mocosocoBirds

From Tom Halliwell:

Around 2:00 this afternoon (Friday) I noted a tight flock of about 35-40 Bonaparte’s Gulls flying near the surface of Lake Musconetcong. As I watched they began wheeling and moving higher and higher until they were difficult to see without binoculars. They then proceeded to move off to the east and out of sight. I don’t know if they had been feeding on the lake or had just arrived since I had just arrived myself.

This is, by far, the largest group of Bonies I have seen in northwest NJ.

All the best,
Tom Halliwell

From Jamie Glydon:

I did a quick stop this morning (7:00AM), November 8, at Great Swamp. I saw one (1) Snow Bunting in the Bluebird parking lot. At first I didn’t see any Snow Buntings as I approached the grass along the split rail-fence. Then I looked down and it was almost under my feet. Unfortunately I only stayed for about 5 minutes as I had to begin my commute. Seemed like a nice morning to bird at the swamp.

As of 6:30 this morning, the Brant continues at the pond at Loantaka Brook Reservation along Kitchell Road in Morris Township. As of 7:15 a.m. at least 2 of the Snow Buntings continue along the split rail fence of the Bluebird parking lot on Pleasant Plains Road, Great Swamp N.W.R. Both species are hard-to-find Morris rarities.

These are the reports from yesterday:
Brant at Loantaka Brook Reservation, Morris County, 11-6-2011
Snow Buntings at Great Swamp N.W.R., 11-6-2011

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas

Andy Glasgow and Simon Lane reported 3 Snow Buntings today from the Bluebird Lot on Pleasant Plains Road. From Simon: “I got word of and saw three Snow Buntings feeding around the gravel edges of the Bluebird parking lot Aka old friends bookstore lot in the Great Swamp this afternoon at about 4.30. Not a particularly unusual bird, but not that frequently seen in the GSNWR.”

From Tom Smith:

Today (Sunday 11/6) I found a lone Brant on the pond at Loantaka Park – a rather rare species on the ground in Morris Co. Except for that, and ~12 green-winged teal on the pond, there was not that much there of interest.

I put a picture of the brant at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsmzth/6321122562.

– Tom Smith
Madison, NJ

A juvenile Great Cormorant was present at Mt. Hope Lake this afternoon on the far shoreline a few scope fields of view left of the dam.

Other species:

Mute Swan 24 (down from 125 late in the summer)
Gadwall 2
Lesser Scaup 1
Hooded Merganser 3 (first of the season in Morris County)
Ruddy Duck 160
Pied-billed Grebe 4
Great Cormorant 1 juvenile
Bald Eagle 1 adult
American Coot 10
Ring-billed Gull 2

A quick tour of Lake Parsippany had 31 Gadwall, 15 Ruddy Ducks, some Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Mallards and Ring-billed Gulls.

Submitted by Jonathan Klizas