A Red-necked Grebe in alternate plumage joined the approximately 17 Common Loons and 4 Horned Grebes at Lake Parsippany this morning. Also present were 4 Wood Ducks, 2 Northern Shovelers, 24 Ring-necked Ducks, 10 Bufflehead, 170 Common Mergansers, 6 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Pied-billed Grebe and at least 2 Pine Siskins in trees on the west shore.

Another 17 Common Loons were at Boonton Reservoir this morning, yodeling periodically. The reservoir gave up it’s ice in the past 48 hours. The Common Mergansers knew that quickly enough as a conservative count of 523 was on the water this morning. 115 Double-crested Cormorants and 27+ Great Blue Herons have taken over the island.

An adult Iceland Gull was found this afternoon at the south end of Boonton Reservoir (Simon Lane). Viewing is difficult from Waterview Plaza. A scope is required. Simon also saw 3 Bonaparte’s Gulls fly over the reservoir at the north end.

2 Bonaparte’s Gulls were at Betrand Island, Lake Hopatcong this afternoon (Alan Boyd). The 5 Redheads present since late February are down to 2 as of yesterday and today. Likewise, the Greater Scaup hen who was keeping company with the Redheads was seen yesterday but not reported today.

Gull numbers have dropped in the mocosocoBirds area during the week. Numerous skeins of Canada Geese were seen heading north yesterday throughout the region. The season is changing.

2015’s first Black-crowned Night Heron in Morris County was found at the pond behind the Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany yesterday, April 2 (Tim Vogel). This is the Night Heron eBird Hotspot known as Jefferson Rd. Pond. The Night Heron was not relocated this morning.

The first Black-crowned Night Heron in Somerset County was also seen yesterday at a corporate pond in Bridgewater (eBird report by Mike Russell).

Two Common Loons and a Great Cormorant were reported today from the reservoir at Duke Farms (Thom Almendinger).

Valerie Nixon reports that Common Ravens are nesting in Rockaway, another new location.

2 Horned Grebes were at Ravine Lake in Far Hills this afternoon (Joe Pescatore).

eBird Checklists for the mocosocoBirds region may be 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