12/16 (Warren County) Charlie Fineran had a Great Blue Heron fly over the mucklands near his house.
12/16 (Warren County CBC) Karyn Cichocki, Sandy McPhail, & Lois Ferguson had 42 species in their zone, including a Palm Warbler.
12/13 Alice Piatek had one Red-breasted Nuthatch at her suet basket in the morning and another in the same basket in the afternoon.
12/13 Donna Traylor had a male Purple Finch and Carolina Wren at her feeders today.
12/13 (Culvers Lake) Lee & Terry McQuillin had 4 Bald Eagles sitting on the ice during the morning.
12/9 Karyn Cichocki had flocks of American Robins, Cedar Waxwings & European Starlings feeding on the fruit at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. At Culvers Lake, she had Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, large rafts of Mallards, American Black Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common & Hooded Mergansers, & Pied-billed Grebe. She had a Pine Siskin in her yard. She also had either a Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawk making a call that sounded nothing like that noted for either hawk.
12/4 Marianne Ofenloch – a single Long-tailed Duck was on Swartswood Lake with a few American Black Ducks, Buffleheads, and Hooded Mergansers; there were also 5 Pied-billed Grebes and 1 Horned Grebe at that lake. At Culvers Lake, Ring-billed Gulls continue to dominate the water as sunset approaches, with a few Herring Gulls among them; a few days ago, a single Great Black-backed Gull was also floating with them. Today, a drake White-winged Scoter was floating near the massive gull flock. Common Merganser numbers continue to increase there, while the numbers of Ruddy Ducks are decreasing. Other waterfowl included Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, and a pair of Lesser Scaup. Five Northern Shovelers were at Waterwheel Farm in Fredon. A large mixed flock of European Starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds were feeding in the grass among the Canada Geese and a few Killdeer are still present.
12/3 Karyn Cichocki had a male and female Evening Grosbeak in the year, which is a new yard bird species for her.
12/2 Karyn Cichocki had at least 100 Mourning Doves on the wires along a cornfield on Meadows Road in Lafayette. This was the largest grouping of this species that she has seen.
12/1 Marianne Atkinson had a Common Raven in her yard flying directly above her that was calling in flight.
11/29 Karyn Cichocki had two Chipping Sparrows in her yard; she hadn’t had any in the yard since August. She also had Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers on the nut feeder.
11/28 Donna Traylor had a Pine Siskin at the feeders & has been hearing Great Horned Owls most evenings.
11/25 Karyn Cichocki had an Eastern Phoebe in her yard; it only stayed a couple of seconds and then flew. It’s a new yard bird for this time of year for her.
11/20 Karyn Cichocki did some birding at some Sussex lakes and had the following: Culvers Lake – Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, American Coot, Pied-billed & Red-necked Grebes. Crandon Lakes – Hooded & Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebirds, & Ring-billed Gull. Little Swartswood Lake – 1 adult Bald Eagle. Swartswood Lake – Pied-billed Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Scaup.
11/20 (Frankford Twp.) The Traylor’s reported that 4 Fox Sparrows visited their yard today.
11/18 (Great Swamp NWR) Alice Piatek & Alan Gutmore: they observed a large group of Blue Jays (20) and Red-bellied Woodpeckers (7). A group of 12 Eastern Bluebirds were enjoying a bath in a puddle created by melting snow. A group of Buffleheads and Hooded Mergansers were on one of the ponds with a Great Blue Heron nearby. A Common Raven flew overhead, as well as a possible Cooper’s Hawk. Also observed: a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, a American Robin, Fox Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, a Northern Cardinal, and Canada Geese in flight. A duck flew up near one of the ponds, possibly a Mallard.
11/18 At Culvers Lake, there was an assortment of waterfowl, gulls, and 4 Pied-billed Grebes on the mostly calm water. The biggest surprise was a bright first-winter Blackpoll Warbler that was tucked into a small berry shrub along the shoreline. In the afternoon at the Wallkill River NWR Liberty Loop, hundreds of Canada Geese, ducks, and Snow Geese in multiple flocks were heading south.
11/18 Karyn Cichocki had around 20 American Goldfinches visiting her sunflower and thistle feeders. She also had the first Fox Sparrow of the season.
11/17 Marianne Ofenloch saw an Iceland Gull and photographed a Laughing Gull at SCMUA (the county landfill in Lafayette), as well as hundreds of both Ring-billed and Herring Gulls and a handful of Great Black-backed Gulls. The gulls were kept in fairly constant motion by at least 2 immature Bald Eagles hunting the landfill. (Note that birding at SCMUA is limited to the hours that the facility is open and is only permitted in designated locations within the site; check in at the SCMUA office/for more info).
11/16 Russ Edwards had a Sharp-shinned Hawk stalking the bird feeders on his fire escape in Hewitt; when it flew, it made a pass directly at the feeders.
11/13 (Vernon) Patti Ciccarelli photographed a Lark Sparrow on the end of the Appalachian Trail boardwalk. Thanks to Jonathan Klizas, who forwarded a report from Dave Blinder, who forwarded a Facebook-reported sighting of a Lark Sparrow in Vernon by Patti Ciccarelli. Thanks to all three for helping to share the sighting report.
11/10 Marianne Ofenloch had the first snow in the yard which encouraged a bit more bird activity, with more Dark-eyed Juncos than the last few days, 2 Song Sparrows, and a Fox Sparrow scratching the ground then darting into the snow-covered vegetation whenever another bird moved too quickly. A male Hairy Woodpecker and a male Downy Woodpecker shared the same branch, providing a nice view of the size comparison between the two; they seemed to be waiting for a male Red-bellied Woodpecker to leave their shared favorite feeder
11/7 (Sunrise Mtn.) Scott Rando had 5 Bald Eagles, 1 Golden Eagle, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, and 2 Red-tailed Hawks. Non-migrating raptors included a Bald Eagle and several local Red-tailed Hawks. The west wind, veering to southwest later, forced the raptors seen to fly close and low to the ridge, resulting in decent looks at most of the raptors, especially both species of eagles. Other birds included Blue Jays, American Robins, Canada Geese, Common Ravens, American Crows, Tufted Titmouse, and a Brown Creeper.
11/5 Karyn Cichocki had an invasion of Pine Siskins (at least 15) in her yard. Also at the feeders were White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpecker and Tufted Titmice.
11/5 Dave and Amy Supko had the continuing Cattle Egret at Liberty Loop parking lot (which is in Wallkill River NWR on the NY side–Orange County, NY).
11/4 (Oak Ridge) Alice Piatek & Alan Gutmore had 3 Tufted Titmice, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Blue Jay, 2 Northern Cardinals (male & female), 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 American Goldfinch, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, & 2 Mourning Doves at their feeders.
11/3 (Sunrise Mtn) John Fuller had 60+ eagles but only noted 14 Bald Eagles and 2 Golden Eagles as migrants. Also had a nice look at an adult Red-shouldered Hawk.
