Date: 4/17/24 7:49 pm From: Lisa Potash <Lisapotash6...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Owl in the Box Update
Hello JerseyBirders,
The current status of owl(s) in the box(s) is 1 resident Male. Technically a gray morph, but this fellow has beautiful brown tones around the face. He’s our returning male (Mr Grey III) that first appeared 2023 early Spring and was the latest mate to Mrs Grey. Last season, the pair did everything (courtship, nesting behavior in the front yard box) but suddenly at the end of March Mrs Grey up and left, only to chose another nest site. This pattern was not uncommon for our yard Screech Owls, and occurred a number of times over the years.
Mr. Grey returned to the yard boxes on Oct 3, 2023 and has been here steadily since then. Unfortunately, Mrs Grey never reappeared. I would be surprised if the female is still alive, since she always returned to the yard, with or without a mate.
It’s hard to know if our resident male currently has a mate, but i would bet not. Mr. Grey was vocal a few days in the month of November, but quite in February and March, when pairs come together for courtship and mating. I have observed Screech Owl pairs roosting together during summer while molting, during courtship, during the period of egg-laying and even with chicks present when under necessity. So, the fact that this owl has not brought a female into the yard boxes (nest cams show none) makes me think he’s a bachelor.
If Mr. Grey is solo this season, it does not mean that he’s not eyeing a female in the general area, or waiting for an opportunity to move in. One nesting season we had a rogue male bring a prey item to the box while Mrs Grey and Mr. Grey 1st were inside on eggs. Both owls sounded alarm calls, and the male exited the box soon after. And, this first Grey male/mate to Mrs Grey ended up MIA soon after the chicks were born. After the chicks died, this new male (Mr. Grey II) took over as her mate, but they did not renest.
Now that we are into April, if there is a mate eggs should be hatching by the end of the month. Mr. Grey III has mostly been roosting in the front yard nest box. The past week i made note that the boxes were empty, but then the male would be inside later on. Most likely he was roosting pretty close to the box, and was flushed inside by yard birds. He was absent two days in a row, and back today, but as the leaf cover emerges he will be gone more often and eventually be gone for the summer months.
One interesting note, is this owl has brought in 5 flying squirrels! I didn’t know we had so many in the area, but since they’re nocturnal, i never get to see them unless the little critters are at the bottom of the owl box.
If anything new/interesting develops i will report it. I am always happy to host a Screech Owl. They’re beautiful birds, and it’s great to be able to have safe places to roost or nest in. Consider a nest box if you can.
Date: 4/16/24 4:41 am From: Michael Perlin <mlperlin...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] House wren returns
We heard a glorious one in our yard yesterday morning but i am not
confident enough to say it was the one that nested in one of our boxes last
year…
Michael Perlin (Trenton)
On Mon, Apr 15, 2024 at 9:18 PM <marltonbirder...> wrote:
Date: 4/14/24 7:58 am From: Sally Conyne <sbconyne2...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Farewell to the Red-flanked Bluetail
Thank you, Susan, for that excellent tribute and summary regarding the bluetail. I thought so often over the winter what a positive occurrence that whole saga turned out to be for everyone including the bird and the other birds in the area. The bluetail certainly fared better than would have been predicted when it first strayed to North America!
Now vacant from my backyard are juncos. I think the last individuals pulled out in the last two nights. I already miss their quiet presence and subtle tail signalling. White-throats are still here in full-force looking very spiffy.
Date: 4/10/24 9:43 am From: Lillian Armstrong <lillianbarmstrong...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] CMBO Optics Sale this weekend
Come on down this weekend for spring birding and the Annual Optics Sale, this year at Cape May Convention Hall. Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm Sunday: 9 am to 3 pm Bushnell, Kowa, Vortex and Zeiss, 15% off Celestron, Leica, Swarovski, 10% off
Reps on hand to answer your questions, and I'm told there will be a pair of the new Swarovski AX Visio's to check out!
Date: 4/10/24 7:20 am From: Stuart <weluvowls...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Nature :Raptors Program Tonight on PBS TV
Jerseybirders
Tonight on PBS Station Channel 13 there will be a Nature program about Raptors at 8PM.Check your local PBS listings. Part 2 episode will be on next Wednesday at 8PM.
