mocosocoBirds has received the news that Len Soucy, founder of The Raptor Trust, passed away yesterday, June 11, 2014.
Bravo, Len. Thank you and rest in peace.
An article about Len and The Raptor Trust, published in February, 2013, appears in scienceline.org. The link is here.
A Management plan is proposed for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. There is the opportunity for public comment.
The draft document of the proposal will be available for public review and comment through June 27, 2014.
Here is the blurb from the Great Swamp web site:
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has released for public review the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in New Jersey. The document describes four alternatives that were evaluated for managing the refuge for the next 15 years. It also provides an analysis of the potential effects on the environment from implementing each alternative.”
The following is excerpted from the press release:
“The Service has identified alternative B as the preferred alternative for management
of the refuge. Under alternative B, we describe the actions we believe would best
meet refuge purposes and goals, including:
Here are some pertinent links:
Two meetings have been scheduled to provide the public with opportunities to learn more about the draft comprehensive conservation plan and ask questions of Service staff:
Thanks to Jennifer Books for alerting mocosocoBirds to this development.
As expected, the Florham Park Fields are in the process of being cut. This is a biannual event at the Fields. The second cut usually occurs in late summer. The owner of the property, who graciously lets people use it for activities such as fishing, birding, dog training, etc., has an interest in selling the land for development more than preserving it for nature.
17 Common Ravens, most of them juveniles, were in the Norz Farm fields along River Road in Hillsborough Township this afternoon (Jeff Ellerbusch). The Ravens were enjoying a repast of manure. Turkey Vultures, European Starlings, Rock Pigeons, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds joined them in the fields.
It was not that long ago, when the sighting of a single Raven in New Jersey caused a stir. Read Rick Radis’ article on the New Jersey Audubon eBird portal, The Return of the Raven, chronicling the species’ relatively recent proliferation in New Jersey.
Common Ravens are known nesters in Hillsborough. It is not uncommon to find a group of 3-5 in the township. On the other hand, 17 in one location with most of them juveniles, is an entirely different matter. This is a population explosion.
2 Horned Larks were singing at the west end of Opie Road (J. Ellerbusch).
From Zach Batren at Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve:
“Took a nice hike through Negri this morning after the rain storm. Ended up with 52 species but unfortunately the pond was nearly empty except for a Green Heron, Killdeer, and Tree Swallows. Still no sign of any Dickcissel in the area, but I did find a pair of Blue Grosbeaks near the power-lines and, of course, plenty of Grasshopper Sparrows.”
Blue Grosbeak, Negri-Nepote Grasslands, NJ, June 9, 2014 (photo by Zach Batren)
Grasshopper Sparrow, Negri-Nepote Grasslands, NJ, June 9, 2014 (photo by Zach Batren)
Barred Owl, Rockaway Twp., NJ, June 8, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
A Yellow-breasted Chat was found at the Great Swamp NWR this morning (Simon Lane). It was vocalizing at the northwest corner of the intersection of White Bridge and Pleasant Plains Roads. In other words, it is on the field to your left as you turn north onto Pleasant Plains Road from White Bridge Road.
An Alder Flycatcher is along Beaver Brook at the east end of Sasso Tract in Rockaway Twp. (J. Klizas). Here is a recording: Alder Flycatcher, Sasso Tract, Rockaway, NJ, June 8, 2014
Other species in the Oak Meadows/Sasso Tract area include Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Veery, Wood Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Blue-winged Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting, etc.
Both the immature male and female Summer Tanagers continue to be observed at Lenape Meadow at Lord Stirling Park (m.obs.). The Yellow-breasted Chat was heard at Bullfrog Pond (Chris Thomas).
Summer Tanagers at Lord Stirling Park, June 8, 2014, photo by Chris Thomas.
Two Blue Grosbeaks, immature male and female, remain at Florham Park Fields along with 2 Savannah Sparrows and a family of Spotted Sandpipers (eBirded by Tom Smith).
Worm-eating Warbler, Jefferson Twp., NJ, June 7, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The Beaver Brook Trail in Jefferson Township is 6.5 miles of grueling terrain running from Saffin Pond in Mahlon Dickerson Reservation to Berkshire Valley Road near the terminus of Taylor Road. This writer trekked from the southern end at Berkshire Valley Road north to the power line and back this morning, a 5+ mile hike. Morris County does not get any more rugged than this.
