On Saturday, May 3, at 7:00 am, the Watershed Warblers banded together for the team’s second year of bird spotting throughout the watershed! The team, led by Director of Education Lauren Theis, searched far and wide (walking over 72 miles) to find every bird species living within the region. Lauren started the day with an early morning walk along the Columbia Trail in Long Valley, and she was not disappointed – a Spotted Sandpiper, Cape May Warbler, and Veery were among the first species identified for the day!

The Robert J. Stahl Natural Area was a morning stop where four team members were treated to several Warbling Vireos, Common Yellowthroats, and many singing Indigo Buntings. Ernie Tistan kept the team motivated and helped with record-keeping, and Justin Vail added to the list a Ruby-throated Hummingbird from his yard in Branchburg! The excitement was high as donations and pledges motivated our birders to continue their search through muddy wetlands, brush thickets, and rocky streams. Sightings were shared over group chats, email, phone, and eBird as we divided and conquered our vast watershed region!

Our northern team – Debbie Newcomb and Eleanor Leen – explored the South Branch Preserve at Budd Lake, where they found our Hermit Thrush for the day along with a Black-billed Cuckoo! A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was spotted in the downstream region in East Amwell by team member Alison Kavchok, while Deborah DeSalvo checked off an American Kestrel in Tewksbury! Kerry Hazelton spotted a beautiful female Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Bernardsville to add to our list.

Chris Neff of Mendham spotted a stunning Savannah Sparrow in Bedminster! Thanks to Chris, we joined forces with the Green Herons (our sibling team in the Mendham/eastern watershed area) this year. What fun it was to work with another team of bird-lovers, including our youngest team member, Grady, who spotted an Eastern Screech Owl in Chester!

Speaking of young birders – later in our Bird-a-Thon week, 3rd graders from the Willow School surveyed Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve, where they heard an abundance of Prairie Warblers and a Purple Martin! RHA will also be working with the Matheny School this spring to survey their beautiful campus in Peapack for bird species using adaptive birding equipment like scopes and listening apps, and we will work to revamp their Bluebird nestbox trail so residents can watch the life cycle of this beautiful native species.

Our team was excited to find 113 species on our official Bird-a-thon day! It was a great accomplishment! This fun day of birding is a testament to the vital work we all do to protect critical habitats in the watershed region, which supports a great diversity of wildlife. Clean water, native plants, healthy soil, and people who are dedicated stewards are all part of this delicate ecosystem—and it’s your support that keeps it going. We thank you for your support, which will help us continue our work to protect the Raritan Headwaters region!