Date: 4/9/24 6:16 am From: Evan Cutler <evancutler...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Montclair Bird Club Program this Wednesday: The Life of the Whooping Crane
This Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm, join the Montclair Bird Club for a live
zoom program entitled "The Life of the Whooping Crane." With snowy white
plumage and a striking red crown, and standing an impressive
five-feet-tall, this is the rarest of the world’s 15 crane species. One of
the first birds to be listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1972, the
population of the Whooping Crane has grown from a low of 21 individuals in
the 1940s to now more than 800 birds. Paityn Bower, an outreach biologist
for the International Crane Foundation’s Texas Program, will provide a
fascinating glimpse into this crane’s life history. 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: 4/8/24 4:30 am From: Susan Treesh <sktreesh...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Farewell to the red-flanked bluetail
Our long-staying RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was last reported on ebird on March 31. As we all remember, the next four days were mostly rain, and the bird was not seen at all during that period, either by the homeowners who hosted it or anyone else. So it is likely gone, perhaps making its way back north, maybe to Finland, in which case Massachusetts and Newfoundland should keep an eye out, or maybe northwest to Siberia - the UP of Michigan? Alberta? on its route.
What a treat to have had this bird so accessible for so long! It was first photographed on December 5, 2023. It stayed in the same Pinelands backyard patch in Crestwood Village in Ocean County for nearly 4 months and 1,818 ebird reports. Shy and furtive at first, it gradually became bolder and more confident (and more enamored of the bottomless bowl of mealworms sitting on the ground.) And so many birders came to see! I don't think there is an exact record, but on any given day there were observers from many states, and I'm sure some from abroad as well, since a direct flight to Philadelphia International Airport and a short drive on good roads to Whiting, NJ is an easier trek than to Finland ... or Siberia. And good looks and photographs for nearly all.
And let's give ourselves some credit too. NJ often gets a bad rap. But foremostly to the homeowners, who welcomed the bluetail with food and space, and visiting birders with invariable kindness, coffee, and cookies - for months! And to the residents of Crestwood Village, a private, over-55 community which could have closed itself at any point to birders, but chose to tolerate a couple thousand strangers and allow access throughout the whole period. And finally, to we birders who mostly - not entirely, but mostly - behaved, cooperated, and helped each other get good looks at the bluetail. Scopes were shared, along with snacks and directions to the nearest Wawa and the next good bird.
The winter of 2023-24 was brightened by this visitor.
There’s permanent open space (Green Acres protected) with a large retention pond (stocked with fish), wet lands, and stands of trees behind our house. Yesterday, an osprey was perched on a tree overlooking the lake and searching for brunch. It was chased off by one of the two bald eagles frequenting the area. (I’ve yet to spot a nest, but I suspect it’s near by.)
Ilene Schneider Marlton
On Thursday, March 28, 2024, 10:59 AM, John Collins <jjcbirder...> wrote:
Osprey has returned to the Raritan River. Just saw one at Robert Street at
Duke Island Park. So nice to see it back.
Date: 3/27/24 4:43 pm From: Laurie Larson <0000057b603ab9b2-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Dead Great Black-backed Gulls
I spent a day in Salem County last week and saw ONE Red-tail. This time of year they should be on nests, and readily seen perched at field edges. Avian flu? Pesticides affecting their prey species up through the food chain?
Anyone else noticing?
Laurie Larson Lumberton, NJ
> On Mar 27, 2024, at 5:20 PM, Heidi Mass <hmass21...> wrote: > > you should probably report them to F&WL and DEP. Black backs prey on ducks, > especially sick ones and these probably died of avian flu. > Heidi Mass > Boothbay Harbor, ME (formerly of NJ) > > On Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 3:30 PM Larry Zirlin <larry-zirlin...> > wrote: > >> Earlier this month at Barnegat Lighthouse SP, Bob Auster & I found a dead >> Great Black-backed Gull at the edge of the pond. It didn't look like it had >> been attacked by a raptor. We didn't think much of it; maybe it had died a >> natural death. Today, I found four dead Great Black-backs around that pond. >> They were all "fresh" i.e. no decomposition yet. Bob suggests avian flu, >> but I saw no other dead species, gull or otherwise. >> >> Just wondering if anyone else has noticed dead gulls, Great Black-back or >> otherwise, at other shore spots. >> Larry Zirlin >> Whiting, NJ >> http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.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: 3/27/24 2:21 pm From: Heidi Mass <hmass21...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Dead Great Black-backed Gulls
you should probably report them to F&WL and DEP. Black backs prey on ducks,
especially sick ones and these probably died of avian flu.
Heidi Mass
Boothbay Harbor, ME (formerly of NJ)
On Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 3:30 PM Larry Zirlin <larry-zirlin...>
wrote:
> Earlier this month at Barnegat Lighthouse SP, Bob Auster & I found a dead
> Great Black-backed Gull at the edge of the pond. It didn't look like it had
> been attacked by a raptor. We didn't think much of it; maybe it had died a
> natural death. Today, I found four dead Great Black-backs around that pond.
