Twitch: Eurasian Marsh-Harrier
New Jersey
Thursday 15 December 2022
42 °F
NOVEMBER 5:
Having to play a bit of catch up on posting — I think this might be the first post in 11 years that is slightly out of chronological order but it is a twitch from early November so not too bad. Enjoy!
This morning, I twitched a Eurasian Marsh-Harrier that had been reported a day earlier out in suburban New Jersey — a would-be lifer! After a subway, two trains, and an uber, I made it by the 8 o’clock hour to a group of about 50 other birders waiting for this rarity. I immediately started scoping the marsh and there was plenty of waterfowl around such as BUFFLEHEADS:
NORTHERN PINTAIL:
MUTE SWAN:
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS put on a nice show, teeing up in a tree across the water from us:
AMERICAN COOTS (with a MALLARD):
COMMON GRACKLE:
GADWALL:
This RED-TAILED HAWK gave us a momentary scare as the Harrier is also a large raptor.
RUDDY DUCK with a Red-eared Slider poking its head out of the water:
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was great!
Another Red-tail:
TURKEY VULTURE:
A buzz went through the birding crowd when a pair of semi-rare-for-the-area SANDHILL CRANES circled overhead, my NJ lifer!
More Gadwall and NORTHERN SHOVELERS:
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT with a Gadwall:
BELTED KINGFISHER:
Extremely-distant COOPER’S HAWK in a tree:
Unfortunately, despite the Harrier being seen off-and-on over the next couple of days, it was a no-show the day I was there. Rats! Well, in birding, you win some, you lose some. Bird-of-the-day goes to the Sandhill Cranes with runner-up to the Rusty Blackbirds and the Red-shouldered Hawk, all New Jersey state birds for me!
In other news, I have just been cast as the lead baritone role in the opera L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi at the Manhattan School of Music. It will be an incredible experience to sing with renaissance/Baroque orchestra, for sure! May 4/5.
Happy birding!
Henry
World Life List: 1142 Species
