There are lots of common overwinterers in the area, staying mainly in the habitat that most resembles their summer nesting areas above the treeline in northern Canada. On Hamburg Mountain, the hemlock glen, or northern conifer habitat, can be explored for sightings of boreal winter vagrants. Snowy Owls make an occasional appearance. Red Crossbills, Pine Siskin, and Redpoll are more common in this habitat, having adapted to eating the seeds from the tree's cones for nourishment.
Along the open waters of the Delaware River and some larger lakes, bald eagles fish for their meals and are clearly evident in the absence of foliage. The white heads of the adult birds glow in the winter sunlight as they dive into the frigid waters. Birds tend to concentrate during the winter months around a reliable food source. Therefore, find a feeder or bushes still holding their berries from the Fall, and sit back and watch.
You never know what may fly by, so don't forget your camera! For bringing your view of distant wildlife in closer, consider a small telescope of 20x to 60x on a tripod mount, or binoculars to a maximum of 10 x 50 power for use in the open field habitat.
For the hemlock glen and deciduous forest habitats where the proximity for encountering birds will be closer, pick 7 x 35, or 8 x 40 powered binoculars. You'll want to be able to compare what you've seen to a expert's depiction while the image is still fresh in your mind.
To properly enjoy an afternoon in the field seeking out these creatures you'll have to follow the common sense rules for outdoor cold weather activity. Insulated boots not rubber! These herons live in freshwater marshes and are extremely secretive and perfectly camouflaged for their habitat. American Bitterns are most often seen standing motionless, waiting for a fish, invertebrate, amphibian, or reptile to wander near.
Once their prey gets close enough, their head darts quickly to grab the victim to swallow headfirst. Sound is one of the best ways to find these water birds in New Jersey! This small water bird is found in New Jersey in any wet habitat that includes lots of vegetation, which provides places for them to stay hidden. You will most often see them foraging at dawn or dusk, as they prefer to stay out of sight during most of the day.
Appearance-wise, Great Egrets are one of the most stunning water birds found in New Jersey. They especially put on a show during breeding season when they grow long feathery plumes, called aigrettes , which are held up during courtship displays. The National Audubon Society was actually formed in response to help protect these birds from being slaughtered. To this day, the Great Egret serves as the symbol for the organization. Cattle Egrets are a bit unique when compared to other water birds in New Jersey.
Instead of spending their time near water, these birds typically live in fields, where they forage for invertebrates that have been kicked up at the feet of grazing livestock. Interestingly, Cattle Egrets are not native to North America. These herons are originally from Africa but found their way here in the s and have since spread across the country. Their range keeps slowly expanding as people convert land for farming and livestock.
These beautiful herons will often use their yellow feet to stir up water or mud to help them uncover hiding invertebrates, amphibians, or fish. Once their prey has been found, Snowy Egrets have no problem running their food down to finish the job! Interestingly, these water birds will breed with other heron species, such as other similarly sized birds like Tricolored Herons, Little Blue Herons, and Cattle Egrets. If you go to the right habitat, Sandhill Cranes are easy to spot in New Jersey.
These water birds are large, elegant, and put on some fancy dancing while trying to attract a mate! In fact, these sounds can be heard over 2 miles away and are given both on the ground or while flying. They have adapted extremely long windpipes that actually coil into the sternum, which helps produce the low, loud pitch. One thing that amazes me about Sandhill Cranes is how long they live.
The oldest one on record was at least 36 years old, as it was banded originally in and then found again in ! Although they can be found more inland, the best spot to see these water birds in New Jersey is near the coast.
White Ibises typically forage together in large groups in shallow wetlands looking for crustaceans and insects. In addition to feeding, they also nest together in large colonies, fly in flocks, and even take group baths! Their call is not very musical. Listen for a nasally honk given while looking for food or flying. Lastly, I find it interesting that White Ibis chicks are born with completely straight bills.
Over their first two weeks of being alive, they slowly curve. These gorgeous birds are insanely strong and fast swimmers and routinely catch fish in high-speed underwater chases. In fact, they have even adapted solid bones most bird bones are hollow , which makes it easier to dive since they are less buoyant.
To help prevent other birds from stealing their food, Common Loons typically swallow their prize while still underwater. One of my favorite things about these birds is the wonderful, eerie sounds they make. Listen for a repertoire of vocalizations, which all signify something. For example, their tremolo calls are used when alarmed.
Yodeling is given by males to announce their territories. And their famous haunting wail calls help mated pairs locate each other. American Coots are unique water birds that are quite abundant in New Jersey. At first glance, they appear quite like a duck, but they are actually more related to Sandhill Cranes! I will be looking for the Pacific Loon for sure. Pingback: Bye Winter, Hello Spring! Pingback: Decade's End — BirdNation. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:.
Email required Address never made public. Name required. Previous Previous post: 4 the Waterfowl. Next Next post: Time to Count! Follow Following. BirdNation Join other followers. Sign me up. Already have a WordPress. By the time chicks are ready to fly and hunt in the spring, food sources like fish, small mammals and waterfowl will be more plentiful.
Great horned owls also mate early for the same reasons. On winter nights when all is still and quiet, you can often hear great horned owls hooting mating calls to each other from the tops of tall trees. These prehistoric-looking salamanders can grow as long as 14 inches. On wet nights in winter, Eastern tiger salamanders crawl out of their burrows. Males make their way to ponds and vernal pools — sometimes across snow — where they gather in the water and wait for females.
Female tiger salamanders choose which males get to breed. Once a female has picked her mate, she swims under him and bumps his neck. The female absorbs the sperm, later releasing five to eight gelatinous egg masses the size of golf balls. Once the egg-laying is finished, all parental duties are over.
The larvae that hatch in early spring are completely on their own. Ermine is another name for short-tailed weasel, a native semi-aquatic mammal in New Jersey. In the summer, their appearance changes to brown with white chests and bellies. Like mink and other weasels, ermines are carnivorous.
0コメント