Sightings 2017

Click on photo for a larger view

(NOTE: All photos are copyrighted by the photographer & may not be used or reprinted without their permission.)

12/30 In her yard, Karyn Cichoki had 1 American Robin, 1 Tree Sparrow, 2 female Brown-headed Cowbirds, 1 female Red-winged Blackbird, about 15 House Finches, 1 Brown Thrasher, & 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker. She lost one of her Northern Cardinals to either a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk. One of the hawks must have been in the yard when the Red-bellied Woodpecker was on the suet feeder as it was frozen in place for about five minutes. In the stream on Van Sickle Rd, there were about 10 Mallards, 5 American Black Ducks, and a Belted Kingfisher.

12/28 Christopher Kiselow and Russ Edwards did an eagle watch and noted the following:

Drove to Milford Beach, PA,  no activity at Metz Rd nest, observed 1 Bald Eagle (BE) on nest opposite  ½ mile east of Pond Eddy, 1 BE opposite Barryville Eagle Obsv.; no activity at the sheltered observatory north of Barryville. Crossed Roebling Bridge at Lackawaxan (no BE activity obs.)
Observed Narrowsburg, NY nest from PA boat launch, Main St. & 5th St., observed 2 BE at nest, also 15 American Black Duck. Observed 1 adult BE & 1 immature BE along Cty 23, near Highland & Eldred respectively. Observed 2 adult & 3 immature BE on ice at Rio Reservoir; also 20 American Black Ducks. Observed 3 adult & 1 immature BE’s (at least) at Rondout Reservoir. Total: 10 adult BE, 5 immature BE; also observed 2 Common Ravens and 2 Red-tailed Hawks during our trip

12/28 Tommy Sodol had a Winter Wren was on his back steps during the morning.

12/26 Deborah Bifulco had a Sharp-shinned Hawk near her feeder with a White-throated Sparrow as prey.  She also had 2 female Hairy Woodpeckers and at least 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

12/25 Karyn Cichocki had 30+ European Starlings, 12 House Sparrows, 10 White-throated Sparrows, 7 Mourning Doves, 6 House Finches, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos, 4 Northern Cardinals, 3 Tufted Titmice, 2 Yellow-rumpws Warblers, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 American Robin, 1 Tree Sparrow and 1 Brown Thrasher.

12/19 Lee and Terry McQuillin had over 20 Mute Swans on their end of Culvers Lake as well as hundreds of gulls and at least 50 Canada Geese.

12/19 Karyn Cichoki had a Hairy Woodpecker and Brown Thrasher at the feeders but not on Christmas count day or yesterday; Don Cichocki took the attached picture.  Yesterday there was an American Tree Sparrow.DSCF0165

12/16 Deborrah Bifulco had her first American Tree Sparrow of the season and one intrepid Yellow-rumped Warbler.  The most unusual bird she saw was a male House Finch with both red and yellow feathers.  His colors were very distinctive and not a combination she had seen before. HOFI.jpg

12/15 Karyn Cichocki had a couple of female Brown-headed Cowbirds and an American Tree Sparrow join the regulars under the feeder.  The Brown Thrasher got onto the flat ground feeder and was eating the millet seed.

12/14  Karyn Cichocki had an immature male Red-winged Blackbird at the feeder along with the Brown Thrasher.  There was also a female Cooper’s Hawk in one of the cedar trees feeding on a Dark-eyed Junco.  At one time, there were at least 15 White-throated Sparrows on the driveway.  Don also reported a Common Grackle.

12/14 Deborah Bifulco reported increased bird activity in the yard with recent snows. American Robins and Cedar Waxwings were seen almost daily.  The snow brought Brown-headed Cowbirds, several European Starlings, and one big Common Grackle.  A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen going back and forth between the water and the cedars, and one male Purple Finch was with a flock of House Finches.

12/14 Marianne Ofenloch had a Hermit Thrush almost daily at her mealworm feeder, as well as 5 other species of woodpecker seen or heard. The numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows doubled during the snow, dropped again Sunday, then increased again yesterday (Weds). House Finch numbers peaked at 19; one female American Goldfinch and one female Purple Finch were among them. Flocks of both Canada and Snow Geese have been flying over the yard for the last few days, usually in the early morning or after sunset.

12/13 Karyn Cichocki had some White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and House Finches. Joining the Brown Thrasher at the bird bath and feeder area were a Carolina Wren, American Robins, a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.12-13-17

12/13 Wade and Sharon Wander had about 120 Snow Geese flying southwest over Lodestar Park in Fredon Twp. Later that afternoon, they saw 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers at their suet feeders and an immature Eastern Phoebe looking for insects and spiders on the deck (Newton).

12/12 Karyn Cichocki had the Brown Thrasher which had not been seen in 4 days and did not seem to be interested in mealworms.

12/11 Karyn Cichocki had a couple of pairs of American Wigeons on the lake on Pigeon Hill Rd. across from High Point School (Wantage Twp), a Belted Kingfisher on Roy Rd (Wantage Twp), American Goldfinch on Pines Rd (Frankford Twp), an American Tree Sparrow on Fenwick Rd (Augusta), and a mature singing White Crowned Sparrow on Gorney Rd. near the corner of Fenwick Rd (Lafayette Twp) that was taking a bath in some running ground water along with a Dark-eyed Junco and a Song Sparrow.

12/10 Deborah Bifulco had many birds in the yard yesterday ahead of a snow storm.  In addition to all the usual feeder birds, there were also larger than usual numbers of American Robins, House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-throated Sparrows. A Red-shouldered Hawk was also seen near the feeder; none of the feeder birds, even the Blue Jays, seemed the least bit concerned by the hawk’s presence. Eventually, the hawk flew off into the woods.RSHA.jpg

12/4 Fred Weber had  a female Yellow-headed Blackbird (12/4), found yesterday by Alan Boyd on Montana Rd. in Warren Co.  It was in a large corn field near the intersection of Montana Rd & Allen’s Mill Rd., not far from Merrill Creek.  It was foraging with Brown-headed Cowbirds & European Starlings that had separated from the main flock of mostly Common Grackles. Two hours of looking and waiting yielded only a brief look at the bird. The flock spent most of the time in the trees across the field by Millbrook Rd.

12/3 Karyn Cichocki  had American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in the birdbath. This was the first time she saw the sapsucker at the bird bath. Also, a Carolina Wren calling and more House Finches were at the feeder.

12/1 Karyn Cichocki still had a Brown Thrasher in her yard; it seemed to be enjoying pieces of suet knocked off by some woodpeckers.

12-1-17 a

11/28 Marianne Ofenloch had a female Purple Finch return to the yard; she hadn’t seen any since May, which was unusual this year. A Hermit Thrush making tentative pecks at the suet and a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker feeding on meal worms were two of the other delightful visitors over the holiday weekend.

11/27 Karyn Cichocki still has the Brown Thrasher in the yard.  She had a female House Finch at the feeder, the first finch in almost two months. She heard an Eastern Bluebird and Pileated Woodpecker, and there was a red squirrel running around the yard. It was doing circles around one of the tree trunks because the House Sparrows were chasing it. This is the 2nd time in 25 years one has been spotted in the yard.

11/21 Karyn Cichocki had a Brown Thrasher on the ground under the suet feeder looking for droppings that the woodpeckers send down. The Great Horned Owls have been calling again.

11/7 Russ Edwards had his first Dark-eyed Junco at his feeder.

11/6 Lee and Terry McQuillin had a pair of Eastern Bluebirds pecking at bugs on their windowsill.  They also saw about 4 dozen Ring-necked Ducks surrounding a few Mallards and Buffleheads on Culvers Lake.

11/5 (Culvers Lake) Fred Weber had a Red-necked Grebe, 4 Common Loons, 20 Bufflehead, a Common Goldeneye, a Ruddy Duck, and 11 female Black Scoters (yesterday he saw 2 males & 5 females with a Greater Scaup). The grebe was swimming back & forth with its face down looking under water, then it made a short dive coming up with a fish.

11/4 (Owens Station) Maria Loukeris had a Brant by the fishing dock.

11/3 Karyn Cichocki had an immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in her dogwood tree, and also had a small group of Yellow-rumped Warblers. The Brown Thrasher was at the bird bath

11/1 Karyn Cichoki had many American Robins in her yard vying for space at the bird bath. A Brown Thrasher was also seen at the bird bath.

10/29 Marianne Ofenloch had a small raft of 14 Black Scoters (mostly hens) in the middle of Culvers Lake. Other birds included a few Buffleheads, a Common Goldeneye hen, and a Common Loon, which has been there for at least a week.

10/28 Marianne Ofenloch had a small flock of about 20 Brant flying fairly low over her yard — a yard first! Earlier Sunday, on the way home from Wallkill River NWR, some highlights included a Northern Harrier dueling with a Red-tailed Hawk over Neilson Rd near Lusscroft, and a small group of mixed species in High Point SP that included Dark-eyed Junco, Field Sparrow, both Ruby-crowned & Golden-crowned Kinglets, Eastern Phoebe, and Chipping Sparrow.

10/27 Karyn Cichocki had Cedar Waxwings and American Robins flying around in the yard. This morning it was 37F and it was cold watching a robin taking a bath.  Also visiting the bird bath were a Brown Thrasher and Yellow-rumped Warbler. This is the latest we have had the thrasher in the yard.  Also seen was a Blue-headed Vireo and White-throated Sparrows, which arrived overnight.

10/26 Karyn Cichocki had two Palm Warblers and a Great Horned Owl calling from a yard tree with another owl answering from a distance; usually start to hear them calling in December.

10/25 & 10/26 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Merlin, and 1 Peregrine Falcon. There was a NW wind at 5-15, but it died towards noon, and that reflected upon the bird count. On the 26th, there was more wind, NW at 10-20 under a broken cloud cover. Counter were 1 migrating Bald Eagle (and 6 locals), 2 Northern Harriers, 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Cooper’s Hawks, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, and 3 Red-tailed Hawks.

10/23 Deborah Bifulco had a group of Dark-eyed Juncos in her yard, rustling furtively in the brush. Meanwhile, White-throated Sparrows are at the edge of the woods, breaking into occasional song. Lots of Cedar Waxwings, along with Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. A male Eastern Bluebird was singing and checking nest boxes early in the week. She also had a  Milbert’s Tortoiseshell in the garden for two days. Still seeing occasional monarch and painted lady butterflies.

10/23 Karyn Cichocki had a mixed fallout of birds in her yard: American Robins (20+), Cedar Waxwings (15+), Ruby & Golden-crowned Kinglets (10+), & Yellow-rumped Warblers (30+). There may have been other warblers among them.

10/23 (Kittatinny Valley SP) Marianne Ofenloch had a Vesper Sparrow ground-feeding in the campgrounds. Other birds seen in the park included many Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Blue-headed Vireo, Palm Warblers, a nice flock of Cedar Waxwings perched atop a bare tree, and an immature White-crowned Sparrow.

10/20 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 44 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 18 migrant Bald Eagles (a big day for eagles), 4 Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Northern Harriers, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Merlin, 1 Peregrine Falcon, and 1 American Kestrel. There were several local Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, and Turkey and Black Vultures. Also seen or heard was a Pileated Woodpecker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Crows, Common Ravens, and a skein of Canada Geese.

10/17 (Liberty Loop) Ken Witkowski had 25 Greater Yellowlegs, 20 Lesser Yellowlegs,  & 1 Short-billed Dowitcher that was first seen in the south pool then flew off and was later seen on the north side of Oil City Rd. with a group of 11 Pectoral Sandpipers. There were also 300+ Green-winged Teal, 250 Mallards, and a few Northern Pintails and American Black Ducks. Also, many sparrows, mostly White-throated, Song, and Savannah.

10/16 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 44 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 10 Red-tailed Hawks, 5 Bald Eagles (and 3 more local eagles), 3 Cooper’s Hawk, 7 Merlin, 5 American Kestrel, and 1 unidentified accipiter. A lot of the action was from 7 to 8 am and steady after that, but with birds getting very high as the day wore on, making them more difficult to spot. Also seen in the sky were several Brand, a single Common Loon, and a single Great Blue Heron.

10/16 Deborah Bifulco had many Cedar Waxwings and American Robins feeding on cedar “berries” in her yard. She also had Black-capped Chickadees, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. She also reported some painted lady and monarch butterflies passing through.

10/16 (Kittatinny Valley SP) Mike Tracy had a flock of 30-40 American Pipits in the field next to Twin Lakes.4654w

10/15 (Hainesville WMA) Marianne Ofenloch had a nice assortment of birds, including a Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, both Ruby-crowned & Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes & a Gray-cheeked Thrush, and a young Cooper’s Hawk hunting in a fairly leisurely manner. The Common Loon was still on Culvers Lake with 2 Pied-billed Grebes but not many waterfowl, and a small flock of American Pipits flew into the marsh at the back of the causeway. An assortment at Hendershot’s Point in Swartswood SP included many Mute Swans, a Pied-billed Grebe, both kinglets, and a Blue-headed Vireo.

10/14 (Culvers Lake) Marianne Ofenloch saw her first Common Loon of this season among the hundreds of gulls (mostly Ring-billed by size) on the water near dusk. There were also some Canada Geese and a few Mute Swans, as well as waterfowl arriving for the evening.

10/11 (Kittatinny Valley SP) Deborah Bifulco saw and photographed the 2 Great Cormorants as they sat on a small sand-bar and preened.

10/11 (Kittatinny Valley SP) Marianne Ofenloch had a pair of immature Great Cormorants at White’s Pond; not sure if the first to find them was Alan Boyd or Tom Halliwell. She was able to contact Deborah Bifulco about them as well. They looked up and seemed to watch every time a flock of Canada Geese flew overhead. A single Ruddy Duck was also on that pond. About 10-15 minutes after leaving White’s Pond, she was on Goodale Road heading toward Twin Lakes & saw the cormorants flying north over the road in the general direction of Twin Lakes/Lake Aeroflex.

10/10 (Andover) Deborah Bifulco had Ruby-crowned Kinglets moving through the yard, along with at least one Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The Cedar Waxwings have discovered the grove of cedars in the front and can often be seen doing all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers in the trees. On Oct. 4, saw the latest recorded Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the yard for an hour or so. It pays to leave that hummingbird feeder up. Also, several monarchs have taken advantage of the feeder too. Monarch-raising season yielded 148 successful releases, the last one yesterday. Still getting lots of painted ladies and monarchs in the garden.

10/10 Karyn Cichocki had a group of 5-6 Eastern Bluebirds calling back & forth to each other. Also had a pair of Common Ravens calling to each other, as well as three adult Chipping Sparrows. Other yard birds – Cedar Waxwing, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler, & Gray Catbirds.

10/10 Bob Cappuccio had the latest Ruby-throated Hummingbird at his Culvers Lake feeder in 62 years. This is three days later than the prior record. He caught only a glimpse as it left the feeder, so he couldn’t tell whether it as adult or immature.

10/5 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 3 Osprey seen between 8 am and 2 pm.  In addition, there were Northern Flicker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chimney Swift, Tree Swallow, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Eastern Towhee, a couple skeins of Canada Geese, and a Double-crested Cormorant. A buck mot and 17 monarch butterflies were seen.

10/2 Tommy Sudol got a great look at a Swainson’s Thrush near mile marker 7 on Owassa Rd (Stillwater Twp). He heard or saw at least one at this spot every time he stopped over the last couple of weeks. Cooper’s Hawk, Great Egret, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, immature White-crowned Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow were along Parsons Rd where it crosses the Paulinskill.

9/28 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando reports good conditions with a good NW wind and 7 migrating species.  The count was 12 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 7 Osprey, 6 American Kestrels, 5 Peregrine Falcons, 4 Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Merlins, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, and 2 unidentified buteos.  In addition, there were local Red-tailed Hawks and Black and Turkey Vultures. An adult Bald Eagle appeared at 10:08 am.  Other sightings included Northern Flickers, Common Ravens, American Crows, Blue Jays, an Eastern Phoebe, and several skeins of Canada Geese. A painted lady and 2 monarch butterflies were seen.

9/23 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando reports that several members from the SCBC, as well as some other visitors, were at Sunrise Mountain under a clear blue sky and light north winds. Although not too many Broad-winged Hawks were seen, a variety of species were noted, with some close looks at most of the passing raptors. Seen were 6 Broad-winged Hawks, 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 1 Northern Harrier, one Osprey, 1 American Kestrel, some local Turkey and Black Vultures, and a local Merlin.

Other species included Eastern Towhee, a skein of Canada Geese, Pine Warbler, White-breasted Nuthatch, Common Raven, American Crow, Blue Jay, Northern Flicker, Cedar Waxwing, and American Goldfinch. Butterflies included black swallowtail, painted lady, cabbage white, 6 monarchs, and an unidentified fritillary, as well as buck moths.

9/23 Karyn Cichocki had 2 Northern Flickers calling, a Pileated Woodpecker, immature Cedar Waxwings, and an Eastern Phoebe. She tracked a bird around the yard that she thought was a warbler because it was making a weird warbling call, but when it finally became visible, it was identified as an immature Chipping Sparrow. There was also a Common Raven and Belted Kingfisher calling from across the street. The summer American Goldfinches have left but a group of Black-capped Chickadees & Tufted Titmice have come back to the yard.

9/21 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 58 Broad-winged Hawks and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. The wind started from the NNW at 5-15, but diminished to near calm by mid-day. Also spotted were Common Ravens, Turkey and Black Vultures, Eastern Towhees, Blue Jays, swallows, and a flock of Canada Geese swooping low over the summit.  Butterflies included swallowtails, painted lady, and 7 monarchs.

9/20 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 1 Bald Eagle, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, and 39 Broad-winged Hawks.  The wind was right down the ridge, NE, which may have accounted for the small number of Broad-winged Hawks today.  What did come was early (a kettle of 29, plus another 10 a few minutes later).  A large group of school kids led by staff from the NJ School of Conservation came just in time for the show. Other sightings included a local immature Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jays, American Crows, Common Ravens, buck moths, and a swallowtail butterfly. 2 monarch butterflies were seen.

9/18 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 1 Osprey, 2 Northern Harriers, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Merlin, 517 Broad-winged Hawks and 1 unidentified accipiter.  An immature and an adult Bald Eagle appeared together at 12:40 pm.  Also, there were Eastern Towhees, Common Ravens, a huge murder of American Crows (50-75), several buck moths, and 2 monarch butterflies.

9/17 (Sunrise Mtn) John Fuller had 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Osprey, 4 American Kestrel, 2 Bald Eagles, and 93 Broad-winged Hawks. There was low fog early in the day that took forever to clear. Very little wind from east to south. Also seen were 2 boldly-colored Black throated Blue Warblers

9/17 Deborah Bifulco had several Magnolia Warblers through the yard in the past week (Andover Twp). She also spotted her first White-throated Sparrow for the season. She released her 107th monarch butterfly for the season with 20-30 to go.

9/16 (Sunrise Mtn) John Fuller had 1 Merlin, 1 Osprey, 1 American Kestrel, Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Bald Eagles, 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 542 Broad-winged Hawks. The biggest kettle had 129 birds, mostly in the 10-11 AM hour. Early low fog took a while to clear. Nearly no wind. Heard a Ruffed Grouse.  Saw several warblers fly past; was able to identify 2 Pine Warblers.

9/12 Marianne Ofenloch had some nice birding moments over the weekend in the northwest corner; seemed like Cape May Warblers were in every cone-bearing Norway spruce patch checked. At Hainesville WMA, a Philadelphia Vireo, an adult male Merlin, 2 Blackburnian Warblers, at least 7 Cape May Warblers, and a few Tennessee Warblers were the highlights. An adult Red-shouldered Hawk (in Shotwell) and Cape May and Pine Warblers (by Lake Ashroe) were highlights in Stokes SF. Cape May’s also returned to the yard, as well as a single Blackpoll Warbler.

For those interested in rare birds outside Sussex County, two particularly uncommon species to see include a Roseate Spoonbill (“normal” range Florida/south) at Heislerville WMA in Cumberland County and Yellow-headed Blackbirds (“normal” range from midwest/west) at Edwin B. Forsythe NWR (aka Brig) in Atlantic County. Both locations are excellent birding spots at any time of year, especially during migration

9/11 (Sunrise Mtn) With 3 counters, we saw 13 Broad-winged Hawks, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 American Kestrel, and 1 Merlin from 6 AM till 12:30 PM.  Some of the BW Hawks were sharing thermals with kettling vultures.  Also spotted was a Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a flycatcher, Blue Jays, American Crows, and Common Ravens. A gray treefrog was heard. Five monarch butterflies were seen, as well as a fritillary visiting the abundant goldenrod near the pavilion.

9/7 (Sunrise Mtn.) Scott Rando had 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Osprey, and some local Turkey and Black Vultures. Non raptor species included many noisy Blue Jays, an American Goldfinch, Northern Flicker, some Common Ravens, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Pine Warblers, and some swallows. One monarch butterfly was spotted.

8/31 Tommy Sudol had a group of about 6 Common Nighthawks circling above the yard, slowly drifting south. (Plymouth Lake in Stillwater Township).

8/28 Marianne Ofenloch had  a pair of Canada Warblers (one adult male, one juvenile), a Black-and-White Warbler, and a young House Wren (hopefully one of the fledglings) among the yard foragers this weekend. Also found 2 monarch caterpillars eating the milkweed, which is the first time they’ve been seen here. A small group of 18 Common Nighthawks was flying over the pond at Owens Station on Saturday just before sunset.

8/25 Lee and Terry McQuillin had a visit from a Great Egret at Culvers Lake.

8/22 Bob Sandy had immature Little Blue Herons and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron as well as a Red-tailed Hawk.

8/17 Karyn Cichocki had vocalizing Common Ravens, Red-tailed Hawks, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Field Sparrow, and Indigo Bunting. In the yard, she saw Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Baltimore Oriole, as well as flocks of immature Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.  Heard in the yard was a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

8/17 Marianne Ofenloch saw a second batch of House Wrens fledged at her house.  Also seen were a Common Grackle, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

8/8 Marianne Ofenloch had an immature Little Blue Heron at the pool by the platform at Liberty Loop in Walkill, NY.  At around sunset, Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets have been flying into a tree on the north side of Oil City Rd to roost.   A second brood of House Wrens are ready to leave the nest box in her yard.  She also reports a juvenile male Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a White-throated Sparrow in the yard.

8/7 Karyn Cichocki had a singing Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwings and an Eastern Kingbird in her yard in Lafayette over the past week. She has been getting more adult and immature Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds, and has had small flocks of immature European Starlings. 4 female and 1 male Ruby-throated Hummingbird are causing the feeders to be refilled daily. In White Lake Natural Resource Area in Warren County, she reported a Broad-winged Hawk and a male and either a female or immature Purple Martin flying above the fields.

8/7 Deborah Bifulco had a dozen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in some pokeweed blossoms and a Prairie Warbler in the garden.  She also reports a 3rd brood of House Wrens in one of her boxes.

8/1 Liberty Loop, Wallkill River NWR: Karyn Cichocki had lots of Indigo Buntings & American Goldfinches. She got a lifer when a Least Bittern flew from the wet area north of the trail to wet area south of the trail. She heard Sora, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, & about 5 Marsh Wrens. Also had Spotted, Semipalmated, & Solitary Sandpipers, Killdeer, Green Herons, Pied-billed Grebe, several families of Common Gallinules, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Willow Flycatcher, female or immature Scarlet Tanager, female or immature Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Chimney Swift, American Kestrel. 10 Great Egrets, several Green Herons, and 6 immature Wood Ducks were seen on the NY portion of the trail.

8/1 Marianne Ofenloch: Ring-billed Gulls have been returning in greater numbers each week since mid-July. There were 15 at Culvers Lake and 6 at the county dump (SCMUA) on Tuesday, while yesterday there were nearly 100 at SCMUA. In the yard, brood #2 of the House Wrens are being fed in the nest box; at least 3 juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are at the feeders with an adult male and at least 1 adult female, including an extremely aggressive young male chasing all the others and even an American Goldfinch. Also had a mid-summer first was an accipiter (Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawk) raiding the area; it seemed to have caught something, most likely a young Blue Jay by the racket.

7/31 Liberty Loop (south end): Fred Weber had  about 30 Least, 2 Semipalmated, 6 Solitary, 1 Spotted, & 3 Pectoral Sandpipers; 4 Greater & 1 Lesser Yellowlegs; about 25 Killdeer, and a Semipalmated Plover. Also had 12 Common Gallinules (3 adults & 9 young ones), and heard a Sora call once.

7/30 Deborah Bifulco had baby birds in the yard, including second broods of Chipping Sparrows, Gray Catbirds, and Northern Cardinals.  The Blue Jay youngsters are relentless, continuing to follow the adults around and scream incessantly to be fed. Ovenbirds nested again & she’s seen several youngsters. Several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are also at the feeders with 4 males guarding 6 feeders.

7/26 Hyper Humus: Karyn Cichocki had a Great Egret and 2 families of Wood Ducks on pond 1. She also had Wood Thrush, Marsh Wren, Baltimore Oriole, Willow Flycatcher, & Cedar Waxwings. The 2 Bald Eaglets have fledged.

7/10 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager, Song & Swamp Sparrows, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Warbling Vireo, Willow Flycatcher, Marsh, House, & Carolina Wrens, Veery, Wood Thrush, American Goldfinch, 3 Bald Eagles, a red admiral butterfly, and a family of raccoons.  Nesting birds around her yard include House Wren, Eastern Bluebirds, House Sparrows, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

7/4 Terry & Lee McQuillin had a family of Pied-billed Grebes on Culver Lake.

6/23 Lafayette:  Among the birds around Karyn Cichocki’s yard are Downy, Red-bellied, & Hairy Woodpeckers, 3 Carolina Wrens, Brown Thrasher, Baltimore Oriole, Great Crested Flycatcher, and 2 pairs of Gray Catbirds.

6/16 Bob Sandy photographed Common Mergansers on the Wallkill River, as well as European Starlings and a Rose-breasted grosbeak in his Wantage yard.

6/12 Tommy Sudol had an Olive-sided Flycatcher over his yard in Stillwater.

6/10 Fred Weber had a female Mourning Warbler in his bird bath near Culvers Lake.

6/8 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had House & Marsh Wrens, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Willow, Least, and Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Veery, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, and 2 immature Bald Eagles.

6/7 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki heard a Great Horned Owl near her house.  Also around the neighborhood were Baltimore Oriole, Great Crested Flycatcher, Downy, Hairy, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Eastern Kingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

6/6 Ken Witkowski found an adult Black Tern at the north end of Liberty Loop in Wallkill River NWR.

5/21 Kuser Natural Area: Karyn Cichocki had a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Canada Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and Eastern Phoebes.

5/21 Tommy Sudol had a Yellow-breasted Chat at the powerline cut south of Watergate on Old Mine Rd. in Warren County. Around his house in Stillwater, he had Cerulean Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, and a possible Bicknell’s Thrush.

5/21 Blais Brancheau had 2 different female Hooded Mergansers with young at Ferla’s Pond in Hardwick (Warren County).

5/19 Bob Sandy photographed Bald Eagles along the Delaware near Port Jervis, NY.

5/19 In the Walpack area, Karyn Cichocki had Blackburnian & Black-throated Green Warblers, Chimney Swifts, Alder Flycatcher, and Eastern Wood-Pewee. A northern water snake and a six-spotted beetle were also seen. In Lafayette, Chimney Swifts and Great Crested Flycatchers have returned. A pair of Northern Mockingbirds are courting and a Northern Flicker has been drumming on a nearby telephone pole.

5/14 Mike Tracy photographed Common Nighthawks over Little Swartswood Lake.

5/14 Around his yard in Augusta, Mike Gannon had a Common Merganser with 3 young, 2 Scarlet Tanagers, a Great Crested Flycatcher, a Yellow Warbler, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.

5/14 Karyn Cichocki led a SCBC field trip to High Point that had 51 species including Ruffed Grouse, both waterthrushes, Cerulean & Blackpoll Warblers, 6 woodpecker species, and several Bald Eagles.

5/12 Millbrook Village/Watergate (Warren County): Karyn Cichocki had Louisiana Waterthrush, Blackpoll & Chestnut-sided Warblers, Broad-winged & Red-tailed Hawks, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Black Vulture, Tree Swallows, Eastern Kingbird, and Canada Geese with young.

5/11 Around Deborah Bifulco’s Andover yard were Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Ovenbird, and Wood Thrush.

5/11 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki had a pair of Eastern Bluebirds checking out one of her houses. Also around the yard were Eastern Phoebe, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

5/10 Tommy Sudol had a Wilson’s Warbler and an Eastern Wood-Pewee at Little Swartswood Lake.  Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, and Nashville Warblers were in his Stillwater yard.

5/8 Deborah Bifulco had a female Scarlet Tanager eating oranges in her yard.  A Baltimore Oriole and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak were also present.

5/7 Karyn Cichocki led a SCBC walk in the Millbrook Village/Watergate area in Warren County. Fifty-four species were noted including 13 species of warblers, Barred Owl, and both orioles.

5/7 Marianne Ofenloch had Great Crested Flycatcher, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, White-crowned Sparrow, and Red-breasted & White-breasted Nuthatches in her yard. High Point had Hooded & Cerulean Warblers, and Brodheckers Farm had Least Sandpipers. Hainesville WMA had Worm-eating Warbler & Northern Waterthrush, and a Cliff Swallow was at Culvers Lake.  Also at Culvers were several Red-breasted Mergansers.

5/3 Fred Weber had an Eastern Whip-poor-will calling at the beginning of Crater Lake Rd. Another was calling from the Blue Mountain Lakes parking lot. Two porcupines were near Crater Lake and another was near the Blue Mountain Lakes parking lot.

5/3 Glenn Mahler had White-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrows at his feeders in Stillwater.

5/2  Deborah Bifulco had White-crowned Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Gray Catbirds in her Andover yard. Duck Pond Trail in Swartswood SP had Northern Parula, Hooded Warbler, Ovenbirds, Great-crested Flycatchers, Scarlet Tanager, and Wood Ducks.  Little Swartswood Lake had Yellow-throated Vireo and Wood Thrush.

5/2 Maria Loukeris photographed a Golden-winged Warbler along the Appalachian Trail near Canal Rd in Vernon.

5/1 Birds around Marianne Ofenloch’s yard include Ovenbird, Baltimore Oriole, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Veery, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and 7 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

5/1 Andover:  Deborah Bifulco had a Baltimore Oriole, 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, a pair of Northern Mockingbirds, a Red-eyed Vireo, courting Tufted Titmice, a Northern Cardinal carrying nest material, and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches.

5/1 Fred Weber had a dozen Bobolinks in a field at the corner of Fairview Lake Rd. & Old Schoolhouse Rd. in Stillwater Twp.

4/30 A SCBC walk at Hyper Humus led by Marianne Ofenloch had 69 species including both orioles, Bald Eagles on the nest, Eastern Kingbird, Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch, Spotted Sandpiper, & Solitary Sandpiper.

4/29 Karyn Cichocki had a Glossy Ibis at Hyper Humus flying towards the southernmost ponds. Also present were Gray Catbird, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, and Baltimore Oriole. In her yard were Red-eyed Vireo and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

4/28 Among the birds in Donna & Don Traylor’s Frankford yard were White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Wren, and Baltimore Oriole.

4/28 Around NW Sussex County, Marianne Ofenloch had Northern Parula, Gray Catbird, House Wren, Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-winged Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, both orioles, Scarlet Tanager, and Wood Thrush.

4/28 Lafayette: Karyn Cichocki had Gray Catbird, Warbling Vireo, Brown Thrasher, Hairy Woodpecker, and many American Goldfinches.

4/27 Andover:  Deborah Bifulco had Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and a flyover American Crow carrying a snake.

4/26 Jack Padalino had the earliest Ruby-throated Hummingbird ever at his house in Dingman’s Ferry, PA.

4/26 Mike Tracy photographed a Virginia Rail at Hyper Humus.

4/26 Deborah Bifulco and several others had the following at Hyper Humus: several Virginia Rails, 2 Soras, an American Bittern, Wilson’s Snipe, Yellow Warblers, Swamp Sparrows, and Great Crested Flycatcher. Her Andover yard had White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Brown Thrashers, Gray Catbirds, Downy, Hairy, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers, House Wren, and Eastern Bluebirds.

4/25 A pair of Common Ravens were calling across from Karyn Cichocki’s house. Many American Goldfinches and Purple Finches were in her yard.

4/24 In her yard, Deborah Bifulco had Gray Catbird, Broad-winged Hawks, and Eastern Bluebirds.  Hyper Humus had 6 Yellow Warblers, a Gray Catbird, a Virginia Rail, and butterflies including spring azures, cabbage whites, and 2 tiger swallowtails.

4/23 Tillman’s Ravine: Donna & Don Traylor had Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Pine Warbler, & Yellow-rumped Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Blue-headed Vireo.

4/23 Hyper Humus: Karyn Cichocki had Yellow-rumped Warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Redstart, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, House & Marsh Wrens, Field, Song, & Swamp Sparrows, and American Goldfinch. Also present were spring azure butterfly, grapevine epimenis moth, spring peeper frogs, gray treefrogs, and cricket frogs.

4/23 Marianne Ofenloch had an Eastern Towhee singing in her yard. Culvers Lake had 8 White-winged Scoters, a pair of Gadwall, and a Great Egret.

4/23 Karyn Cichocki had Cedar Waxwings, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and 15 American Goldfinches in her yard.

4/21 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki had Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinches, Purple Finches, and a singing Field Sparrow.

4/20 Among the birds in Deborah Bifulco’s yard were House Wren, Pine Warbler, Brown Thrasher, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, House Finches, and American Goldfinches.

4/16 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki had White-throated Sparrows, a Wild Turkey, and Tree Swallows near her house.

4/16 Lynn Lussier had a Louisiana Waterthrush near Branchville.

4/16 Karyn Cichocki had Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Wren, Eastern Towhee, American Goldfinches, and a Brown Thrasher at her house. Hyper Humus had Bald Eagle, Osprey, Wood Ducks, White-throated, Song, & Swamp Sparrows, Tree Swallows, American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhee, Pileated Woodpecker, Wild Turkey, and Virginia Rail; also spring azure butterflies. Roy Rd in Wantage had Field Sparrow, American Kestrel, Tree & Barn Swallows, Yellow Warbler, and Killdeer. Loomis Rd had a singing Grasshopper Sparrow.

4/15 Bob Sandy photographed American Goldfinches in his Wantage yard.

4/13 Deborah Bifulco has a pair of Eastern Bluebirds checking out a house in her yard.  Also present were Brown Thrasher, a dozen Purple Finches, many American Goldfinches, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a possible Pine Siskin/American Goldfinch hybrid.

4/13 Mike Gannon had a Palm Warbler in his Augusta yard.

4/12 Lafayette: Karyn Cichocki has Brown Thrasher, White-throated Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch, Chipping Sparrow, and Northern Mockingbird in her yard. American toads and gray treefrogs are calling.

4/10 Tommy Sudol had an Eastern Whip-poor-will calling near his house in Stillwater.

4/10 Karyn Cichocki has singing Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet in her yard. Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows are starting to dwindle.

4/9 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki has a male Purple Finch and a Red-breasted Nuthatch at her feeders.

4/9 Lynn Lussier had a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Lake Owassa.

4/7 Wade & Sharon Wander had 7 Northern Shovelers at Waterwheel Farm in Fredon. The Red-shouldered Hawks that have nested in their yard since 2013 began incubating on 4/5.  Seven Purple Finches have joined the 100+ American Goldfinches in their yard.

4/7 Culvers Lake:  Marianne Ofenloch had a Red-necked Grebe, an Osprey, and 38 Common Loons.  Purple Finches and a Fox Sparrow were in her yard.

4/6 Culvers Lake:  Fred Weber had Red-necked Grebe, 9 Common Loons, Barn Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and Tree Swallows.

4/5 Fred Weber had a Louisiana Waterthrush along Beaver Lake Rd in Franklin. Phil Hardin Rd in Fredon had 14 American Kestrels.  Culvers Lake had a Red-necked Grebe, 3 Horned Grebes, and 4 Common Loons.

4/5 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki had singing Eastern Phoebe and Chipping Sparrows. 20 female and 3 male Wild Turkeys were on Snover Rd.

4/5 Marianne Ofenloch had Red-necked Grebe, Chipping Sparrow, and Brown Thrasher at Swartswood Lake. Culvers Lake had a Red-necked Grebe, some Snow Geese, and a few Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

4/5 White Pond, KVSP:  Mike Tracy had a Pine Warbler, a few Palm Warblers, and an Osprey.

4/4 Andover:  Deborah Bifulco had a Brown Thrasher at her suet feeder.  Also around the yard were 3 Purple Finches and several dozen American Goldfinches.  A pair of Eastern Bluebirds were checking out a nest box.

4/4 Maria Loukeris had 35-40 Common Loons on Swartswood Lake.  She photographed a White-winged Scoter there.

4/3 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki had 14 American Goldfinches and a Chipping Sparrow.

4/3 Tommy Sudol had Red-necked, Pied-billed, and Horned grebes on Swartswood Lake.  An American Kestrel and 3 Eastern Meadowlarks were in a tree on Phil Hardin Rd in Fredon.

4/2 Marianne Ofenloch had 12 Common Loons on Culvers Lake, including one singing. Swartswood Lake had 4 pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers and 11 Double-crested Cormorants.  An otter was at Hainesville WMA.

4/2 Karyn Cichocki continues to have a Fox Sparrow and a Red-breasted Nuthatch in her yard. Spring peepers and wood frogs are calling near her house.

4/1 Montague:  Marianne Ofenloch had 26 American Goldfinches, a Field Sparrow, 2 Pine Siskins, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, and her first chipmunk of the spring.

3/31 Culvers Lake:  Fred Weber had 18 Long-tailed Ducks, 6 Common Loons, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, 5 Lesser Scaup, 1000 Tree Swallows, and several hundred Ring-billed Gulls.

3/30 Tommy Sudol had Pine Warbler and Golden-crowned Kinglet at Fairview Lake in Stillwater.

3/30 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had 2 pairs of Eastern Phoebes, 30+ Song Sparrows, an American Tree Sparrow, several Golden-crowned Kinglets, 2 Common Mergansers, a pair of Buffleheads, 30+ Ring-billed Gulls, several American Wigeon, and some Green-winged Teal.  The Bald Eagle pair are on the nest and incubating.

3/28 Tommy Sudol had a Bonaparte’s Gull on Swartswood Lake. A Wilson’s Snipe was along Decker Rd in Lafayette and a singing Rusty Blackbird was at Hyper Humus.

3/27 Culvers Lake: Fred Weber had 16 Laughing Gulls, 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls, a Common Loon, 2 Horned Grebes, 6 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 pairs of Redheads, 2 pairs of Northern Pintails, 65 Greater Scaup, 9 Lesser Scaup, 160 Ring-necked Ducks, 4 Great Blue Herons, and a Great Egret.

3/27 Kittatinny Lake: Marianne Ofenloch had 2 pairs of Long-tailed Ducks and 150 Ring-necked Ducks. Culver Lake had a Horned Grebe, a Common Loon, 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 2 Tree Swallows, Greater Scaup, Redheads, and 14 Laughing Gulls. A Bald Eagle and a Great Blue Heron were having an aerial fight at Hainesville WMA, 4 Canvasbacks were at Holiday Lake, & 26 Song Sparrows and 5 Eastern Meadowlarks were along the road near the Hainesville Flats beef farm.

3/27 Swartswood Lake: Tommy Sudol had a male Long-tailed Duck and a Common Loon. Culvers Lake had 35 Greater Scaup, 3 Redheads, Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, and a pair of Common Goldeneye.

3/26 Liberty Loop: Blais Brancheau had Northern Pintails, Ring-necked Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, Common Mergansers, 3 Northern Harriers, an American Kestrel, and several Red-tailed Hawks.  He had 7 kestrels for the day including 3 at Winding Brook Farm on Rt 565.  Six Eastern Meadowlarks were on Roy Rd in Wantage along with Killdeer and kestrel.

3/26 Darren Rist heard an Eastern Phoebe singing.

3/26 Karyn Cichocki heard 4 American Woodcocks peenting near the Quick Check at the corner of Rts 15 & 94.  A male Common Merganser was on a pond at the corner of Rt 94 & Sid Taylor Rd in Hampton Twp.

3/25 Wade & Sharon Wander had their first Purple Finch at their feeders since last fall. At least 100 American Goldfinches were also present.  An Osprey was at a local farm pond.

3/25 Lake Mohawk:  Bill Warren reports 80 Ring-necked Ducks, 24 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Buffleheads, 100-120 Common Mergansers, 100’s of Herring Gulls, and 70 Ruddy Ducks.

3/25 Culvers Lake:  Lee & Terry McQuillin had Wood Ducks, Buffleheads, Hooded & Common Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwalls, Mute Swans, Bald Eagles, Purple Finches, and Eastern Bluebirds.

3/24 Bob Sandy photographed some birds around his yard.

3/24 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki has had Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Fox & American Tree Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a Cooper’s Hawk.

3/19 Andover:  Birds in Deborah Bifulco’s yard include 6 Fox Sparrows, 10 American Tree Sparrows, 6 Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, European Starlings, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, American Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings, House Finches (including an orange morph bird), and a red fox. Eastern Bluebirds have been checking out a nest box.

3/18 Owens Station: Marianne Ofenloch had 200 Northern Pintails, a Pied-billed Grebe, American Coots, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron, Northern Harrier, and a Bald Eagle. Wantage: Two Horned Larks were along Beemer Rd and 9 White-crowned Sparrows were along Unionville Rd.  Snow Buntings were in the Rose Morrow,Wolfpit Rd area.

3/18 Karyn Cichocki had a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers and a pair of Fox Sparrows in her yard.

3/17 Karyn Cichocki had an American Tree Sparrow join the Red-winged Blackbirds, American Goldfinches, and Fox Sparrow at her feeder.

3/16 Bill & Connie Warren have an Eastern Screech-Owl in a box in their yard.

3/16 Culvers Lake:  Lee & Terry McQuillen had 2 pairs of duelling Bald Eagles, numerous gulls, Canada Geese, Common & Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Mute Swans, American Black Ducks, and Mallards.

3/16 Among the birds visiting Wade & Sharon Wander’s feeders after the storm are Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Fox, American Tree, & Song Sparrows, and up to 75 American Goldfinches.

3/14 At her feeders in Andover, Debbi Bifulco had European Starlings, Common Grackles, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated, Song, Fox, & American Tree Sparrows, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Hairy, Downy, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, and Northern Cardinals.

3/14 Among the birds at Karyn Cichocki’s feeder during the storm were Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Dark-eyed Juncos, 5 White-throated Sparrows, 3 Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrow, Cooper’s Hawk, American Crows, Downy, Hairy, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

3/13 Glenn Mahler had a Pine Siskin at his feeder in Stillwater.  After the snowstorm, he has had 80 American Goldfinches, 3 Fox Sparrows, 6-10 American Tree Sparrows, and at least 100 Dark-eyed Juncos.

3/12 Delaware River, Montague:  Marianne Ofenloch watched 2 Bald Eagles lock talons and tumble through the air while a third one flew nearby. On River Rd in Montague, some Turkey & Black Vultures, a Bald Eagle, and 3 Red-tailed Hawks took turns feasting on a deer carcass. Other spots for eagles included Culvers Lake and River Rd near Hidden Hollow Rd. Roy Rd in Wantage had 20 Wilson’s Snipe. A Red-shouldered Hawk was along Statesville Quarry Rd.

3/11 Wade & Sharon Wander had 3 Eastern Meadowlarks at the intersection of Phil Hardin & Fredonia Rds in Fredon along with several Fox Sparrows. Red-shouldered Hawks are refurbishing a nest near their house.

3/11 Marianne Ofenloch had an American Tree Sparrow in her yard along with Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and 1 European Starling. An Osprey was over Rt 206 in Montague. Pete Bacinski reported seeing an Eastern Meadowlark along 206 near Plains Rd., while Roy Rd in Wantage had 2 American Kestrels, 6 Killdeer, and 17 Wilson’s Snipe.

3/8 Karyn Cichocki had a female American Kestrel on the wire along Rt 565 south of the Sussex Airport. A Killdeer was calling near her house in Lafayette.

3/8 Marianne Ofenloch had hundreds of gulls over Culvers Lake at sunset.  A Fox Sparrow and a Wood Duck were at Lake Iliff. Mallards were on nests in the swamp at Limecrest & Randazzo Rds. Fourteen Killdeer were at Brodhecker’s Farm in Baleville. A drake Red-breasted Merganser was on Swartswood Lake.

3/5 Lafayette:  Karyn Cichocki has American Goldfinches, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, & Downy & Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Eastern Bluebirds were checking out a nest box.

3/5 Jack Padalino led a search for eagles along the Delaware that produced 35 species including 29 Bald Eagles, 10 Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Common Raven, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

3/2 Liberty Loop: Scott Rando and Marianne Ofenloch had a Rough-legged Hawk, several Northern Harriers, a Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures, Canada & Snow Geese, Northern Pintails, Mallards, a Pied-billed Grebe, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Woodcocks, and spring peepers (frogs).

2/28 Maria Loukeris heard an American Woodcock peenting near her house in Vernon.

2/28 Lynn Groves had a drake Red-breasted Merganser and a drake Common Goldeneye with several hundred Common Mergansers on Lake Owassa.

2/27 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had American Wigeons, Green-winged Teal, Gadwalls, American Black Ducks, Northern Shovelers, a Northern Harrier, and spring peeper frogs.

2/27 Winding Waters Trail, Wallkill Nat’l Wildlife Refuge:  Donna & Don Traylor had a Northern Harrier, Killdeer, Eastern Bluebirds, Song Sparrows, Wood Ducks, an American Kestrel, Mallards, Canada Geese, American Black Ducks, scaup sp., Green-winged Teal, and a Snow Goose.  At their house in Frankford they had a Fox Sparrow, Mallards, American Black Ducks, Green-winged Teal, and Red-winged Blackbirds.

2/26 Bob Sandy shared some photos from his Wantage yard.

dsc_0333b dsc_0164 dsc_0783 dsc_0665b

2/26 Fred Weber had a Fox Sparrow in his Culvers Lake yard.  Along the Timberdoodle Trail near Kelly Rd, there were 5 or 6 Fox Sparrows, a Barred Owl, 3-4 American Woodcocks, a spring peeper, and several wood frogs.

2/25 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had Northern Harrier, Killdeer, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-winged Blackbirds, a garter snake, and several painted turtles.  Her yard in Lafayette had Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, American Goldfinches, and American Robins.

2/24 Liberty Loop:  Deborah Bifulco had 3 Northern Harriers, several thousand Canada Geese, several hundred Northern Pintails, some Killdeer, and Red-winged Blackbirds.  In her yard were singing Northern Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbirds, Tufted Titmice, and Eastern Bluebirds.  A pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches are coming to her feeders.

eabl-male eabl nopi

2/24 Tommy Sudol had a Pine Siskin fly over his house in Stillwater.

2/23 Marianne Ofenloch had the 4 continuing Tundra Swans and the Eurasian Wigeon on Lake Hopatcong. She has a Fox Sparrow, Common Grackles, American Goldfinches, and House Finches in her yard. Swartswood Lake has a Double-crested Cormorant. Large numbers of Ring-necked Ducks and Common Mergansers are on many local lakes and ponds.

2/23 Hyper Humus:  Karyn Cichocki had 20 pairs each of American Wigeon & Northern Pintails, 2 pairs of Gadwall, a pair of Northern Shovelers, a Belted Kingfisher, and a female Northern Harrier.  A Belted Kingfisher was along the stream on Van Sickle Rd, and there were 12 Mourning Doves & 2 Red-winged Blackbirds in her yard.

2/22 Swartswood Lake: Bill & Connie Warren had 100 Common Mergansers, 25 Hooded Mergansers, several Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Bald Eagles, a pair of Mallards, and some Buffleheads. Little Swartswood Lake also had Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, and Mallards. A Bald Eagle was on the nest there.

2/22 Karyn Cichocki heard Red-winged Blackbirds singing from a wet area near her house. An Eastern Screech-Owl was in a box near the Farmstead Golf Club.

2/22 Darren Rist noted that 3 pairs of Hooded Mergansers had arrived on Mecca Lake.

2/21 Marianne Ofenloch had 2 Snow Geese and a Green-winged Teal at Swartswood Lake. A Common Grackle was with Red-winged Blackbirds at Hainesville WMA. An adult Bald Eagle was in a backyard near the intersection of Deckertown Tpke & Rt 519. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls continue at the SCMUA and a Red-shouldered Hawk was at Hillside Park in Andover. Short-eared Owls, Northern Harriers, and a Rough-legged Hawk were at Liberty Loop. A Rusty Blackbird was at the Flatbrook-Roy WMA and a Pileated Woodpecker was sharing a tree with a Northern Flicker.

2/21 Scott Rando saw a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds on the McDade Trail near the Raymondskill cliffs (DWGNRA).

2/20 Lynn Groves had Red-winged Blackbirds in her yard.

2/19 Tommy Sudol had a Red-shouldered Hawk eating roadkill near Plymouth Lake.

2/17 Fred Weber had 3 White-crowned Sparrows on Meyer Rd in Frankford Twp.

2/11 Marianne Ofenloch & Tom Halliwell had a Snow Bunting on Creek Rd in Green Twp. Tom had 3 Canvasbacks on Lake Tranquility and Marianne had a Red-shouldered Hawk there. Between the Lake Forest Yacht Club and the Brady bridge on Lake Hopatcong, Marianne had 3 Tundra Swans and a Eurasian Wigeon. Iceland and Glaucous Gulls have been seen in that area recently.

2/11 Old Mine Rd.:  In the Van Campen Inn area, Fred Weber had 130 White-throated Sparrows, 150 Dark-eyed Juncos, 12 Northern Cardinals, 3 Song Sparrows, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, several Black-capped Chickadees & Tufted Titmice, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Red-tailed Hawk.

2/10 Bob Sandy photographed some birds in his Wantage yard.

dsc_8291final2 dsc_8604c dsc_8054

2/10 Among the birds around Deborah Bifulco’s Andover yard were American Tree Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, European Starlings, American Goldfinches, House Finches, and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches.

rwbl wtsp atsp noca rbnu

2/9 Lafayette:  Barb Sendelbach had a Rusty Blackbird at her feeder with a mixed blackbird flock.

red-winged-bb rusty-bb c-grackles

2/9 Walking near his house in Augusta, Mike Gannon had an Eastern Bluebird, a White-throated Sparrow, a Bald Eagle, and 30 Snow Geese.

2/8 Karyn Cichocki had Cedar Waxwings in her yard.

2/7 Karyn Cichocki had a Northern Harrier flying near the intersection of Rts 94 & 206 in Newton.  A Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Cooper’s Hawk have been in her yard.

2/5 Jack Padalino led a search for eagles along the Delaware that produced 32 species, including 59 Bald Eagles, 21 Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawk, and Pileated Woodpecker.

1/30 Wade Wander photographed a Red-shouldered Hawk in his yard in Fredon.

red-shouldered-hawk

1/30 Karyn Cichocki has a Cooper’s Hawk hanging around her yard.

1/30 Marianne Ofenloch had 21 Common Ravens at the communications tower at High Point SP.

1/29 A Cooper’s Hawk chased 6 Mourning Doves through Karyn Cichocki’s yard.

1/28 Marianne Ofenloch had a Red-shoulderedHhawk at Paulinskill River WMA and 2 Bald Eagles at Swartswood Lake.

1/28 Birds around Marianne Ofenloch’s yard include House Sparrows, a pair of House Finches, an American Goldfinch, and a Cooper’s Hawk.

1/26 Lee & Terry McQuillin had 4 Bald Eagles at Culver Lake.

1/20 Bob Sandy photographed a Red-tailed Hawk at Liberty Loop.

dsc_546calan dsc_5475alan dsc_5480fincalan

1/19 Fred Weber had an adult Glaucous Gull and an immature Iceland Gull at the Lafayette landfill.

1/16 Among the birds at Karyn Cichocki’s house were a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Hairy Woodpecker, up to 40 Brown-headed Cowbirds, many Red-winged Blackbirds & Common Grackles, 6 Northern Cardinals, 2 American Tree Sparrows, European Starlings, a Northern Mockingbird, and 6 Mourning Doves.

1-9-17-c-1 1-7-17-a

1/14 Bob Sandy photogrpahed a Pileated Woodpecker in his Wantage yard.

pileated3alan

1/14 Marianne Ofenloch had a pair of Northern Pintails on the creek on Van Sickle Rd in Lafayette.  She photographed a Red-shouldered Hawk in her yard.

1/12 Marianne Ofenloch had a Pine Siskin and two House Finches in her yard. She had a Ross’s Goose at the Homestead pond.

1/10 Fred Weber had an immature Iceland Gull at the Sussex County landfill.

1/8 Jack Padalino led a search for eagles along the Delaware that produced 39 species, including 67 Bald Eagles, 17 Red-tailed Hawks, and 4 Pileated Woodpeckers.

1/7 Birds around Deborah Bifulco’s yard included Fox & American Tree Sparrows, and many Dark-eyed Juncos. A red fox was also in the yard.

deju fosp fox atsp

1/6 Bob Sandy photographed a pair of Bald Eagles at the Port Jervis Cemetery near the Delaware River.

dsc_1935bb

1/6 Liberty Loop:  Fred Weber had a dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk, 8-10 Northern Harriers, 4-5 Red-tailed Hawks, a Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Short-eared Owls, and a Great Horned Owl.

1/5 Karyn Cichocki had an Eastern Phoebe at a bridge on Van Sickle Rd in Lafayette. A large flock of Common Grackles flew over her house. A female Brown-headed Cowbird and 5 female Northern Cardinals were at her feeders.

1/1 Karyn Cichocki had a Yellow-rumped Warbler in her yard.

1/1 Jack Padalino led a search for eagles along the Delaware that produced 30 species, including 27 Bald Eagles, 12 Red-tailed Hawks, and a Peregrine Falcon.