11/3 (White Lake) Wade Wander had 35 Ruddy Ducks (including a few males still in breeding plumage), 9 Buffleheads, 1 female Ring-necked Duck, 1 female Lesser Scaup, 1 female Surf Scoter, 1 immature Red-necked Grebe, and 1 Bonaparte’s Gull. Also present was a 3rd year Bald Eagle. He also had a Cattle Egret on Stonebridge Road, which is off of Route 521 north of White Lake. The bird was hunting along the edge of a pond by a large brick house.
11/2 (White Lake) Glen Mahler had the female Surf Scoter and the first-winter Red-necked Grebe at White Lake on Rt 521 in Harding Twp (Warren County north of Blairstown).
11/2 (White Lake) Bradley White had a female Surf Scoter and a Red-necked Grebe among a raft of Ruddy Ducks.
11/2 (Swartswood) Lori Krieger had one rail (not sure of species), one Belted Kingfisher, 24 Cedar Waxwings, one immature Bald Eagle, and many waterfowl.
11/2 Melissa Manos had a Bald Eagle at White’s Pond in Kittatinny Valley SP.
11/2 (Culvers Lake) Terry McQuillin had flocks of Buffleheads and Ring-necked Ducks plus a few Pied-Billed Grebes.
11/1 Christopher Kiselow had a Bald Eagle over Fair Lawn, NJ; not a very common sight there.
10/30 Karyn Cichocki had a pair of Northern Flickers on her front lawn; included is a picture of the female, though a bit out of focus. They were joined by four American Robins and a Blue Jay. Yesterday, she had her first Pine Siskin of the season along with a group of American Goldfinches, as well as a couple of Purple Finches and adult and immature White-crowned Sparrows.
10/30 Bob Cappuccio had American Robins on the North Shore of Culvers Lake.
10/29 Terry McQuillin saw a pair of Wood Rucks swimming on Culvers Lake, and had about 6 American Robins in the yard for a few days.
10/28 Eileen Mahler has been seeing large groups of Purple Finches and American Goldfinches at her feeders. She also had one or two Pine Siskinsand a male Eastern Towhee during the past week, and the Eastern Phoebe was still present. She has noticed several Purple Finches with what looks like the eye infection seen in previous years on House Finches.
10/28 Donna Traylor had her first Evening Grosbeak in the yard in over 15 years. It’s been enjoying the black oil sunflower seed. There are also at least 4 Dark-eyed Juncos, 3 White-throated Sparrows, 16+ Purple Finches, many American Goldfinches, and one Carolina Wren. She also has been hearing a Great Horned Owl many evenings in the last two weeks.
10/28 Karyn Cichocki had a Swainson’s Thrush in the yard – a new yard bird for her. American Goldfinches have returned to the yard since they left early Sept.
10/28 Karyn Cichocki had Purple Finches (up to 5 males and 8 females in one day). She also had Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Bluebird, and White-crowned Sparrow. The American Robins returned to the yard to drink heavily at the bird bath. There must have been a stray cat in the bushes, as the family of Carolina Wrens along with the GC Kinglet, White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice, & Black-capped Chickadees where all scolding it. The Gray Catbirds left the yard sometime this past week and the Great Horned Owl continues to call.
10/27 Deborah Bifulco had 15-20 Purple Finches in the yard. Today, they were joined by 7 Pine Siskins. There were also some American Goldfinches and House Finches among them. One Purple Finch was distinctly yellow, photo included.
10/27 (Ocean City, NJ) Karyn Cichocki had a Black Scoter, a life bird for her. Other birds seen – Brown Pelican, Bald Eagle, gulls (Herring, Ring-billed, Great Black-backed, & Laughing), lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers, Sanderling, & Piping Plovers, as well as an unidentified species of tern. There was an ongoing stream of Tree Swallows flying from north to south along the beach.
10/26 Karyn Cichocki had her first Red-breasted Nuthatch of the season on her suet feeder. She also had 4 White-crowned Sparrows (2 adults and 2 immature birds).
10/23 Fred Weber had 15 American Pipits in a corn stubble field on Rt 650 (Deckertown Turnpike) just west of CR 519 in Wantage Twp.
10/22 Deborah Bifulco had a single Pine Siskin with the Purple Finches at her feeder. She states that this is the first Pine Siskin she’s had in several years.
10/21 Jill Bainbridge had an Evening Grosbeak at her feeder last night.
10/21 (Culvers Lake) Marianne Ofenloch – There were at least a dozen Bonaparte’s Gulls among a huge flock of mostly Ring-billed Gulls on the water around sunset. Diving ducks including Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and Common Goldeneye have been appearing in small numbers at Culvers and other areas for over a week. As mentioned at the meeting last night, the winter finch forecast is on target for Purple Finches and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Keep an eye out for Evening Grosbeaks; one was seen near Newburgh, NY within the last week, and another was photographed in the Lake Tranquility area of Andover on Friday afternoon.
10/21 Deborah Bifulco was still getting record numbers of Purple Finches in the yard daily, along with both House Finches and American Goldfinches. For the first time in several months, she had a small group of House Sparrows; among them was an immature White-crowned Sparrow, the first one seen in her yard since spring migration.
10/19 (Culvers Lake) Fred Weber had 6 Pectoral Sandpipers, 4 Dunlins, and a Wilson’s Snipe at the causeway.
10/14 Karyn Cichocki had Purple Finches at her feeder, with a high one day of 1 immature male and 8 females, a record for her yard in Lafayette. She also had Yellow-rumped Warblers, several White-throated Sparrows, and a Northern Mockingbird.
10/14 Deborah Bifulco had Ruby-crowned Kinglets, House Finches, American Goldfinches, Eastern Towhees, and Purple Finches in the yard. The number of Purple Finches was at least 20 at the feeders most of the day. She also saw quite a few Eastern Phoebes passing through, plus her first-of-season Dark-eyed Junco and White-throated Sparrow.
10/12 (Sunrise Mtn.) Scott Rando and several other SCBC members had 95 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 17 American Kestrels, 14 Osprey, 12 Merlin, 6 Peregrine Falcons, 8 Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Bald Eagles, 4 Northern Harriers, 3 Cooper’s Hawks, 2 Broad-winged Hawks, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, and 1 Golden Eagle. 3 raptors were counted as unidentified. Also spotted were Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Eastern Towhees, American Crows, and Common Ravens.
10/12 (Cape May) Bill Warren had over 700 American Kestrels at Cape May.
10/10 (Culvers Lake) Fred Weber had 1 Solitary and 4 Pectoral Sandpipers on the causeway. He had to use a scope.
10/9 Karyn Cichocki had Red-winged Blackbirds, several Yellow-rumped Warblers, male Eastern Bluebird, and 2 female Purple Finches in the yard. The immature Great Blue Heron continues to forage in the tall grass across the street.
10/6 Eileen Mahler had 6 Purple Finches at her feeder at Stillwater, 4 of them males.
