Hold onto your binoculars – spring migration is revving up into high gear already – and it goes by quickly.

Purple Finches

Alan Boyd reports 18 Purple Finches at his feeder in Roxbury Twp. this morning.

(Photo by Alan Boyd – click on the photo for a larger image.)

30 Purple Finches are reported at a feeder in Warren Township (Liz Mershon).

From Bobby Skrabal, Hillsborough Twp.:

“There must have been some good fallout due to the rain. I woke up to hear my first Eastern Towhee of the year singing. Then there were 8 Purple Finches at our feeder. I went outside to take a look around and saw a Pine Siskin and my first Blue-Headed Vireo of the year.”

Other reports from people’s feeders in the area repeat the same scenario: Purple Finches are on the move.

Yellow Warbler, Chimney Swifts

A singing Yellow Warbler was at Lord Stirling Park this morning along with a House Wren, Green Heron and Chimney Swift. (Jeff Ellerbusch).

2 Chimney Swifts were at Colonial Park, Franklin Twp. this afternoon (J. Klizas).

Other Field Notes

John J. Collins eBirded a Ruby-throated Hummingbird from his yard in Raritan.

16 Common Loons continue at Boonton Reservoir (Julie Buechner).

6 Red-breasted Mergansers were in the Raritan River along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath (Jeff Ellerbusch).

Palm Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were more prevalent today. Fish Crows continue to be numerous. Chipping Sparrows are everywhere. Northern Flickers come in threes and fours. Ducks are dwindling if not gone entirely.

There are many reports this time of year, too many to include in a daily newsletter. For further details and to see what people are seeing in the mocosocoBirds region, see local eBirdChecklists viewed via eBird’s Region Explorer. Use the following links:

The eBird Hotspot Primer is here and can also be accessed via the Hotspot menu item on the mocosocoBirds.com website.

@mocosocoBirds at Twitter is another communications stream. Instant field reports and links of interest are tweeted throughout the day. The latest tweets appear on the sidebar of this page. One can follow mocosocoBirds at Twitter or link to @mocosocoBirds.

Finis