> They were all "fresh" i.e. no decomposition yet. Bob suggests avian flu,
> but I saw no other dead species, gull or otherwise.
>
> Just wondering if anyone else has noticed dead gulls, Great Black-back or
> otherwise, at other shore spots.
> Larry Zirlin
> Whiting, NJ
> http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.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
>
On Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 5:01 PM Carla Kelly-Mackey <
<00001c24612ab4ac-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> It's very interesting how the news "changes" these days. Around a month
> ago, while listening to the BBC radio news shortly after Flaco died, they
> aired a story & interview with individuals whose names I don't recall. In
> the story, the interviewees said that Flaco had been ill & hadn't been
> hooting for 4 days, which was an indication of a change. They maintained
> that there was no head trauma & he had NOT hit a building, but had fallen
> off a perch where he had spent the last few days of his life. American news
> stations continued to discuss Flaco's demise as the result of an injury
> sustained from colliding with a building. I tried to find the BBC report to
> no avail & heard no more about the alternate details until this report was
> released. It's curious & I wonder if anyone else heard the BBC News story
> when it aired?
>
> Carla Kelly-Mackey
> Stockton, NJ
>
>
>
> Carla Kelly-Mackey
>
> Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
>
> On Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 at 9:23 AM, <lj.mack...> <
> <lj.mack...> wrote:
>
> > <
> https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=f299de68530c551df40448fcdafd363d9f0c0b8e22 > > 04d578b630b895858ab0431ebed6b857e9c5b24a9e54d2b49b662985052e5d58b24ef3>
> >
> > Flaco, NYC's celebrated owl, done in by rat poison and pigeon herpes:
> > necropsy
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Postmortem testing by Bronx Zoo veterinarian pathologists concluded that
> > Flaco's urban diet of wild pigeons and rats may have sped his demise,
> > afflicting him with two serious conditions that "may have predisposed
> him to
> > flying into or falling from the building," according to a statement.
> >
> >
> >
> > Linda Mack
> >
> > Monmouth Beach, 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
>
It's very interesting how the news "changes" these days. Around a month ago, while listening to the BBC radio news shortly after Flaco died, they aired a story & interview with individuals whose names I don't recall. In the story, the interviewees said that Flaco had been ill & hadn't been hooting for 4 days, which was an indication of a change. They maintained that there was no head trauma & he had NOT hit a building, but had fallen off a perch where he had spent the last few days of his life. American news stations continued to discuss Flaco's demise as the result of an injury sustained from colliding with a building. I tried to find the BBC report to no avail & heard no more about the alternate details until this report was released. It's curious & I wonder if anyone else heard the BBC News story when it aired?
Carla Kelly-Mackey Stockton, NJ
Carla Kelly-Mackey
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
On Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 at 9:23 AM, <lj.mack...> <lj.mack...> wrote:
Date: 3/27/24 12:30 pm From: Larry Zirlin <larry-zirlin...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Dead Great Black-backed Gulls
Earlier this month at Barnegat Lighthouse SP, Bob Auster & I found a dead Great Black-backed Gull at the edge of the pond. It didn't look like it had been attacked by a raptor. We didn't think much of it; maybe it had died a natural death. Today, I found four dead Great Black-backs around that pond. They were all "fresh" i.e. no decomposition yet. Bob suggests avian flu, but I saw no other dead species, gull or otherwise.
Just wondering if anyone else has noticed dead gulls, Great Black-back or otherwise, at other shore spots. Larry Zirlin Whiting, NJ http://birdsandwords-larryz.blogspot.com/
Postmortem testing by Bronx Zoo veterinarian pathologists concluded that Flaco's urban diet of wild pigeons and rats may have sped his demise, afflicting him with two serious conditions that "may have predisposed him to flying into or falling from the building," according to a statement.
I’m inclined to agree that putting up a sign will tend to increase the number of people who know about the owl and want to see it. The one person with a flashlight will probably give up pretty soon, and the disruption will be less than it would be if the whole neighborhood knows about it. If you can actually talk to the flashlight person, and gently discourage them, that’s probably the most effective thing.