10/6 In her yard, Karyn Cichocki had an Eastern Phoebe calling, a male Red-winged Blackbird, & American Robins. An immature Great Blue Heron has been visiting the tall grass across the street from the house. A gray treefrog is calling.
10/4 In their yard, Donna and Don Traylor had an American Redstart, Ovenbird, Black-throated Green Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Red-breasted Nuthatch. Mallards and Wood Ducks were viewed in their stream, and a Belted Kingfisher was successful catching crayfish and bashing them on the its wood duck box perch before downing them. Eastern Phoebe has been regular and Great Horned Owl was calling. The first White-throated Sparrow arrived on 9/30. A trickle of butterflies are still being seen including monarch, cabbage white, red admiral, and pearl crescent. The last Ruby-throated Hummingbird sighting was 9/23 which is about average for their yard.
10/4 Marianne Ofenloch observed that Rose-breasted Grosbeaks seem to leave a day or two after the last jewelweed blossom is seen. Departing migrant sightings in Montague sites have included Swainson’s Thrush, Tennessee Warbler, Canada Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Common Nighthawk. Returning to the area: two Common Goldeneyes, small flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and two White-throated Sparrows. Purple Finches are being seen in some areas, and in higher numbers than she has ever seen before; same for monarch butterflies.
10/4 Karyn Cichocki had some American Robins in her yard eating dogwood berries. She also had her first Brown Thrasher and White-throated Sparrow of the season.
10/3 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 13 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 American Kestrels, 2 Cooper’s Hawks, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine Falcon, and 1 Broad-winged Hawk; the broad-wings are on the wane as most of them are now at points south. Non-raptors include Eastern Towhees, an Eastern Phoebe, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and lots of Blue Jays and Common Ravens. There were 4 monarchs counted. A couple of notable events included a Merlin flying very close at knee high level between gaps in the trees, and a Local Red-tailed Hawk that almost collided with a Monarch butterfly and changed its course and stared down the offending butterfly for a split second. 2 local eagles were seen.
10/2 Deborah Bifulco had migrants passing through her yard over the last few weeks, including a larger than usual number of Black-throated Green Warblers and Red-eyed Vireos, a late-season Yellow-throated Vireo, & a male Scarlet Tanager in non-breeding plumage, busy eating larvae and pokeberries with a group of Gray Catbirds. There has been a sudden increase in the number of Carolina Wrens.
9/29 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando, Dave and Amy Supko, and John Fuller had an immature Red-tailed Hawk attack Dave’s decoy owl. It made about 6 passes and at one point made contact. The count for that day was 79 Broad-winged Hawks, 14 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 4 Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Osprey, 1 Northern Harrier, and 1 American Kestrel.
9/28 Karyn Cichocki had a male Purple Finch at her feeder. The two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that were fighting over the feeder left for points south last Thursday.
9/27 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando had 27 Broad-winged Hawks, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 1 Merlin amid light northwest winds. Other birds seen included Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadee, Eastern Towhee, Blue Jay, Common Raven, & Canada Geese. 1 monarch butterfly was seen.
9/22 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando and many observers had favorable weather conditions which made for many raptor sightings. There was a good NW wind averaging 10-15 mph into early afternoon which made for a good flight of migrants. The count was 459 Broad-winged Hawks, 37 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 25 Osprey, 6 Bald Eagles, 2 American Kestrel, 1 Merlin, and 2 unidentified raptors. Local birds included 3 local Bald Eagles, Eastern Towhees, Blue Jays, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Also had 54 monarchs, and some buck moths. 17 Common Ravens were spotted in one flock by John Fuller on the way up Sunrise Mountain Rd. A noteworthy sighting occurred during the morning ,when a curious immature Broad-winged Hawk got close to the pavilion and hovered there, beak into the wind. It then circled a few times and then disappeared to the south.
9/19 (Sunrise Mtn) Scott Rando and several observers had 604 Broad-winged Hawks, 12 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 8 Osprey, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 1 Northern Harrier, and 1 Merlin. A local Merlin gave us a good show, flying around the pavilion for 20 minutes, vocalizing frequently, and perching in nearby trees. Some local Red-tailed Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 3 local Bald Eagles were seen were seen, as well as both species of vultures. Non-raptor sightings included Pine Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, Common Ravens, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Towhee, & Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Butterflies: skipper (unknown species), black swallowtail, red admiral, and 52 monarchs (missed a lot).
9/16 Erin Keller had an American Kestrel grabbing dragonflies in mid-air in her yard. Two Blue Jays landed nearby when the kestrel perched, but left the kestrel alone.
9/16 Karyn Cichocki had some American Robins in the yard last week, the first in a month. She also had a Yellow-rumped Warbler and an Eastern Phoebe. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are still present at her feeders, and she reports young Great Horned Owls are calling to each other.
9/16 (Allamuchy) Charlie Fineran had a Sharp-shinned Hawk twice on the wires. He saw 6 American Kestrels along Youngs Island Rd.
9/16 Marianne Ofenloch saw 254 Broad-winged Hawks over the Montague area. Other raptors seen migrating included Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, American Kestrel, and Bald Eagle. A Red-breasted Nuthatch spent the afternoon in the yard, while a few Common Nighthawks passed through around sunset. Both of these species are also being seen around the county. A Swainson’s Thrush, a Chimney Swift, a Black-throated Green Warbler, and a Magnolia Warbler made brief appearances among the yard regulars.
9/10 Scott Rando saw a Broad-winged Hawk perched on a telephone wire close to his house in Shohola, PA. A few Broad-winged Hawks are already starting their migration south at this time. For the upcoming migration season, counters at Sunrise Mtn can forward their counts to sunrisehawks@outlook.com; it’s a new site. (Latency issues on the old mail server.)
9/7 Deborah Bifulco had a variety of Warblers in the yard including Black-throated Green Warblers, Chestnut sided Warblers, Magnolia, and Black-and-white Warblers. She still has a half dozen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, almost all juveniles still around.
9/4 Marianne Ofenloch reported that similar species were apparently moving through Sussex County over the weekend. Canada Warbler, American Redstart, and Black-and-White Warbler (all females) were seen in her yard; the same species also visited the Traylor’s yard in Frankford. A Hooded Warbler, a Palm Warbler, a Philadelphia Vireo, and mother-and-youngster Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were also seen in her yard during the past week. Young Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are eating the jewelweed blossoms, while Common Yellowthroats and Gray Catbirds are gleaning insects from the same plants. A vocal, young Red-tailed Hawk continues to be a loud presence in the neighborhood. The milkweed spreads a little more each year, and this year there have been at least 9 monarch caterpillars enjoying them. This is the 2nd consecutive year that they’ve been found in the yard.
9/2 Deborah Bifulco had a variety of birds in the last few weeks, including Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Redstart Yellow Warbler, Canada Warbler, and a juvenile Purple Finch with a group of House Finches. She also has been raising monarch butterflies; over 120 so far.
