Great Swamp
April 26th 2014
Leader: Mike Anderson
April 26th 2014
Leader: Mike Anderson
The April 26th NJ Young Birders Club trip to the Great Swamp was another huge success! Our guide Mike Anderson led the group of 5 young birders and a few adults around the swamp to various hotspots, starting at the Wildlife Observation Center on Long Hill Road and finishing at the Fenske Center on Pleasant Plains Road. It was a great day for migrants, particularly raptors with 7 bald eagles, black and turkey vultures, sharp-shinned, cooper's, broad-winged, and red-tailed hawks, and an osprey making up the different raptor species. On the songbird end, an early yellow-throated vireo was heard by a few people, an early gray catbird made an appearance, a brown thrasher was seen and heard outside of the Fenske Center, a ruby-throated hummingbird was seen, and there were 5 warbler species including a few black-and-whites and 3 yellow warblers. Two greater yellowlegs were also heard in the marshes. Thanks to our guide, Mike Anderson, who was extremely nice and helpful!
-Andrew Marden
Species List
Total: 57 species
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Wild Turkey
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle (7!)
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Greater Yellowlegs
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue Jay
Crow Sp.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Black-and-white Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Heard only by me in the beginning, clearly different call than the other chipping sparrows calling)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Total: 57 species
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Wild Turkey
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Bald Eagle (7!)
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Greater Yellowlegs
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue Jay
Crow Sp.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Black-and-white Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco (Heard only by me in the beginning, clearly different call than the other chipping sparrows calling)
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird