Date: 1/15/26 5:25 am From: Shawn Wainwright <shawneagleeyes1...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Rusty Blackbirds in Toms River
For a week now I have been having at least 18 Rusty Blackbirds in my front yard. But what a scene this morning here with well over 50+ Rusty Blackbirds in the tree and on the ground across from my house at 39 Gem Ave in Toms River off of Lakehurst Road. There are also a bunch of Starlings mixed in but they are easy to separate at least. This is the most I've seen yet! Morning seems like the best time to see a lot of them. All are welcome to come see them. This flock is hit or miss if you come, here for 15 minutes then they disappear for a half hour or more. If not here just check around the neighborhood. But they love feeding on the ground across from my house so they always come back.
Date: 1/13/26 8:26 am From: Evan Cutler <evancutler...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Montclair Bird Club Zoom Program this Wednesday 1/14 at 7:30 pm
This Wednesday at 7:30 pm, please join the Montclair Bird Club for our first Zoom program of 2026, entitled "Color and Visual System Evolution in Birds." Whitney Tsai Nakashima from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will discuss how birds make the avian rainbow, how color functions in the life of birds, and explore how visual system sensitivities have evolved across the bird tree of life. The program is free and open to the public. Please send an email to <montclairbirdclub100...> for a Zoom invite. Hope to see you there! For more info, visit our website at www.montclairbirdclub.org.
Date: 1/11/26 3:18 pm From: Yvonne Stecher <000023c107b611bb-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Red-shouldered hawk taking and eating suet from a hanging suet log feeder
I had one in my yard in northern Hunterdon County a few weeks ago for the first time in 21 years. Two days later I saw a perched Red-shouldered hawk in a different part of town. Probably/possibly the same bird but interesting that I haven't seen them here before and then two sightings. I have seen them before a couple towns over, but not here. Beautiful birds.
> On 01/11/2026 4:49 PM EST Joan Detyna <jdetyna...> wrote: > > > I live 3 miles south of Flemington, off of Everett’s Road. > > I have had at least one Red-shouldered Hawk in my yard each winter season > since at least 2009. They used to fly along Everett’s Road. Most were > adults. > > I have had more juveniles since 2019. There were two in 2021, one of which > was killed in a window strike after it was being harassed by a crow, I > think. His skin is now in Princeton University’s bird skin collection and > all my windows are covered with commercial grade anti-collision decals. > > This season I have not yet had any Red-shoulders. The above is of course > not statistically significant but Carla’s question is an interesting one. > > Joan Detyna > Raritan Township > > On Sun, Jan 11, 2026 at 7:53 AM Carla Kelly-Mackey < > <00001c24612ab4ac-dmarc-request...> wrote: > > > We live south of Flemington & I've noticed an increase in the number of > > red shouldered hawks. What used to be rare sightings are now not unusual. > > Maybe the population is establishing itself in the area? Just a thought. > > > > > > > > Carla Kelly-Mackey, Stockton > > > > Sent with Proton Mail secure email. > > > > On Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at 5:08 PM, Jeffrey Climpson < > > <jkgreenwing...> wrote: > > > > > We live in a semi-suburban/semi-rural area near Flemington in Hunterdon > > > County. In recent weeks we have noticed a red-shouldered hawk frequenting > > > our yard and lately perching on our deck near our bird feeders. That's > > > when we noticed it was attempting (eventually successfully) - while > > > hovering a few feet above the deck - to use its talons to remove the suet > > > out of the suet log feeder we have hanging from a tree branch over the > > > deck. Very interesting behavior and a fun, nice, close look at a > > beautiful > > > raptor from about 15 to 20 feet away through a picture window. My > > question > > > is how did the bird even "know" what the suet was and that it was food? > > > > > > --Jeff Climpson > > > Flemington, NJ > > > > > > List Guidelines: > > https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > > > List help: <jerseybi-request...> > > > List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > > > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com > > > > List Guidelines: > > https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > > List help: <jerseybi-request...> > > List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com > > > > List Guidelines: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > List help: <jerseybi-request...> > List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com
Date: 1/11/26 1:50 pm From: Joan Detyna <jdetyna...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Red-shouldered hawk taking and eating suet from a hanging suet log feeder
I live 3 miles south of Flemington, off of Everett’s Road.
I have had at least one Red-shouldered Hawk in my yard each winter season
since at least 2009. They used to fly along Everett’s Road. Most were
adults.
I have had more juveniles since 2019. There were two in 2021, one of which
was killed in a window strike after it was being harassed by a crow, I
think. His skin is now in Princeton University’s bird skin collection and
all my windows are covered with commercial grade anti-collision decals.
This season I have not yet had any Red-shoulders. The above is of course
not statistically significant but Carla’s question is an interesting one.
Joan Detyna
Raritan Township
On Sun, Jan 11, 2026 at 7:53 AM Carla Kelly-Mackey <
<00001c24612ab4ac-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> We live south of Flemington & I've noticed an increase in the number of
> red shouldered hawks. What used to be rare sightings are now not unusual.
> Maybe the population is establishing itself in the area? Just a thought.
>
>
>
> Carla Kelly-Mackey, Stockton
>
> Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
>
> On Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at 5:08 PM, Jeffrey Climpson <
> <jkgreenwing...> wrote:
>
> > We live in a semi-suburban/semi-rural area near Flemington in Hunterdon
> > County. In recent weeks we have noticed a red-shouldered hawk frequenting
> > our yard and lately perching on our deck near our bird feeders. That's
> > when we noticed it was attempting (eventually successfully) - while
> > hovering a few feet above the deck - to use its talons to remove the suet
> > out of the suet log feeder we have hanging from a tree branch over the
> > deck. Very interesting behavior and a fun, nice, close look at a
> beautiful
> > raptor from about 15 to 20 feet away through a picture window. My
> question
> > is how did the bird even "know" what the suet was and that it was food?
> >
> > --Jeff Climpson
> > Flemington, NJ
> >
> > List Guidelines:
> https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > > List help: <jerseybi-request...>
> > List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com
>
> List Guidelines:
> https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > List help: <jerseybi-request...>
> List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com
>
Date: 1/11/26 4:53 am From: Carla Kelly-Mackey <00001c24612ab4ac-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Red-shouldered hawk taking and eating suet from a hanging suet log feeder
We live south of Flemington & I've noticed an increase in the number of red shouldered hawks. What used to be rare sightings are now not unusual. Maybe the population is establishing itself in the area? Just a thought.
Carla Kelly-Mackey, Stockton
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
On Saturday, January 10th, 2026 at 5:08 PM, Jeffrey Climpson <jkgreenwing...> wrote:
> We live in a semi-suburban/semi-rural area near Flemington in Hunterdon > County. In recent weeks we have noticed a red-shouldered hawk frequenting > our yard and lately perching on our deck near our bird feeders. That's > when we noticed it was attempting (eventually successfully) - while > hovering a few feet above the deck - to use its talons to remove the suet > out of the suet log feeder we have hanging from a tree branch over the > deck. Very interesting behavior and a fun, nice, close look at a beautiful > raptor from about 15 to 20 feet away through a picture window. My question > is how did the bird even "know" what the suet was and that it was food? > > --Jeff Climpson > Flemington, NJ > > List Guidelines: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind2107&L=JERSEYBI&P=R685&X=OE8E22FEF3A2B10DFE5 > List help: <jerseybi-request...> > List archives: https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=jerseybi > NJ Bird Records Committee: www.njbrc.com
Date: 1/10/26 8:15 pm From: Nora Hummel <000011b62e2b8f4d-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Red-shouldered hawk taking and eating suet from a hanging suet log feeder
just curious does the suet have any fruits or nuts (i have not used a log feeder in years) (when i had mine sometimes i would make my own suet i would add sunflower)
that being said perhaps if there was an additive maybe that is what attracted it the redtail
but no matter what what a beautiful moment it must have been
On Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 05:08:44 PM EST, Jeffrey Climpson <jkgreenwing...> wrote:
We live in a semi-suburban/semi-rural area near Flemington in Hunterdon
County. In recent weeks we have noticed a red-shouldered hawk frequenting
our yard and lately perching on our deck near our bird feeders. That's
when we noticed it was attempting (eventually successfully) - while
hovering a few feet above the deck - to use its talons to remove the suet
out of the suet log feeder we have hanging from a tree branch over the
deck. Very interesting behavior and a fun, nice, close look at a beautiful
raptor from about 15 to 20 feet away through a picture window. My question
is how did the bird even "know" what the suet was and that it was food?
Date: 1/10/26 2:09 pm From: Jeffrey Climpson <jkgreenwing...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Red-shouldered hawk taking and eating suet from a hanging suet log feeder
We live in a semi-suburban/semi-rural area near Flemington in Hunterdon County. In recent weeks we have noticed a red-shouldered hawk frequenting our yard and lately perching on our deck near our bird feeders. That's when we noticed it was attempting (eventually successfully) - while hovering a few feet above the deck - to use its talons to remove the suet out of the suet log feeder we have hanging from a tree branch over the deck. Very interesting behavior and a fun, nice, close look at a beautiful raptor from about 15 to 20 feet away through a picture window. My question is how did the bird even "know" what the suet was and that it was food?