8/21 Karyn Cichocki had a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a Common Raven calling in her neighborhood. She also heard 2 Great Horned Owls calling to each other.
8/13 Tom Haggerty had a young Bald Eagle sitting on top of a 25 foot telephone pole at the Culvers Lake clubhouse beach for about 20 minutes. It got a “wow” from the crowd as it defecated. 
8/4 (Wallkill River NWR) The county-first Roseate Spoonbill, as well as Blue Grosbeak, are still being seen at the Wallkill River NWR. At least 2 immature Black-crowned Night Herons have also been making near-daily appearances. Shorebirds, including Least Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Plovers, are starting to appear; their numbers will fluctuate through the fall. A Whimbrel was found today in the nearby Black Dirt region of Orange County, NY.
8/3 Matt Skalla had a pair of Carolina Wrens nesting in a nest box in his yard.
7/29 Jill Bainbridge had a male Indigo Bunting sitting on milkweed along the driveway to the Kittatinny Valley SP office yesterday.
7/29 Marianne Ofenloch – The second batch of House Wrens will soon be leaving the nest box; the second batch of Eastern Bluebirds have a bit longer to go. Also in the yard: 2 Blue-winged Warblers, at least 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and many young birds chasing or being fed by parents: species have included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Prairie Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Red-tailed Hawk, Tufted Titmouse, Common Raven, and American Robin
7/29 Lori Krieger had 2 Indigo Buntings eating corn at the Walpack Inn.
7/28 (Wallkill River) John Fuller had the Roseate Spoonbill, as well as 20+ Great Blue Herons, 15+ Great Egrets, 20+ Green Herons, 4 Least Bitterns, Common Gallinule, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia Rail, Solitary Sandpiper, 4 Least Sandpipers, 5 Belted Kingfishers, and 1 snoring black bear.
7/26 Marianne Ofenloch – The Roseate Spoonbill is still being seen at Wallkill River NWR’s Liberty Loop, as well as a Glossy Ibis that was first seen there on Tuesday. The Blue Grosbeaks were also seen again along the Dagmar Trail in the refuge. Wading birds, shorebirds, and other migrants are just beginning to pass through the refuge and other areas.
7/25 Karyn Cichocki had 2 Brown Thrashers (adult and fledgling) as well as 6 American Goldfinches competing with several House Finches.
7/24 Marianne Ofenloch – An immature Roseate Spoonbill was found at the Liberty Loop last week (Friday?) by an as-yet-unidentified photographer. It has been seen every day since Saturday, usually from the west leg of the loop trail in the center of the marsh, though it has also been seen in flight. It was last seen yesterday around sunset flying to and landing in the south pool. There was a report posted on eBird this morning that noted the bird was still there, but no details on where within the Loop it was seen. According to club records, this is the first time this species has been found in our county! Not sure (but odds seem good) that this is the same bird seen this May in Warren County. The spoonbill at Brig (Edwin B. Forsythe NWR) is also still there. And yesterday, an Anhinga was seen in Sullivan County, NY…perhaps the same one found a few weeks ago at Kittatinny Valley SP.
7/20 Marianne Ofenloch (Wallkill River) – At least 1 or 2 Sandhill Cranes, depending on the day, have been seen intermittently on the NY side of Oil City Road at the Liberty Loop for over a month. Not daily sightings; they pop up every week or two. At least 2 Blue Grosbeaks (a male in non-breeding plumage & a female) have been seen at the north end of the Dagmar Trail over the last week. This is a bird seen only occasionally in the county, though it’s probably here and just not found every year. They are spotted more often on the NY side of the Liberty Loop. I was blessed to see the male perched in a small tree yesterday before sunset, as well as a gorgeous buck with velvet-covered antlers. Indigo Buntings, both adults and juveniles, are abundant on the trail, so look for a larger bird with a larger bill than a bunting as well as rusty coloring on the wings. See https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Grosbeak/id for more info.
7/9 Mike Livesey took a short walk through Hyper Humus and took these pictures
7/7 Fred Weber had 2 Yellow-breasted Chats in the north end of the big field by Walpack Center.
7/6 Deborah Bifulco had fledgling Common Grackles, Carolina Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Brown-headed Cowbird (one), House Finches, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, and Northern Cardinals, as well as nesting House Wrens and Eastern Bluebirds. Many Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are flying
6/30 Karyn Cichocki heard the Great Horned Owls screeching back and forth to each other as well as her first Black-billed Cuckoo of the year.
6/25 Wade and Sharon Wander had 2 adult Peregrine Falcons on top of the 5-story tower at the Merriam Gateway Apartments on Sparta Avenue in Newton. The nearby Rock Piegons did not appear to be alarmed
6/23 Deborah Bifulco: The chicks from both boxes of House Wrens fledged last week, adding roughly 12 little chattering wrens to the landscape. Lots of fledgling Downy Woodpeckers are being shown the ropes at the feeders. And at least one of the pairs of nesting Chipping Sparrows has fledged young. She continues to have five male & 2 female Red-winged Blackbirds, & she had a glimpse of the first fledgling Red-bellied Woodpecker. She has begun to see a few more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but no babies yet.
6/20 Karyn Cichocki observed some Hairy & Red-bellied Woodpecker activity in the yard. She also had an Eastern Wood-Pewee calling, a Baltimore Oriole, Mourning Dove, Great-crested Flycatcher, & the first Tree Swallow of the year.
6/20 (Liberty Loop) Ken Witkowski had a group of 5 recently-fledged Pied-billed Grebes with an adult calling, another 5 recently-fledged American Coot with adult, calling Least Bittern, and multiple Common Gallinules; there were also several singing Marsh Wrens. All of the marsh birds were in the large pool in the center of the loop in NJ – the grebes on the west side and the coot on the south.
6/17 Mike Livesey had a Common Gallinule with young, American Coot with young, and a Least Bittern at Wallkill River NWR.
6/11 Alice Piatek reports that she observed either a Cooper’s Hawk or a Northern Goshawk in her yard devouring a baby squirrel.
6/10 Mike Livesey photographed a Ruffled Grouse during the trip to the Dryden Kuser Natural Area in High Point State Park
5/30 Marianne Ofenloch reported that an Anhinga was photographed at Kittatinny Valley SP. The bird reportedly circled up and out of view after perching on a dead tree for about 20 minutes.
5/25 Karyn Cichocki saw the Roseate Spoonbill today foraging in the small flooded area on the western side of Rt. 94 just past the Agens Stone company in Knowlton Township. She also had an American Crow that was being chased by a Green Heron.
5/25 Marianne Ofenloch reports that an immature Roseate Spoonbill was found by a diverted commuter on Friday afternoon along Rt. 94 in Knowlton Township (just south of Brugler Rd). It is moving between a muddy ditch in a farm field and the lot of Agens Stone on the opposite side of the road.
