mocosocoBirds

The List of the Birds of Morris County has the following updates:

• Two species are added from the N.J. Bird Record Historical Committee records: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (1986) and Bullock’s Oriole (1953). As of November 30, 2011, the Morris County List has recorded 312 species of natural origin.
• Recent breeding records are added for Common Raven and Double-crested Cormorant.
• Historical sightings records are added for Greater White-fronted Goose, Brant, White Ibis, Swainson’s Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Ruddy Turnstone, Boreal Chickadee, Loggerhead Shrike, and Henslow’s Sparrow.
• Historical records are added for “Common” Teal and “Oregon” Junco as Review Species in Part (Identifiable form/race/subspecies, etc.)

Also included on the List page is a link to the file prepared by the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Thanks to Alan Boyd, Bill Boyle, Tom Halliwell and Cliff Miles for the additional records and information.

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas

From Tom Halliwell:

Hi Jon,

Late this morning (Saturday) I was surprised by a Blue Grosbeak (in female/1st-year plumage) at Willowwood Arboretum. The bird was located along a wide mowed lane at a field/forest edge. The lane is on the right side of the entry road, about one or two tenths of a mile after you have crossed the cattle guard. It is where the forest on the right gives way to the huge field. Of course, you have to park in the lot at the end of the entry road. I saw the grosbeak about two-thirds of the way down the lane (which ends at the boundary fence at Bamboo Brook preserve) when it flushed from the field on the left of the lane to a branch that extended out over the lane. After sitting nicely for a minute or so it flew into the relatively open woods and I could not find it again.

There were lots of birds at Willowwood/Bamboo Brook today including Fox Sparrows (2), Hermit Thrushes (2), Sapsucker (1), Field Sparrows (many), Towhee (1), Bluebirds (very many), Robins (abundant), Yellow-rumps (very many). At one point a kettle formed that included 11 Red-tails and 2 Red-shoulders among several Black & Turkey Vultures.

All the best,
Tom Halliwell

From Alan Boyd:

Hi Jon,

The osprey that has been lingering at Lake Musconetcong was present this afternoon near the baseball field on Washington St on the Port Morris side.

Last night we had a gray-phase screech owl in our yard in Roxbury.

—

From Jonathan Klizas:

2 Redhead drakes continue at Mt. Hope Lake in Rockaway Township. 160 Ruddy Ducks, Pied-billed Grebe, 1 Lesser Scaup and 20 Mute Swans were on the lake. The 30 or so Am. Coot that had been present in previous weeks either moved on or were out of sight.

A 2011 Morris County high count of 300 Ruddy Ducks were at Split Rock Reservoir along with 5 Buffleheads.

From Jamie Glydon:

Lake Parsippany had 12 Horned Grebe today and a few other species of waterfowl. [The Horned Grebe count of 12 is easily the highest for the year in Morris County. The previous high was either 2 or 4 in April. – ed.]

The back pond at Bee Meadow Park had Green-winged Teal, 17 Ring-necked Ducks, Hooded Merganser and Bufflehead.

Tom Justesen and I viewed 2 Redhead drakes among a raft of Ruddy Ducks at Mt. Hope Lake Sunday morning.

Species present were:
Ruddy Duck – 190 (high count for the county this year)
Gadwall – 32
Redhead – 2 drakes
Am. Coot – 30
Bufflehead – 2
Mute Swan – ~20
Belted Kingfisher
Ring-billed Gull – 2

Lake Parsippany had the following:
Mute Swan – 10
Canada Goose – 40
Bufflehead – 1
Hooded Merganser – 11
Common Merganser – 4
Ruddy Duck – 10
Double-crested Cormorant – 2
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls

Lake Musconetcong continues to have an Osprey (who successfully caught a perch). Otherwise, Ring-billed, Herring and a pair of Great Black Backed Gulls dominated the lake as well as 50 Mute Swans.

Budd Lake was birdless except for some Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls.

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas