Daily Archives: April 28, 2016

Mallard Family and More

Below are photos from Mickey and Elaine Raine’s trips to Mill Creek Marsh on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ve got a momma mallard leading her charges, what we believe is a Cecropia Moth cocoon (correct us if we’re wrong), Tree Swallows, a Least Sandpiper and the mudflats at low tide. Enjoy!

Mallard Family MCM 4.26.16Moth Cecropia Cocoon 003Ef MCM Mdwlnds NJ 042616 OK FLICKR

Swallow Tree MCM 4.26.16

Sandpiper Least 021f MCM Mdwlnds NJ 042716 OK FLICKR (3)mudflats

Tree Swallows In Action

A warm welcome to our newest contributor, Hector Vilches! Hector sent in these fantastic  Tree Swallow photos he took last weekend at DeKorte. It’s always great to have new contributors. Everyone is encouraged to send their photos, siting reports, observations and thoughts on the Meadowlands to the blog. Just drop me an email at brian.aberback@njmeadowlands.gov.

Vilches Tree Swallows4Vilches Tree Swallows8 Vilches Tree Swallows10 Vilches Tree Swallows9 Vilches Tree Swallows7 Vilches Tree Swallows6 Vilches Tree Swallows5 Vilches Tree Swallows3 Vilches Tree Swallows2 Vilches Tree Swallows1

Don Torino’s Life in the Meadowlands: Losen Slote Creek Park – A Unique Urban Wilderness

Losen Slote2

The sweet smelling white flowers of the Summersweet glow like a woodland candelabra  through the Sweet gums, Oaks and Sassafras trees, the Mayapples are raised like tiny turtle umbrellas along the forest floor and the Ostrich ferns stand in tribute to a time long ago. A Hairy Woodpecker suddenly clings to a tree right over your head and a Red-Tailed Hawk watches your every move from its perch.

You are in Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry, one of the last stands of hardwood lowland forest in the Meadowlands District and the last that is accessible to the general public. It is a 22-acre hidden gem in an otherwise congested part of Bergen County, where birders can see migrants such as Hooded and Blackburnian Warblers, where Wood and Swainsons Thrush  have the run of the forest floor and the Kingfisher’s rattling  call can be heard through the woods.

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