5/24 Tommy Sudol saw a Kentucky Warbler Thursday morning on Old Mine Road between Worthington SF’s Douglas parking lot and the driveway with the mailbox, near utility pole 273PQ. Just south of mile 9, an Alder Flycatcher was singing and Yellow-billed Cuckoos were numerous and active. On Walpack-Flatbrook Road, just north of the turn toward Buttermilk Falls, after climbing up a hill and through some thorns, he saw a singing male Mourning Warbler for almost a full second.
5/23 Marianne Ofenloch had a pair of Baltimore Orioles, Tufted Titmouse, a pair of Eastern Bluebirds (defending nest against Tree Swallows), a pair of House Wrens, & a pair of Eastern Phoebes in the yard, all fore-mentioned engaged in breeding activity. A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird flew a courtship flight pattern over a female. A lone White-throated Sparrow was seen feeding on the ground and a hummingbird clearwing moth was spotted.
5/18 Deborah Bifulco had a yard-first Yellow Warbler last week, along with several Red-eyed Vireos and one brilliantly plumed Magnolia Warbler. Ovenbirds and Wood Thrush were heard & she continues to see random Rose-breasted Grosbeak of both sexes every few days. For 2 days after this week’s storm, she had a single White-crowned Sparrow in the yard & an immature male Baltimore Oriole. She also had a Scarlet Tanager, at least 3 pairs of Gray Catbirds, and a pair of Brown Thrashers. She reports that an Eastern Bluebird pair and 2 pair of House Wrens are all sitting on eggs in her nest boxes. A pair of Northern Cardinals are probably on eggs, and a pair of Mourning Doves have produced a fledgling. A Cooper’s Hawk pursued a Common Grackle.
5/19 Barb Sendelbach had 2 Common Nighthawks circling over her front lawn in Lafayette, and later had a near-miss with another while in the car at Rte 565 and Armstrong Rd during a thunderstorm.
5/14 Karyn Cichocki had in her yard this week: Baltimore Oriole, Great-crested Flycatcher, female Hairy Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo, male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Brown Thrasher, male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, & Red-eyed Vireo singing
5/13 Bob Cappuccio had his first-of-year Blackpoll Warbler at his house near Culvers Lake. On Old Mine Rd. near Van Campens, he had Cerulean Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Blue-winged Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager. Also had Prairie Warblers at Thunder Mountain Camp.
5/8 Lois Ferguson reported having a Red-headed Woodpecker nearby Lake Iliff as well as some Wood Ducks.
5/8 (Kitaitinny Valley State Park) Karyn Cichocki had a Savannah Sparrow, Baltimore & Orchard Orioles, Chipping & Field Sparrows, Eastern Kingbird, Indigo Bunting, Prairie Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow & Blue-winged Warblers, Scarlet Tanager, and many American Goldfinches.
5/7 Deborah Bifulco had a male Indigo Bunting in her yard.
5/6 Mike Tracy had a singing Hooded Warbler at Duck Pond (Swartswood SP) on the trail through the woods. Heard a Great Crested Flycatcher but did not see it. 
5/6 Amy and Dave Supko had a a Forster’s Tern in their cove at Culvers Lake.
5/6 Tom Halliwell had a Least Bittern along the trail near the Twin Lakes boat launch at Kittatinny Valley State Park.
5/6 Russ Edwards had an Indigo Bunting under the feeders this morning. Gray Catbirds have been a constant presence on the peanut feeder for almost a week.
5/5 Marianne Ofenloch had a Red-necked Grebe swimming with the drake White-winged Scoter and hen Surf Scoter at Culvers Lake. She also had a Ruffed Grouse drumming while birding along Old Mine Road in Sandyston, then later saw one running across the road in the Montague section.
5/5 Deborah Bifulco had three Clay-colored Sparrows at Kittatinny Valley SP. In the yard, she had Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Gray Catbirds, Northern Cardinals, and American Robins, with Eastern Bluebirds and House Wrens nesting in boxes.
5/5 Karyn Cichocki had at least 2 White-crowned Sparrows in the yard.
5/5 (Stillwater) Eileen Mahler had her first-of-year Indigo Buntings and Glenn had his first-of-year Gray Catbird.
5/4 Karyn Cichocki had a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the yard.
5/3 (Lafayette) Karyn Cichocki had Barn Swallows on Snover Rd and Purple Martins near her house. She also had some new animals: an eastern painted turtle and a gray treefrog.
5/3 Marianne Ofenloch had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 2 male and 1 female Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Gray Catbird, a Yellow Warbler, and a Yellow-throated Vireo in her yard. The male Baltimore Oriole continues to enjoy eating sunflower seeds.
5/3 Bob Cappuccio had a diminishing number of White-throated Sparrows at his feeder and had his first White-crowned Sparrow of the year.
5/2 Marianne Ofenloch had Cattle Egret at Liberty Loop on Weds, feeding in the NY marsh by the platform in the morning and late afternoon.
5/2 (Stokes St Forest) Erin Keller had one female and two male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at the School of Conservation.
5/2 (Kittatinny Valley SP) Mike Tracy had a Green Heron and Blue-winged Warbler at Twin Lakes, plus many Ovenbirds in the woods near White’s Pond.
5/2 Eileen Mahler had the male White-winged Scoter and female Surf Scoter at Culvers Lake. She also had 2 male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at her feeders at Stillwater.
5/2 (Hewitt) Russ Edwards had a Gray Catbird near the feeders.
5/2 Marianne Ofenloch had a singing Ovenbird in the yard.
5/2 Karyn Cichocki had a Gray Catbird and a House Wren in the yard. She also heard Field and Swamp Sparrows and a Killdeer.
5/2 Marianne Ofenloch had the continuing hen Surf Scoter and drake White-winged Scoter at Culvers Lake, as well as a few Common Loons and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. Three Snow Geese are still at Waterwheel Farm in Fredon. Several American Coots were putting on a nice show near the south pool of Wallkill River NWR — calling, chasing each other, bathing, etc. Calls of Sora, Pied-billed Grebe, and American Bittern were also heard. In the early evening/around sunset, the American Bitterns continue to call and fly near the platform at the Liberty Loop in the refuge, where a Cattle Egret was also seen this morning and then again around sunset. The egret remained in the NY portion of the marsh both times it was seen.
5/2 Deborah Bifulco had a House Wren, 3 male Baltimore Orioles, a Gray Catbird, and a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak in her yard.
4/30 Deborah Bifulco had Eastern Bluebirds in the nestbox, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Wren, some Black-capped Chickadees nesting in one of her boxes, and a possible leucistic Red-winged Blackbird.
4/29 Bradley Wilson had a Golden Eagle near the Pocono Environmental Education Center, and Erin Keller saw one near the School of Conservation in Stokes State Forest. Unknown if it was the same bird. Various warbler species and other returning migratory birds are beginning to be seen throughout the county.
