A wintery mix kept me in the car this morning, but I got my best species
Mehrhof count this winter at the ice-free pond in Little Ferry.  I was
“camped out” in the car where I could view and scope the pond from the
road.   1500+ Ruddy Ducks were very active in the falling snow, skittering
across the water every couple minutes.   Also had Great Egret, 9 Lesser
Scaup, 8 Common Mergs and 10 Hoodies
Location:     Mehrhof Pond
Observation date:     12/21/08
Number of species:     25

Canada Goose     14
Gadwall     1
American Black Duck     1
Mallard     3
Northern Shoveler     6
Green-winged Teal     4
Lesser Scaup     9
Hooded Merganser     10
Common Merganser     8
Ruddy Duck     1500
Double-crested Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     1
Great Egret     1
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Ring-billed Gull     30
Herring Gull     5
Great Black-backed Gull     6
Downy Woodpecker     1
Black-capped Chickadee     3
American Robin     1
European Starling     5
Song Sparrow     2
White-throated Sparrow     1
Northern Cardinal     1
American Goldfinch     8

Click “Continue reading” for  bird reports.

BIRD UPDATES: Monday 121508

    Birder Neil Maruca reports from the Kearny marshes and Little Ferry’s Mehrhof Pond on Saturday: “Morning in the Kearny marshes was highlighted by decent counts of waterfowl: 56 Mute Swan, 130 Gadwall, 425 Mallard, 39 American Coots, 8 Great Egrets, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers.
Mehrhof in the afternoon had 1800 Ruddys, 205 Green-winged Teal, Shoveler, and Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers.

Location: Mehrhof Pond
Observation date: 12/13/08
Number of species: 13
Canada Goose 15
Gadwall 5
Mallard 15
Northern Shoveler 22
Green-winged Teal 205
Lesser Scaup 2
Greater/Lesser Scaup 2
Hooded Merganser 5
Red-breasted Merganser 16
Ruddy Duck 1800
Double-crested Cormorant 1
gull sp. 24
Downy Woodpecker 1

BIRD UPDATES:  Saturday 121308

    Birder Neil Maruca reports: “Got in a couple hours in Kearny Marsh Friday, decent amount of local flooding from the rains.   Walked the rr tracks going right from Gunnel Oval, all the way to Bergen Ave.   Had two Common Moorhen, a Cackling Goose, 8 Greater Yellowlegs. Needed high boots to walk the trail, a good part of it had 6 inches or so of water.”

 

Here’s Neil’s list:
Location:     Kearny Marsh
Observation date:     12/12/08
Number of species:     20

Cackling Goose     1
Canada Goose     70
Mallard     40
Northern Shoveler     2
Green-winged Teal     11
Ruddy Duck     70
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Common Moorhen     2
American Coot     41
Greater Yellowlegs     8
Ring-billed Gull     30
Herring Gull     3
gull sp.     2
Rock Pigeon     40
European Starling     5
Song Sparrow     2
White-throated Sparrow     2
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)     2
Red-winged Blackbird     1
House Sparrow     12

Wednesday 121008

    Fred Virrazzi and his team from National Biodiversity Parks visited several sites in Meadowlands yesterday, including Saw Mill Creek, DeKorte, and Kearny Marsh. They also saw Pine Grosbeaks along Routes 1 and 9 in Jersey City. Click here is a link to NBP’s Web site.

 

Saw Mill Creek Complex
Palm Warbler 2
N. Harrier
White-crowned Sparrow
Belted Kingfisher
Ruddy Duck
Great Egret
DeKorte
Belted Kingfisher
Great Egret
Buffleheads 9
American Coot
Kearny Marsh E
Hooded Merganser 9
Northern Pintails many
Great Blue Heron 5
Kearny Marsh W
American Coot 3

TUESDAY 120908 

    Birder Chris Takacs saw 10 Pipits on Valley Brook Avenue in Lyndhurst on Monday. He saw them from the road by the Osprey platform.

