Monthly Archives: August 2008

STORM FRONT

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   This storm front raced across the Meadowlands Monday morning — bringing lightning, thunder and downpours. 
  Even the mallards ducked.

   (Photo below by NJMC Staffer Marc Schrieks.)

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RAY DUFFY REPORTS: Secaucus

  Birder Ray Duffy went to four sites in Secaucus on Thursday — Mill Creek Marsh, Schmidt’s Woods, Laurel Hill County Park and Mill Creek Point.
  Ray reports: " I found a pectoral sandpiper this afternoon at Mill Creek Marsh, my first for  Hudson County. I also saw an indigo bunting. 
   While crossing town to visit Schmidt’s Woods, I stopped at the Huber Street viewing platform for the marsh and found a Savannah Sparrow. 
  "I found four laughing gulls at Laurel Hill County Park with a large flock of seagulls hanging out near the river behind the new Xchange development.
   "I found a yellow-billed cuckoo at Schmidt’s Woods."

Click "Continue reading … " to see Ray’s report.

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RAY DUFFY REPORT

     "I visited  DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
   "It was high tide, so not many peeps around. 
   "I did see about 11 spotted sandpipers hiding in along the marsh discovery trail. 
    "Highlight bird was a male Belted Kingfisher, the first one I’ve seen at the location since late March.
   "Here’s one of my kingfisher pics."

      Click "Continue reading" to see Ray’s bird list.

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BIRDING: Harbor Herons Project

     For the Img_0599past few years, the Meadowlands Commission and a bunch of volunteers have been helping New Jersey Audubon and New York City Audubon with a project called the Harbor Herons Project.

    The object is to study the foraging behavior of egrets and herons that roost on the East River and near Staten Island to see if the birds from different nesting colonies are foraging at different sites and to see how the birds use the metropolitan landscape, including the Meadowlands.

   This year, researchers have banded several birds and put transmitters on some in an effort to keep track of their travels. Img_0598

   Some of those birds — great egrets, and double-crested cormorants, have been seen in the Meadowlands — and the great egret’s radio signals have been picked up here.

   You can help the research by keeping your eye out for banded/transmitter birds.

    The photo on the left is of a great egret youngster with a silver band on its right leg and a transmitter on its left leg  (image  enlarged on right).

   Kate Ruskin of NJ Audubon sums up the progress:

   * 17 great egret fledglings radio-tagged (transmitter is below right:Img_0796
      – Black letters on white
      – Positioned on the left leg, above the joint with the antenna pointing down (they’re small, less than 3% of their body weight, but visible)

   Click "Continue reading" immediately below to learn more.

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