4/29 A Swallow-tailed Kite was seen during the Sussex County Bird Club’s 4th annual Jim Zamos Memorial Hyper Humus Nature Walk. The bird was first spotted by Mike Tracy and seen by 15 other birders on the trip.
4/29 (Culvers Lake) Amy and Dave Supko had a Great Cormorant fly over the lake Sunday afternoon. A female Surf Scoter has been seen in the eastern (Rt 206) cove since 4/23/18, and an adult male Black Scoter was reported on Sat..
4/28 Russ Edwards had his first Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male) of the year on his feeder, as well as a Rusty Blackbird.
4/28 (Culvers Lake) Bob Cappunccio had his first Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
4/27 Marianne Ofenloch heard a Yellow Warbler singing and saw a pair of Lesser Yellowlegs in the Shimers Brook area of Montague. In the yard, she had a pair of Eastern Bluebirds in the nest box, a House Wren, and a Baltimore Oriole.
4/22 John Fuller had a Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Northern Harrier (male), American Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia Rail, Wild Turkey, Ring-necked Duck, American Black Duck, Wood Duck, and Green-winged Teal at (location?). On Roy Rd, he had an adult Bald Eagle. At Sunrise Mtn, he had a Hermit Thrush, Eastern Phoebe, Chipping Sparrows, Eastern Towhee, and Pine Warbler. At Swenson’s Meadow in Stokes SF, he had a Brown Thrasher and Ruffled Grouse. At Swartswood Lake, he had Bufflehead, Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Ospreys, and Bonaparte Gulls, and on Little Swartswood, he reports the eaglets are getting big.
4/22 (Liberty Loop) Allison Orsi had 4 American Bitterns, an American Kestrel, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, and a Sandhill Crane fly from NY into Sussex County.
4/22 (Liberty Loop) Marianne Ofenloch and Erin Keller had 5 American Bitterns, a Short-eared Owl, and a flock of Lesser Yellowlegs.
4/22 (Hyper Humus) Karyn Cichocki had Blue-winged Teals, Wood Ducks, Common Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped & Palm Warblers, Blue-headed Vireo, Osprey flying with a fish, Bald Eagle, female Northern Harrier, Eastern Towhee, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Carolina & House Wrens, Swamp, Chipping and American Tree Sparrows, and Tree Swallow. Butterflies – spring azure, eastern comma, cabbage white, and a very pale monarch. Other birders that she met at Hyper Humus had both Virginia Rail & Sora, American Kestrel, & Sharp-shinned Hawk. Another man reported an Orange-crowned Warbler that was among a group of Palm Warblers along the trail going towards Newton from the Hicks Ave. parking lot.
4/21 – Karen Cichocki had a female American Kestrel on Roy Rd. in Wantage, and another in the fields behind Kuperus Farmside Gardens in Sussex. She had a male kestrel on CR565 about a mile south of Sussex Airport.
4/21 Mike Gannon had an Osprey fly over his yard in Augusta.
4/20 Wade and Sharon Wander had a male Pine Warbler visiting their feeders.
4/20 Bob Cappucio had a Blue-headed Vireo near the entrance to the lower North Shore Rd. at Culvers Lake
4/20 Deborah Bifulco – Eastern Bluebirds are still guarding the nest box in the mornings, but with no signs of actual nesting yet. She also had a Brown Thrasher, some Dark-eyed Juncos (fewer), White-throated Sparrows, and Chipping Sparrows.
4/20 Tommy Sudol had his first Blue-headed Vireo behind his backyard.
4/17 Karen Cichocki had her first Tree Swallows of the year fly over her house and there was a male American Kestrel on one of the telephone poles on Decker Rd. in Lafayette.
4/16 Mike Gannon had a group of 6 or 7 Palm Warblers along the creek near his home in Augusta. Also nearby was a mink.
4/15 John Fuller had several American Kestrels at Owens Station Road, Quarry Road, and Roy Road. The Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR had 3 Northern Harriers and a pair of Northern Shovelers. He had 3 Common Loons at Culvers Lake and a lone Herring Gull at Sunrise Mtn. The Bald Eagle pair at Swartswood SP were feeding 2 chicks, and he had an Osprey at Parsons Rd.
4/15 (Swartswood Lake) Tommy Sudol had a Red-throated Loon and a male Red-breasted Merganser in the middle of the lake during late morning.
4/14 Deborah Bifulco had Eastern Bluebirds in the nest box in her yard as well as a Brown Thrasher, Chipping Sparrow, and a few Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows.
4/13 Marianne Ofenloch had some Common Loons, Tree Swallows, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and some Horned Grebes at Culvers Lake. There was also a mourning cloak butterfly by the causeway bridge. In her yard, she had some Eastern Phoebes, and in the afternoon, some Red-tailed, Cooper’s, and Broad-winged Hawks, as well as an adult Peregrine Falcon.
4/13 (Lafayette) Karyn Cichocki had some American Goldfinches and White-throated Sparrows, both in breeding plumage. She also has an Eastern Bluebird and a Chipping Sparrow.
4/13 Carl Mugavero had a white American Robin with black spots for the 2nd year in a row.
4/11 Tommy Sudol had an interesting bird near the bird blind at Swartswood SP’s Duck Pond. It resembled a Swamp Sparrow but had a black face. A Winter Wren was also in the area.
4/10 Mike Gannon had a female Northern Harrier over the marshy fields near his house in Augusta.
4/9 (Hyper Humus?) Karyn Cichocki had some Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, some Palm and Pine Warblers, Eastern Phoebes, a Red-shouldered Hawk, and a Louisiana Waterthrush. Ducks included Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, and Green-winged Teal.
4/8 Marianne Ofenloch had a Hermit Thrush in her yard.
4/8 (Lake Mohawk) Connie Warren had 25 Common Mergansers, 2 Hooded Mergansers, 12 Buffleheads, 4 Ring-necked Ducks, 8 Double-crested Cormorants, and 1 Horned Grebe. An immature Bald Eagle flew overhead. By the Boardwalk, there were 11 Common Loons, many Buffleheads and Ring-necked Ducks, and Double-crested Cormorants. At a dock off West Shore Trail just before Oakwood Trail, there were 5 Horned Grebes, at least 25 Buffleheads, 25 Ring-necked ducks, and 2 Mallards. There were about 45 Ruddy Ducks & some Canada Geese on the Upper Lake.
4/8 (Culvers Lake) Fred Weber had 110 Common Loons, 57 Horned Grebes, 5 Long-tailed Ducks, about 100 Buffleheads, & 8 Bonaparte’e Gulls.
4/7 (Swartswood Lake) Joe Zurovchak and Wade Wander had a breeding-plumage drake Long-tailed Duck, 12 Northern Shovelers, about a dozen Common Loons, 4 Red-throated Loons, more than 125 Buffleheads, and more than 50 Horned Grebes (many in breeding plumage). Along the Duck Pond trail, they saw 2 Hermit Thrushes, a Winter Wren, dozens of kinglets (mostly Golden-crowned), Ring-necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Green-winged Teal, and Wood Ducks.