 

SATURDAY 120608
  A quick walk around DeKorte on Friday with NJMC Naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany yielded these highlights:

 

Greater Yellowlegs (on left) , a Marsh Wren, 9 Canvasbacks, 6 Buffleheads, more than a dozen Pintails, several Green-winged Teal  and a Kingfisher.

   Note: The Marsh Discovery Trail has been closed for maintenance, so the raft of Ruddies was not in sight.

 

 

FRIDAY 120508

 

   Birder Ray Duffy reports: At Laurel Hill in Secaucus, the immature snow goose that was reported last week is still in with the Canada Goose flock on the cricket pitch across the road from the boat launch parking lot. 

    I counted 50 Black-crowned Night Herons at the pond roost — 45 adults, 5 immatures.  I also had a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 3 Northern Harriers and an American Kestrel. I found an American Coot near of the debris gates along the boardwalk at Mill Creek Point.

   Click “Continue reading…” for  Ray’s full list and other reports.

Laurel Hill – 7:45a.m-9:45am  26 species
1 Snow Goose
1 Great Blue Heron
50 Black-crowned Night Herons (45 adults, 5 immature)
3 Northern Harriers
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 American Kestrel
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1 American Tree Sparrow

Schmidt’s Woods – 10:30am-11:00am 10 species
1 Red-tailed Hawk
5 Fox Sparrows
2 Carolina Wrens

Mill Creek Point – 11:10am-11:40am 8 species
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 American Coot
1 Swamp Sparrow

THURSDAY 120408

   Birder Michael Britt reports the following highlights from Wednesday: Marsh Wren – Mill Creek Point; 40 Horned Lark, Meadowlands; 30 Snow Bunting; Meadowlands.

WEDNESDAY 120308

   On the guided Harrier Meadow walk this morning, we saw more than 30 birds — including the Merlin pictured at right, a Bald Eagle, an American Kestrel, Northern Harriers and Redtails.

  We also had an Orange-crowned Warbler and Pipits.

  We will post the full report on Thursday.

SATURDAY 112908

    Team Gyr did not see any Gyrfalcons on Friday but, according to their reports, they did see an adult Bald Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon, 6 Kestrels, 20+  Red-tailed Hawks,  a Cooper’s  Hawk, more than a half-dozen Harriers (including a Gray Ghost), a few owls, and roughly three dozen Snow Buntings.

THURSDAY 112708

Birder Neil Maruca reports: “The flock of 400 Ruddy Ducks on Mehrhof Pond apparently invited company over for the holiday, count was up to 1800  last night! Other birds on the pond at dusk were 40 Hooded Mergansers, 30 GW Teal, 20 Mallards 10 Gadwall, 8Shoveler, 40 gull sp, 2 Great Blue Heron.“

TUESDAY 112508

We had quite a few raptors on Disposal Road Monday — an American Kestrel, multiple Redtails and a male Northern Harrier, pictured here about to harass a Redtail (through a telephoto lens).

MONDAY 112408

    Birder Neil Maruca reports: “17 species in a quick look Sunday at Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry.  Highlights Coot, Greater & Lesser Scaups , Common and 18! Hooded Mergansers, along with the expected 400+ Ruddy Ducks.”  Pictured at right: (Northern Shoveler on Mehrhof Pond last week.)

Neil’s Mehrhof list
Canada Goose     20
Gadwall     20
Mallard     12
Northern Shoveler     22
Northern Pintail     4
Green-winged Teal     7
Greater Scaup     5
Lesser Scaup     4
Hooded Merganser     18
Common Merganser     3
Ruddy Duck     400
American Coot     1
Ring-billed Gull     7
gull sp.     10
Downy Woodpecker     1
Blue Jay     2
American Robin     1

 

SATURDAY 112208

    Birder Ray Duffy reports: “I got my first Fox Sparrows of the fall/winter at Schmidt’s Woods [in Secaucus] on Friday. I was running out of light, but I saw at least 4 scratching with White-throated Sparrows.
“As an FYI, there was a Snowy Owl in Liberty State Park Friday night.”

