Lake Parsippany
This report was received after the Thaw and Monday Bird Notes post was published.
Tim Vogel visited Lake Parsippany this afternoon and had the following:
24 Common Loons
1 Red-necked Grebe
Gadwalls
Ruddy Ducks
Common Mergansers
Ring-necked Ducks,
Lesser scaup
Pied-billed Grebe
[Editor’s Note: the number of Common Loons on neighboring Lake Parsippany and Boonton Reservoir is stunning this spring with consistent double-digit numbers for the past week.]
Common Loon, Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ, Apr. 6, 2015 (photo by Chris Duffek)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
2 Common Loons continue in the reservoir at Duke Farms (Chris Duffek). The loons are present at Duke Farms since at least April 3.
Thaw
The temperature reached 70 F degrees in many locations in the Morris and Somerset areas today. The northwestern lakes of Morris are nearly thawed.
Budd Lake is entirely ice-free and birds are beginning to notice. 2 Common Loons, 2 Horned Grebes, 12 Bufflehead and 95 Common Mergansers are on the water today. Of course, the boaters notice the open water as well. Already in today’s 70 F degree sunny weather, a motor boat was churning the waters of Budd Lake scattering the Common Mergansers.
Likewise, Lake Musconetcong is almost 100% thawed with little islands of ice remaining for the gulls and Mergansers to haul out on. 250 Common, 1 Red-breasted and 14 Hooded Mergansers, 1 Common Loon, 5 Horned Grebes along with 100+ Ringed-billed Gulls and other waterfowl are concentrated in the southeastern section of the lake, viewable from the tennis courts on Koclas Dr. or a pull-out along Center St.
And then there is Lake Hopatcong, the largest freshwater body in New Jersey.
Lake Hopatcong looking south from Nolan’s Point, Apr. 6, 2015 (iPhone photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Ice fisherman were active into last week. Finally, the southern end at Hopatcong State Park is partially thawed. The section north of the Brady Rd. bridge to the Lake Forest area is open and is where most of the waterfowl is located. As one can see in the photo above (click on the photo for a larger image), the lake south of Nolan’s Point and north of Bertrand Island has a thinning sheet of ice covering the major section of the lake. Of course, once the ice sinks, the boat-centric culture of the Lake Hopatcong community will be out in full force.
Whatever open water is available on Lake Hopatcong that does not have Homo sapiens nearby had birds in the following numbers: 100 Ring-necked Ducks, 44 Bufflehead, 10 Hooded and 300+ Common Mergansers, 3 Common Loons and a greater than 2 to 1 ratio of Herring Gulls to Ring-billed Gulls, although not that many in number – approximately 55 to 25, respectively. Canada Geese, Mute Swans and Mallards are present in small amounts.
Other Bird Notes
A varied morning was had at Loantaka Brook Reservation. Leslie Webster reports the following seasonal species to eBird: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Palm and Pine Warblers, Chipping Sparrow and Purple Finch as well as the typical species of the area.
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s BirdCast has migration forecasts including one for the midwest and northeast. The link for that website is here. Of special interest are the sections labeled Beginning to Arrive, Arriving, Peaking and Departing.
There are many reports this time of year, too many to include in a daily newsletter. For further details and to see what people are seeing in the mocosocoBirds region, see local eBirdChecklists viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
Black-crowned Stealth-Heron in Parsippany
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 5, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The secretive Black-crowned Night-Heron in the photo above reappeared this morning in Parsippany. Mysterious Island at Jefferson Road Pond continues to attract Night-Herons. This is known, thanks to Julie Buechner’s regular observance of the pond since 2013. How long the Night-Herons have favored this location is anyone’s guess. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have appeared here the previous two years. A juvenile Great Cormorant spent part of the autumn of 2013 here.
The pond is near Boonton Reservoir and Lake Parsippany and lies next to the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel. It is bordered by I-80 to the north, I-287 to the west, a corporate parking lot to the east, a busy Jefferson Road to the south and is encircled by a frequently used paved walking path. The area is a typical suburban corporate park. The pond is strewn with trash. Yet, the Night-Herons come year after year. The eBird Hotspot link for the pond is here.
