March 18 - Ruddy Duck

I spent the day working a card show and had little time to bird until the late afternoon. I made a drive through The Meadowlands finding most of the usual ducks, raptors and blackbirds. A couple of Ruddy Ducks were hanging out just off Valley Brook Ave. and easy to spot.

March 17 - Eastern Meadowlark

We made a trip today to Cape may Bird Observatory's annual optics sale. We were looking to upgrade our binoculars. We did. We decided we like Leicas. We tried 'em out in Cape May for a few hours after lunch. We saw some interesting birds but nothing outstanding. Piping Plovers we on the beach, at least 6 birds seen. Oystercatchers were out there as well. Cape Meadow Preserve had a group of Meadowlarks in the fields.

March 16 - Pied-bill Grebe

I went off this morning to search for yesterday's rarity at Oradell Reservoir, Long-tailed Duck. I spent 1-1/2 hours and walked 3 miles searching the reservoir for the duck. No luck today. 4 Pied-billed Grebes were seen, many Ruddy Ducks, a Bluebird and a young Bald Eagle were my highlights. The grebe photo is from the Florida trip and Green Cay Wetlands.

March 15 - American Kestrel

I didn't have too much time to bird today, but meeting at Harrier Meadow with Mike would allow me 45 minutes. We drove out Harrier Meadow and had most of the regular birds. 7 Common Snipe were seen together, but that bird had been used already. Just outside the harrier gate a male Kestrel called and flew in landing on the electrical tower nearest harrier Meadow. The photo is one from a recent Florida trip.

March 14 - Boat-tailed Grackle

Today I went with Mike and Gabby to Kearny Marsh to install some Wood Duck houses in the marsh. Shortly after arriving, I heard a Boat-tailed Grackle singing amongst the Common Grackles. A number of years ago, they were not heard heard in The Meadowlands. but the last few there have been a few birds around, possibly nesting somewhere. 450 Ruddy Ducks, 7 Great Blue Herons, Northern Harrier and Bald Eagle were the highlights here.

March 13 - Winter Wren

Today at Garret Mountain Reservation the bird numbers were less. Only 1 Phoebe s=was seen but 5 Woodcocks were in the upper part of the park near the stables. Winter Wrens were still singing.

March 12 - Field Sparrow

I spent some time this morning at Garret Mountain Reservation. Birds were on the move there. 10+ Phoebes, 100+ Robins and Juncos, 30+ Song Sparrows. great Blue Heron flew over the pond. Winter Wrens were singing at the streams. Field Sparrow singing form one of the picnic areas. 35+ species seen around the park.

March 11 - Hooded Merganser

With little time today to bird, we stopped briefly at Garret Mountain Reservation and viewed the female Hooded Merganser on Barbour's Pond. She's been there since October.

March 10 - Ring-necked Pheasant

After lunch today we spent an hour or so at Mary Patrick Park in Mahwah. We saw lots of ducks including Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwall and Wood Ducks. The 12 Wood Ducks were my 100th Bergen County bird for the year. I spent the late afternoon on Disposal Rd. in the Meadowlands with the hawk photographers. 2 Ring-necked Pheasants flushed on the Kingsland Landfill. They have been tough birds to spot since the disturbances and construction at the landfill.

March 9 - Wilson's Snipe

I spent the early morning walking the Valley Brook Ave. area of NJ Meadowlands. While it seemed like blackbird numbers continue to increase, not much else was flying around. While near the Avon Landfill a Wilson's Snipe flew over and ditched near the old ball fields. This was much more common last winter than this despite the better weather. Snipe photo is from Harrier Meadow on another date.

March 8 - Great Horned Owl

I spent the early morning walking 5 miles around The Meadowlands, More Tree Swallows and Blackbirds have arrived. Good numbers of ducks are still being seen with 200 or so Northern Shovelers, 100+ Pintails, 300+ Green-winged Teal and lots of Gadwall, Black Ducks and Common Mergansers. Song Sparrows were singing everywhere I walked. I made an afternoon trip to Garret Mountain Reservation where I found a Great Horned Owl, with a bit of help from a friend who spotted one a day or 2 ago.

March 7 - Ruby-crowned Kinglet

I spent some time in NJ Meadowlands today. Tree Swallows have arrived. A few of them are around the impoundments checking out the nest boxes. Some of these boxes are in need of repair. I found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet chattering away in a group of pines in a corporate park in The Meadowlands. Kinglets have been all seen all around The Meadowlands this winter.

March 6 - Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Today I made the drive to Cape May to do some birding, looking for a few new birds for the year. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, a first NJ state record bird was my first stop. After 45 minutes the bird showed itself briefly. I got ID looks but no photograph. I searched in vain for the Western Grebe. I was the only one birding the beach today so it could have been anywhere, Missed out on the Dicksissel at the Audubon center, but found some Oystercatchers on the jetty, Pine Warbler in the state park and Rufous Hummingbird at the Audubon Center in Goshen. Photo is courtesy of Fred Pfeifer who made the trip down as well and had some luck with a photo.

March 5 - Northern Harrier

I spent some time today walking some parts of NJ Meadowlands. It has been a bit slow lately but seeing Savannah, Tree and White-crowned Sparrows is always nice. A young male Northern Harrier has been flying through the Valley Brook Ave. area chasing the sparrows.

March 4 - Brant

Today I made another trip to the mudflats in search of the Bonaparte's Gulls. I guess I'm not getting the tide right, because there were none to be found. Wigeon, Bufflehead and Black Ducks were seen as well as the usual gulls. Many Brant were around making their most interesting vocalization.

March 3 - Herring Gull

This weekend I'm working at the Raritan Center in Edison, NJ. I was hoping to go to Morgan Ave. Mudflats to check for Bonaparte's Gull. We had a huge amount of fog while I drove south on the turnpike. It was worse in the Amboy area. I scrapped the side trip and figured I'd use a gull or something near the Raritan Center. herring Gull was the bird of choice.Photo is of a herring Gull from another day. Too much fog for a photo today.

March 2 - Common Merganser

I had a limited amount of time to bird today. I made a trip to Richard DeKorte Park, NJ Meadowlands. I've "used" most of the ducks here. Common Merganser and Black Duck are the only ones left that may not be here in a month or so. At least a dozen Common Mergansers were seen in the impoundments,

March 1 - Brown Creeper

I took a trip to Garret Mountain Reservation to take a late winter photograph of Barbour's Pond. I did a bit of birding around the pond as well. There have been some wintering birds here. Fox Sparrow, Brown Creeper, Hooded Merganser and Ring-necked Ducks were the highlights. Photo is from Garret mountain 5 years ago. It's probably my favorite Creeper photo.