FRIDAY 112008

  Birder Neil Maruca reports: “DeKorte had a thin layer of ice over the impoundments this morning, but it was melting by 8 a.m.  29 species, including Kestrel and 3 juv. Night herons looking pretty displeased at their first experience foraging while there was ice.”

Neil’s List:

Canada Goose   60
Gadwall     15
American Black Duck     12
Mallard     45
Northern Shoveler     6
Northern Pintail     40
Green-winged Teal     25
Bufflehead     14
Ruddy Duck     8
Double-crested Cormorant     38
Great Blue Heron     2
Great Egret     1
Black-crowned Night-Heron     3
Northern Harrier     4
Red-tailed Hawk     4
American Kestrel     1
Ring-billed Gull     24
Herring Gull     35
Great Black-backed Gull     15
gull sp.     40
Belted Kingfisher     3
Downy Woodpecker     1
American Crow     50
crow sp.     1
Northern Mockingbird     1
European Starling     60
Song Sparrow     7
White-crowned Sparrow     X
American Goldfinch     22

WEDNESDAY 111908

    This morning’s Harrier Meadow Walk highlights included an Orange-crowned Warbler, a male Northern Harrier and a distant Bald Eagle. A full report is on a separate post.

   TUESDAY 111808

   We saw this female Ring-necked Duck in the containment basin by the AMVETS Carillon in North Arlington yesterday, along with a Great Egret and a flock of Mallards.

   Although in far fewer numbers, the Great Egrets continue at DeKorte and in North Arlington, and an occasional Belted Kingfisher can still be seen.

MONDAY 111708

  Birder Neil Maruca reports: “Sunday’s most interesting observations were Lesser Black Backed Gull on a piling downstream of the Amtrak River Bridge in Kearny Marsh East, a Eurasian Green-winged Teal in the Kingsland impoundment at DeKorte, and first-of-year Rough-legged Hawk (light phase) above the marsh grass at the edge of the Richard Kane Natural Area north of the Williams tanks (seen from Turnpike service road).

    Mehrhof Pond 12 species (my first Coot and Bufflehead there, 400+ Ruddy and 125 GW teal).

   Skeetkill Marsh 10 species (Northern Harrier on my way in, fantastic views of 2 Peregrines at end of visit, 100+ GW Teal).

    Railroad Avenue 2 block from Skeetkill, 30 Monk Parakeets.

    Bergen Pike Hackensack Rvr Bridge, 12 Hooded Mergansers

    Richard Kane Natural Area from Turnpike Service Road – Rough Legged Hawk Kearny East 18 species – 40 Mute Swan, 33 Gadwall, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, Lesser Black-backed Gull

   DeKorte – 19 species in 20 minutes… Eurasian GW teal

FRIDAY 111408

    Birder Neil Maruca reports from Mehrhof Pond: “Spent 40 Minutes scoping waterfowl as the fog slowly burned off the pond. The large Ruddy Duck flock continues (400+), still reliably accompanied by a handful of lesser scaup & dabblers.  Almost every time I stop by the pond there is intriguing birdsong coming from the old growth forest (Losen Slote Creek Park).

WEDNESDAY 111208
    Birder Linda Gangi reports: “Ducks, ducks and more ducks.
“Took a short walk along the boardwalk at DeKorte Park.  The impoundment was briming with waterfowl.  30+ Green-winged Teal, 50+ Ruddy Ducks, 20+ Bufflehead, 10+ Northern Shoveler, 20+ Pintail, Mallard, Black Duck, around 10 or so yellow-legs, one Great Egret, one Belted Kingfisher and two Mute Swans.”

