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-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Goldberg <ryan.goldberg@gmail.com>
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@aol.com>
Sent: Sun, Apr 29, 2018 04:46 PM
Subject: BBC Great Swamp recap
Peter,
A group of nine experienced and enthusiastic birders traveled to central New Jersey's Great Swamp NWR yesterday, April 28, and came away with 66 species, a number of memorable sightings, and appreciation for the beauty of this hardwood swamp forest less than an hour from Brooklyn (without traffic, of course).
We began at the Great Swamp's Wildlife Observation Center, a system of two boardwalk trails and three blinds, where northern waterthrushes and nesting bluebirds greeted our early-morning arrival in the fog. At the blinds we saw a pair of green-winged teal and green herons. Swamp sparrows were singing everywhere. But the highlight by far was a pair of pileated woodpeckers -- male and female, we soon learned, once they copulated on a tall oak branch. We followed the pair as they traveled back and forth over the boardwalk. We heard a prothonotary warbler but the golden bird never came within view despite waiting for 20 minutes. We found a singing wood thrush and observed a distant, perched adult bald eagle from one of the blinds.
Our next stop was Lord Stirling Park, just down the road, as the sun cleared out the fog. Somerset County maintains this beautiful mix of swamp, marsh, and meadow along the Passaic River. A female hooded merganser flew into the river as we ate lunch at the observation tower. The trails were muddy until we hit the boardwalks, where we observed a yellow-throated vireo singing. Bluebirds and yellow warblers abounded. We watched rusty blackbirds and brown thrashers up close. We finished the day with a drive and short walk up Pleasant Plains Road through the NWR. At the final bathroom break before driving home, a trio of purple martins and a flyover bald eagle offered a perfect end to a wonderful day.
Here are our checklists:
Attached is a photo of the group, from Lord Stirling's East Observation Tower. Photo was taken by Chris Laskowski.
Trip leader: Ryan Goldberg
Participants: Angie Co, Adam Nashban, Tina Alleva, Beth Goldberg, Marc Brawer, Chris Laskowski, Charles Tang, Richard Payne
Regards,
Ryan
