Monthly Archives: January 2009

THE GOVERNOR(S) ARE COMING!

   

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   This year is the Meadowlands Commission's 40th anniversary, and we are busy planning all sorts of top-quality events and programs for the public.

    We kick off the year with a Governor's Roundtable next Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. The Roundtable will feature Governor Corzine* and former Governors Richard J. Codey, Donald T. DiFrancesco and James J. Florio discussing the  past, present and future of the Meadowlands. (*invited.)

    Award-winning New Jersey Network (NJN) environment reporter and producer Ed Rodgers will moderate the program. NJMC Chairman and state Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph V. Doria, Jr. will also participate.

     It's free and open to the public, but you'll need to RSVP because space is limited.

    Click "Continue reading … " for more details, and stay tuned to this blog for news of upcoming monthly nature walks, programs and other events.

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GUNNELL OVAL: Coots and more

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  A great birding spot, if you hit it right, is the Gunnell Oval area of the Kearny Marsh.
    The other day the marsh was chock-a-block with American Coots (above), Canada Geese, Mallards and Northern Shovelers.
   We also caught a glimpse of the Common Moorhen and what we suspect was a Cackling Goose (below) — the smaller cousin of the Canada Goose.
   This guy was smaller, and shorter-billed than his companions, but it was a tough call.
   Any thoughts?
   More on Cackling Geese here. More on American Coots here.
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Telling Teal Apart

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    For those who want to get immersed in duck identification but feel as though they are getting in over their heads, birder Claus Holzapfel offers this helpful photo.
    The two teal on the left are "regular" Green-winged Teal. The one on the right is a Eurasian Green-winged (or common) Teal. Got that?
    Thanks, Claus!

    P.S. Both types of the GW Teal have been feeding side by side near low tide in the tidal impoundment south of the main parking lot at DeKorte on Monday and Tuesday.

   A previous G-W Teal post (with a right-side-up view) is here.

WHAT’S-IN-A-NAME WEDNESDAY: 010709

   This weekly feature is brought to you by the Meadowlands Commission's Parks Department to give you some historical background on how local places, landmarks, and geographical features  got their name.

Schuyler Avenue, North Arlington  

   In the entire history of the Hackensack Meadowlands no one ever said, “Thar’s gold in them thar hills!” Copper Mine Underground Sketch

   But in the early 1700’s someone said, “There’s copper in those hills.”  

   That “someone” was Arent Schuyler born in Albany, New York in 1662.  

   His is the story of the discovery of copper in the meadowlands.

    Arent was the first of the Schuylers who gave their name to one of this area’s oldest roads: Schuyler Avenue.

Click "Continue reading…" for more information and archival images,

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RAPTOR PROWL 010509: The Report

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    We knew it was going to be a good morning on Monday when 13 lucky people shoIMG_9423wed up for our first public walk of the year — the first bird we saw was the Snowy Owl, perched easily within Spotting Scope range.
     The owl stayed (he is pictured here yawning), and everyone had good looks at him. Later, when we went to DeKorte, we saw the sometimes elusive Eurasian Green-Winged Teal  (also here on Tuesday).

   It is also called the Common Teal, but it's not very common around here most of the time. Other ducks included Gadwall, Hooded Merg, Common Merg, Ring-neck and Shoveler.

   Click "Continue reading…" for the full list and a new Green-Winged Teal pic. 

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RAPTOR PROWL 010509

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   If you missed the Meadowlands Commission's free Raptor Prowl and Nature Walk this morning, you missed a great show — beginning with a Snowy Owl perched on a utility pole. We also had the unusual Eurasian Green-winged ( aka Common) Teal.

  We will post more pix and a complete list of the 25.5 species tomorrow.

  If you want to be notified of future free nature events offered by the Meadowlands Commission, e-mail us here.

SEEING STARS

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                                                                            NJMC Photo by John Rusher
    The William D. McDowell Observatory in DeKorte Park reopens for public viewing tonight from 7 to 10 p.m.
   The above image, of  a star cluster close to Cassiopeia, was taken recently through the observatory's 20-inch-diameter scope. None of these stars can be seen with the naked eye.
  The observatory is open to the public on Mondays and Wednesdays for viewing sessions at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. 

  For more on the observatory, click here and here.

   For more photos, click "Continue reading … " immediately below.

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