Ewing/Backyard 9/24

Migrants:
Northern Parula (2+)
Magnolia Warbler (2)
American Redstart
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
Chipping Sparrow (multiple)

and the local boys:
Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Downy Woodpecker

Considering that I hardly ever see Blackburnian in fall, this was a good find and a new yard bird.
Once again the mixed species flock is a reliable locator of migrants. This is also an early date for fall migrant Chipping Sparrows, although none of them stayed in my yard.

Mixed species flock in Ewing 9/17

And by Ewing I mean in my yard in NJ. I was tinkering with the aging Honda's splash guard and heard a mixed flock moving through.

The local boys were:
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Chickadee

However they were accompanied by a rather nice selection of migrants:
Northern Flicker (multiple)
Gray Catbird
Red-eyed Vireo
American Redstart
Northern Parula (multiple)
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Common Yellowthroat

and the finale was a high altitude Osprey coasting over the yard headed for the Delaware River. The Osprey and three of the warblers were yard birds. The species list also compares pretty well to my Central Park sightings list from earlier in the day. I also heard a Song Sparrow sound off, which may or may not be a migrant - most summer breeders leave my yard before fall migration, which is why Gray Catbird is included on the migrant list.

Scarlet Tanager as new yard bird

While making tea I heard a familiar song - one which I often describe as "a Robin on speed" - and tracked it down after a little while to a Scarlet Tanager that was singing from the top of my big oak in the back yard. It was just singing, not singing-while-feeding as a lot of warblers do, and in fact there were two Scarlet Tanagers with the other one singing from a distance to the north. A little later I heard a nearby Northern Parula sounding off. Despite the cool start to the day and what appears to be a north wind, some local migration must have happened.

Very gratifyingly, not only is Scarlet Tanager a new yard bird, but I also got to watch it sing for a while.

Backyard Monday

Watching the yard in Ewing on Monday morning was quite productive: the Yellow-rumped Warbler(s) were singing their unmusical warble and I could hear a distant Black-throated Blue Warbler song and hints of an even more distant Northern Waterthrush (uncertain). Then I spied an Ovenbird, only a few feet from my property line (and therefore sadly not on my full yard list). Finally two Pine Siskins turned up at my feeders, which I'm still running as I get through the last of the season's seed. Sadly from the way the House Wren is singing it still lacks a mate, but with migration ongoing perhaps one will arrive soon.

A little Black Vulture migration

Black Vultures have been expanding north over the last several years, but they are still by no means numerous in the general area of Central to Northern NJ. They seem to retreat south in the winter, and I was refilling my yard feeders on Monday morning when a trio of Black Vultures were circling over my house, headed south. A new yard bird.

Not long afterward on the commute to work there was a mixed Turkey & Black Vulture flock circling over Nassau Park shopping center, also headed south. An attractive idea of vulture flocks picking over holiday shoppers, I think in this case the hardening weather had driven vulture flocks south. I also see more Turkey Vultures over my neighborhood in winter, although they remain pretty numerous locally throughout the year.

Yard birding Oct 17, 18th

In the yard in Ewing on Sunday morning there was evidence of migration, with my Red Oak full of Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-throated Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows in small flocks around the yard, and a fly-over Purple Finch. The other resident species were milling around, perhaps attracted by the flocks: White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Downy Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker.

On Sunday PM just one Yellow-rumped Warbler was still lurking around.

On Monday morning at least one Yellow-rumped was sounding off, and there was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet passing through.

Swallows and Swifts

A nice find on returning home last night was a group of Chimney Swifts and swallows feeding over a (presumed) insect swarm across the road and doing passes over my property. A couple of large dragonflies were also hunting. At first I assumed it was just two or more Barn Swallows, but after fetching binoculars I saw two Northern Rough-winged Swallows perched on one of my Silver Maples. Northern Rough-winged is a new yard bird.

Mixed feelings about raptors

Returning from South Amboy, I was unloading the wood I'd bought from the car when I noticed a Chickadee alarm call and something moving in my spruce patch. After grabbing the binoculars I was able to watch an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk eat a sparrow (probably White-throated) it had apparently just caught. Took it about 10-15 minutes to get most of the way through it.

Such is the nature of feeders - I attract birds and the small passerines attract raptors. This is the first raptor actually *on* the property, so it would be helpful if it was just passing through since I wasn't planning on maintaining a raptor feeding station. The feeders have yet to become very active, perhaps in part because of the warmer weather, but probably also because of the better seed crop this year - at least judging from the number of acorns littering my back lawn.