Monday, May 23, 2005
Birding the NJ Highlands with Pete Bacinski and Terry Carruthers
Overcast but windless for most of the day.
Union Valley Road, Van Orden Road, High Point Tower, High Point Loop, Stokes Education Center, Van Ness Road at Del Water Gap, Sunrise Mountain Road, Clinton Road.

Seen or heard: Both cuckoos, Turkey, Raven, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Purple Finch, Brown Creeper, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-headed, Red-eyed, and Yellow-throated Vireos, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Least, Alder, and Acadian Flycatchers, 26 Warblers. (Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped, Blackpoll, N. Waterthrush, L. Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, Redstart, Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue-winged Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Canada Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prarie Warbler.)

Today was great training on the song variations of Redstart, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Hooded, Canada, Chestnut-sided, Worm-eating, and Pine.

We observed, filmed, and “generally watched over” a stunned or sick Worm-eating warbler to protect it from traffic and to assess its condition. In the end it seemed to have the strength to fly to safety.

Terry had a memorable tete-a-tete with an Acadian flycatcher by imitating its sweet but airy “wheew” call note. The bird seemed to enjoy sitting in the sun (first of the day at 3:45pm), hawking gnats, and chatting with Terry.

Terry observed a female Yellow Warbler with a band on its leg at the Clinton Road power cut. The saplings there have all been cut down, so few birds were present.

Deserted Village, Thurs. May 19th
Temp in 60's
Kentucky Warbler singing with stutter/hesitation at end of song, Swainson's Thrush singing, Connecticut Warbler not re-found.
Deserted Village with T. Carruthers & P. Axelrod, Wed. May 18th
Temp in 60's
CONNECTICUT WARBLER in spring! Sang over and over (20 times, went silent once located), adult male in breeding plumage in top of 70 foot oak. Only about the 4th Spring record in 30-some years! Complete eye-ring, bluish-gray hood and bib, pale yellow below, heavy-looking overall, pink-legged, and walked smoothly on branches, though it barely moved during three miuntes of visual observation. Song unmistakable, accelerating staccato pattern varying beween 10 and 15 staccato notes, mostly centered and organized around 3 discernable pitches, though there was as much noisy "tschak" as resonance in the notes. Tick--Ka--tick--kee-tik-ka-tik-kee-tikkatikeetikatik!!!
Two Kentucky Warblers also heard, one seen, along with 17 other Warblers, Spotted Sandpiper, and Swainson's Thrush. (b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, blkpl, bluwing, parula, maggie, canada, worm, redst, n. waterth, chesty, oven)
Garrett Mountain with T. Carruthers and J. Klizas on Mon. May 16th
Temp in 50's up to 60's, passing showers at 6am.
20 Warblers, including Mourning, Tennessee, and Wilson's. A VERY LATE-MIGRATING Saw-whet Owl was found in a Red Cedar by Terry as it was mobbed by Orioles and a Magnolia Warbler. Warblers:b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, parula, blkpl, bluwing, maggie, canada, redst, n. waterth, oven, chesty, tenn, wilson, mourning (or mourningXyellowthroat--song resembled yt).
Walker Walk #4 at Seeley's Pond & Deserted Village on Sun. May 15th
Temp in 60's
Hooded and Blackburnian Warblers gave good views. Bicknell's Thrush seen at Seeley's Pond picnic area. (b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, parula, blkpl, bluwing, maggie, canada, redst, n. waterth, oven, chesty, hooded.) Also YB Cuckoo.
Big Day with T. Ostrand, Greater Watchung Trip, and Great Swamp Big Day on Sat. May 14th
Temp in 60's and 70's
Both Bitterns, Sora,YB cuckoo, Olive-sided Fly, Bay-breasted, Kingfisher, 18 Warblers (b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, parula, blkpl, bluwing, maggie, canada, redst, n.& l. waterth's, oven, hooded, bay, chesty ).
Scouting Scherman-Hoffman and Cross Estate on Fri. the 13th, 2005
Temp in 70's
Black-billed cuckoo heard. Warblers:b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, parula, blkpl, bluwing, maggie, canada, redst, l. waterth, oven, tennessee, hooded.