2 Blue-winged Teal finally appeared at Melanie Lane Wetlands this morning. Otherwise, the same birds that are here recently remain: 25-35 Green-winged Teal, 2 Northern Pintail, 3 Northern Shovelers, 5-6 Gadwall, 4 Wood Ducks, 12+ Wilson’s Snipe and 2 Killdeer, Canada Geese and Mallards. The usual large swallow flights here have yet to materialize.
Blue-winged Teal are also at Great Swamp NWR (Friends Blind) and Finderne Wetlands.
Boonton Reservoir
3 Red-necked Grebes and 11 Horned Grebes were found in the afternoon by Mike Wolfe (reported via eBird) at Boonton Reservoir. Varying numbers of Common Loons are at the reservoir but there are at least 13.
Boonton Reservoir’s island is filled with Great Blue Herons and Double-crested Cormorant nesting activity. Interestingly, an immature Bald Eagle, perched at the highest point of the east end of the island and within a few feet of several nests, did not disturb the Herons and Cormorants at all.
Lake Parsippany
Common Loon, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 5, 2015 (photo by Chuck Hantis)
Waterfowl are thinning at Lake Parsippany. 8 Common Loons continue with single Pied-billed and Horned Grebes as of this morning. 116 Common Mergansers is the lowest count since the lake thawed. A handful of Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks Ruddy Ducks and Hooded Mergansers complete the duck picture.
Horned Grebe, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 5, 2015 (photo by Chuck Hantis)
Pied-billed Grebe, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 5, 2015 (photo by Chuck Hantis)
Other Field Notes
Louisiana Waterthush has reached Morris County. 1-2 were heard along the Lamington River on Black River Rd. in Long Valley this morning (Ken Hart).
3 Great Egrets were seen in the wetlands off of Green Pond Rd. (Tom Gorman).
General news: Northern Flickers are abundant, Pine and Palm Warblers are slowly coming into the area. Dark-eyed Juncos are singing everywhere.
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s BirdCast has migration forecasts including one for the midwest and northeast. The link for that website is here. Of special interest are the sections labeled Beginning to Arrive, Arriving, Peaking and Departing.
Fox Sparrow, Troy Meadows, NJ, Apr. 5, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas )
There are many reports this time of year, too many to include in a daily newsletter. For further details and to see what people are seeing in the mocosocoBirds region, see eBirdChecklists viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs were in full song this afternoon at the India Brook – Buttermilk Falls Natural Area, Mendham Township. The following audio recording was made with an iPhone 6 Plus. Listen to Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers.
Wind was the story today as 30 MPH gusts whipped the area. Nonetheless, the first Louisiana Waterthrushes of the year in Somerset County were found in Warren Twp. (Jeff Ellerbusch) and Scherman Hoffman Sanctuary, Bernardsville (Chris Thomas, James Patterson) and reported to eBird. Palm Warbler and Chipping Sparrow are also reported from the latter location.
Lake Parsippany was windblown this morning. Approximately 12 Common Loons continue and were joined by 21 Horned Grebes, 19 in one raft. 2 Redheads were with the Ring-necked Ducks. A Spotted Sandpiper spent a short time on the west beach before flying off. The Common Merganser count is at 250.
Later in the day, Roger Johnson found birds that must have flown into Lake Parsippany later including 3 Tundra Swans and a male Surf Scoter.
A Red-necked Grebe in transitional plumage was picked out by Simon Lane this morning from the north end of Boonton Reservoir. The Common Loon count is 20+. Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows cavorted where the Rockaway River enters the reservoir.
Lake Musconetcong has 8 Horned Grebes, 2 Common Loons, 1 Redhead, 150 Ring-necked Ducks and 500 Common Mergansers along with much smaller amounts of Bufflehead, Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Hooded Merganser (Alan Boyd).
2 Blue-winged Teal were at the Great Swamp NWR (Kevin Browne).
Glenhurst Meadows highlights include both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Great Egret, Cedar Waxwing and Rusty Blackbirds (Chris Thomas).
A Black-crowned Night Heron returned to Green Brook Park in North Plainfield (Walter Blenderman).
Highlights at Duke Farms include 2 continuing Common Loons at the reservoir, Northern Rough-winged, Tree and Barn Swallows, Pine and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chipping and Field Sparrows (Jeff Ellerbusch).