 

 

 

TUESDAY 111108
     NJMC’s Erica Mueller reports: “[Yesterday] at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst an immature Bald Eagle flew over the Meadowlands Commission parking lots at around 2 p.m.  Also at DeKorte in the impoundments were Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintails.
Over the Erie Landfill there were 2 American Kestrels, a Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, and a few flyover flocks of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches.“MONDAY 101108
Birder Kevin Bolton reports: Birded Mill Creek and De Korte [Sunday] morning from 7 to 11:30 and had a Stilt Sandpiper mixed in with GYL at Mill Creek otherwise birding slow — the usual ducks and raptors.

SUNDAY 110908
   Birder Neil Maruca reports that he … “got in a couple hours at Mill Creek   Marsh Saturday before the rain,. Birding was a little tough as residents were spooked by a Cooper’s and a smaller accipiter (Sharpie or male Coopers, look wasn’t definitive on smaller bird).  
    On Sunday, the large flock of 500+ ruddy’s continued at Mehrof Pond in Little ferry, with 12 Hooded Mergansers. 3 Great Blue Herons, heard Pheasant & Kingfisher.
Hackensack Riverfront near Secaucus had a flyby Peregrine.

SATURDAY 110808

  Birder Neil Maruca reports that on Friday: “26 species were at Mill Creek Marsh, highlights included 290 Green-winged Teal, Shovelers, a pair of Hooded Mergansers, Ruby- & Golden-crowned Kinglets, plus Swamp, Savannah, Song & White-throated Sparrows. Waders getting
scarce, just 2 Great Blue and one Snowy.  

     Mehrhof Pond had 3 fish crow atop the brick pumphouse, 700 Ruddy Ducks, 10 Hooded Mergansers (7m, 3f) 3 Lesser Scaup (2m, 1f), 3 Gadwall, & swamp, White=throated & Song Sparrow plus Dark-eyed Junco.FRIDAY 110708

    Birder Ray Duffy reports, late Thursday, at Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry: The Ruddy flock is over 400 at this point.

    I got 3 Lesser Scaup (2 male, 1 female) in that group, my first of the fall and first since that lone one at DeKorte at the end of July.

     I also got my first 2 Hooded Mergs (both males) since April for the Meadowlands.

TUESDAY 110408

FRIDAY 103108

    Don Torino reports: Finished my Heron Survey for the year late this afternoon at SkeetKill.

     I have to say this is one of the lesser known hot spots for birds in the area. I spent about an Hour and half there and had some nice birds:

   White-crowned, Swamp, White-throated, and Song Sparrows.

   Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer, Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mockingbirds, Red-tailed Hawk and my last Snowy Egret.

Skeetkill Creek Marsh, late October

TUESDAY 102808

    Despite the high winds and driving rains, a Belted Kingfisher, a Northern Pintail and three Northern Shovelers were hanging out at the first tidal impoundment at DeKorte Park early this afternoon. Plenty of Ruddy Ducks at Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry yesterday afternoon.

SATURDAY 102508

  Birder Linda Gangi reports that if she had to sum up her walk at DeKorte on Friday in one word, the word would be “waterfowl”:
   “Large numbers of ducks could be found  throughout the Saw Mill Creek WMA section and also within the impoundment.”

I don’t bird with a scope but I wished I had one today.  The vast majority of the waterfowl consisted of mallard, black duck, pintail and shovelers.   
    In the distance I would bet there were mergansers based on the silouettes along with the smaller ruddy duck.  My bins however were not quite up to the chore. 
    Other birds seen were cardinal, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow, a flock of house finches, yellow-rumped warblers, downy woodpecker, great egrets, belted kingfisher, Northern harrier, double-crested cormorant, Northern mockingbird and a group of 8-10 yellow-legs.

 

FRIDAY 102408

  Birder/photographer Kevin Bolton saw 32 species at Mill Creek Marsh on Thursday afternoon, including Greater Yellowlegs and ducks in good numbers.

