Thanks to Fred Pfeifer, we have an MP3 recording of our friend the Northern Shrike as it calls from a perch on Diposal Road.
Chris Takacs took this shot of two Northern Harriers squabbling by Valley Brook Avenue over the weekend. (Thanks, Chris!)
Our very snowy Third-Tuesday Walk at Harrier Meadow featured 10 
brave souls and 22 species, including our friend the shrike, a Ring-necked Pheasant, a Meadowlark, a Tree Sparrow, six duck species and three raptor species.
Said Don Torino of Bergen County Audubon Society, which co-sponsored the trip: "Bad weather + good people + good birds (still) = great trip."
The full list and another pic or two are below.
We have been a tad behind the eightball of late (some of us were on vacation, scouting out future migrants in Belize), and are now trying to catch up.
Marco Lips took some great shots at DeKorte during last week's storm, so we thought we'd post them today, when we have another nice wintry mix.
Says Marco: "We did not see any people (I wonder why…),just ducks, and snowflakes flying horizontally."
(Thanks, Marco!) More of Marco's pix below.
We had a great trek through the snows of Harrier Meadow this morning, topped off by great views of the (snowy) Northern Shrike. Had a few really good other birds as well. Full report tomorrow.
A couple of photographers have sent in some shots of Northern Harriers in Lyndhurst from the weekend.
This one, by Disposal Road, is by Debby Goldman. (Thanks, Debby!)
We'll post another by Chris Takacs later in the week.
Just a reminder that the Third-Tuesday-of-the-Month Nature Walk is at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington on Feb. 16 at 10 a.m.
We will also likely do a little birding along Disposal Road, which produced a nice little highlight reel on the Sunday Walk — including some nice looks at the Northern Shrike.
(The photo above is from the Christmas Bird Count, but it's a reminder to dress for snow and other nasty weather — birders go out in most conditions.)
The guided walk is free.
What can you say about a bird walk that included a Bald Eagle, a Rough-legged Hawk, Fox Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows — topped off with a Northern Harrier and a Northern Shrike?
Those were the highlights from today's Great Backyard Bird Count/Valentine's Walk sponsored by the Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society.
The shrike photo above is from today, just past noon on Disposal Road.
We will post the full list (courtesy of Bergen County Audubon) and more pix later in the week.
A big thank you to the two-dozen people who came out to the snow-covered Meadowlands for this walk!
Our next nature walk is a special event this Sunday, February 14, at 10 a.m. We are holding the Great Backyard Bird Count/Valentine’s Day Bird Walk with the Bergen County Audubon Society.
This free two-hour guided nature walk starts outside the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, and runs from 10 a.m.
We’ll walk in the square-mile park as time allows, looking for (and counting) wintering waterfowl and other birds of note.
The walk is run by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-636-4022.
