Sussex County Bird Club – 2024 Sightings
Lafayette sightings 1/21/24
Sitting in the living room with the blinds closed against the cold, we heard a short call and I thought it was a Yellowbellied Sapsucker. We have a peanut feeder hanging under the eve just outside the sliding door, which has shelled loose peanuts in it. So, I carefully moved one of the vertical blind slats so I could see the feeder and was quite surprised to see an adult Cooper’s Hawk sitting on top of the sunflower feeder, looking around. It finally flew off. Although I’ve heard the call of a Cooper’s Hawk, this is the first time I’ve heard its short call, which is similar to that of the Sapsucker. This month we have had frequent visits to the suet feeder by a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It stays a few seconds, then flies up into the Cedar tree. One late afternoon, I was watching it then it disappeared only to flit around in one of the Cedar trees along the road. I was able to get the binoculars on it, just when it was facing down, its crest out, just when the sun came out for a few seconds shining on it. Spectacular. Although I’ve seen many Ruby-crowns, I’ve only gotten to see the ruby crest a few times and not many with the sun shining on it. We’ve had American Robins in the yard feeding on the Cedar berries, but since the temperatures dropped, we’ve not seen either them or the Kinglet.
Karyn Cichocki
Lafayette 2/13/24
After putting out mix seed on our back step and on the bare ground along the back of the house, we had a regular invasion. A mixed flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles came down and enjoyed the seed. They were there for about 10 minutes and took off. The Red-wings usually appear in our area around the 17th of February, so these were a few days early.
After a week of almost no birds at the feeders, they were a big hit today. I guess the birds have been enjoying the warm weather and foraging in the gardens. Although the White-throated Sparrows blend in with the leaves in the garden, you can tell they are there by the leaves flying up in the air. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is still visiting the suet feeder so it has been with us for over a month.
Karyn Cichocki
2/20/24 – Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
A great show at Liberty Loop today. 5 or 6 Short-eared Owls, 6 or 7 Northern Harriers and 2 Rough-legged Hawks flying around in sunlight last hour before sunset. I was at the south end but most of the activity was up by Oil City Rd. I still had good scope looks with the sun behind me.
Fred Weber
About 300 Ruddy Duck on Lake Mohawk near the boardwalk.
Bill Warren
Lafayette sightings 3/16/24
In 2018 I had my husband make a Carolina Wren nest box from plans I got on the internet (see attached picture). Almost as soon as it was up, they pair were busy building a nest in it and they had 2 clutches that year. They used the nest the following year and then for whatever reason left the yard. Although we occasionally have them in the yard, and we hear them calling in the neighborhood they haven’t used the nest box and last year the male House Wren built a nest in it, although it wasn’t used by the female.
I looked out of the window this morning to see a bird going into the nest box, yup the Carolina Wren and the box is just about full. I can’t believe how fast they build the nest. Also, this morning we have more American Goldfinches at the feeders to add to the single bird that has been visiting on and off the past week. Most are females but there is a lone male. I’m looking forward to seeing bright yellow birds again.
We still have a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos in the yard and about a dozen White-throated Sparrows. An Eastern Bluebird has been calling in the yard, so I’m anxious to put up the Bluebird box I was given at the club meeting last night, and have nesting Bluebirds in the yard again.
Karyn Cichocki
Kittatinny State Park – 3/26/24
We saw our first Eastern Phoebe today on the Sussex Branch trail at Kittatinny just north of the ponds. We also had a Virginia Rail calling close to the trail bordering Twin Lakes. Fun times.
Kathy Wilson
Lafayette – 4/5/24
The last week in March we had a lone male Purple Finch and then a lone female this past week. Today, 4/5 we had a mini flight of them with six males and a single female. We had two Eastern Bluebirds calling in the backyard and then a male flew into the top of the front Cherry tree and they called back and forth for several minutes. The tree is about six feet away from where Don put up the Bluebird box that Charlie Fineran built and I was awarded at the bird club March meeting. Fingers crossed that they use it this year.