Gentle reminder to everyone: Please sign your name and general location to your Jerseybirds posts. We’ve all gotten out of the habit…
Laurie Larson Lumberton
> On Mar 25, 2024, at 1:39 PM, Barbara Dawson <000013e81b9a9400-dmarc-request...> wrote: > > Putting up a sign is a great idea, and, after serious consideration, I might do it. However, this will alert lots of people, some of whom may start harassing the owl. Also, isn't it an unwritten rule not to alert other people to the location of owls? > On Monday, March 25, 2024 at 12:41:50 PM EDT, <fivecube...> <0000131b43844d21-dmarc-request...> wrote: > > Maybe put up a neighborhood sign explaining this? > > > Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS > > > On Monday, March 25, 2024, 12:17 PM, Dixon Peer <dixon.peer...> wrote: > > My younger daughter has been hearing a barred owl almost every evening at > about nine o'clock. Unfortunately, a person from a neighboring condo > association is venturing out with a flashlight in an attempt to spot the > owl. If this person happens to be on JerseyBirds, hopefully he or she will > see this and realize this is not the thing to do. > > Build with Peer Construction > > 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: 3/25/24 10:40 am From: Barbara Dawson <000013e81b9a9400-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [JERSEYBI] Barred Owl
Putting up a sign is a great idea, and, after serious consideration, I might do it. However, this will alert lots of people, some of whom may start harassing the owl. Also, isn't it an unwritten rule not to alert other people to the location of owls?
On Monday, March 25, 2024 at 12:41:50 PM EDT, <fivecube...> <0000131b43844d21-dmarc-request...> wrote:
Maybe put up a neighborhood sign explaining this?
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
On Monday, March 25, 2024, 12:17 PM, Dixon Peer <dixon.peer...> wrote:
My younger daughter has been hearing a barred owl almost every evening at
about nine o'clock. Unfortunately, a person from a neighboring condo
association is venturing out with a flashlight in an attempt to spot the
owl. If this person happens to be on JerseyBirds, hopefully he or she will
see this and realize this is not the thing to do.
On Monday, March 25, 2024, 12:17 PM, Dixon Peer <dixon.peer...> wrote:
My younger daughter has been hearing a barred owl almost every evening at
about nine o'clock. Unfortunately, a person from a neighboring condo
association is venturing out with a flashlight in an attempt to spot the
owl. If this person happens to be on JerseyBirds, hopefully he or she will
see this and realize this is not the thing to do.
My younger daughter has been hearing a barred owl almost every evening at about nine o'clock. Unfortunately, a person from a neighboring condo association is venturing out with a flashlight in an attempt to spot the owl. If this person happens to be on JerseyBirds, hopefully he or she will see this and realize this is not the thing to do.
Date: 3/24/24 1:15 pm From: William Boyle <njsawwhet...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] Update of NJ Bird Records Committee Files
New Jersey Birders,
The New Jersey Bird Records Committee met on March 20, 2024 to review rarity reports from the second half of 2023. Four species new to the state were discovered during that period, bringing the NJ State List total to 500.
I have posted the following updates to the NJBRC website:
Summary of Results from Review of 2023 Reports
New Jersey State List
New Jersey Review List
These pdf files are available for download on the website; click on Lists and Annual Reports.
On Friday, I left the laptop screen aside and visited in the field (located at the Coral Avenue dune crossover in Cape May Point). It was a quieter day for spring migration movements, but quiet days in Cape May are always special in some way.
There were hundreds of Gannets, several Osprey, Bald Eagles (even interacting with an osprey), Red-Tails, a Kestrel, Black and Surf Scoters, and local recently-returned Oystercatchers.
A walk at Higbee Beach (along the beach part) revealed stunning skies (slate grey/blue with shimmers of light from the parting clouds, over a mostly glassy/calm bay), and many hundreds of Gannets (one of those feeding-frenzy situations) along with more ospreys, eagles, gulls, scoters, mergansers, and red-throated loons. This time of year, you can have the entire beach to yourself, at Higbee and all across Cape Island.
Aaron Reb, one of this year's official Morning Flight counters, reported a Sabine's Gull today (Sat.)!
I'm sure many folks know about this resource, but I found a link to the Accepted Records of Rare Birds, compiled by the NJ Bird Records Committee (updated to Apr., 2023). I never knew this was publicly available/easily accessible. Thanks to the folks who put this together: https://njbrc.com/documents/ARL.pdf
There were 21 accepted sightings for Sabine's Gull before today's--1/3 of them (7) were in Cape May (4 more in CM County or offshore).
Date: 3/20/24 7:39 pm From: Laurie Larson <0000057b603ab9b2-dmarc-request...> Subject: [JERSEYBI] 12hr Offshore Pelagic trip on April 6th: Kings County
Reposted from the NY state birds listserve.
-Laurie
There’s an upcoming 12hr pelagic opportunity aboard The American Princess out of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn on Saturday, April 6th. This trip will head offshore during a very under-birded time of year. Photo opportunities of Northern Gannets in high breeding plumage and lingering alcids coming into their alternate plumages are all possibilities. Our only April trip (2015) yielded 8 species of gull, 2 species of alcid, double digit migrating Red-necked Grebes among good waterfowl diversity and some passerines to boot. This trip is longer and aims to get further offshore.
More information can be found at the following link:
