We had almost 30 species on Sunday's 1-hour and 45-minute walk around the Marsh Discovery Trail in DeKorte Park.

   We are posting it here to give everyone a rough idea of the birds that are being seen at DeKorte these days.

    Click "Continue reading…" to read the full list.

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    The William D. McDowell Observatory in  DeKorte Park begins a new month of programming tonight with free public programs at 8 and 9 p.m.

   Each evening two major objects in the night sky will be viewed plus one or two other celestial objects or events depending on the observing conditions.

    Pictured at left is the observatory's state-of-the-art telescope with a 20-inch mirror,  housed beneath a retractable dome.

  The telescope, one of the largest in the area, is equipped with cameras to record the stars and planets. Special filters block light pollution.

For detailed information and the complete October schedule, click here,

 
    We had great weather and great birds for our "First Sunday of the Month." Among the highlights: Hundreds of egrets, a few Pectoral Sandpipers, an immature Little Blue Heronand several Black-crowned Night Herons.

   We did not see a Sora or the Least Bittern, but both were seen over the weekend. 

     Topping off the day was a most-informative talk on salt marshes by Rutgers Professor Judith Weis, who covered such topics as new invasive species, climate change, Phrags vs. Spartina, and the Meadowlands' amazing environmental recovery.

   The talk was part of the Meadowlands Commission's 40th anniversary celebration.

   If you missed Professor Weis' talk, copies of her new book "Salt Marshes" are available at the Meadowlands Environment Center's Gift Shop.

  Our next walk is Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m. at the Ridgefield Environment Center. We'll also visit Ridgefield's amazing Monk Parakeets and the Skeetkil Marsh.

   More information in the coming days on this blog.

    Depending on how much rain falls on Saturday, water levels in the main impoundment should be low all weekend as maintenance work continues on the pilings.

    The Least Bittern was seen on Friday along the Marsh Discovery Trail. Friday morning we saw a Peregrine Falcon strafing gulls in the main impoundment, and Friday afternoon we saw a female Northern Harrier wheeling by the Trail.

    On Friday we also saw umpteen Yellowlegs, a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers, Ruddies, Shovelers, and dozens of egrets and Great Blue Herons.  

   We have not seen a Sora or plover since Wednesday.

   Alice L. reports seeing a Bald Eagle at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in DeKorte Park:

   “Ducks were happily sitting in the water to the right of the Transco Trail after the gate," she writes. "Suddenly they were all in flight.  I wondered what was going on, it was so sudden and so dramatic.  I looked up and saw a larger dark bird in the distance.    Picked up the binoculars, and sure enough, a Bald Eagle.  I got some distant pix that at least confirmed it, too.”

 A quick reminder that DeKorte Park is hosting several excellent events this weekend.

On Saturday at 1 p.m. is a butterfly event for the entire family.

   On Sunday, and a free nature walk from 10 to 11:40 a.m. and a free nature talk on salt marshes from noon to 2 p.m.

  Rutgers Professor Judith Weis, author of the new book "Salt Marshes," is the guest speaker.

  Click here to read a recent interview that the NJMC's Jim Wright did with Weis for The South Bergenite.

  Click here for more information on the weekend events.

    Artwork by members of the Art Association of Rutherford will be on display at the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Flyway Gallery during October.

  The theme of the exhibit is “nature and environment,” and the show runs from Friday, Oct. 2, through Friday, Oct. 30. A reception for the artists is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10. The show is free and open to the public daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. 

   Click here for posts on earlier Flyway Gallery shows.

    Click "Continue reading…" for another watercolor and more information.

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   As mentioned in a recent post, we had two Soras, a Least Bittern and a Bald Eagle on Wednesday afternoon along the Marsh Discovery Trail.

     Fortunately, photographer Pradeep K. Patnaik was able to get a couple of shots of the eagle, who appeared suddenly as it flew past the boardwalk and just kept on flying south by southwest.

   The bird did hang around, but it was majestic in the afternoon light. (Thanks, Pradeep!)