Month: February 2018

My first trip of the year to New Jersey held promise of some interesting winter birds. Before every trip I sign up for the eBird alerts for the area and was surprised that there were few reports from my favorite hotspot, the Richard W. DeKorte Park. While driving over a bridge on the New Jersey turnpike I saw Bufflehead and Common Mergansers which seemed promising.

The purpose of the trip was an external audit at the Sandy Alexander headquarters. The first day went well but I was tired after an early flight and long day so it was straight to the hotel. Up and out by 6:30 a.m. to head to the nearby Richard W. DeKorte Park for some winter birding. It soon became apparent that the lack of recent bird reports was due to the frozen lakes which had very little open water. My hope of numerous duck species was reduced to a few Mallards and Hooded Mergansers. Best of the seventeen species were American Tree Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow.

The next morning I went to a new birding spot, the River Barge Park on the Hackensack River in Carlstadt. The birding was tough between the falling snow, wind and 19 degree weather. Nice looks at Bufflehead and Common Mergansers along with three gull species. This is the first time I have seen more Great Black-backed than Ring-billed Gulls. A bonus Song Sparrow on the way out was enough to get me out the car again.

During the early afternoon I went with the CEO to the Paterson Great Falls on the Passaic River. This is the second largest falls in the eastern US (after Niagara) and became a National Natural Landmark in 1967. The roaring water with snow and ice was absolutely breathtaking, especially with the rainbow (cover photo). Not many birds but we did have Mallards, Bufflehead, Ring-billed Gulls and Rock Pigeons.

After a successful audit it was time to fly out of Newark to Tampa because our next birding adventure was starting early the following day.

 

 

Trip Birds: 17   Life Birds: 0

Next up: Lake Apopka Birding Festival