Apologies to Norm for posting out of state birds, but this is only the
second time this bird has been on the east coast.

 

Jeff Shenot, Winger West and Dave Brenneman traveled north to Western New
Jersey to view and photograph the Common Chaffinch.  The bird is on private
property, but the home owner has given permission to view it with the
groundrules below.  The bird is a bit skiddish, but is keeping to a
consistant morning schedule of being seen between 0745 and 0800, and
thereafter preiodically up to about 1400.  It is found on the ground, below
feeders, and mostly associates with Juncos and White-throated Sparrows..
The location is about 4.5 hours north of Washington DC.

 

Photographs are up on my web-site at:
http://woodduck.smugmug.com/Feathered-Friends-Cat/My-Feathered-Friends-2012-
New/20978873_CpZtb2#!i=1667229416
<http://woodduck.smugmug.com/Feathered-Friends-Cat/My-Feathered-Friends-2012
-New/20978873_CpZtb2#!i=1667229416&k=xMjBVJd> &k=xMjBVJd.

 

I will quote the ground rules and some other information retreived from
JerseyBirds:

 

"A Common Chaffinch was discovered at a home feeder on December 20th and 
reported to the birding community by the homeowner, Michael Rehman. 
Further, the Rehman family has generously opened their property to 
birders allowing hundreds of us to see this rarity to our area.

 

This bird can easily cause a lot of excitement among the birding community
all along the East coast and beyond. Please be on your best behavior while
visiting the property, and please heed the home owner's wishes about not
visiting on the weekends.

"Hi Frank - As we discussed here are our guidelines:

We are OK with people coming to the house to look for the bird as long as
the following are respected: No weekend visitations as our kids are
outside all the time and the chaffinch is unlikely to be present during
this time frame. Monday - Friday with the earliest time to arrive being
7:30 AM. We have a large cul-de-sac next to our driveway where parking is
safe and ample. As you walk up the driveway please bear to the right
as soon as the lawn appears and make your way around the house to
the porch. This is the best viewing location and will prevent the
possibility of a birder coming up a different way and potentially scaring
the bird off. The feeders are in our back yard which is where the bird has
been observed multiple times. It typically comes in with the
White-throated Sparrows and juncos but has occasionally been observed
individually. The bird has been spotted in both the morning and early
afternoon hours. I have not seen the bird past 2:00. I am an avid birder
and understand that many wish to observe the Chaffinch but please respect
these guidelines and our property so that many can hopefully enjoy the bird
while it remains here. Good luck.

Michael Rehman"

 

"Sound like a great bird! If only there was an address...

6 Fawn Way, Union Township, NJ""

 

Please pay attention to the homeowner's guidelines.

 

Regards,




 

Dave Brenneman

Fort Washington, MD 20744

www.woodduck.smugmug.com

 


############################

To unsubscribe from the MDOSPREY list:
write to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
or click the following link:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=MDOSPREY&A=1