4/7 (Hyper Humus) Matt Skalla had 8 Horned Grebes & 7 Rusty Blackbirds.
4/6 (Culvers Lake) Marianne Ofenloch had 97 Common Loons and 6 Horned Grebes.
4/5 Mike Tracy had many Golden-crowned and some Ruby-crowned Kinglets at Duck Pond in Swartswood State Park. He also saw some Palm Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and an Eastern Phoebe. He had a waterthrush, but couldn’t tell which species.
4/4 (Culvers Lake) Fred Weber had 16 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 10 Common Loons, 2 Red-throated Loons, 20 Lesser Scaup, about 50 Buffleheads, a few Common Mergansers, & a female Common Goldeneye. From the west shore access point, he saw the white head of a Bald Eagle visible in the nest as he looked across the lake.
4/2 Karyn Cichocki had a mature Bald Eagle over Lake Swannanoa (Berkshire Valley Rd in Jefferson Twp, Morris Co.)
4/2 Mike Gannon had 8 Green Winged Teal on a small pond near his house.
3/31 Karyn Cickocki had a lot of White-throated Sparrows & American Robins in the yard. She also had a Fox Sparrow and a flock of Cedar Waxwings. She reports that spring peepers And wood frogs have been calling from the nearby wetland.
3/29 Fred Weber had a Red-breasted Nuthatch this afternoon in the conifers at the far end of the lower sites at Shotwell campground in Stokes State Forest.
3/28 Russ Edwards had 2 pairs of Greater Scaup, 3 pairs of Common Mergansers, 12 Ring-necked Ducks, and Bufflehead on the southern end of Upper Greenwood Lake. Earlier in the month, he had Hooded Mergansers.
3/26 Chris Reiser had a flock of Cedar Waxwings perched in a tree.
3/22 Mike Tracy had a Horned Grebe near the boat rental area of Swartswood Lake.
3/22 Deborah Bifulco had a single Fox Sparrow at her feeders, her first sighting of this species over the winter. There were also several Song Sparrows and at least one American Tree Sparrow. She had American Robins visiting the heated bird bath. Groups of 20-30 Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-Throated Sparrows also visited.
3/22 Bill & Connie Warren had a Red-shouldered Hawk around their feeders.
3/22 Deborah Bifulco had an assortment of birds at the feeder before the storm, and she photographed some from her blind.
3/19 (Hyper Humus) Karyn Cichocki had over 12 pairs of Wood Ducks, 10 Common Mergansers, a large flock of Ring-billed Gulls, a few Herring Gulls, American Black Ducks, Gadwalls, and an American Coot. Liz McKnight & Keith Todd had Green-winged Teals and a Great Black-backed Gull.
3/19 Mike Tracy had a Red-shouldered Hawk and an Eastern Phoebe.
3/16 Karyn Cichocki had a large flock of American Robins, about 10 Cedar Waxwings, & a female Hairy Woodpecker in her yard.
3/14 (Hyper Humus) Mike Tracy had Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked and Wood Duck, American Wigeon, juvenile Bald Eagle, and both Ruby-crowned & Golden-crowned Kinglets near mile marker 1 off Hicks Ave.
3/13 Sharon Dobrina had 2 Bald Eagles feeding on carrion. The location was about 1/8 mile from the T at the end of CR517 in Andover/Tranquility. The next day, she saw one of the Bald Eagles in the same location.
3/10 Karyn Cichocki’s husband, Don, saw an adult Bald Eagle flying over a neighbor’s property. There are several pairs of Ring-necked ducks on the pond in Lafayette.
3/8 Dave Spangenburg had two first-cycle Iceland Gulls and a second-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull at SCMUA.
3/7 Karyn Cichocki had a huge flock 50+ Common Grackles with a few Red-winged Blackbirds. She also had a Song Sparrow in her yard; she only gets them in the yard in the spring and fall.
3/5 Karyn Cichocki had a male Eastern Bluebird, American Robins, and Red-winged Blackbirds in the yard. At Culvers Lake, she had Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, and Common Goldeneye. Various other ponds and lakes also had Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, and Common Mergansers.
3/1 (Orange County Airport, NY) Scott Rando had 3 Bald Eagles fly south over the Wallkill River west of the airport. The first 2 were adults, but the 3rd one was a 2 year old immature which flew lower and closer, right over runway 321, perhaps 50’ above the runway. All 3 passed within 5 minutes of each other.
2/28 (Walpack) Marianne Ofenloch watched a bobcat dragging a raccoon across NPS 615 near Mountain Rd. She also had a male Ruffled Grouse near the Blewett Tract and 2 Eastern Meadowlarks near Ennis Rd.
2/27 (Hyper Humus) Karyn Cichocki had lots of Ring-necked Ducks & Gadwalls along with a few pairs of American Wigeon, American Black Ducks, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers, as well as some Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. Other birds of interest included Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Tree Sparrow, several male Red-winged Blackbirds, and an American Robin. She also saw 2 muskrats playing in the reeds.
2/26 (Hyper Humus) Tommy Sudol had 14 Tundra Swans circle above and then land on the first Hyper Humus pond. They were very vocal and slowly moved over to the far side of the pond near the other waterfowl.
2/25 Russ Edwards observed that Buffleheads are back in numbers, along with 3 pair of Hooded Merganser, on Upper Greenwood Lake.
2/25 (Liberty Loop) Allison Orsi had a Northern Flicker by Owens Station Rd and a Belted Kingfisher on the way to the Loop. She had about 40-50 Ring Necked Ducks, 4 American Wigeons, 3 Mute Swans, 3 Northern Pintails flying, several Mallards, a Northern Harrier, and a Bufflehead. She heard 2 Wood Ducks near Oil City Rd.
2/23 Chris Reiser had a flock of Snow Geese near Tire King in Sussex Borough.
2/23 Allison Orsi had at least 3 pairs of Hooded Mergansers on her pond; they were diving, preening and napping. Her kids got a good look through a scope.
2/21 Karyn Cichocki heard a Killdeer calling at the main Sussex Library in Branchville. It was the first of the year for her. Last week, she had a male Red-winged Blackbird singing from a neighbor’s tree. On Sunday, she had a male Eastern Bluebird sitting on top of the suet feeder and four American Goldfinches pecking at the moss growing on the dogwood. On Monday, she saw a Common Raven flying over Route 15 in Jefferson. It was doing aerial acrobatics before it landed on a telephone pole.
2/19 (Merrill Creek) John Fuller had a Snowy Owl while trying to find a Gyrfalcon; it only stayed a short time.
2/18 (Liberty Loop) John Fuller had a nice show of Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls at Liberty Loop with more male harriers than females.
2/15 (Liberty Loop) Karyn Cichocki heard an American Woodcock peenting around 5:50 pm on the east side of the loop.
