This immature Merlin was seen eating brunch along Valley Brook Road in Lyndhurst today, about 50 yards outside DeKorte.

    Lots of Northern Harriers and Redtails around as well.

  This Sunday at 10 a.m. is the next First-Sunday-of-the-Month Bird Walk with Bergen County Audubon Society.

  This free two-hour nature walk starts outside the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst .

  We’ll walk around the 110-park, looking for wintering waterfowl and other birds, and likely head out Disposal Road to look for the Northern Shrike.

   To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com.

   The Northern Shrike continues along Disposal Road. It was spotted around 11:45 a.m. by Jamie Glydon, and also seen by several others.

    Glydon has tried for 10 years to see the bird in New Jersey, including three hours on Disposal Road in the wind and cold yesterday. 

   Glydon had been looking for more than an hour today before he found the bird high on a bare tree across the retention pond. (Thanks, Jamie!)

   Also of note: We are thinking the bird above is a Cackling Goose, seen today in the Saw Mill Tidal Impoundent near the Lyndhurst Nature Preserve in DeKorte Park. Smaller bill, smaller size than the Canada in the background. 

   In the same general area (or beyond): Pintails, Gadwalls, Bufflehead, Common Mergs, Hooded Mergs. Also had a Merlin on Valley Brook just outside DeKorte (thanks, Charley!). Will post a pic later today.

   Ron Shields took this shot of a Northern Harrier riding the winds on Disposal Road yesterday. (Thanks, Ron.)

   To our knowledge, the Northern Shrike has not been seen yesterday or so far today, but we are optimistic. The shrike can be a challenge to see.

   If you see the shrike (or better yet, take some good shots of it), please e-mail Jim Wright here.