mocosocoBirds

The Northern Shrike of Boonton Township found yesterday, Jan. 15, by Ivan Kossack and Sue Kaufmann, continues today, Monday. See the original post for directions. At 2:40 this afternoon, five birders saw the Shrike behind the third base side of the ball field. Earlier it was seen in the cedars of the original post. In other words, it is moving around.

Photo by Jonathan Klizas

Elsewhere, Simon Lane reports a female Redhead this morning as well as a Northern Pintail at Bernardsville Quarry. Simon also saw an adult Northern Goshawk in the vicinity of Natirar in Far Hills.

Yesterday, Sunday Jan. 15, David Harrison’s Southwest Morris Count was conducted in frigid conditions. Some highlights were Horned Larks at a private farm in Long Valley, 5 Common Ravens in the Combs Hollow Rd. area of Mendham and three Redheads on Horseshoe Lake in Roxbury Township. This morning the lake was frozen, as are most Morris County lakes at this time, therefore, no Redheads.

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas

Mocosocobirds is an enthusiastic supporter of eBird and, especially, eBirders. Please read the announcement below.

Introducing the NJ Audubon eBird Portal!

New Jersey Audubon is pleased to announce the launch of our new NJ Audubon eBird regional portal.  The site will give birders access to news and information about current events in NJ birding, feature articles, bird identification tips, rare bird alerts, avian citizen science programs to participate in, and bird programming opportunities through NJ Audubon.For centuries, people have been keeping track of bird sightings in various ways, often through personal field notes or software that can disappear over time.  Through eBird, this critical information is both secure and available to conservation biologists, land managers, educators, and other birders immediately.  If you’re interested in the status and distribution of New Jersey’s birds, want to explore data on particular species, learn about migration timing, or keep track of your personal sightings, then NJ Audubon eBird is for you!eBird is free and can be used by beginners and experts alike.  You can start today by entering your latest observations, exploring interactive mapping tools, or viewing arrival/departure dates and high counts.  You can make the NJ eBird page your eBird home page and enter sightings just like you have done from the eBird home page.  We hope you’ll consider bookmarking the NJ Audubon eBird regional portal and enter your sightings through it.  Start today by visiting http://ebird.org/content/nj  Scott Barnes Bird Program Director, central region New Jersey Audubon

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Vickie Schwartz found a Baltimore Oriole at the main entrance to Ann Van Middlesworth Park in Hillsborough on Saturday, January 7. This afternoon Jeff Ellerbusch refound one…and added two more. There are three Baltimore Orioles in the park. On a few occasions they were all seen together at the same time. The three offer an orange gradient from bright to dull to dullest. The brightest is presumed to be a first year male; the other two appear to be 1st year females. The dullest of the bunch also has an oddly deformed bill – the upper mandible is slight longer and decurved; the lower mandible is shorter. The three were found in the tangle by a fence-enclosed white shed next to a cove of the pond (to the left of the floating walkway in the pond). The Orioles were active and moving in the tangle.

Photos by Jeff Ellerbusch

Elsewhere, the amazing Wilson’s Warbler of Chatham continues at the Sewage Ponds on Passaic Avenue. Originaly found during the Great Swamp Christmas Bird Count on December 17, the warbler survived last week’s frigid weather and looked quite active and healthy this afternoon at 3:45 p.m. It was found next to the shed to the right of the Bamboo wall facing the Ponds. Based on eBird data, Chatham’s Wilson’s Warbler (WIWA) is currently the only one of its species in the northeast. One WIWA was seen as late as January 5 in Ontario and another as late as January 8 in Ohio.
Here is a screen shot from eBird showing the distribution of WIWA as of today. This is not an interactive map but simply a jpeg from a screen shot. Click on it for a larger view.

Click here to view this map at eBird. Select Show Points Sooner at the right of the map.

Waterfowl at the Ponds were:
Ring-necked Duck – 32
Gadwall – 8
Northern Shoveler – 7
Hooded Merganser – 4
Bufflehead – 7
Ruddy Duck – 2

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas