mocosocoBirds

Note the plural in the title. Frank Sencher, Jr. reports 7 Cackling Geese this evening in a horse pasture on Opie Rd., Neshanic Station near Hillsborough Township. The geese were staying together as if in a family group. Also present in the usual shorebird area were 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 6 Pectoral Sandpipers and 3 Wilson’s Snipe.

Great Cormorant is always a good find in Morris and Somerset Counties. Jeff Ellerbusch found a juvenile this afternoon at Washington Valley Reservoir (a.k.a. Chimney Rock Res.), Bridgewater Township. The reservoir is accessed via trails in Washington Valley Park. When I joined Jeff later we watched the Great Cormorant swimming in figure-8 patterns using its fanned-out tail as a rudder as it seemed to be trying to consume what appeared to be an enormous fish in its distorted looking throat. Below are Jeff’s photos taken with a smart phone – pre-fish consumption (click on a photo to view a larger image). Also, Jeff found an Eastern Meadowlark in a field along Newmans Lane near the reservoir – coordinates 40.600871,-74.571118
–

From Jeff Ellerbusch:

Had a Nelson’s Sparrow along the thin pond, towards the center of Finderne, this afternoon. The Nelson’s perched up for about 7 seconds before dropping to the ground, very good looks. This bird was not an “on, or near the path bird” and requires quite a bit of trail blazing…it was in the thick stuff. There were hordes of sparrows throughout, easily dominated by Savannah.

Simon Lane and I went back at around 5pm and were able to refind the Nelsons on the other side of the pond. It gave us on and off views for about 5 min, the last of which was an out in the open view.

Some other good birds between the two visits…

– Blue-winged Teal- 8
– Green-winged Teal- 2
– Gadwall- 1
– Pied-billed Grebe- 1
– Green Heron- 1
– Snipe- 4
– Savannah Sparrow- 150 would be a very conservative number… around 200 would be more accurate.

Jeff