There are many reports this time of year, too many to include in a daily newsletter. For further details and to see what people are seeing in the mocosocoBirds region, see eBird Checklists viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
Noisy, distant photo of a Red-necked Grebe, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 3, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
A Red-necked Grebe in alternate plumage joined the approximately 17 Common Loons and 4 Horned Grebes at Lake Parsippany this morning. Also present were 4 Wood Ducks, 2 Northern Shovelers, 24 Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Bufflehead, 170 Common Mergansers, 6 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Pied-billed Grebe and at least 2 Pine Siskins in trees on the west shore.
Horned Grebes, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 3, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Another 17 Common Loons were at Boonton Reservoir this morning, yodeling periodically. The reservoir gave up it’s ice in the past 48 hours. The Common Mergansers knew that quickly enough as a conservative count of 523 was on the water this morning. 115 Double-crested Cormorants and 27+ Great Blue Herons have taken over the island.
An adult Iceland Gull was found this afternoon at the south end of Boonton Reservoir (Simon Lane). Viewing is difficult from Waterview Plaza. A scope is required. Simon also saw 3 Bonaparte’s Gulls fly over the reservoir at the north end.
2 Bonaparte’s Gulls were at Betrand Island, Lake Hopatcong this afternoon (Alan Boyd). The 5 Redheads present since late February are down to 2 as of yesterday and today. Likewise, the Greater Scaup hen who was keeping company with the Redheads was seen yesterday but not reported today.
Gull numbers have dropped in the mocosocoBirds area during the week. Numerous skeins of Canada Geese were seen heading north yesterday throughout the region. The season is changing.
2015’s first Black-crowned Night Heron in Morris County was found at the pond behind the Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany yesterday, April 2 (Tim Vogel). This is the Night Heron eBird Hotspot known as Jefferson Rd. Pond. The Night Heron was not relocated this morning.
The first Black-crowned Night Heron in Somerset County was also seen yesterday at a corporate pond in Bridgewater (eBird report by Mike Russell).
Two Common Loons and a Great Cormorant were reported today from the reservoir at Duke Farms (Thom Almendinger).
Valerie Nixon reports that Common Ravens are nesting in Rockaway, another new location.
2 Horned Grebes were at Ravine Lake in Far Hills this afternoon (Joe Pescatore).
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
April – at last
Split Rock Rd. Boonton Twp., NJ, Apr. 1, 2015 (iPhone photo by Jonathan Klizas)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
The morning of April 1st reminds one of the winter past; the afternoon gave a glimpse of a hoped for warming trend.
Common Loons stayed for a second day at Lake Parsippany (9), Boonton Reservoir (10) and the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits (3).
Common Loon, Lake Parsippany, NJ, Apr. 1, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Common Mergansers are the dominant duck species according to numbers. Many lakes and ponds remain frozen.
Tree Swallows are becoming slightly more apparent. Northern Rough-winged Swallows are beginning to arrive. Eastern Phoebes are finally showing up in their usual haunts.
Eastern Phoebe, Boonton Reservoir, NJ, Apr. 1, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Shorebirds are late, as is everything this year. Wilson’s Snipe gave a good account of themselves in the Great Swamp NWR today as seen in the photo below.
Wilson’s Snipe, Great Swamp NWR, NJ, Apr. 1, 2015 (photo by Jason Denesevich)
From Margo D. Beller:
“Yesterday (March 31) I finally saw a pair of Phoebes at the pond off Central Avenue, near the Morris Plains-Parsippany border. They nest under the bridge. The pond also had, for the first time I’ve seen in some time, Hooded Mergansers as well as Wood Ducks, Mallards and a Great Blue Heron. Somewhere up Thompson brook (this name is on old maps; this brook and Watnong Brook meet at the pond and the brook continues as Watnong to the Whippany River) I heard the distinct rattle of a Kingfisher. At the upper of the two ice ponds off Reservoir Road at Greystone were Ring-Necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers and Mallards. The lower pond, as of yesterday, was still mainly ice.
So despite the snow (April Fool!), spring is just about here in fact as well as on the calendar.”
Corey Dwyer captured the following image of a Northern Cardinal contemplating yesterday’s snowfall.
