mocosocoBirds

New Jersey is experiencing an unusually lengthy period of low humidity and windy conditions, especially for Spring. This makes the situation completely ripe for fires. The irony of this is not lost on anyone who lived through the unforgettable wet weather of 2011. It seems that everyday there is another red flag warning for a “Fire Weather Warning is in effect” issued by the National Weather Service. New Jersey Forest Fire trucks cruised Pleasant Plains Road in the Great Swamp N.W.R. this afternoon looking for telltale signs of a blaze. Numerous fires across the state are reported at nj.com. In Morristown, winds were from the west south west at 20 M.P.H. with gusts measured at 44 M.P.H. The relative humidity was 17%! This writer used lip balm today for the first time all year because it was so windy and dry.

Nevertheless, immune to our concerns, the raptors are moving. Morris County’s first three Broad-winged Hawks of 2012 were seen this afternoon by Simon Lane, Jim Mulvey and myself at the overlook on Pleasant Plains Rd. in the Great Swamp. Also seen were the two “local” Bald Eagles, an Osprey, 3 Northern Harriers, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, 3 American Kestrel, 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Black Vultures, wind-blown Wilson’s Snipe and the typical species of the area.

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas

A Long-tailed Duck was present this morning at Lake Musconetcong along with Horned Grebe, Osprey, Barn Swallow, Purple Martins and 53 (at least) Double-crested Cormorants. Today is the first day of trout-fishing season. Keeping a lookout for Bonaparte’s Gulls proved fruitless as the only gulls seen were single Ring-billeds at Lake Parsippany and Mt. Hope Lake. The list for Lake Musconetcong:

Ring-necked Duck – 16
Lesser Scaup – 8
Long-tailed Duck – 16
Bufflehead – 28
Common Merganser – 1
Ruddy Duck – 45
Horned Grebe – 1
Double-crested Cormorant – 53
Osprey
Bald Eagle – adult
Northern Rough-winged Swallow – 5
Purple Martin – 2
Tree Swallow – 20
Barn Swallow – 2
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Lake Parsippany

Ruddy Duck – 120 (high count for Morris County in 2012)
Common Merganser – 1
Common Loon
American Coot – 20

Common Loon at Lake Parsippany (Photo by J. Klizas)

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Mt. Hope Lake, Rockaway Township

Canada Goose – 20
Mute Swan – 99
Wood Duck – 5
Gadwall – 1
American Wigeon – 2 drakes
Mallard – 8
Northern Shoveler – 2 (drake and hen)
Ring-necked Duck – 20
Pied-billed Grebe – 1
Double-crested Cormorant – 2
Bald Eagle – 2
American Coot – 13
Belted Kingfisher – 1
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Budd Lake, Mt. Olive Township

Lesser Scaup – 14
Bufflehead – 15
Common Merganser – 2
Ruddy Duck – 22
Pied-billed Grebe – 1
American Coot – 5

Simon Lane reports the first Virginia Rail of 2012 in either Morris or Somerset Counties this evening. It was heard ke-dicking at the overlook.

From Tim Vogel:

Thanks Jamie for the great reports.
I was out of state this weekend but managed to get to Lk. Parsippany late today. Unable to locate the noted birds but would like to report a Common Loon plus Tree Swallows. The Tree Swallows were boiling into the south end of the lake. I counted over 100 Tree Swallows working the south end. Lots of Coots and Ruddys. I wish I had a scope. Who gave the waterbirds the approval to be in the middle of the lake.

Regards.
Tim Vogel
Denville
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Tim’s report was from late in the afternoon. Jamie Glydon stopped by Lake Parsippany late in the day as well. He also had the Common Loon and added an actively fishing Osprey to the day’s list at the lake.

So to close, here is a cumulative species list for Lake Parsippany today:

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Canvasback
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chicakdee
Tufted Titmouse
American Robin
European Starling
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch
House Sparrow