A Northern Mockingbird has staked out the Forsythia hedge along our driveway as its territory. It hangs out on top of it and then flies up into the Cedar trees in the area to sing. Yesterday it chased an American Robin that was minding its own business on the lawn, but didn’t bother with the rabbit or White-throated Sparrows that were alongside the hedge. After the frantic nest building, the Carolina Wrens haven’t been seen near the nest box. We’ve heard them singing in the neighborhood, so it might be another case of multiple nest building and they might not use this one.
This past week the first of the year Chipping Sparrows showed up in the yard, first heard and then seen. We have had visits by small flocks of male Red-winged Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds and Common Grackles. Both male and female Purple Finches have been visiting the sunflower and peanut feeders. On the 14th while putting the feeders out I heard an Eastern Towhee quietly calling “your tea” and then later in the afternoon a Brown Thrasher was under the feeder. Although we have had Pileated Woodpeckers in the yard, they have never come to the suet feeder. I had assumed because we have it hanging facing the ground under a dome. On Friday (4/12) Don spotted a male in the Dogwood tree, then it flew over to the Cedar tree where the suet feeder hangs and then it was on the feeder hanging from it. We could see it getting big chunks and eating the seed that is in it. It has come back each day since then and calling out before arriving to the tree. The Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers have once again been using the gutters for their sounding boards. If we don’t get either the peanut or suet feeders out in the morning then the Red-bellied really drums away. It is amazing how that vibrates throughout the house.
Karyn Cichocki
This morning, I had a Prothonotary Warbler who hung around my house in Highland Lakes. I have a short video of it. I was surprised because I had only seen them in the south. Maybe they are more common in the water gap. But here it was a first for me. Quite exciting actually. I didn’t know if there was a way to alert club members. So I am alerting you. Thanks.
Randy Mowry
Highland Lakes -5/21/24 – Randy reports that Prothonotary Warbler it is still at his house and singing.
Lafayette sightings
This past weekend (6/15) we had 7 Downy Woodpeckers show up in the Cedar tree where the suet feeder hangs. Mom and dad were feeding them, they were chasing each other around, which was fun to watch. Two of the fledglings were hanging on the side of the tree, eyeing the suet feeder and you could see the little wheels going
around in their heads, while they tried to figure out how to get over to it. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo has been calling in the neighborhood and we occasionally have a Baltimore Oriole show up singing from the top of the Cherry tree.
Karyn Cichocki
Jefferson Sightings 6-17-24
We had 2 Common Ravens show up in the trees across from our deck on 6/17. That was a surprise!
Alice Piatek & Al Gutmore
Lafayette sightings 8-4-24 |
Now that the 2 boxes of House Wrens and 1 box of Carolina Wren chicks have fledged the yard has been quiet. We did have the family of Carolina Wrens in the yard with the begging youngsters following their parent around, but there has been no sign of the House Wrens. This year we have had an adult Common Grackle in the yard almost every day and for a week, and it was feeding it’s youngster. Two weeks ago, we had an immature Great Horned Owl hanging around the yard, screeching at night with another one answering in the distance. The night is silent now, but during the day we have an immature Red-tailed Hawk in the area screeching. When both have been in the yard, it gets all the yard birds excited and they start their scolding calls.
Last week, I heard a Field Sparrow singing from the field across the street.
Yesterday we had a surprise visitor, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It appeared to be trying to get to the suet feeder, but there was a Downy Woodpecker on it, so it got busy flitting around the Cedar tree then went down to the lawn and scared up a small moth, which it grabbed. We have had Gnatcatchers in the yard in the spring but not this time of year. We now have aerial fights around the hummingbird feeder between an adult male and an immature bird. I have planters on our front stoop with these Brazilian plants that have hanging flowers and it has been fun watching the immature hummer feeding on them. It comes from below, gets its bill partially into the flower, lifts it so it is horizontal and then goes in for the nectar. It also checks out the birds on the thistle feeder and comes to the window when we are sitting at the table. I saw it feeding on one of the rose flowers, which I didn’t think had any nectar. We were curious about how long it takes flowers to produce nectar and my research found that some only take an hour or two but others take a full day.
Karyn Cichocki
Snow Geese – 12-20-24
There were 7 adult and 5 immature Snow Geese amongst 200+ of Canada Geese on the small pond at the Sussex Fairgrounds this afternoon. Easy viewing.
Karyn Cichocki
The Sussex County Bird Club 