mocosocoBirds

The vernal equinox occurs, Thursday, March 20 at 12:57 p.m. EDT. For anyone who ventured into the miserable afternoon weather today, the equinox cannot come soon enough.

Budd Lake remains entirely frozen but at least a small sampling of gulls this afternoon in pouring rain included a Lesser Black-backed Gull among the Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Spring begins tomorrow, but it is anyone’s guess when the northern lakes will thaw.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Budd Lake, NJ, Mar. 19, 2014 (ID photo by Jonathan Klizas).

The Red-necked Grebe of Mendham spent day number 26 at Clyde Potts Reservoir (Alan Boyd).

Red-necked Grebe, Mendham Twp., NJ, Mar. 19, 2014 (photo by Alan Boyd).

2 Redhead drakes continue at the Van Cleef Road ponds in Franklin Township (J. Klizas). Jim Mulvey eBirded the continuing drake Redhead at Osborn Pond in Harding Twp. Jim also saw a Red-headed Woodpecker from the overlook on Pleasant Plains Rd. in the Great Swamp NWR.

75 Common Goldeneye, 28 Bufflehead and Hooded, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers were seen on the Raritan River via the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath (Jeff Ellerbusch). A Northern Rough-winged Swallow was seen foraging with Tree Swallows. Scaup numbers have dropped to 1 Lesser Scaup. It is a noteworthy season for Greater Scaup in the mocosocoBirds region.

Lake Musconetcong had 79 Mute swans, 3 Wood Duck, 66 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Greater Scaup, 42 Bufflehead, 10 Hooded Mergansers, 93 Common Mergansers and 2 Bald Eagles, probably the local pair (eBirded by Alan Boyd).

2 Blue-winged Teal were on Opie Road in Branchburg Twp. Please respect the local property owners. All property on Opie Road is privately owned (J. Klizas).

25 Ring-necked Ducks were in the flooded field at the Wagner’s Arboretum section of Glenhurst Meadows (David Bernstein).

There are no reports of Greater White-fronted Geese today in North Plainfield or Duke Island Park.

Greater White-fronted Goose in North Plainfield

North Plainfield has the second Greater White-fronted Goose in Somerset County this past weekend (the other was at Duke Island park on March 15). It is a bi-county goose. Green Brook Park is a Union County Park but the Green Brook that runs through the park is the town and county border for North Plainfield in Somerset County and Plainfield in Union County. Walter Blenderman’s account follows: “A Greater White-fronted Goose has been in Green Brook Park on the Plainfield/North Plainfield border for the last three days (3/14-3/16). (Technically Union County, but N. Plainfield is Somerset.) [Editor’s note: Walter also saw the goose today, March 17] Over that time, it has been seen with Canada Geese on soccer fields near West End Ave. in North Plainfield and further west in the park near the basketball court. On Saturday, it was actually on the North Plainfield/Somerset Co. side of the Green Brook, although it still labeled as a Union County Park. Photos from March 14 are posted here.

Sandhill Cranes – no reports

There are no reports today of the Sandhill Cranes seen yesterday at the Great Swamp. Yesterday’s report is here.

Northern Rough-winged Swallows

Lost in the shuffle of yesterday’s lengthy post was the sighting of a Northern Rough-winged Swallow at Osborn Pond by Randy Little. This was duplicated again today by Frank Sencher, Jr. at the Three Bridges Rd. section of Hillsborough Township and is a bi-county sighting being on the border of Readington Twp., in Hunterdon County. These are noteworthy reports because they are the only Northern Rough-winged Swallows listed in New Jersey for 2014 according to the eBird database.

Peregrine Falcons

Jason Denesevich saw a Peregrine Falcon at the Great Swamp NWR this evening. He also reports American Woodcock from the Bluebird Lot area at 7:15 p.m.

Chuck Hantis saw the Peregrine Falcon of Hanover again today at Melanie Lane Wetlands. Any guesses as to the duck in its talons?

Peregrine Falcon, Hanover Twp., NJ, Mar. 17, 2014 (photo by Chuck Hantis).

Other Field Notes

An Osprey was near the Basilone Bridge in Raritan this morning (Frank Sencher, Jr.).

