Highlights

We’ve birded quite a bit of late. Wednesday there was a report of a Yellow-headed Blackbird @ Mount Loretto. But since the reporter is unreliable (and he was reporting his mother’s sighting) naturally it wasn’t there. Still, we saw quite a few species including a Killdeer hanging around the quickly disappearing vernal pond

Yesterday, I again birded Mount Loretto while Shari was at her acupuncturist. Highlight there was a Common Loon in breeding plumage. I never thought I’d seen one in breeding plumage because I never intend to explore the bug infested forest lakes of the Adirondacks or Canada and now I’ve seen two—one off Staten Island and one last week off Sandy Hook.

In the afternoon we drove to Branch Brook Park in my hometown, Newark, to see the famous cherry trees in blossom. Unfortunately, most of the trees had already lost their blooms. Only the ornamental cherry trees were still pink. But it is in interesting park, parts of it designed by Calvert Vaux of Central & Prospect Park fame. The old Newark names live on in the park as I guess was the intention when the Bambergers donated the cherry trees and Ballantine imposing gates modeled on a pair in Scotland.  I don't know who donated the lion, one of a pair. And despite spending my first 13 years in the city, the park is in a part of Newark I never went to as a kid. I may have been in the park once, but I doubt it. 

There were cormorants in the lake which I thought was odd until I saw that they stock it with trout. That’s like putting out a buffet for them. Also saw my first Barn Swallows of the year and what I’m certain were at least 2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows.

Today we went to the BBG to see their cherry blossom display which was much more impressive. An alee of cherry trees in full bloom. We heard a bird in the trees making a mechanical sound that we couldn’t identify—I knew it wasn’t a wren—until I saw my FOY Chipping Sparrow. Then the song came back to me. It seems that each year I have to refresh my memory for the calls and looks of a lot of birds.

Finally, this afternoon we headed out to JBWR where we were happy to see that the Glossy Ibises have returned. This Great Egret is in breeding plumage--note the green lores--they're quite striking and neither of us remembered ever seeing an egret's beak so bright.