Scouting Skytop and Deserted Village on Thurs. May 12th, 2005
Temp in 60's
Nashville Warbler and 5 Swainson's Thrushes.
Warblers: b&w,btblu,btgr,y,yth,yr,blkburn, parula, blkpl, bluwing, maggie, canada, redst, l. waterth, oven, hooded,chesty, nashville.
Cape May and Ocean Counties, May 6th, 7th & 8th, 2005
Temp in 50's, wind, drizzle, rain, and sun
Belleplain--Prothonotary and Worm
Cape May--prothonotary, Prarie, Barred Owl
Wetlans Institute--Black Rail at high tide and dusk, 3 Virginia Rails, Clapper Rail, 3 YC night herons, Seaside and saltmarsh ST Sparrows
Brig--GB Tern, bb plover, sp plover, kdeer, sp sand. least sand, dunlin, both yellowlegs, brant, common loon, smst and ss sparrows.
South Mountain Reservation report for April 24th & 25th, 2005
Temp in 40's, gusty winds up to 25mph, alternating drizzle and breaks of sun each day. Observers Mary Kay Robinson and Andy Lamy.
Territorial behavior observed in Louisiana Waterthrush, Mallard, Am. Robin, Wood Duck, and BH Cowbird (female seen laying an egg in unidentified nest). Other species included Blue-headed Vireo, Phoebe, Rufous-sided Towhee*, Prarie*, Pine, Palm, Parula*, and Black-and-white* Warblers, Gray Catbird*, Hermit Thrush, BG Gnatcatcher, Chipping Sparrow, and a healthy mix of residents.

*Denotes new arrival for year/season

Brightwood Park & Lenape Park Report for April 18th, 2005
Temp 88 deg Fahr Observers Mary Kay Robinson and Andy Lamy
Lenape: Eastern Bluebirds seem to be persisting at the nest box project site among the plethora of Tree Swallows. Barn Swallow and Savannah Sparrow were also present.
Brightwood: 4 Palm Warblers, 10 Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers*, 30 White-throated Sparrows, 12 Goldfinches, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush*, 4
Red-winged Blackbirds,1 Blue-headed Vireo, 6 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow*, and 15 Common Grackles along with Mallard, Canada Geese, Cowbirds, and residents showing nest-building activities, ie Robin, Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy, Hairy, Flicker, & Red-bellied Woodpeckers.

*Denotes new arrival for year/season

Brightwood Park Report for April 8th, 2005
Temp today was 70 deg Fahr, cloudy sky clearing in light southerly wind from over night rain. 8:15am to 9:15am Terry Carruthers and Andy Lamy observing
Good "Fallout" day. Migrants today feature a mixed flock of songbirds, incl. min 25 Yellow-rumped Warblers, min. 10 Palm Warblers, min. 7 Pine Warblers, min. 4 Blue-headed Vireos*, one Hermit-Thrush*, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, min. 10 Golden-crowned Kinglets, min. 4 Phoebes. 3 Wood ducks seen on Pond, 1 Belted Kingfisher nearby at Echo Lake.

*Denotes new arrival for year/season

Brightwood Park Report for April 6th, 2005
Temp today was 80 deg Fahr, cloudless sky, minimal wind
Terry Carruthers and Andy Lamy observing

Migrants observed today: 4 Palm Warblers*, 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers*, 3 Pine Warblers*, 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets*, 10 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 6 Phoebes*, and 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

*Denotes new arrival for year/season

Map of Brightwood Park

Coming soon: Complete list of Brightwood Park sightings since 1995--Also, You can soon join "Friends of Brightwood Park"