The eggs were due to hatch over the last week, and while I can’t confirm if they hatched or not before the chicks died, I can confirm that they didn’t survive based on the parents not tending the nest for two consecutive days. Leafless trees should have gained good looks at migrating birds if there were any.
As I know the Gallinule breeds there it was probably their call. We easily say 6-8 Males in just one area, and numerous others in various stages of molt spread out in the group, which included what appeared to be females mixed in.– There is a pair of Chipping Sparrows nesting in one of the shrubs near the lower deck of our house. Saw it from the rail trail about half way between the two parking lots5/4 Charlie Fineran (Allamuchy)- Been seeing some Great Blue Heron, working the drainage ditches in the ‘Mucklands’ off Young’s Island Road and have also seen them flying overhead going to and fro from their Pequest Rookery not far from my house out in the Pequest River riparian area.Last Thursday driving home on Youngs Island Rd. Resident Mute Swans, Canada Geese, and Great Blue Herons are all building or tending nests, while many waterfowl species are pairing, with drakes calling and displaying their finery.
noticed that the Barn Swallows back, darting over the fields!!
We have also been enjoying a gorgeous pair of Wood Ducks and a very active Great Blue Heron.
To get a bird sighting in Sussex Co. posted on this site, receive current sightings by email or get directions to a birding location, contact kdc05@ptd.net. 10 am4/1 Karyn Cichoki- The last two days we have had a flock of Cedar Waxwings in the yard either feeding or drinking from the Maple flowers & Cedar branches. I still haven’t heard any Spring Peepers calling but last night I finally heard Wood Frogs calling. Saw it catch a Mourning Dove last week. They disappeared and the Black-capped Chickadees added to the nest. The Black-capped Chickadees are investigating the nest boxes and I found some moss in the bottom of one, so am keeping an eye on it.This is the fourth spring that a group of male Red-winged Blackbirds have shown up in the yard, including one with a noticeable patch of white feathers on its side. We spied two pair of Common Mergansers sailing around the lake.
Visitors include Downy woodpeckers, Black-capped chickadees, Tufted titmice, White-throated sparrows, House sparrows, American goldfinches, Northern Cardinals, Bluejays, American robins, Wild Turkey and Black vultures soaring.3/21 Donna and Don Traylor- The birds certainly knew it was the first day of Spring. A few Spring Peepers were calling. The skunk cabbage is poking through. We have every hope that our woodpecker tree will be home again to a Red-Bellied Woodpecker family.
Still are a good number of dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows, too.3/21 Fred Weber-About 60 Scaup sp. I know that some of our members like to be updated on the nest status at our club meetings, but I hate to have to share such sad news.
Wood ducks are swimming in our stream. The Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are using the same tree along the path to nest in as they have for several years now. The number of American Goldfinches is continuing to increase.4/9 Fred Weber (Culver Lake)- 4 Greater Scaup this morning. They sound like ducks quacking in the woods.We’ve also had American Robins fly by along with Bald Eagles and a very beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk. We continue to have Dark-eyed juncos. One a bit darker, probably the male.
I was joined by two other bird club members and after parking at the lake parking lot we walked up the road to the trail head. At Culvers Lake, there were Buffleheads, Tree Swallows and 14 Common Loons. Hopefully more spring migrants will show up soon!4/27 Fred Weber (Culvers Lake)- 12 Bonaparte’s Gulls. Numerous A morning walk around Arundel Park looking for chats and flycatchers was a signal failure, with none seen. 10 Cedar Waxwings high in Oaks.
Warblers heard or seen included: Ovenbird, Black-throated blue, American Redstart, Black-and-white, Blackburnian, Northern Waterthrush and Prairie.
The Bluebirds started nest building weeks ago.
There were a couple of Black Ducks and several pairs of Common Mergansers along with all the Mute Swans, Canada Geese and Mallards on pond 2.
Our visitors include: 4 male Northern Cardinals and 3 female Cardinals; 1 Carolina Wren; 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker; 1 Downy Woodpecker; 3 Mourning Doves; a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos; 1 House Sparrow; a dozen White-throated Sparrows; 1 Song Sparrow? Well today I risked getting scalped to take the attached photo of the 2 very well fed young. I usually always look before I go out, so as not to startle them away from the feeders. The woods behind our house are alive with the sounds of American Robins, American Goldfinches, House Finches, Tufted Titmice, Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals and White-throated sparrows . A pair of Wood Ducks are still debating about using their box.
It found the suet droppings under the suet feeder, dug in the seams between the concrete walkway slabs causing the ants to come out and was under the sunflower feeder with the rest of the yard group.
5/7 Alice Piatek (Oak Ridge- This morning, I observed 3 Red-tailed Hawks calling and circling above my home. Last year, one of the two chicks died within a few weeks of hatching, so I’m not sure if these are signs of a problem with the eagles and/or the environment around them or not.
On the lawn were three plump American Robins digging for worms. We’ve been watching them for a couple of days. The Blackburnian Warbler was singing in the boardwalk area.
In addition to our resident Mute Swans we continue to see on the lake Buffleheads and Common Goldeneye. and got a brief 3-4 minute sighting of the Golden Eagle first reported Feb. 32/7 Alice Piatek- Visitors today included the usual gang – Dark-eyed juncos, Black-capped chickadees, Northern cardinals, Bluejays, White-throated sparrows, Tufted titmice, Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers, White-breasted nuthatches and Mourning doves. Additionally, we were treated with a great view of a barred owl at dusk on George Hill Road. I heard the first Eastern Phoebe calling from our neighbor’s yard. Numbers appear to be growing1/2 Donna and Don- 2020 began with quality rather than quantity in our Frankford yard.