Here is Kevin’s list, over 3.5 hours. Thanks, Kevin.

Canada Goose
Gadwall – 3
American Black Duck – 5
Mallard
Northern Shoveler – 20
Green-winged Teal – 5
Snowy Egret – 2
Northern Harrier – 1
Greater Yellowlegs – 35
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull – 3
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher – 1
Blue-headed Vireo – 1
Marsh Wren – 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet – 4
Northern Mockingbird – 2
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler – 1
Palm Warbler – 3
Common Yellowthroat – 1
Field Sparrow – 1
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow – 2
White-throated Sparrow – 2
White-crowned Sparrow – 2
Northern Cardinal – 2
Red-winged Blackbird – 4
House Sparrow

 

WEDNESDAY 102208 — MILL CREEK MARSH, SECAUCUS

   Don Torino reports that on Tuesday afternoon at Mill Creek, he saw lots of sparrows — Savannahs, Field Sparrows, White-crowned, Song, Swamp and White-throats.

   About 30 Greater Yellowlegs throughout the marsh. Many Yellow-rump and Palm Warblers and Ruby and Yellow Crowned Kinglets also. Green-Winged Teal and N.Shovelers  in good numbers, too.

 

WEDNESDAY 102208 — DeKORTE PARK LYNDHURST

    Birder Linda Gangi reports that a Tuesday walk in the rain at DeKorte Park in Lynduhrst brought egrets, yellowlegs and five species of ducks.

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Double-crested Cormorants

Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

Northern Pintail

Ruddy Duck

Mallard Duck

Northern Shoveler

Black Duck

Belted Kingfisher

Mute Swan

Red-winged Blackbird

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Palm Warbler

Pine Warbler

Eastern Towhee

White-throated Sparrows (small flock)

Northern Cardinal

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Harrier

Mourning dove

Plenty of Robins

House Finch

TUESDAY 102108

  

At DeKorte Park yesterday, we saw Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, yellowlegs and sandpipers among the Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. This morning, more than two dozen Great Egrets collected in the tidal impoundment near the start of the Marsh Discovery Trail.

 

 SUNDAY 101908

   Birder  Ray Duffy reports: “The ruddy flock at Mehrhof Pond on Saturday morning was 205.  We counted out one group of 201 with a smaller group lingering at the south end of the pond of 4.  We had one male still in rusty breeding colors, everyone else was in their winter colors.  Also had a female shoveler and some Canada geese.  That was it for water fowl.  Spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.”

FRIDAY 101708

     At military services, a flyover is standard procedure, so it was only fitting that the ceremony commemorating the first anniversary of the AMVETS Memorial Carillon in North Arlington had a flyover of six Red-tailed Hawks (plus a Northern Harrier and a Belted Kingfisher).

                                                              

TUESDAY 101408

  We saw our first Northern Pintail of the season along the Marsh Discovery Trail in DeKorte Park today.

   The park still has its share of shorebirds, some Belted Kingfishers rattling around, Ospreys looking for their next helping of sushi, and the usual assortment of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets.

MONDAY 101308:
Don Torino reports: My Heron Survey at SkeetKill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield Sunday morning quickly turned into a Sparrow survey. I was joined by Peggy O’Neill at 8 a.m.

   The Sparrows seemed to be everywhere, you didn’t even have to move a step before we were surrounded by Song, Swamp and White-Throated Sparrows, but the highlight was a beautiful Linclon’s Sparrow.

The Warblers were out in numbers, also Palm, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-Rumps. Also a Hermit Thrush and 8 Flickers in one tree!  And to top it off a Beautiful Mourning Cloak Butterfly flew right by us.

FRIDAY, 101008

 

 Today we saw Yellow-Rumps, Palm Warblers and Savannah Sparrows at Secaucus High School Marsh this morning, and Gadwalls, Flickers a-plenty, Northern Harrier, Redtail and more at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington this afternoon.

