyond the 90 degree bend on Pleasant Plains Road Thursday Morning found by Simon Lane.
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Simon Lane and Jeff Ellerbusch had two distant calling Eastern Whip-poor-wills along Lake Denmark Road in Rockaway Township Thursday evening. Be aware that this is Picatinny Arsenal territory and although the road itself is public, the U.S. Army owns the surrounding land.
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From Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Jamie Glydon had two Acadian Flycatchers on the Ogden Mine Railroad Bed trail across Weldon Road from Saffin’s Pond this afternoon and 4 Yellow-billed Cuckoos on the path to Headley Overlook.

From John J. Collins:

The previously reported Mississippi Kite was seen by me at the Great Swamp NWR from the Pleasant Plains Rd. heron parking lot about 20 minutes ago (10:40). It flew around for about 5-6 minutes and drifted off to the right.

Jamie Glydon found a female Bufflehead at Melanie Pond in Hanover Township this afternoon. There are a few records of this species for June in northern New Jersey, but in any case this one is very late for the Morris County area.

Photo by J. Glydon

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A breeding bird survey took place at the southeastern most portion of Jockey Hollow National Historical Park north of Tempe Wick Road in Harding Township this morning. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies sponsors this activity in collaboration with the National Park Service. This is a point survey – 10 observation points are set up at appropriate distances from each other. The observer lists species experienced during a 10-minute period within a certain distance before moving on to the next point. Species found before and after the count period, and in travelling from one point to the next are not counted.

Jockey Hollow’s understory is completely gone. Where there is any understory vegetation at all, Japanese Barberry covers entire hillsides. Japanese Stilt-grass carpets other areas. A new field guide needs to be published concentrating on invasive plant species because they are dominant in many areas and this observer cannot find them in Newcombe’s Wildflower Guide!

As for the birds, there should be more species encountered and many more individuals counted. The highlight of the morning was at least 5 Hooded Warblers found. A Worm-eating Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak on Mt. Kemble were a welcome find.

Here are the numbers. Remember that this is not a survey of the entire park but a sampling of species based on time and distance parameters in a small area entirely in the forest:

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 7
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 6
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 2
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 9
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 4
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Veery (Catharus fuscescens) 2
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) 7
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 5
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) 8
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum) 1
Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) 5
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 5
Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 1
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 1
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 2
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And, once again for anyone keeping track, there are 149 Mute Swans on Mt. Hope Lake in Rockaway Township as of this afternoon. This is an all-time high count for this lake and for Morris County as far as is known. There are 180 Canada Geese as well.

From Tom Halliwell:

Hi Jon,

Mid-day today (June 2) there were at least three Ravens in the area of Saxton Falls Sand & Gravel area on Waterloo Valley Road (on the Morris side of the Musconetcong River). One was a young bird that stayed on one of the tall, old and disused metal quarry structures right near the road. He/she appeared to be fully grown but had a pale gape and some fuzzy feathering on the belly. It may be that the parents, who were constantly calling from varying distances, were trying to encourage him/her to fly. It would climb up on some railings, walk all over the structure, etc. I stayed for about half an hour but he/she hadn’t flown yet. I’m quite sure that there was a nest very nearby, probably somewhere on the same structure. There are so many structures there that could be used. The quarry was not operating today. I wonder if it is still in operation as I didn’t see evidence of recent activity.

There are bank swallows in some sand cliffs here as well as across the lake at the old Tilcon property (now state owned) on Kinney Road which is about a mile farther north (again on the Morris County side of the river). This area has hosted Bank Swallows for many years.

Waterloo Valley Road (roughly paralleling Waterloo Road) is one of the worst roads in northern NJ. It is easier on a car to access it from the south at its junction with Waterloo Road near Stephens SP. The state owns lots of forested land on the east side of Waterloo Valley Road. Well worth exploring.

All the best,
Tom Halliwell

There was a third-hand report of a Mississippi Kite hunting the fields near the Fenske Visitor’s Center on Pleasant Plains Road in the Great Swamp at approximately 2:00 this afternoon. Three birders searched between 4-5:00 without relocating it.

Addendum: Jim Mulvey wrote that he talked with a couple at the bridge (North Gate) on Pleasant Plains Road who said that they had seen the Mississippi Kite toward the Fenske Center around noon and that it was flying around with 2 Redtails and a Vulture. Jim wasn’t fortunate to see it himself. The couple may have been the original people who reported the sighting.