Registrar: Lisa Kroop
Participants: 9
Weather: 55°F–67°F; sunny and partly cloudy; breezy 9–12 mph
Bird Species: 55
It was a beautiful day with bright blue skies and the sun coming in and out from behind large cumulus clouds. Richard remarked that it felt like March, given how cool and breezy it was, but compared to last year—when it was so hot and humid that we had to cancel the trip—this weather was exceedingly welcome.
We spent the first part of the day at the Great Swamp, beginning at the meadows and the wooded trails near the Helen C. Fenske Visitor Center. While we watched the Purple Martins at their nesting gourds and swooping with the Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows overhead, a Red-shouldered Hawk flew by in the distance. After entering the woods, we saw the first of several active nests of the day, this one belonging to a Wood Thrush, its identity revealed by the mother peeking out over the edge.
We next made our way down Pleasant Plains Road, and from the bridge over the Great Brook (a tributary to the Passaic River), we saw an adult Bald Eagle perched on the top of a tall snag being harassed by a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds. Walking towards the Overlook, we saw several Blue-gray Gnatcatchers defending their nests, and at the Overlook we watched a nearby Eastern Kingbird. Walking back to the cars, we saw a Spotted Sandpiper in the Great Brook on top of a log.
We spent the second part of our trip at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, headquarters of New Jersey Audubon. Soon after we arrived we heard a Pileated Woodpecker calling, and we headed into the woods to look for it. We were unsuccessful at finding it, but we enjoyed the lushness of the forest, especially its understory of ferns and other plants. We made our way down to the Passaic River, now farther upstream from the Great Swamp and close to its headwaters. Louisiana Waterthrush nest along the river here, and we were hoping to find one. That didn’t happen, but the setting was beautiful and there other active bird nests and plenty of other birds to see and hear.
Many thanks to Richard for leading us on a wonderful walk.
Species List
Birds
Canada Goose
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Spotted Sandpiper
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker (h)
Pileated Woodpecker (h)
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher (h)
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo (h)
Warbling Vireo (h)
Red-eyed Vireo (h)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird (h)
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (h)
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Indigo Bunting
Butterflies
Spring Azure
Skipper sp.
Herps
Snapping turtle
Mammals
Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern Gray Squirrel