 

WEDNESDAY 100808

 

  We saw this American Kestrel at Skeetkill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield this morning. (Don Torino saw one last week here as well.)

MONDAY 100606

Mary Jo Marino saw a Sora at the Secaucus High School Marsh on Sunday.

THURSDAY 100208

   Harrier Meadow in North Arlington this morning had several kestrels, a harrier, an osprey, many shovelers and a flock of cedar waxwings.

092608

 

   Birder Ray Duffy reports: I’m pretty sure I got an American Golden Plover on Thuesday around 2:20 p.m. at DeKorte Park.

   Pix here and here. Ray also took a video of an osprey catching a fish.

092308

   Don Torino reports: “I did a Harbor Herons Survey at SkeetKill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield this afternoon. I was relaxing in my chair when I heard the terrible screech of a small  bird. I looked up just above my head a Male Am. Kestrel nailed a Song Sparrow! A beautiful thing to see (unless you’re the Song Sparrow).
That small part of the Meadowlands has been getting some nice birds. Fantastic to see a Kestrel as their numbers have been getting so low.

092108
Don Torino had a harrier at Skeetkill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield this morning while he was doing a Harbor Herons survey.

091908
We saw this small game bird in DeKorte Park, near the transect of the Transco Trail, the Shorewalk and the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve, not far from the NJMC parking lot.
We are thinking it is a Chukar, probably an escapee or released bird.

  Click here for more info on Chukars.

  As of mid-afternoon, the racing pigeon was still here, on the Environment Center roof.

   NJMC naturalist Michael Newhouse reports eight Kestrels hunting the Erie Landfill this morning. Also seen: female Northern Harrier working the fields by the Barge Club in Carlstadt.

091608
Don Torino reports: I saw three Osprey in Kingsland Impoundment in DeKorte Park this morning.

One came up with a large fish right off the observation deck.

One was also sitting on a post right at the end of the Walk way where it meets Transco Trail.

IBIS ALERT
Scott Barnes of NJ Audubon reported Saturday from the Meadowlands Festival of Birding:
The immature White Ibis continued today at the DeKorte Center in Lyndhurst.  The bird was seen in the afternoon as the tide receded; viewed from the left end of the “T” on the Sawmill Creek Trail, looking southwest.
Participants on the NJ Meadowlands Festival of Birding Walk at the above location this afternoon also found 2 Marbled Godwits and Caspian Tern.

BIRD FEST SCOUTING REPORT
    Birder Ray Duffy reports: I did a little scouting to see what was about before the Meadowlands Birding Festival. At Mill Creek I found a pair of Northern Shovelers and several Green-winged Teal. I also found a Dunlin (click here for photo) and a Black-bellied Plover (click here for photo).
At DeKorte, I was able to get a brief look at a Sora from one of the blinds before it disappeared into the phragmites. I saw a couple of least sandpipers that looked super fat, like they swallowed a whole tomato.Mill Creek Marsh: 12:30pm-2:45pm 30 species: 2 Northern Shoveler, 4 Green-winged Teal, 1 Black-bellied Plover, 7 Semipalmated Plover,Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, 1 Marsh Wren, 5 Yellow Warblers,  1 Pine Warbler, 6 Common Yellowthroats, 4 Savannah Sparrows.

 DeKorte Park, 3:15-5:30pm 35 species: Gadwalls, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, 2 Ruddy Duck females, 1 Osprey, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Merlin, 1 Sora, 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 Killdeer,
Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, 2 Short-billed Dowitchers, 4 Yellow Warblers, 3 Common Yellowthroats

 WEDNESDAY 0909
NJMC naturalist Michael Newhouse reports he saw the following in Harrier Meadow this morning: Connecticut Warbler, 2 Mourning Warblers, Magnolia Warbler, ~10 Savannah Sparrows,  3 Least Flycatchers, 4 Northern Shovelers,   ~15 bobolinks.

