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new jersey

  1. B

    South NJ, USA - Loon, Merganser, or Cormorant? (distant, blurry)

    Spotted today at the confluence of a Delaware River tributary. The waters are somewhat tidal here. Snowy with frozen water nearby. High-contrast black cap/mask, black body, with bright white throat/neck. Canada Geese (and other ducks?) in frame for comparison. First time poster, sorry if this...
  2. double-crested cormorant

    double-crested cormorant

    Enjoying the first sunny weekend in a long time
  3. Common loon

    Common loon

    I thought there was something wrong when I saw him crawl out of the water, but then I learned their legs are so far back, they can't walk on land.
  4. Common yellowthroat

    Common yellowthroat

    A common yellowthroat
  5. Brown thrasher

    Brown thrasher

    Serious looking talons on this brown thrasher
  6. Yellow Warbler

    Yellow Warbler

    A cute yellow warbler
  7. Bald Eagle

    Bald Eagle

    Wasn't expecting a bald eagle
  8. LongTailedDuck_3685-SD.jpg

    LongTailedDuck_3685-SD.jpg

    Long-tailed Duck male in winter plumage.
  9. DSC_0717.JPG

    DSC_0717.JPG

    Ruddy Turnstone
  10. Greater scaup

    Greater scaup

    A greater scaup sharing an inlet with brants, mergansers, and bufflehead
  11. Red-breasted merganser

    Red-breasted merganser

    My favorite bird
  12. Snow goose

    Snow goose

    A single snow goose joined this flock of Canada geese. A rare sighting in these parts.
  13. Northern Flicker

    Northern Flicker

    Formerly split under the name Yellow-shafted Flicker, this eastern woodpecker was combined with the western Red-shafted Flicker with both lumped into the Northern Flicker in 1982. There is a hybrid zone extending from Alaska to Texas where intermediate birds are found. The two former species are...
  14. Bald Eagle

    Bald Eagle

    One of an astonishing 52 Bald Eagles tallied passing over the Cape May hawk watch viewing platform that day. Exact ageing can be tricky, but this immature type is usually called "sub-adult II." It still has a dark head with some white mottling and a mottled belly. Note also the uneven...
  15. Black-throated Blue Warbler

    Black-throated Blue Warbler

    Migration peaks in mid-September and is mostly over by mid-October so this was a rather late straggler. These females invariably foraged very low to the ground where they blended well with the leaf litter. Easily confused with other species, notice the white "check" mark at the base of its...
  16. Blue Jay

    Blue Jay

    This common but attractive Eastern North American species was visiting a water feature behind the observatory headquarters. Their crest often lies flat as seen here. This is presumably the darker northern race "C. c. bromia" characterized by larger, more extensive white markings on its wings and...
  17. Golden Eagle

    Golden Eagle

    First spotted by Steve Bauer, this impressive eagle generated much enthusiasm at the hawk watch observation deck. Still rare in the East, this was only the second one recorded here this season. It takes them more than five years to achieve full adult plumage. Exact ageing of immature birds such...
  18. Bobolink

    Bobolink

    We were not expecting to see this species for which Fall migration is usually over by mid-October. They are super long-distance migrants wintering in South America. This straggler was the only one we saw. This species is listed as threatened by the state of New Jersey because of serious...
  19. Mute Swan

    Mute Swan

    These conspicuous, graceful all white swans were introduced from Europe to the United States in 1910 and first detected in New Jersey in 1916. They are now very common around Cape May. Now usually considered a pest, they can be very aggressive and are believed to contribute to declines of native...
  20. Boat-tailed Grackle

    Boat-tailed Grackle

    Formerly absent from New Jersey, this species expanded its range north in the 1950's and bred in New Jersey in 1952. It is now common in suitable habitat (reed beds) along the New Jersey shoreline. Birds in New Jersey are the light-eyed subspecies "Q. m. torreyi" which ranges from Long Island...
  21. White-rumped Sandpiper

    White-rumped Sandpiper

    A long distance migrant from breeding grounds in the High Arctic tundra to wintering grounds in South America. Much of their migration is off-shore. In New Jersey, Fall migration peaks in late August and early September and drops off through November. All the ones we saw were in nice crisp fresh...
  22. Ovenbird

    Ovenbird

    An early Fall migrant in New Jersey starting in August with peak numbers in early and mid September. This one was an unusually late straggler. A terrestrial warbler that walks among the dead leaves, they typically bob their heads and cock their tail as they strut on the ground. This is...
  23. American Oystercatcher

    American Oystercatcher

    Extirpated from New Jersey by the beginning of the 20th century, these oystercatchers recolonized starting in the 1940's and are now locally fairly common again. In winter they sometimes form large flocks. Their distinctive bright red bills are used like a knife to shuck bivalves, but they also...
  24. Eastern Towhee

    Eastern Towhee

    This is a male visiting a feeder behind the observatory headquarters. Females are similar but are brown, not black on their head and back. Widespread in Eastern North America, they are an abundant breeder and fairly common migrant in New Jersey, becoming scarce in winter. They like to forage in...
  25. Great Cormorant

    Great Cormorant

    The largest of the North American Cormorants, they are a rather scarce migrant and winter visitor to New Jersey from breeding grounds in Maine and the Maritime Provinces. Although they have increased in recent years they are greatly outnumbered by the abundant Double-crested Cormorants The two...
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