River of Biodiversity

American Redstart

Rahway River Watershed Association with help from National Biodiversity Parks organized a public field trip to the 433- acre, Ash Brook Reservation, Scotch Plains, NJ on 4/29/2017.

We recorded approximately 61 species, most of them in the targeted taxa, during this short trip: Taxa - Insects, Herptiles and Birds. Thanks to all the participants and the hard working President and Program Manager of the RRWA, Marian and Clea.

Highlights included Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle, Red Carpenter Ant, Spring Peeper, Box Turtle, Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Waterthush and Parula.

Common Yellowthroat

Great Blue Heron

Pileated Woodpecker

The Ash Brook is a small low-lying area surrounded by residential development in Scotch Plains, NJ, Union County. As run off has increased due to continued human development there has been a successional expansion of the central, open canopied wetland, accompanied by an increase in dead and dying trees. The relative young forest has become seasonally flooded favoring obligate or faculative, wetland tree species.

These conditions have produced the greatest concentration of standing dead wood in the county; it is the woodpecker and cavity nesting capital of the watershed. Subsequently over one third of the bird species recorded on this day were cavity nesters, ranging from Tree Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, Hairy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers to Great Crested Flycatchers.

Downy Woodpecker

Eastern Painted Turtle

Jeff Jotz and Fred Virrazzi also started to expand our research focus on turtles of the watershed with needed help from PSEG. Together we designed, built and tested 3 traps catching our first turtle, a common Painted Turtle, after a 40 hour set. Rains caused us to place the traps in suboptimal areas.

PSEG Constructed Needed Traps for NBP Research

We plan on scientifically sampling various freshwater habitats to confirm target species presence and then research and propose needed management actions. There are a few species of state listed Endangered , Threatened and Special Concern turtles that have historical records at Ash Brook and within the Rahway River Watershed. We are cautiously hopeful that at least one of the following species will be "rediscovered"-- Wood Turtle, Spotted Turtle or Bog Turtle.

We also plan to continue our decades long study of the Diamondback Terrapin on the lower Rahway River. Recently our zoologist shed some light on why there were so few, large, mature females being found during multiple, comprehensive surveys on the river. Approximately 28 large females (photographed) were finally found basking at one location in a secluded part of the river.

Diamondback Terrapin

Wood Duck

On this day at Ash Brook we hiked a northern trail through mostly, forested wetland habitat bordered by dead trees. We gradually recorded the following species.

Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle

Here is preliminary list of species/taxa found:

Invertebrates: 19 species

Isopods

European Woodlouse Porcello scaber
Common Woodlouse Oniscus asellus

Chilopoda

Stone Centipede Lithobiidae sp

Ticks

Deer Tick Ixodes scapularis
Wood Tick Dermacentor variabilis
Red Velvet Mite Trombidium sp

Gastropods

Snail Physella gyrina

Insects

Rove Beetle
Six-spotted Green Tiger Beetle Cicindela sexguttata
Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor

Red Carpenter Ant Camponotus chromaides
Black Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Herptiles: 5 species

Red-backed Salamander
Spring Peeper
Green Frog
Box Turtle
Painted Turtle

Birds: 35 species

Double-crested Cormorant (22) overhead
Great Blue Heron (1) (Special Concern species)
Killdeer
Mallard
Wood Duck
Wild Turkey
Turkey Vulture
Tree Swallow
Hairy Woodpecker (2)
Downy Woodpecker (2)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (4)
Northern Flicker (1)

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker (1) perhaps 2
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Warbler (3)
American Redstart (1)
Northern Parula (2)
Common Yellowthroat (6)
Northern Waterthrush (5)
American Crow
Fish Crow
Blue Jay
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
American Goldfinch

Mammals: 2

White-tailed Deer
Gray Squirrel

Wild Turkey

Field Trip - Permit Provided-Thursday June 30th, Pequannock Watershed and area.

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS for 9 PM Weds. No changes, meet 0700 Thurs at Echo Lake lot (per map link below). No more updates. Wear earth colors. Weather wise it looks incredible (0700 62 --1 PM 80).

If you are late we may post where we went on large, white note pinned to a tree in that lot.