2/13 Donna and Don Traylor had Purple Finches continue in the yard. Numbers range between 6 and 9 or 10 – mostly females with two males. Also, a pair of Wood Ducks were in the stream – first for the year. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was feeding on the cedar berries.
2/7 Jack Padalino had an Eastern Towhee at his feeder in PA.
2/6 Deborah Bifulco had a male Northern Harrier flying low over the farm field just before Airport Road, and a bit later, she had a flock of at least 75 Horned Larks.
2/5 Deborah Bifulco has been seeing more and more American Goldfinches at her feeders (11 this day). She also has been getting quite a few House Finches and an occasional male Purple Finch. White-throated Sparrow numbers continue to be high. At Swartswood Lake, she had Canada Geese, Hooded Mergansers, a pair of Common Goldeneye, and one male Greater Scaup. In the parking lot near the Sears store in Newton, she had a first-year Red-shouldered Hawk making a pass at a group of European Starlings (who quickly fled) along with the usual Ring-billed Gulls and Fish Crows.
2/4 Donna and Don Traylor had a small flock of Purple Finches continuing at their Frankford yard feeders. They also had 3 American Goldfinches & several cedar waxwings (which had been absent since the last week of December). There were also 7-10 Mourning Doves along with the usual winter birds. Great Horned Owls are also calling.
2/3 Fred Weber had some White-crowned Sparrows on Meyer Rd. not far from Plains Rd. The stretch of Meyer Rd. from the thicket by the barnyard up to the gated farm lane is a good spot for them each winter.
2/2 Marianne Ofenloch had a Hermit Thrush in her yard again as well as some House Finches, 1 American Goldfinch, and 1 female Purple Finch. Also, a Eurasian Wigeon was seen on the Musconetcong River in Waterloo Village, and she also had some Turkey Vultures south of Newton.
2/1 Fred Weber had a previously-reported female Barrow’s Goldeneye in the Delaware River from Ramseyburg Landing on Rt. 46 about 3.5 mi. south of Rt. 80 (Warren County). It was with 14 Common Goldeneye south of the landing. He had good scope looks & was able to compare it with the female Commons for about 10 min. Then they flew downriver. There’s public access to the river with a small parking lot and a gravel path to the left of the historic house.
1/30 Karyn Cichocki had an adult Bald Eagle flying towards the Mercedes dealership on the corner of Routes 94 and 206. She also had 7 American Goldfinches on her thistle feeder, which was the most seen since early fall.
1/28 Karyn Cichocki had some American Robins in her yard and an American Goldfinch on one of her feeders.
1/26 Scott Rando a pair of Rough-legged Hawks kiting and occasionally diving at the Liberty Loop Parking area off Oil City Rd; they were working the field just to the north of the road. The Northern Harriers were slow but steady, with flights picking up around dusk; 3 or 4 males were seen. About 15-20 minutes after sunset, 2 Short-eared Owls appeared, working the field to the south of the parking area. Also seen were lots of Canada Geese, a flock of European Starlings, and what appeared to be a flock of Horned Larks, all in flight.
1/25 Marianne Ofenloch (Sussex County Homestead complex) had a small flock of 39 Canada Geese land near the library; 21 of the geese in that flock were banded with silver leg bands.
1/25 Patricia Cherny had a visit by a flock of Eastern Bluebirds in her yard at Culvers Lake. They were eating all the red berries she had placed in outdoor planters.
1/22 Deborah Bifulco had her first American Tree Sparrows (4) of the year in the yard. On 1/21, she also had her first-ever leucistic bird in the yard, an American Robin (photo through the window, so very grainy.)
1/22 Donna and Don Traylor had a flock of White-crowned Sparrows on Roy Road in Wantage. The small flock of Purple Finches (3 females, 2 males) continue at their feeders in Frankford Townhip.
1/21 Marianne Ofenloch reports that as of Friday, the Redhead drake continues at the farm pond in Lafayette (intersection of Little & Old Statesville Quarry Rd). She also saw 2 American Kestrels (one along Decker Road, one along Meadows Road near Van Sickle) and a 3rd falcon near the brook on Van Sickle that was either a Merlin or kestrel. The brook itself had plenty of Mallards and a Belted Kingfisher hunting. Huge flocks of American Robins and European Starlings were headed toward Newton around sunset, as well as some Common Grackles and blackbirds (presumably red-winged).
On Tuesday, she saw one of the neighbor’s many loose cats sneak under a tarp on a woodpile where the hermit thrush has also been foraging. She chased the cat away but didn’t see the thrush for days afterwards, and feared that cat (or another) might’ve gotten it, so it was wonderful to see the thrush again on Friday morning!
1/18 Karyn Cichocki reports that the large flock of Common Grackles is still on Meadows Rd. near Rt 15. During the morning, a male American Kestrel was at the corner of Van Sickle & Meadows Rd, and a Belted Kingfisher and Great Blue Heron were by the stream on Van Sickle.
1/10 Karyn Cichocki had the Redhead at the small farm pond on the corner of Statesville Quarry Rd and Little Road in Lafayette. A female Common Merganser was also there.
1/10 Marianne Ofenloch had 2 Iceland Gulls at SCMUA (the county dump), one of which was the “darker” (more tan) Kumlien’s subspecies. She was surprised to find a drake Redhead swimming & diving among the Canada Geese & other ducks at the tiny farm pond at the corner of Little Rd & Old Statesville Quarry Rd in Lafayette. A pair of muskrats were also working that pond, and became more active after the geese left. She had some first-of-year/yard birds this week, including 2 Black Vultures flying overhead & an immature Sharp-shinned Hawk preening in a tree & firing up the Blue Jays in the process. The Hermit Thrush continues to grace the yard with its presence (day 46) and a female Purple Finch returned after being absent for most of the sub-zero days.
1/2 Karyn Cichocki had an American Tree Sparrow & a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the yard. She had a male Northern Harrier on Lewisburg Rd. and a Great Blue Heron alongside the little stream on Van Sickle in Lafayette. On Meadows Rd. in Lafayette, there was a flock of 30+ Common Grackles.
1/2 Donna and Don Traylor had 17 species in their yard. Highlights included Purple Finches, several House Finches, American Goldfinches, at least 6 Northern Cardinals, numerous Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows, American Tree Sparrow, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Red-tailed Hawk, Black Vulture, and several Great Horned Owls calling to each other at dusk.
1/1 In her yard, Karyn Cichocki had an American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, Common Grackle, a Carolina Wren calling, & Brown-headed Cowbirds. In the evening, there was a Great Horned Owl calling. The 1st picture is of “Stumpy”, a gray squirrel that has been in the yard since the summer of 2016; it has no left paw and is missing its left leg from the knee down, but it has no problem climbing trees, although sometimes it almost falls into the bird bath when it jumps up onto it. The 2nd picture is of a White-throated Sparrow that has no tail.
The Sussex County Bird Club 