Northern Cardinal, Apr. 1, 2015 (photo by Corey Dwyer)
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
A Common Loon charges across the water after snagging a fish, Lake Parsippany, Mar. 31, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
Good riddance to March. The monthly temperature will average out approximately to 4 degrees below normal, but it felt much colder than that throughout the month. Today, a chilly but clear morning morphed into a dreary, cold, raw, snowy, wet afternoon. The temperature hovered in the mid 30’s all afternoon in Morris County. Snow is falling and coating the landscape as this post is composed in the early evening.
One observation is evident today: Common Loons are on the move with 11 at Lake Parsippany and 10 at neighboring Boonton Reservoir. Single Horned Grebes were at Lake Musconetcong and Boonton Reservoir.
Lake Parsippany is entirely thawed. A Lesser Black-backed Gull continues but yesterday’s Iceland Gull is gone along with the majority of Ring-billed and Herring Gulls that were present. 200+ Common Mergansers, 16 Double-crested Cormorants, 23 Ring-billed and 40 Herring Gulls (down from 100 and 210, respectively) are the totals for a wet and snowy afternoon.
Only 38 Common Mergansers were tallied at Boonton Reservoir today. Most have probably moved to Lake Parsippany.
Budd Lake remains 100% frozen. Perhaps it will thaw entirely by mid-to-late April.
The northeast section of Lake Musconetcong continues to reclaim its open water and contains an impressive number of ducks. Here are highlights from the amalgamation of Alan Boyd’s morning numbers and this writer’s snow-curtailed afternoon count: 350 Ring-necked Ducks, 260 Common Mergansers, 2 Lesser Scaup, 1 Greater Scaup, 46 Bufflehead, 12 Hooded Mergansers, 10 American Wigeon, 1 Common Loon, 1 Horned Grebe and 1 Pied-billed Grebe.
Bertrand Island at Lake Hopatcong continues to host 5 Redhead, 1 Greater Scaup hen, 4 American Coot (Alan Boyd). The Redheads and Greater Scaup are present at this location since February 28.
Yesterday’s Yellow-headed Blackbird in the Opie Road, Hillsborough area was not relocated today despite numerous people searching.
3 Blue-winged Teal were found yesterday at Finderne Wetlands (Kirsten Abildskov, Piper Weldy). They continue today. This is the first occurrence in 2015 in Somerset and Morris Counties of this overdue species.
Yesterday at The Tourne, an interesting collection of winter finches was seen and photographed: Purple Finch, 3 Common Redpolls and 7 Pine Siskins (Cathy Millington).
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
Yellow-headed Blackbird in Somerset County
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Hillsborough Twp., NJ, Mar. 30, 2015 (photo by Frank Sencher, Jr.)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
An adult male Yellow-headed Blackbird (YHBL), in a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds, put in an appearance at Opie Road, Hillsborough Twp. this morning (Frank Sencher, Jr.) and again later in the afternoon after hours of searching (Jeff Ellerbusch).
Iceland Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull at Lake Parsippany
Yesterday’s post, here, describes growing gull activity at Lake Parsippany as the ice finally begins to melt. Today, a large section of the lake is ice-free. The hundreds of gulls present used the remaining ice as roosts and dining areas.
Iceland Gull, Lake Parsippany, Mar. 30, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Besides the approximately 200 Herring and 100 Ring-billed Gulls, at least 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Black-backed Gull were in attendance. The star of the day is a first cycle Iceland Gull that was active most of the time this observer was present.
Iceland Gull, Lake Parsippany, Mar. 30, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The dynamics of the lake were in a constant state of change. Two immature Bald Eagles kept the gulls in motion at 4:00 PM. Only one Bald Eagle was reported by Julie Buechner and Marc Chelemer earlier in the afternoon. Chris Williams reports 4 at nearby Boonton Reservoir.
Bald Eagles, Lake Parsippany, Mar. 30, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Two Common Loons in alternate plumage joined the 85+ and growing number of Common Mergansers.
Common Loon, Lake Parsippany, Mar. 30, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
The temperature in Morristown read 21 F degrees at 6:00 AM. With two days remaining in March, this will be one of the coldest March months since 1893. 2014 was actually colder. It needs not be said that last month was the third coldest February on record in New Jersey since 1893. These statistics can be read in tabular form at the Office of the State Climatologist.