11 Red-breasted Mergansers were seen on the Raritan River from the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath (Jeff Ellerbusch). This sets another record for this species in Somerset County according to eBird data. If you have not seen a Red-breasted Merganser in Morris or Somerset Counties this winter, you are not looking. Also in the Raritan were 73 Common Goldeneye and other typical species.

From Brian Clough:
Amy Manning and I had a few interesting sightings around our neck of the woods today.
Van Cleef Rd, Franklin Twp.:
2 drake Redheads in the eastern pond

Colonial Park:
Lesser Scaup (1)
Northern Pintail (3)
Am. Wigeon (4)
Hooded Merganser (6)
Am. Black Duck (1)

Ring-necked Ducks were well represented at both locations.

We also spotted one of the continuing Red-Headed Woodpeckers from the nature trail adjacent to the southern pond.

Best – Brian Clough

Sandhill Cranes in the Great Swamp NWR

Sandhill Cranes, Great Swamp NWR, NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by Jason Denesevich).

(Click on the photo for a larger image.)

3 Sandhill Cranes were seen at the Great Swamp NWR today from the overlook on Pleasant Plains Road – and they have apparently been there since yesterday, Mar. 15 when they were photographed. Randy Little saw them today between 1:30-2:00 pm. Here is his account: “Three Sandhill Cranes were circling high over the lookout on Pleasant Plains Road. Eventually they began a descent toward what appeared to be an intended landing in the distant north side of the visible marsh, but they began flapping their wings again as their altitude dropped to about 30 feet, whereupon they flew southeastward at about 50 feet altitude until I could no longer see them due to intervening trees. A gentleman who was seated at the overlook told me that 3 cranes had been there yesterday.”

Simon Lane saw the Sandhill Cranes a short time afterward (2:10), along with the aforementioned gentlemen who saw them yesterday, when a Bald Eagle roused up the waterfowl and the Sandhill Cranes. They flew, briefly shifting their position.

Jason Denesevich photographed them in flight at 4:50 p.m. (see the above photo). They could still be in the area. This is the sixth known record of Sandhill Crane in Morris County. The link for the List of the Birds of Morris County is here and lists all of the known records in the county of rare species. It seems as though Sandhill Cranes come in threes this year in northern New Jersey. Three were seen flying over Round Valley Reservoir a few days ago and 3-6 have frequented Franklin Township throughout the winter.

Tundra Swans and Red-necked Grebe in Mendham Township

Tundra Swans, Mendham Twp., NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas).

4 Tundra Swans were present at Clyde Potts Reservoir this morning. The swans were resting on the ice when this observer arrived at 8 a.m. as if they had spent the night. At 8:45 they became restless, floated on the water and took off. It is interesting that 4 Tundra Swans were in Branchburg yesterday, which is south of Mendham, and then left sometime in the afternoon. The Red-necked Grebe is present for the 23rd day at Clyde Potts. Below is a photograph of the Tundra Swans lifting off at 8:45 a.m.

Tundra Swans, Mendham Twp., NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by Jonathan Klizas).

Rough-legged Hawk and Blue Winged Teal

A late light-morph Rough-legged Hawk was at the fields near the north gate of Duke Farms today. 2 Blue-winged Teal were in a wooded pond on Opie Road this morning (Frank Sencher, Jr.).

A Blue-winged Teal was at the Friends Blind in the Great Swamp NWR this morning (Simon Lane).

Rusty Blackbirds

Rusty Blackbird, Great Swamp NWR, NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by J. Klizas)

From Bobby Skrabal:
There were 4 Rusty Blackbirds in a mixed flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles at Duke Island Park this afternoon.

[Editor’s note: from 8-16 Rusty Blackbirds were at the Friends Blind, Great Swamp NWR (J. Klizas, Jeff Ellerbusch, et al]

Rusty Blackbird, Great Swamp NWR, NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by J. Klizas)

From Dave Hall, Saturday, Mar. 15:
I diverted my scheduled NJAS trip yesterday (Saturday) morning to the Edwards Rd.
access point to Troy Meadows, and found a hotspot for Rusty Blackbirds. Some of the highlights are below:
Rusty Blackbird – 35 – Several small flocks feeding on the ground at the edge of the frozen marsh; this is a conservative count as some Rusty Blackbirds were sometimes mixed with a huge flock of Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds. The counted birds were seen at close range in small separate groups, perched or feeding away from the other blackbirds.
Fox Sparrows – 7
Also interesting to note that some Great Blue Herons are already coming back into the rookery.

Greater White-fronted Goose in Bridgewater Twp.

Tony Masso found and photographed a Greater White-fronted Goose at Duke Island Park , yesterday, March 15. The photo is below.

Greater White-fronted Goose, Bridgewater Twp., NJ, Mar. 15, 2014 (photo by Tony Masso).

Other Field Notes

From Jennifer Books:
The male Redhead duck continues this morning at Osborn Pond along with almost 30 Common Mergansers (both male and female), 20 Hooded Mergansers, and about 30 Ring-neck Ducks. While observing these birds I also saw my first muskrat of the year grooming him or herself on the edge of the remaining ice.

Chuck Hantis reports that the Melanie Lane Wetlands is thawed and had Northern Pintail there today. Chuck photographed the following Peregrine Falcon 1/4 mile away.

Peregrine Falcon, Hanover Twp., NJ, Mar. 16, 2014 (photo by Chuck Hantis).

Double-crested Cormorant and rain, Boonton Reservoir, NJ, Mar. 12, 2014 (photo by J. Klizas)

(Click on the photo for a larger image.)

Above: a vanguard Double-crested Cormorant (DCCO) awaits his comrades for another invasion of Boonton Reservoir in 2014. 435 DCCOs were counted on July 17, 2013 breaking the Morris County high count for DCCO set in 2012 when 300 were tallied. Julie Buechner found this DCCO yesterday and adds two from Indian Lake, Denville today. They are on their way.

From Mike Newlon:
Waterfowl at the Friends’ Blind in the Great Swamp NWR this morning, were: Mallard, Am. Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, Mute Swan (ugh), Wood Duck, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead; water is still largely frozen. Also, a Bald Eagle, and a singing Eastern Bluebird near the bridge. I did not see a single sparrow or junco.

From Jim Mulvey:
Hi Jonathan – While my wife and I were volunteering at the Wildlife Observation Center in the Great Swamp NWR this morning, we flushed our FOS American Woodcock (AMWO) near the Sportsman’s Blind. The grounds are still mostly snow and ice covered, but there are exposed areas that can hold AMWO. We also had a flyover Killdeer letting us know that Spring is near.

From Terry Carruthers:
Hi Jonathan – The Great Swamp Woodcock are well and truly back, with four calling around my house on Whitebridge Rd this evening, despite large areas of snow-covered ground still present. Good birding!

From Jennifer Books:
Osborne Pond near the Verizon Building in Basking Ridge has 8 Common Mergansers (4 males and 4 females) as well as at least 15 Hooded Mergansers and a flock of Ring-neck Ducks.
Loantaka Brook Reservation was also quite active with birds today. They included 31 Ring-neck Ducks, 5 Hooded Mergansers, and 1 male Bufflehead. In addition, I spotted my first Belted Kingfisher of the year there.

From Susan Treesh:
[Editor’s note: Susan graciously sent the following notice about the Weston (Manville) Causeway closure. A link to the entire statement is here.] This bridge is the back way between the Duke Farms/Finderne Wetlands area and Somerset’s Randolph Road/Six Mile Run/Negri-Nepote area.

Also, I had Woodcock and Great Horned Owl here in northern Franklin Township this morning, as well as 7 Wood Ducks, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Common Mergansers, 2 Hooded Mergansers and the usual Canada Geese and Mallards at the old dam in my development, off Cedar Grove Lane.
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Birds along Opie Road in Branchburg Twp. include 1,400 Canada Geese (mostly flyovers), 3 Wood Duck, Am. Black Ducks, Mallards, 11 Green-winged Teal, 2 Ring-necked Ducks, 1 Bufflehead, 1 Killdeer, 3 Wilson’s Snipe, 27 Tree Swallows, etc. Similar species were along Studdiford Drive plus 22 flyover Northern Pintails (Jeff Ellerbusch).
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Closing out today’s post, Dave Blinder sent the following photograph he took today at Troy Meadows where he had Fox Sparrows, Pileated Woodpeckers and hundreds of Common Grackles. Click on the photo for a larger image.

Winter Sun Reflected in Tire Track (Troy Meadows nature photos by Dave Blinder using his Tamron lenses).