mocosocoBirds

Same lakes – different day: 7:45-10:00. Very northwest windy. Species diversity has dropped. Horned Grebes in a variety of plumages. Bufflehead and Ruddy Duck numbers have increased. Pied-billed Grebes are a first of season in the county that this observer has seen.

Budd Lake, Mount Olive Township

• Canada Goose – 2
• Mallard – 2
• Lesser Scaup – 15
• Bufflehead – 12
• Common Merganser – 5
• Ruddy Duck – 7
• Pied-billed Grebe – 2
• Horned Grebe – 1
• Ring-billed Gull – 3

Lake Musconetcong, from the Port Morris area (Washington St.) of Roxbury Township.

• Canada Goose – 2
• Mute Swan – 4
• Mallard – 2
• Bufflehead – 25
• Horned Grebe – 3
• Great Black-backed Gull – 1

Mt. Hope Lake, Rockaway Township

• Canada Goose – 4
• Mute Swan – 23
• Ring-necked Duck – 5
• Bufflehead – 25
• Hooded Merganser – 2
• Ruddy Duck – 16
• Double-crested Cormorant – 1
• Tree Swallow – 1

Boonton Reservoir – from the walkway on Parsippany Blvd./Washington St., Boonton

• Canada Goose – 3
• Bufflehead – 12
• Common Goldeneye – 1
• Pied-billed Grebe -2
• Double-crested Cormorant – 1
• Great Blue Heron – 3

Lake Parsippany, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township

• Canada Goose – 35
• Mallard – 3
• Common Merganser – 30
• Ruddy Duck – 40
• Horned Grebe – 1
• Ring-billed Gull – 35
• Herring Gull – 1

Pleasant Plains Road at 3 p.m. had a single Tree Swallow. A small number of Rusty Blackbirds were also present mixed with Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles.

The path to the blinds on Long Hill Road had a single Eastern Phoebe. The Friends Blind was uneventful with Ring-necked ducks, Green-winged Teal, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese and Mallards.

Jonathan Klizas

I visited Lake Parsippany four times this past week. Here are the numbers for Common Mergansers:

Tuesday, 3/8/2011:  260
Thursday, 3/10/2011: 500
Saturday, 3/12/2011: 160
Sunday, 3/13/2011: 12, that’s right, 12.

A classic case of here today and gone tomorrow.

Jonathan Klizas

Jeff Ellerbusch and I surveyed a number of Morris County Lakes Saturday morning 3-12-2011 from 7:00-10:00 a.m. The same places were visited seven days ago with the major difference being that all of the lakes are now completely thawed.  See Morris County Lakes from 3-5-2011

Highlights include 8 Horned Grebes, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Greater Scaup and Red-breasted Merganser.

Speedwell Lake, Morristown, NJ
Has been disappointing so far this year with a lack of birds.

• Mute Swan – 2
• Canada Goose -2
• Bufflehead – 2
• Common Merganser – 2

Budd Lake, Mt. Olive Township

• Horned Grebe – 1
• Canada Goose – 25
• Wood Duck – 4
• Mallard – 10
• American Black Duck – 2
• Ring-necked Duck – 4
• Common Goldeneye – 2
• Bufflehead – 8
• Hooded Merganser – 1
• Common Merganser – 28
• Ring-billed Gull – 40
• Great Black-backed Gull – 3
• Herring Gull – 2
• Lesser Black-backed Gull – 2 (adult and 2nd cycle) were near the beach at the southern end of the lake along Rt. 46.

Lake Musconetcong, from the Port Morris area (Washington St.) of Roxbury Township.

• Canada Goose –  25
• Mute Swan –  4
• American Black Duck – 2
• Mallard – 2
• Bufflehead -10
• Hooded Merganser – 14
• Common Merganser – 58
• Red-breasted Merganser – 2   females
• Horned Grebe –  4
• Double-crested Cormorant – 1
• Ring-billed Gulls – 30
• Bald Eagle – 1 adult
• Fish Crow – 3

Mt. Hope Lake, Rockaway Township

• Canada Goose – 50
• Mute Swan – 15
• American Black Duck – 11
• Ring-necked Duck – 1
• Greater Scaup – 1 drake
• Bufflehead – 15
• Common Goldeneye – 1
• Hooded Merganser – 6
• Common Merganser – 3
• Horned Grebe – 1

Boonton Reservoir – from the walkway on Parsippany Blvd./Washington St., Boonton

• Bufflehead – 2
• Common Merganser – 5
• Double-crested Cormorant – 5
• Ring-billed Gull – 15
• Great Black-backed Gull – 1

Lake Parsippany, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township

• Canada Goose – 35
• Bufflehead – 7
• Common Merganser – 160 (down from 500 two days ago in the storm)
• Ruddy Duck – 14
• Horned Grebe – 2
• Ring-billed Gull – 30
• Herring Gull -2
• Great Black-backed Gull – 1

The count of Common Mergansers on Lake Parsippany has doubled since two days ago. An estimate of 500 were on the lake today, Thursday, at 4 p.m. in the rain. Ring-billed Gulls, Canada Geese and Mallards in small numbers were also present.

Jonathan Klizas

On Saturday 3-5-2011 Lake Parsippany was still completely covered in ice although on the verge of breaking through. Today, Tuesday at 5:00 p.m., it was entirely open – it didn’t take the birds long to find it.

• Double-crested Cormorant – 2
• Canada Goose – 25
• Mallard – 10
• Ruddy Ducks – 4
• Lesser Scaup – 1
• Common Merganser – 220
• Hooded Merganser – 3
• Great Black Backed Gull – 1
• Ring-billed Gull – 30