The bird life was as expected although 8-10 Worm-eating Warblers (WEWA) crowns this section of the trail as the WEWA capital of Morris County. The WEWA were found approximately every .2-.25 miles from the base of the trail to the overlook south of the power line.
Squawroot (Conopholis americana) Jefferson Twp., NJ, June 7, 2014 (photo by J. Klizas)
Squawroot (pictured above), a parasite of tree roots especially oaks, was found in a few places along the trail. While placing a backpack on the the ground in preparation of creating the above photograph, a small olivaceous bird flew in front of me landing on the ground to my right, five feet away. Expecting to look and find an Ovenbird as if its nest was disturbed being in close proximity to where the backpack was placed, a Worm-eating Warbler was seen instead, spreading its wings flat on the ground as if in a diversion display. It was joined by another and for the next 15 minutes both WEWAs jumped and flew from branch to branch catching food and responding to gentle human hissing sounds. The mediocre image at the head of this post was all that was barely usable as the WEWAs were usually too close for a 400mm lens in a shaded understory.
Two American Chestnut saplings were along the trail, echoes of another era.
American Chestnut (Castanea dentata), Jefferson Twp., NJ, June 7, 2014 (photo by J. Klizas)
Here are some avian highlights of the Beaver Brook Trail:
2 Pileated Woodpecker
9 Eastern Wood-Pewee
1 Acadian Flycatcher
3 Great Crested Flycatcher
2 Yellow-throated Vireo
12 Red-eyed Vireo
3 Veery
4 Wood Thrush
5 Cedar Waxwing
14 Ovenbird
8 Worm-eating Warbler
3 Blue-winged Warbler
3 Common Yellowthroat
3 Hooded Warbler – 2 counter-singing
5 American Redstart
3 Yellow Warbler
4 Scarlet Tanager
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
3 Indigo Bunting
From Mike Newlon:
This morning at Morris County Outdoor Education Center off Southern Boulevard, Chatham Township, a Red-shouldered Hawk was screaming near the entrance road. On the White Trail in the Great Swamp NWR, a singing Northern Waterthrush was near the most northerly of the three plank bridges. I found Northerns in this area during the Breeding Bird Atlas years but never came up with definitive proof of nesting.
Somerset County Specialties
The following species are all currently being seen in Somerset County:
Thanks to Alan Boyd and Tom Smith for relaying information about the Somerset species by correspondence and/or listing them on eBird.
Horned Lark nesting activity in New Jersey peaked in the 20th century during the 1950’s when they were recorded as breeding in every county except Union and Hudson. Their decline as breeders was as rapid as their ascent so that by the 1960s they were described as uncommon and local [Birds of New Jersey – Walsh, Elia, Kane, Halliwell (NJ Audubon, 1999); The Birds of New Jersey: Status and Distribution – Boyle (Princeton Univ. Press, 2011)].
Horned Larks can still be found on farm habitat in Somerset County albeit in tiny numbers. A single bird on May 10 in Hillsborough (Jeff Ellerbusch, Roger Johnson, J. Klizas, Simon Lane) and single birds in June in Branchburg (J. Ellerbusch) do not represent a burgeoning population but at least they continue to be probable breeders in the area.
The Florham Park Fields were a Morris County hot spot over the weekend with Blue Grosbeak and an Eastern Meadowlark on the premises. Neither species was found today, nor were the Savannah Sparrows seen last Sunday, June 1. At least one Bobolink was near the grown over dirt mounds singing and flying about this afternoon (J. Klizas). In recent years this field is mowed in May and again in late summer (in the past, the owner has professed a dis-interest in maintaining habitat for birds). For whatever reason in 2014, the field is yet to be cut and hard-to-find Morris County species are taking advantage of the situation.
Summer Tanager, Lord Stirling Park, NJ, June 3, 2014 (photo by Robert Gallucci).
First found on Memorial Day, May 26, the immature male Summer Tanager was photographed again today by Rob Gallucci at Lord Stirling Park. There is also a report of the same bird from Sunday, June 1. These reports are all from the same location at the north end of Lenape Meadow. The male has been seen 2-3 times in the past 9 days. A female was seen on May 26. Based on New Jersey Breeding Bird Atlas criteria, this is on the border of the possible/probable category for breeding, leaning ever so slightly towards probable, although much more substantial evidence is required to confirm that possibility.
During the NJ Atlas years of 1993-97, 4 blocks north of the Coastal Plain reported Summer Tanager, with two blocks confirmed in Hunterdon and Essex Counties. A probable was reported from Morris County. A Summer Tanager was observed for two successive summers in the Sourland Mountain region of Hillsborough Township sometime during the years of 1999-2001 (Frank Sencher, Jr.). This represents the only previous report of a Summer Tanager possibly breeding in Somerset County, as far as is known.
Also at Lord Stirling Park, there is the possibility of two Yellow-breasted Chats (Marc Chelemer). One was heard singing, while another silent Chat was viewed.
As a comment to June 1’s post Mike Hiotis discusses the status of Yellow-breasted Chat (YBCH) in the previous century: “YBCH was an annual breeder in Lord Stirling Park circa the 1980′s & 90′s .They were often in the perimeter hedgerows around the west fields. Once those hedgerows were cut back for various reasons the Chats moved elsewhere.I suspect there are some breeding in the massive hedgerows along the Lord Stirling horse farm trails but I have not actively looked for them. They can surely still be within the park boundaries too and this recent find is intriguing.”
From Mike Newlon:
“Today 6/3 at Mountainside Park in Northern Morris County, a Common Raven was being followed by 3 begging but full-sized fledged young. Later, seven Ravens, likely including the first 4, circled overhead.”
Yellow-breasted Chat, Lord Stirling Park, NJ, June 2, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas)
The heavily cropped photo above is from early this morning. The Yellow-breasted Chat is near Bullfrog Pond at Lord Stirling Park. It was found by Mike and Thom Almendinger yesterday, June 1, but may be the same individual found by Bob Auster the previous weekend.
The Florham Park Fields’ Blue Grosbeak continues (Jamie Glydon) but the Eastern Meadowlark found yesterday was not reported today.
An Alder Flycatcher was recorded on White Bridge Road, Great Swamp NWR (Marc Chelemer).
From Ken Hart:
“The Prothonotary Warbler is still singing his head off on Black River Road at the Black River, just south of Long Lane (Bedminster Twp.). Eastern Meadowlarks continue in the field at Black River Road and Lamington Road.”
(Eastern Meadowlark, Florham Park, NJ, June 1, 2014 – photo by Chris Thomas)
Yesterday’s mocosocoBirds’ post made the following statement: “Eastern Meadowlark is effectively gone from Morris County except sporadically in migration.”
Welcome to sporadically.
In a very timely manner, Chris Thomas found an Eastern Meadowlark (EAME) this morning at the Florham Park Fields. The EAME was singing and flying about throughout the morning and seen by other birders. 2 Savannah Sparrows are also in the field. The Blue Grosbeak continues to preside over the two dirt mounds. What next?
A Yellow-breasted Chat and 2 Alder Flycatchers were observed at Lord Stirling Park this morning (Mike and Thom Almendinger).
It is a thin year for Yellow-breasted Chats (YBCH) in Morris and Somerset Counties. Whereas at least three locations hosted YBCH in Morris County in 2013 (Mt. Olive Twp., Morris Twp., Great Swamp NWR), none are reported in 2014, as of yet. YBCH was practically non-existent in Somerset County in 2013.
A memorable and fruitful month of May comes to a close. What seemed like a steady stream of migrants made for a satisfying birding experience in the mocosocoBirds area.
The two Blue Grosbeaks of Florham Park continue – usually seen between the two mounds, affectionately known as Mt. Florham and Little Flo, near the rear pond. In the recent past, this location has had Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrow, Bobolinks, Snowy Egret and Morris County’s one and only Pink-footed Goose among many other species.
Another immature male Blue Grosbeak was found today in Long Valley behind the township’s Middle School (Roger Johnson, J. Klizas).
An informal grassland survey in Long Valley turned up the aforementioned Blue Grosbeak, Bobolinks at two locations, up to 3 Grasshopper Sparrows on private land but not a single Eastern Meadowlark – even at a location where two were found at this time last year. Eastern Meadowlark is effectively gone from Morris County except sporadically in migration.
Two Swainson’s Thrushes were singing in this writer’s yard in Morris Township early this morning.
2014 is shaping up as a record year for Glossy Ibis sightings in Morris and Somerset Counties, and it is only May 31.
Glossy Ibis sightings so far in Morris County for 2014:
April 4-5, Birchwood Manor, Whippany
April 6, Lincoln Park
April 18, Denville
April 20-May 15, various sightings of 2 individuals at Melanie Lane, Hanover Township
May 17 – Great Swamp NWR
Somerset County:
May 9 – Hillsborough
May 10 and 30 – Negri-Nepote
mocosocoBirds 