Donaldson Park

Today I drove to Donaldson Park in Highland Park, a place I've seen listed on eBird a few times. I thought it might be a good spot since it is on the Raritan River.  It  always pays to be near water when you're looking for birds.

I arrived around 11:30 in the morning and it turned out to be a decent spot. Geese, of course, were all over the lawns, and gulls were abundant on the river and in the parking lots.  I walked up the muddy river bank for a while and found 2 Ruddy Ducks and then farther off  a  handsome drake Common Merganser,  which was a happy surprise.

There are plenty of snags and phragmites for birds to hide in and careful examination all along the outer perimeter of the park yielded the expected species. It was a good way to spend an hour and a half and I think it if the weather stays warm, it may attract some early migrants, like the lone Tree Swallow I found in, appropriately, a tree.

It also has the advantage of not having "No Trespassing" signs as the little patch of woods I've been  going to a few blocks from here--approaching them from a different direction a couple of days ago I noticed them for the first time. They don't say who owns  the woods  though I  suspect it is township land used for drainage.  Probably the signs won't stop me from going,  but I'll be a little more  trepedatious  when I do.

Donaldson Park
Number of species:    23
Canada Goose    75
Mallard    9
Common Merganser    1
Ruddy Duck    2
Red-tailed Hawk    1
Ring-billed Gull    200
Herring Gull    10
Great Black-backed Gull    6
Mourning Dove    4
Red-bellied Woodpecker    3
Blue Jay    4
American Crow    1
Fish Crow    4
Tree Swallow    1
Tufted Titmouse    4
Carolina Wren    2
American Robin    3
European Starling    1
Song Sparrow    7
White-throated Sparrow    1
Northern Cardinal    5
Red-winged Blackbird    3
Common Grackle    1