a few migrants around

There were signs of southbound migration around yesterday, though they were few and far between. A slight increase in the number of singing Peewees around our house in Stockton as well as Bull's Island State Park, a lone female Scarlet Tanager making a brief appearance in the backyard, and a few dozen Chimney Swifts (some of which are probably still the locals) made up the most obvious evidence on a round of casual birding. Friday I saw my first fall Osprey, hunting on the lakes at Duke Farms. That bird was certainly a migrant; we never observe local birds using our lakes during the breeding season.

As a recent Hunterdon County transplant, I haven't yet figured out the local hotspots for migrant passerines. I suspect that the Stockton area, situated on flat land between two small ridges, may be a bit of a dead zone but it'll be great to put that theory to the test. I suppose it will depend on how many birds depart the ridges in favor of moving down the river. A similar effect can make the Delaware river corridor in the Walpack Valley (western Sussex County) excellent under the right conditions. Strong easterly winds would probably push birds off the Sourlands and right into our area as well. Probably the key will be finding the geographical features and prime feeding habitats that will concentrate migrants. I have a few hunches, I'll be sure to post reports as I check them out. In the mean time, suggestions would be appreciated if you're familiar with the area!