TUESDAY 0909
NJMC naturalist Michael Newhouse reports Northern Shovelers in one of the ponds at Harrier Meadow — just in time for the Meadowlands Festival of Birding this weekend.

SUNDAY 0907

Kevin Bolton reports a stilt sandpiper by the carillon on Disposal Road, near the beginning of the Saw Mill Creek Trail today.  See his nifty flickr photo here. Thanks, Kevin!
SATURDAY 0906
Edna Duffy reported just before noon: “My son, Ray, just called to say he is looking at the White Ibis.
“It is in Harrier Meadow but viewable with a scope from DeKorte.  Go to Sawmill Creek Trail and make a left at the T.  You can see it from the power lines.”Let’s hope it sticks around for next week’s Fifth Annual Meadowlands Festival of Birding that will be held at DeKorte.
“It is always a great event with lots of migrating hawks and shorebirds.”
— Edna Duffy

FRIDAY 0905

Birder Michael Britt reports:
I got to DeKorte at about 9AM on an incoming tide…only really had periphery of flats left…mainly by Harrier Meadow.
Three CASPIAN TERNS were roosting on the flats way out by the wooden bridge.
My first of season BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was out there as well.

… On the way out of DeKorte I checked Clay Ave.

There were 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, about a dozen or so SEMIPALM PLOVERS, some peeps, 20 SNOWY EGRETS and a PEREGRINE that came for an unsuccessful swipe.

There is a brand new observation deck right along Clay Ave. that gives great looks into the area.  The Phrags along the lot are too thick.

(Thanks, Mike!)

THURSDAY 0904

   Common Ravens seen by Disposal Road in North Arlington. See other post for 0904.

WEDNESDAY 0903

 This Caspian Tern was seen in the tidal impoundment between Harrier Meadow and the 1-E Landfill this morning.

MONDAY 8/31
A Mahwah birder visiting DeKorte on Labor Day reports that:  “I made my 1st ever trip to DeKorte in the Meadowlands this morning and I wasn’t disappointed. “I was very impressed with the whole place.
“Tons of planning and work was obviously put into this fantastic birding venue and facility.
“Unfortunately the buildings were closed for the holiday, but the trails were open and not very b usy, which was nice.
“During my visit, I managed to ID 44 species of birds. The highlights follow”:

-Black-billed Cuckoo – probably the one bird I didn’t expect to see.
-Snowy & Great Egret
-Least & Solitary Sandpiper
-Both Yellowlegs
-Osprey and Sharpie
-Belt. Kingfisher
-BC Night Heron – adult and juv.
-RT Hummingbird
-Yellow and B&W Warbler
-Com. Yellowthroat and Am. Redstart
-Cedar Waxwing
-Warbling Vireo

SUNDAY 0830

David Raymond got this shot of a Savannah sparrow at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus at 3 p.m.

SATURDAY 0830

Rebecca Buck of Somerset reported Saturday   night on Jersey Birds that “the juvenile White Ibis continues at the Meadowlands.”
“Jim Schlick was right about the time and place,”  she wrote (see FRIDAY).

(At right, an immature tricolored heron  at DeKorte Park this summer.)

FRIDAY 0829

Jim Schlick  reported  seeing the immature white ibis  at 3 p.m. on Friday on the Saw Mill Creek Trail at DeKorte Park as you walk East toward the Turnpike and the Wooden Bridge.

“This was at near low tide, so those who might want to try on Saturday would go  approx. 1 hour later.

THURSDAY0828

Birder Nigel Bates of Hopewell also reported on Jersey Birds that he saw the immature white Ibis Thursday in the impoundment to the south of the Sawmill Creek trail (accessible from DeKorte).
“The bird was roosting with 15 or so egrets by a drainage ditch in the SE corner of the impoundment at about 1:30 pm in the  afternoon,” he wrote. “Best viewed near the end of the trail by the chainlink fence.”