Thanks, Fred

Rahway River Watershed Association's (RRWA) zoologist has discovered 22 Hooded Mergansers (females and young, see his draft article below) in northern NJ. This is a possible NJ one site and state-wide breeding record; we are inviting others to look for and photograph them and other highlight species such as Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper, Golden-winged Warbler, Bald Eagle, Pied-billed Grebe, Cerulean, Hooded, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, etc.

The spectacular scenery and trees in the watershed are also refreshing.

Louis Bizzarro has also dilengently searched, finding some of the above species and others; he will co-lead with zoologist, Fred Virrazzi. Fred has constructed a primitive observation-blind at the "merganser" pond.

Attendance is free AND A DAY TRIP PERMIT FOR PEQUANNOCK WATERSHED IS INCLUDED. The hiking will be easy to medium in difficulty, mostly flat surface although rocky and uneven in stretches; with some short, semi-steep inclines of 15%, elevation will be at 500 to 1,000 feet. Birders must be in good to excellent health. They intend to visit 4 or more sites for key species.

We will meet at 0700 sharp, exact location near Route 23, West Milford TBD but likely the SE area of Echo Lake at the Watershed's Office lot or entrance at 189 Echo Lake Rd, Newfoundland, NJ which is just about a 1.5 miles N of Route 23 (on the left/west side of road).

https://goo.gl/maps/Z5kAu3uYbEL2

There also may be 3 open vehicle seats leaving 0605 from Secaucus, NJ and ~ 0530 Monroe, NJ (inquire for ride, meeting spot via email with phone). The hike to the mergansers is ~ 3/4 of a mile round trip. Other hikes may range from a few hundred yards to one mile.

Please wear earth color shirts and hats. Good to have a small backpack for cold liquids and lunch if we linger past 1200 to?. If you have them, bring your binoculars, camera, longest lens, mono/tripod, etc.

If you WILL attend send an email with name and number in party to nbp@comcast.net and receive confirming email to attend. And final instructions will be right below title above and marked FINAL INSTRUCTIONS by Tuesday 6/27 11PM and any cancellation and rescheduling of trip due to weather, etc., will appear above at 6/29 Weds 9PM. So revisit this article at or after 9PM Weds 6/29 no matter what.

Thank You

Clea Carchia
Rahway River Watershed Association

Northerly NJ Watersheds, Home to 22 Hooded Mergansers and Other Substantial Biodiversity June 2016

by F. Virrazzi

After this spring's migration the woods and swamps of northern NJ and southern NY were searched.

Immature Hooded Merganser, 6/2016 NJ

My goal was to make general ecological observations on the areas habitat, insects, birds and other animals. Of special interest were species whose populations may be in flux. Increasing, decreasing or disappearing populations often shed light on important underlying environmental factors.

Cedar Waxwing Gathering Spider Webs for Nesting

Eastern Phoebe

Adult Hooded Mergansers Feeding on Fish, S NY 2016

Hooded Warbler, Pequannock Watershed 6/2016

Red Eft

Golden-winded Warbler

Largest Hooded Merganser Brood found on 6/20. Adult and 8 immature

Ovenbird

Golden-winged Warblers were a focus with Cerulean Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Canada Warbler, raptors, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, bitterns, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Creeper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, all herptiles, insects and other species.

Wood Duck Brood

Golden-winged Warbler

In the future we hope to report on the status of some of these species. In 2014 the first breeding pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in over 114 years or longer was also found in the Pequannock Watershed and a short article was written: (see this journal, River of Biodiversity 2014 entry on home page) or

http://nationalbiodiversityparks.blogspot.com

or

http://nationalbiodiversityparks.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=1

In 2015 we (see F. Virrazzi and D. Ortuso field notes and NJBIRDS 5/15) recorded the largest or one of the largest numbers of Cerulean Warblers in one day in northern NJ.

This article mainly provides details on a possible record number of breeding season Hooded Mergansers; they were found in one beaver swamp in the Pequannock Watershed, NJ.

In four decades of NJ birding I have checked hundreds of ponds, swamps and water bodies but only found a few breeding season adults and one brood of Hooded Mergansers prior to 2016. In May 2006 I found a female with ~ 7 young in Earle Ammunition Base; eventually shown to our Monmouth County birding team of Grob, Casper and the Temples by Virrazzi (see NJ Field Bird records.

On Saturday June 11, I attempted a slow and quiet approach to the open water's edge from the downstream side of a very modest beaver dam that had produced the sizable impound of approximately 80 acres and the many dead snags ringing the wetland's edge. It was difficult to remain stealthy in this exposed, boggy, downed dead wood area, so I veered off into a small peninsula that was heavily wooded.

Luckily this small jut was ringed with some understory, emergent vegetation and many downed dead branches that had accumulated due to beaver work; I was able to crouch, approach and scan a minor portion of the beaver swamp with most of my body hidden.

Close by, I was surprised to be peering over several small, immature Hooded Mergansers that were basking on a long, thin bole floating on the water (see next picture). As I binned them they quickly swam off, peering at me, leaving one.

Over the next hour another brood with an adult female was also observed concurrently with the other brood 150 feet away. Later in another portion of the swamp over 200 yards from the original two broods another female with only 3 young was viewed. The first two broods had 8 and 6 immatures respectively.

Two different adult females with no young were also observed. No males could be found anywhere in the swamp; however I was not able to view a minority portion of the wetlands. Emergent vegetation was extensive in some areas and hiking the perimeter of this wetland was not completed due to the time it takes to quietly circle it while taking documentary pictures.

Most of these birds were photographed except for the small third brood which was immediately aware of me and hid for the subsequent 2 hours in heavy, emergent vegetation

Total Hooded Mergansers seen on 6/11/2016

Brood A, 1 adult female, 8 young = 9
Brood B, 1 adult female, 6 young = 7
Brood C, 1 adult female, 3 young = 4
Adult female 1
Adult female 1

Total 22

Beaver loudly slapping the pond surface.

According to the NJ Breeding Bird Atlas there is no evidence that Hooded Mergansers bred in NJ prior to the 1900s. Personnally it's likely they did breed in NJ prior to 1900 and their decline coincided with the beavers and deforestation, farming, etc.

Looking at all the Hooded Mergansers reported to NJ Audubon's various hotlines and rare bird alerts we see very few breeding reports from 1990 to 2014. In all those recent years there were mainly single birds reported for June or early July and only one or two of these reports involve young:

http://www.njaudubon.org/Tools.Net/Sightings/SightingsArchive.aspx?tk=337&tl=Species

We will eventually research the various issues of NJAS's, NJ Birds to comment on the highest number of broods reported in the past; that data will be added to this article in this section eventually.

Update: I have been able to check all the Spring 2006 to Fall 2009 records of NJ Birds and can only find for the summer of 2006 4+ pairs during the summer season reported by J. Palumbo with no mention of young. High counts occur in winter with 1,089 on the Long Branch CBC, 12/29/2007 and 525 in 2006. Boonton CBC had 485 on 12/23/2006. Other records include Halifax Rd, Bergen County 6/15/2006 by John Workman, F w chicks. A 5/19/2006 report of a nest hole in Flatbrook WMA is vague by Tommie Sudol. A 5/8/2009 report from Tourne Park of an adult with young was found.

According to the NJ Breeding Bird Atlas, from data gathered 1993 to '97, there were 21 USGS blocks (of the 168 in state) that had possible to probable breeding Hooded Mergansers. Only 7 of the blocks had confirmed breeding in one or more years. There is no high number of birds, broods or young noted in the text but the raw data sheets would likely have the number of birds recorded in each block during the breeding season.

Hooded Mergansers are likely increasing in numbers in NJ. This record of 22 birds supports that trend. It's likely that the recent mild winters were favorable to building good populations of invertebrates, crayfish, fish and frogs all eaten by and observed at the subject pond.

Recent storm events over the last several years have produced more dead trees and nesting opportunities for this cavity nester.

Most importantly the beavers seem to have periodically heightened the largest dam in the pond; this has caused a perimeter of fresh, dead trees and more nesting substrate.

These conditions combined to produce a merganser "incubator". This type of habitat is rare in NJ.