March through May, 2009 - New Jersey Audubon Society

Black-backed Gulls were noted at Spruce
Run in March (less than in some previous
years); and Common and Forster’s Terns were
found there 5-7 May. There was only one
report of a Black Tern this spring.
Bald Eagles continue to expand in the
region, and several Osprey nestings in
Hunterdon and Warren Counties along the
Delaware River were also noted. Broadwinged
Hawk continues its apparent decline,
with only three nesting reports in the region,
while Cooper’s Hawk has become the second
most common hawk species throughout, in
suburbs, small and large towns, farms, and
parkland.
Purple Martins continue to hang on in the
region in Hunterdon, but Bank Swallows were
seemingly nowhere to be found with only
one sighting. Blooming apple and crabapple
trees can be magnets for migrating passerines
in spring, and Charlie Reeves described a
large one at his back door in Lafayette, at
the northern end of Hyper Humus Swamp.
In addition to more common species, he saw
a Philadelphia Vireo in it on 9 May and an
Orange-crowned Warbler two days later.
Always noteworthy in the region, a Prothonotary
Warbler was a good find in Andover
19 May. Most territorial Kentucky Warbler
reports centered around northwestern Hunterdon
and southwestern Warren.
In addition to the siskins, excitement
was provided by White-winged Crossbills,
which were widely reported in early March
where much larger numbers were seen earlier
in the winter. The only report of Common
Redpoll was from Frankford Township on
2 March.
Abbreviations/Locations
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation
Area (DWGNRA), High Point State
Park (HPSP), Hyper Humus in Newton and
Hampton Township (HH), Liberty Loop
in Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
(LL); McBurney Woods (MW) refers to the
breeding bird survey at the Northern Stony
Brook Greenway Preserve in the Sourlands,
Hunterdon, conducted by Sharyn Magee;
Merrill Creek Reservoir (MCR), Old Mine
Road in Worthington State Forest (OMR),
Raccoon Ridge (RR), Round Valley Reservoir
(RVR), Spruce Run Reservoir (SRR),
Stokes State Forest (SSF), Swartswood
Lake (SL), Wallkill River National Wildlife
Refuge (WRNWR).
94 — March through May, 2009
WATERFOWL-RAILS
A flock of 500+ Snow Geese in four
wedges were seen flying north high over the
Delaware River DWGNRA 11 Mar (JPa);
small numbers of Snow Geese lingered in
several areas in Warren through the end of
the month (RR). The only Cackling Goose
report was from Budd Lake 11 Mar (AB),
and the only Tundra Swans were 2 on Pond
#1 at HH 12 Mar (AB) and a single SRR
20 Mar (RK). Eleven Wood Ducks were
on Mount Hope Pond 1 Mar (RR) and 8
Gadwall were reported from DeMotts Pond
in Clinton 7 Mar (LK). Rarely seen in the
region, a drake EURASIAN WIGEON was
at the second pond at HH 12-13 Mar (AB,
TS), and, remarkably, 2 were detected there
15 Mar (WW, JZa, AB). American Wigeon
numbers were sparse, with 24 at MC 6 Mar
(RK), and 12 at Delaware Lake 13 Mar (BH).
Merrill Creek had 50 American Black Ducks
4 Mar (RK), and 135 Mallards were on SRR
11 Mar (RK). As usual there were only a few
Blue-winged Teal sightings: at SRR 7 Apr
(RK), a pair Poxono Island DWGNRA 1
May (BH), and 2 in flooded field Readington
Twp 6 May (DH). A good total of 60
Northern Pintail were at MCR 1 Mar (RK).
A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL
was with Green-winged Teal in Rockaway
Creek in Readington Twp 12-16 Apr (FS,
fide DH), and other Green-wingeds included
20 at Delaware Lake 13 Mar (BH), and 20
in a pond at the corner of Route 94 and Sid
Taylor Rd. in Lafayette 22 Mar (KC). Canvasback
remains in very low numbers; the
only report was from Lake Musconetcong 11
Mar (SF). Its congener Redhead continues
to be seen in small numbers after a long
absence: 2 were at SRR 4 Mar (RK), 3 at
Mount Hope Pond 10 Mar (fide SB), and 14
were on Boonton Reservoir 22 Mar (RR).
RK tallied 125 Ring-necked Ducks at MCR
6 March and a high of 160 at SRR 14 Mar;
and 100+ flew into Splitrock Reservoir from
the south on 23 Mar (RR). The only report
of Lesser Scaup was of 35 on RVR 7 Mar
(LK). Six Surf Scoters (4 males) were quite
late at Lake Musconetcong 1 May (TH). Two
White-winged Scoters were on Green Pond
20 Mar (RR). Less common inland than
scoters, a Long-tailed Duck was found at
RVR 7 Mar (LK, RK). Six Bufflehead were
rather late at SRR 7 May (RK), and later still
at the Pequest River near Buttzville 17 May
(KM). Twenty-five Common Goldeneye
were at MCR 6 Mar (RK) and 12 were at
Lake Musconetcong 11 Mar (SF). The high
for Common Merganser was 110 at SRR 4
Mar (RK), with 60-70 on Paulinskill Lake
21 Mar (LM). A single Red-breasted Merganser
was seen at SRR 22 Mar (fide SB),
and a remarkable 20 (19 females) were at the
same site on the late dates of 6-7 May (MH,
RK, et al.). Splitrock Reservoir hosted 50+
Ruddy Ducks 23 Mar (RR), and 28 were
seen at SL 1 May (TH). A stray, probably
released Ring-necked Pheasant was seen at
Phil Hardin Road, Newton 1 May (DP). The
only report of Ruffed Grouse, now probably
absent throughout most of the region, was
of one heard drumming at the south end of
Hamilton Trail OMR 2 & 9 May (BH).
SRR had 2 Red-throated Loons 8 Apr
(fide SB), and others were seen at the same
site 3 May (DH) and 23 May (RK). Common
Loons were on Little Swartswood Lake
27 Mar (DP), the Delaware River at Tocks
Island 25 Apr (BH), a high total of 14 was
seen at SRR 6 May (MH, RK), and 2 were
heard calling from Splitrock Reservoir on
the evening of 27 May (RR). Seven Piedbilled
Grebes were on SL 22 Mar (KC), 5
were at HH 28 Mar (BBr), and breeding
birds were along Dagmar Dale Trail near
HQ WRNWR on 4 and 22 May (KW).
SRR had 4 Horned Grebes 14 Mar (RK),
and others were at Lake Musconetcong 10
Mar (SF), HH 13 Mar (TS); and 5 were
on Splitrock Reservoir 23 Mar (RR). The
EARED GREBE found earlier in the winter
was coming into breeding plumage at RVR
4 Mar (MH, fide BBo). The number of
sightings of Red-necked Grebe was about
average: 1-2 at SL 16-26 Mar (LM, AB, RR,
et al., fide SB), 2 at Split Rock Reservoir
Rockaway 23 Mar (RR), SL 25 Mar (WW),
and SRR 28 Mar (DH). Quite extraordinary
and very lost was Hunterdon’s first-record
NORTHERN GANNET at SRR 3 May
(FS, DH, RK). A Great Cormorant visited
Split Rock Reservoir 3 Mar (RR).
There were 17 Great Blue Heron nests at
the Kelly Road railbed marsh in WRNWR
in May (KW); another great blue colony was
still active despite disturbance in back of the
Wharton Shop Rite on 3 May (TVl). Great
Egrets were seen at Little Swartswood Lake 8
Apr (JZu), Poxono Island in the DWGNRA
5 May (BH), and Assiscong Marsh 6 May
(DH). American Bitterns were found at HH
26 Apr (JZa et al.), 2 were calling at Lake