Date: 1/5/26 4:56 am From: CHELEMER, MARC J <000023ab3895aed6-dmarc-request...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Team 1000Birds tries a winter Big Day (long post)
Dear fellow NJ birders,
On December 18, 2012, four of the best birders in New Jersey set out early from a starting point in Cape May to pursue a Big Day in southern Cape May country. Their remarkable exploits yielded 138 species; you can read their story in the archives of JerseyBirds. At the time, I thought the possibility of encountering that many birds in New Jersey on ANY day was astounding. I know more, having shared the excitement of ten World Series of Birding competitions...but that's in the springtime during the peak of migration. That many species in winter? I had been intrigued ever since.
On January 3, 2026, four of the NOT-best birders in New Jersey set out from the entrance sign to Forsythe Refuge to pursue a Big Day in Atlantic and Cape May Counties. We started at 6:30 and heard a Great Horned Owl within one minute of our start. Moving to another area just outside the refuge, Cliff Miller expertly whistled an Eastern Screech-Owl...and TWO answered! A heckuva start! We then began our drive around the loop. At Gull Pond, we scared up two American Bitterns and two Wilson's Snipes. The refuge was ice-covered, so waterfowl were concentrated and far off, but as we worked our way around, our list grew. From near the dog-leg, we were scanning the long line of waterfowl asleep on the ice in the Northwest Pool when, a mile off, I lucked onto a Short-eared Owl flying behind those waterfowl in the marsh beyond. A magnificent bird, we watched it for many minutes as it flew out towards the Osprey-cam platform, and then back into the southeast pool's vegetation. Three owls at our first location! Continuing, we came upon a noisy flock of passerines just after the "upper" entrance to Jen's Trail....more species. And a stop back at the visitor's center yielded more - Purple Finch, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatch. As we recrossed the bridge to exit Forsythe, we stopped just one more time, to quickly hear/see Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Gray Catbird...thus we'd picked up all three mimids on the refuge, and 60 total species by 9:30.
A visit to South Cove at Brigantine added the expected "big shorebirds" onto our list: Marbled Godwit, American Oystercatcher, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher. The Dunlin flock was too far off to pick out a Western Sandpiper...one of the many "misses" on the day. A visit to the Longport jetty at the southern tip of Atlantic City's barrier island yielded nothing...the Harlequin Duck found the day before was not observable. Then, on to Cape May County, with first stops at the Hereford Inlet (Peregrine on the beach across the channel, Horned Grebe in the channel, Gannets offshore), 2nd Avenue jetty (Purple Sandpiper - one! - and Ruddy Turnstone - one!). Try as we might, we could not find a White-winged Scoter among the hundreds of scoters, loons, Long-tailed Ducks, and Red-breasted Mergansers we saw on the day - another miss. At the Coast Guard ponds at the southern end of the Wildwoods, we finally saw Ruddy Ducks and Green-winged Teal (high fives all around when four flew into the only open water in the far north corner), and collected Savannah Sparrow, Black-bellied Plover, and a flyby Greater Yellowlegs (nice spotting, Avery Cunningham!) at Two-Mile. As we headed for Cape Island, we stopped to 'scope the end of the Cape May Harbor south jetty and could see the Great Cormorants sitting atop the Coast Guard beacon. We came upon at least twenty, perhaps twenty-five Yellow-rumped Warblers feeding in the gravel by the side of the road a little further on...they were frenetic. Any thoughts on what might have prompted such a feeding frenzy in the habitat normally "reserved" for juncos and sparrows?
By this time, news of a Townsend's Solitaire at Hidden Valley had reached us, but we stuck, at least at first, with our plan. A Palm and Nashville Warbler foraged side-by-side in the green grass near the entrance to the Beanery, and we'd seen the flock of Sandhill Cranes in the "magic field" across the road. A stunning Lark Sparrow adult foraged a little further on amidst farm equipment and picnic tables. A Merlin flew into the top of a nearby tree. But we could not find a White-crowned, Chipping, or Field Sparrow at all, nor the continuing Vesper Sparrow(s)...but we gave the Beanery short shrift, as at this point, we made the first of two (failed) attempts to see the Solitaire. Failing after nearly an hour, we resumed the itinerary, stopping in front of the O'Brien/Zemaitis household. Never were four birders happier to see a Carolina Chickadee or a House Finch, in addition to the desired Baltimore Orioles. We then visited the concrete ship and CMPSP, finally (on Lighthouse Pond) finding the first and ONLY Mute Swans seen all day (along with a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk, a Killdeer, and a flyover Great Egret, plus Tree Swallows).