The bird forecast for the northeast region through this coming Friday may be read at the BirdCast web site, here. Expect light to moderate movement this week, if anything at all.
Lincoln Park Gravel Pits
Great Egret, Lincoln Park, NJ, Mar. 29, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The first Great Egrets of 2015 entered the mocosocoBirds region today with single sightings in Franklin Twp. (Karen English) and the community swimming area next to the Lincoln Park Gravel Pits (Tom Justesen, Jill Homcy, et al).
Also, the following species were at the almost entirely thawed Lincoln Park Gravel Pits: single digits of Wood Duck, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Am. Black Duck, Mallard, Common Goldeneye (6), Green-winged Teal and Lesser Scaup. 300 Common Mergansers, 50+ Hooded Mergansers and 40 Ring-necked Ducks were the most numerous duck species.
Also present were 1 or 2 Common Loons, 2 Bald Eagles, 30 Double-crested Cormorants, 100 Ring-billed Gulls, 13 Herring Gulls and at least 20 high-flying Tree Swallows.
Leaving Soon
American Tree Sparrow, Lincoln Park, NJ, Mar. 29, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
With the anticipation of the arrival of spring migrants, comes the departure of wintering species. Small numbers of American Tree Sparrows may linger throughout April, but the bulk of them will be gone in a matter of weeks. The Frequency, Abundance and Totals tabs of the eBird bar graph for American Tree Sparrow illustrates this graphically. (Click here for the graph.)
Lake Parsippany
Lake Parsippany, NJ, Mar. 29, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
Lake Parsippany is beginning to thaw in earnest. The ice along the edges and shores of the lake are melting. A crescent-shaped portion of water slices into the middle of the lake.
Little, if any, bird activity was evident throughout the winter. That changed today. This afternoon, 67 Herring Gulls, 47 Ring-billed Gulls and a lone adult Great Black-backed Gulls were spread over the remaining ice of the lake. Fish carcasses and parts thereof were scattered over the ice. It was a buffet for gulls as seen in the photo above with the young Herring Gulls dining on the various fish parts.
Other Field Notes
Glenhurst Meadows had the following highlights today: 55 Northern Pintail, 97 Green-winged Teal, 16 Fox Sparrows along with American Woodcock and Wilson’s Snipe (Jeff Ellerbusch).
There are a few Northern Rough-winged Swallow reports today, finally.
From Ken Hart:
Corner of Lamington Road and Black River Road, Bedminster, in the field to the west of Black River Road – at least 34 Killdeer at 6:30 PM, and at least 4 Eastern Meadowlarks.
[Editor’s Note: Eastern Meadowlark is a Species of Special Concern in New Jersey. The list of these species is here.]
Below is one of the suburban Wild Turkeys frequently seen on lawns of the housing development on the outskirts of Troy Meadows.
Wild Turkey, Troy Meadws, NJ, Mar. 29, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
A Common Loon was at the Lincoln Park Community Lake this afternoon (Jill Homcy). This is the first Loon reported in Morris County since January 2.
Little by very little, lakes and ponds are giving up the ice. There were still ice fisherman at the northern section of Lake Hopatcong this brutally cold morning, but at least a little open water is appearing near the docks and shorelines. It may be mid-April or later before the ice is completely gone.
The 5 Redheads, 1 Greater Scaup hen and 4 American Coot continue at Bertrand Island for over one month. Ring-necked Duck numbers are growing wherever the water is open. 120 were scattered throughout the lake this morning along with 27 Bufflehead and 47 Common Mergansers.
Boonton Reservoir has a changeable mix of waterfowl. Today, 3 Common Goldeneye and small amounts of American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal joined the 230+ Common Mergansers, 1 Red-breasted Merganser and 33 Double-crested Cormorants in the water.
Wild Turkeys, Florham Park, NJ, Mar. 28, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
(Click on the photo for a larger image.)
The alert Wild Turkeys in the image above are regulars at Florham Park Fields. The water in the ponds has thawed and contained 12 Ring-necked Ducks, 12 Hooded and 14 Common Mergansers. At least, 8 Killdeer were in the fields.
Northern Shoveler, Melanie Lane, Hanover Twp., NJ, Mar. 28, 2015 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:
The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.
@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.
Finis
mocosocoBirds 