We had so many orioles at the Beanery this morning, that eBird flagged it! Especially nice was the fact that both Baltimore and Orchard Orioles were there, in the treetops, overhead and in the shrubs, making for nice comparisons from all angles and in flight. Both oriole species are known to be early fall migrants, often leaving their breeding grounds in late July or August after raising one brood here. Researchers studying songbirds that use stopovers in Mexico to molt before proceeding to their wintering grounds in Central America were surprised to find that some of 'our' orchard orioles re-breed during that stopover. This southbound migratory breeding was first reported in 2009 by researchers from the University of Washington in an area of western Mexico. Besides Orchard Orioles, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Hooded Orioles, Yellow-breasted Chats and Cassin’s Vireos were found to be re-breeding there. Amazingly, both first Orchard Oriole broods from the U.S. and second Orchard Oriole broods from Mexico find the same wintering area in Central America, though they get there by completely different routes! Leaders: Kathy & Roger Horn, and Karl Lukens.
48 species
Canada Goose 24
Wood Duck 3
Mallard 19
Great Egret 1
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 2
Osprey 2
Killdeer 4
Solitary Sandpiper 3
Laughing Gull 9
Mourning Dove 13
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 7
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 12
White-eyed Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 2
Purple Martin 5
Tree Swallow 22
Barn Swallow 12
Carolina Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1
American Robin 7
Gray Catbird 3
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 95
Cedar Waxwing 9
Common Yellowthroat 1
American Redstart 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Field Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 5
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 3
Bobolink 30
Red-winged Blackbird 42
Common Grackle 6
Brown-headed Cowbird 18
Orchard Oriole 7
Baltimore Oriole 8
American Goldfinch 3
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (/content/nj)
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| Orchard Oriole [Photo by Roger Horn] |
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| Solitary Sandpiper [Photo by Roger Horn] |