Back to the Solitaire spot for one more try...failed again...but a flock of Cedar Waxwings added to our list. Finally, as it got dark, we went to the Meadows and were rewarded by an American Woodcock flying right over our heads. A long walk along the new metal boardwalk and the west path yielded a far-off "Hoo" of a Barred Owl, and that was it, the end of the day. As a team, we'd amassed 111 species (a few were "dirty birds" in WSB parlance, meaning not all members of the team saw/heard them). We had devoted more than an hour and a half of daylight birding to the Solitaire, which we know would've yielded a bigger list had we pursued the original itinerary. We'd missed numerous "easy" birds like Brown Creeper, the aforementioned sparrows, Winter Wren, White-winged Scoter, Wood Duck, Redhead (on Lily Lake the day before, but not found, despite careful scrutiny, on Saturday). We'd missed harder birds like a Lesser Yellowlegs, Snowy Egret, an irregular RT Hummingbird, the Solitaire. And the tides had been wrong for visiting Nummy Island for marsh sparrows. But we were pleased with our first-time effort. Although it had been my idea originally, Cliff Miller did the hard work of scouring e-bird reports for likely species; he prepared the itinerary. Avery Cunningham and Whitney Dyer's exceptional eyes and top-notch camera work found and either confirmed (or disproved sometimes) many of our IDs. We're already thinking about Sunday, 1/3/27...
Good birding!
Marc Chelemer
Tenafly
(1,108)
(Postscript: Avery and Whitney went back to the Solitaire location on Sunday 1/4 and saw and photographed the bird after a wait of less than 30 minutes! Bully for them! And wouldn't you know, three Trumpeter Swans were on Lily Lake yesterday...)
Date: 12/29/25 5:37 am From: Nora Hummel <000011b62e2b8f4d-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Long Branch CBC
thanks to all for braving the weather
On Monday, December 29, 2025 at 08:00:58 AM EST, Tom Brown <tshrike19...> wrote:
Greeting all,
Just a brief note on the Long Branch CBC, I'll provide a more thorough
breakdown once all the numbers are finalized.
The 91st Long Branch CBC was held on 12/28, postponed a day due to the ice
storm that hit most of central NJ. Conditions were cold in the early
morning, a low of 14 F recorded by one team, but warming as the day
progressed, with overcast and calm conditions.
As of now we stand at 120 total species for the day, pretty good
considering the conditions of the past several days. The 120 species is
higher than the 115 of 2024; the highest species count for the circle was
128 in 1997. Many of the smaller bodies of water were frozen, but larger
areas, such as coastal tidal creeks, shark river estuary and the glendola
reservoir remained open.
Highlights include: a count first SWAINSON'S THRUSH, found by Patrick
Becker's group in Allaire State Park (a photo was sent, clearly a
Swainson's thrush, and not enjoying the conditions), Black-crowned Night
Heron for the second year in a row, after a lengthy absence by Chris
Williams and team, Harlequin Duck, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Baltimore Oriole,
Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, Wilson's Snipe,
Iceland Gull (quite a few), Cackling Goose (we will likely hit a high on
Cackling Goose),, Pine Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Canvasback
(another species with a long absence on the count). Half-hardies, such as
Gray Catbird, Hermit Thrush, and Eastern Towhee, were well represented
during the count.
A big Thank You to Monmouth County Audubon for the continued support for
the LBCBC!!
Date: 12/29/25 5:01 am From: Tom Brown <tshrike19...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Long Branch CBC
Greeting all,
Just a brief note on the Long Branch CBC, I'll provide a more thorough breakdown once all the numbers are finalized.
The 91st Long Branch CBC was held on 12/28, postponed a day due to the ice storm that hit most of central NJ. Conditions were cold in the early morning, a low of 14 F recorded by one team, but warming as the day progressed, with overcast and calm conditions.
As of now we stand at 120 total species for the day, pretty good considering the conditions of the past several days. The 120 species is higher than the 115 of 2024; the highest species count for the circle was 128 in 1997. Many of the smaller bodies of water were frozen, but larger areas, such as coastal tidal creeks, shark river estuary and the glendola reservoir remained open.
Highlights include: a count first SWAINSON'S THRUSH, found by Patrick Becker's group in Allaire State Park (a photo was sent, clearly a Swainson's thrush, and not enjoying the conditions), Black-crowned Night Heron for the second year in a row, after a lengthy absence by Chris Williams and team, Harlequin Duck, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Baltimore Oriole, Lark Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, Wilson's Snipe, Iceland Gull (quite a few), Cackling Goose (we will likely hit a high on Cackling Goose),, Pine Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Canvasback (another species with a long absence on the count). Half-hardies, such as Gray Catbird, Hermit Thrush, and Eastern Towhee, were well represented during the count.
A big Thank You to Monmouth County Audubon for the continued support for the LBCBC!!
