Tuesday, June 30: Don Torino reports that "I was out doing a Late day heron Survey at Skeetkill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield on Sunday night, ands around 7:30 I had two beautiful Black Skimmers working the Marsh, it seemed in unison. Skimming the water flying just a few feet apart. Pretty cool!"
Monday, June 29: We found the Black-necked Stilt just before 1 p.m. near the beginning of DeKorte Park's Saw Mill Creek Trail, by the Carillon on Disposal Road, North Arlington. The bird with the bubble-gum pink legs was 50 yards in,
on the left. Photo is from today.
Continuing: Four Forster's Terns on the railing heading out to the Vistor's Center in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park.
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Sunday, June 21: Neil Maruca reports: 5 species in the Meadowlands this morning. Highlights were a single Bobwhite darting across an access road in the landfill area, 4 continuing drake Ruddy Ducks at DeKorte and 11 Least Terns at the WMCA radio towers in Kearny. The Ruddy Ducks and the Least Terns were in full breeding plumage.
Terns had bright yellow bills and feet, and the clean white forehead. Least tern is a meadowland breeder, but I was surprised to find 11 adults at the same time. Had a direct size comparison with a
starling, the tern had a longer tail, but except for that the starling
was slightly larger.
Meadowlands June 21, 57 Species
Canada Goose 90, Mute Swan 129, Gadwall 70, American Black Duck 10,
Mallard 410, Ruddy Duck 4, Northern Bobwhite 1, Double-crested
Cormorant 130, Great Egret 27, Snowy Egret 7, Red-tailed Hawk 2,
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3, Killdeer 39, Spotted Sandpiper 22,
Ring-billed Gull 52, Herring Gull 22, Great Black-backed Gull 3, gull
sp. 60, Forster's Tern 3, Least Tern 11, Rock Pigeon 28, Mourning Dove
47, Chimney Swift 18, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 2,
Willow Flycatcher 3, Blue Jay 1, Fish Crow 1, Purple Martin 2, Eastern
Kingbird 1, Tree Swallow 75, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 45, Cliff
Swallow 1, Bank Swallow 2, Barn Swallow 53, Marsh Wren 4, American
Robin 35, Gray Catbird 22, Northern Mockingbird 14, European Starling
55, Cedar Waxwing 4, Yellow Warbler 15, Common Yellowthroat 7, Field
Sparrow 1, Savannah Sparrow 2, Song Sparrow 27, Swamp Sparrow 3,
Northern Cardinal 3, Indigo Bunting 5, Red-winged Blackbird 110,
Common Grackle 22, Brown-headed Cowbird 13, Orchard Oriole 2,
Baltimore Oriole 3, House Finch 1, American Goldfinch 24, House
Sparrow 17.
Monday, June 15: (Sorry for the late posting) Neil Maruca reports:
Spent a few hours in and around DeKorte park Sunday, Had Bank Swallow on the phone wires on Valley Brook Rd near the ballfields, 6 male Ruddy ducks seen from the Carillon area, and was very surprised to find a Common Nighthawk feeding over the landfills in full light (10am).
The landfills today must have had some sort of "hatch", because there were flocks of 100+ barn and tree swallows (as well as the nighthawk) feeding on the ridgelines.
Another interesting observation was seeing a flock of 25 cedar waxwings in a tight cohesive formation all mobbing a red tailed hawk. In the scrubby
area's there were good counts of Willow Flycatchers (12), Orchard Orioles (5 adults and 2 immature males), Indigo Buntings (6) and Yellow Warbler (at least 20). Species below:
Location: Richard W. Dekorte Park, Number of species: 52
Canada Goose 18, Mute Swan 64, Gadwall 35, American Black Duck 2, Mallard 150, Ruddy Duck 6, Ring-necked Pheasant 1, Double-crested Cormorant 175, Great Blue Heron 3, Great Egret 24, Snowy Egret 5, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Killdeer 15, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Greater Yellowlegs 4, Ring-billed Gull 100, Herring Gull 20, Great Black-backed Gull 1, Rock Pigeon 12, Mourning Dove 40, Common Nighthawk 1, Chimney Swift 16, Northern Flicker 1, Willow Flycatcher 12, Eastern Phoebe 1, Eastern Kingbird 8, American Crow 2, Fish Crow 3, Tree Swallow 75, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 15, Bank Swallow 1, Barn Swallow 75, House Wren 2, Eastern Bluebird 1, American Robin 30, Gray Catbird 12, Northern Mockingbird 10, Brown Thrasher 1, European Starling 50, Cedar Waxwing 25, Yellow Warbler 20, Common Yellowthroat 8, Song Sparrow 30, Indigo Bunting 6, Red-winged Blackbird 60, Common Grackle 25, Brown-headed Cowbird 10, Orchard Oriole 7, Baltimore Oriole 2, House Finch 5, American Goldfinch 4, House Sparrow 1
Sunday, June 7: Dave Rotondi reports: "Saw a black skimmer at Mill Creek Saturday morning. DeKorte and Disposal Road were active with Cedar Waxwings (attached), Eastern Kingbirds (attached), Baltimore Oriole pairs, American Goldfinch pairs and scores of tree and barn swallows.
Sunday, June 7: Neil Maruca reports: "Birded the Meadowlands [Saturday] afternoon. Highlights included a Peregrine (seen twice, first over Berry's Creek from Valley Brook and again at the Kingsland impoundment inside DeKorte). There was also a female Pintail at
DeKorte in with a flock of Mallards.
Had a lone male Lesser Scaup preening at Mehrhof Pond.
Click "Continue reading…" for other June reports.
Thursday, June 4: Ray Duffy reported 3 Black Skimmers at Mill Creek Point Park in Secaucus, heading north on the Hackensack River.
Wednesday, June 3: Ray Duffy reported a Black Skimmer by Chubb Avenue in Lyndhurst around 9:30 this morning. If you're going to be at DeKorte Park soon, keep your eyes peeled (and your camera ready). Thanks, Ray!
Tuesday, June 2: Birder Rob Fanning reports: A late Sunday morning stop at DeKorte revealed a pair of fishing CASPIAN TERNS — a great bird for Bergen County. The late date is quite interesting. Also, 5 RUDDY DUCKS there on Sat incl. 4 stunning adult males, and MARSH WRENS were seen both days. Shorebirds included Greaterlegs, Spotted, and Killdeer, and Semi Sands.
Neil Maruca reports weekend highlights included Dunlin, Short-Billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson's Warbler.
Click "Continue reading …" for Neil's full reports from DeKorte Park and environs.
As I was driving to DeKorte approximately 100 peeps flew out from Berry's Creek near the Osprey platform. I stopped and scoped the mudflats near the right angle bend in the creek and found 35 Semipalmated Plover, 2 Dunlin and a Short Billed Dowitcher mixed in with another 100 peeps.
DeKorte proper had Blackpoll Warbler & 2 Gadwall with 10+ ducklings.
Checking out 1E, I had a Cedar Waxwing gathering nesting material near AmVets Way and a singing Wilson's Warber and a Harrier near Baler Road.
Location: Berry's Creek off Valley Brook near Osprey platform,Number of species: 25
Semipalmated Plover 35, , Dunlin 2, Short-billed Dowitcher 1, Killdeer 6, Spotted Sandpiper 1, Semipalmated Sandpiper 200, Canada Goose 45, Gadwall 1, Mallard 3, Great Egret 2, Snowy Egret 1, , Ring-billed Gull 3, Herring Gull 10, Mourning Dove 5, Willow Flycatcher 1, Marsh Wren 2, American Robin 3, Northern Mockingbird 2, European Starling 4, Yellow Warbler 4, Common Yellowthroat 2, Song Sparrow 5, Red-winged Blackbird 35, Common Grackle 10
Location: Richard W. DeKorte & 1E landfill, Number of species: 50
Canada Goose 25 , Gadwall 12 , Mallard 175 , Double-crested Cormorant 7 , Great Egret 5 , Snowy Egret 12 , Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 , Northern Harrier 1 , Red-tailed Hawk 3 , Killdeer 8 , Spotted Sandpiper 1 , Lesser Yellowlegs 1 , Semipalmated Sandpiper 5 , Ring-billed Gull 30 , Herring Gull 12 , Great Black-backed Gull 1 , Mourning Dove 40 , Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 , Downy Woodpecker 2 , Northern Flicker 3 , Willow Flycatcher 6 , Eastern Kingbird 2 , Warbling Vireo 1 , Tree Swallow 25 , Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 , Barn Swallow 4 , House Wren 2 , Marsh Wren 4 , American Robin 8 , Gray Catbird 11 , Northern Mockingbird 5 , European Starling 80 , Cedar Waxwing 6 , Nashville Warbler 1 , Yellow Warbler 28 , Blackpoll Warbler 8 , Common Yellowthroat 8 , Wilson's Warbler 1 , Song Sparrow 10 , Indigo Bunting 7 , Red-winged Blackbird 50 , Common Grackle 15 , Brown-headed Cowbird 5 , Orchard Oriole 1 , Baltimore Oriole 2 , House Finch 4 , American Goldfinch 9 , House Sparrow 6