mocosocoBirds

From Jeff Ellerbusch, 3/7/2011:

Stopped at the Friends Blind from 1:30ish-2ish and, at least in comparison to last week, it was disappointingly empty. When I got there the ducks were obviously agitated by something – this continued throughout as most of the remaining birds flushed within my time there. I would assume one of the Eagles was perched out of sight. The easy highlight were the Pintails. They were already starting to flush, in small numbers, from the farthest and out of sight, back, right-hand corner when I got there. Conservative estimate through the first 20 min would be 60 birds. However right when I was about to leave something, or the same thing, spooked up a big group and they kept on coming. 118 Pintail flushed out of the same corner in 5 minutes…birds were still flushing in two’s and three’s when I had to leave.

-Canada goose- 200
-Wood Duck- 10
-Am. Wigeon- 4
-Black Duck- 5
-Mallard- 20
-G-w Teal- 7
-No. Pintail- 178
-Ring-necked- 30
-Lesser Scaup- 2
-Bufflehead- 3
-Hooded Merg- 3

No Tundra’s this time though with all this flooding they have even more room to wander…if still there. Few Rusties in with small R-winged flock.

Sunday, March 6, 2011 – 7:00-9:00 -50 degrees Fahrenheit – relentless rain from 8:00 on.

Friends Blind – Great Swamp N.W.R. Wildlife Observation Center, Long Hill Road, Harding Township, NJ.

Spring Peepers were in fine voice this mild, wet morning.

Three Tundra Swans were present, apparently since yesterday. Other waterfowl species were:

• Wood Duck – 10
• Green-winged Teal – 10
• Mallard – 100
• American Black Duck – 15
• Northern Pintail – 4
• Ring-necked Duck – 4
• Lesser Scaup – 2 drakes
• Bufflehead – 4
• Ruddy Duck – 2

The Scaup were seen briefly as they were usually hidden and were actively diving when they were in view. Both Greater and Lesser Scaup have been reported from this location in the past week. This observer based his identification solely on head shape. One drake showed the classic oval, or even squarish, head shape with the slight peak, or bump, at the corner of the back of the head and a steep forehead of Lesser and not the forward peak of the head and more sloped and rounded appearance that is typical of Greater. Overall this is subjective and a longer look would be preferred to remove any doubt.

It was pouring rain on Pleasant Plains Road at 8:30. The pond near the gated bridge is finally thawed and 12 Ring-necked Ducks were present. Osborne Pond on Lee’s Hill Road at the terminus of Pleasant Plains Road is also thawed at last. 20 Ring-necked Ducks were present there.

Prepared by Jonathan Klizas

From 14:00-15:00 at the Patriot’s Path section of Washington Valley, Morris Township between Washington Valley Road and Sussex Avenue.

• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
• Pileated Woodpecker – 1
• Brown Creeper – 1
• Rusty Blackbird – 4
• etc.

Saturday, March 5, 2011 – 8:00-11:00 Temperature range: 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Breezy. Mostly cloudy, sun breaks through late morning.

Speedwell Lake, Speedwell Ave., Morristown, NJ – thawed except for some edges.

• Mute Swan – 2
• Canada Goose – 5
• Ring-necked Duck – 2
• Hooded Merganser – 2
• Common Merganser – 9

Budd Lake, Mt. Olive Township – other than a puddle here and there, this lake was completely frozen.

Lake Musconetcong, from the Port Morris area (Washington St.) of Roxbury Township. The northeast portion of the lake was thawed and open.

• Mute Swan – 20 (Tundra Swans were reported at the lake on March 1)
• Canada Goose – 30
• Mallard – 22
• American Black Duck – 20
• Common Goldeneye – 1 drake
• Bufflehead – 10
• Hooded Merganser – 25
• Common Merganser – 80
• Bald Eagle – 2 adults – at one point there were standing shoulder to shoulder on the ice.
• Ring-billed Gulls – 30
• Herring Gulls – 20
• Fish Crow – present with the 20 or so American Crows.

Lake Hopatcong from Mt. Arlington Boulevard – completely frozen. There were ice fishermen on the ice.

Mt. Hope Lake, Rockaway Township – completely frozen.

Boonton Reservoir, from the walkway on Parsippany Boulevard/Washington Street, Boonton – This section, where the Rockaway River feeds in to the reservoir, was open but the rest of the reservoir is still frozen.

• Canada Goose – 7
• Northern Pintail – 5
• Ring-necked Duck – 2
• Bufflehead – 17
• Common Merganser – 56
• Ring-billed Gull – 15
• Herring Gull – 2

Lake Parsippany, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township – completely frozen but looks on the verge of thawing.

• Bald Eagle – 1 standing on the ice and then flew.
• Ring-billed Gull – 30
• Herring Gull – 4

The Cackling Goose was viewed for a minute at 16:45 when it and the 50 Canada Geese it was associated with lifted off and flew to points unknown.

Also present: 4 Common Mergansers, 4 Hooded Mergansers and 6 Ring-necked Ducks.

Jonathan Klizas