We saw this eastern Towhee earlier this week in DeKorte Park's Lyndhurst Nature Reserve but have not seen him the past couple of days — so keep an eye out if you're in the area. Seen today at the LNR, last of the season Junco, White-crowned and White-throats, plus Killdeer, many Great Egrets and an Osprey overhead
Monthly Archives: April 2010
Answering a Raven Question
Julie McCall wrote in last week to ask if any previous Common Raven nests at Laurel Hill had been successful, and the answer is yes.
Last year, for example, two young ravens successfully left the nest in early May– though they still received food from Mom and Dad. (Photo is above, a couple of links are here and here. (Thanks for asking!)
New Osprey Platform in Little Ferry
The Record had a neat story today about an new Osprey nesting platform put up on the Bergen County Utilities Authority campus near the Hackensack River in Little Ferry.
We are seeing more and more of these once-threatened fish hawks along the river, and additional housing opportunities (potential nesting sites) are a big plus. This new platform was a joint effort by the BCUA, Riverkeeper, PSE&G and Verizon.
The link to Environmental Writer Scott Fallon's story is here.
DeKorte: Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Just saw our first of the year Mourning Cloak in the DeKorte's Lyndhurst Nature Reserve. This cloak looks like something out of the Salvation Army store, but still nice to see.
By the way, according to the North American Butterfly Association Checklist for DeKorte, this butterfly is due to appear around… mid-April.
Checklist is here.
More on Mourning Cloaks here.
By the way, have you heard that a new free Butterflies of DeKorte Park pamphlet is in the works? We hope to have it ready later this spring.
Kearny Marsh Update
We have been itching to get back to the Kearny Marsh, and when we finally got a chance to visit on Wednesday afternoon, we weren't disappointed.
Among the highlights: an American Coot, two perched Ospreys, a Great Blue Heron and many Muskrats.
The water levels have dropped to the point where the trail along the railroads tracks is open (though a tad muddy in spots).
New ‘Bird Sightings’ Board!
We have a new Dry-Erase board just inside the Meadowlands Environment Center, with a list of recent sightings. If you see any good birds (or butterflies, etc.), feel free to add to the list …
Earth Day at DeKorte: Don’t Miss It!
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission will celebrate Earth Day on Thursday, April 22 with a full slate of fun and educational eco-friendly activities for all ages.
The free programming includes nature walks, craft projects, green living workshops, giveaways and more.
All programs will be held at the Meadowlands Environment Center and in surrounding DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, the home of the NJMC.
DeKorte Park, which was once slated to be a landfill, is a one-square mile urban oasis of wetlands, nature trails and water views, all framed by the New York City skyline.
The day begins at 10 a.m. with a 90-minute guided bird walk through DeKorte Park led by the NJMC and the Bergen County Audubon Society. Guides will help visitors look for spring arrivals such as tree swallows and egrets. Download the flier here: Download Earth Day 2010 Flier
Next Week: Two More Nature Walks!
The Meadowlands Commission and Bergen Audubon have two great free guided walks lined up for next week.
On Tuesday at 10 a.m., we are visiting Harrier Meadow in North Arlington for a bird-banding demonstration (not to be missed) and a walk in this 70-acre reserve that is usually closed to the public.
On Thursday is our first annual Earth Day Walk at DeKorte, followed by lots of great programs and giveaways at the Meadowlands Environment Center.
More info on both walks and the Earth Day events follows.
More About Tree Swallows
We wrote this article on Tree Swallows for a recent edition of The South Bergenite, and thought we would share it here.
Waterfront housing in the Meadowlands has been going up at an amazing rate this spring, and occupancy rates are approaching 100 percent.
Welcome to the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Tree Swallow Nesting Box Program, an annual community effort that provides housing for 175 tree swallow couples and their youngest offspring.
“It’s simply amazing to see how readily these little birds adapt to nest in the boxes,” says NJMC Naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, who has been involved with the program since 1998. “There is an instant satisfaction to putting up a nest box and seeing, within moments, a pair of tree swallows appear. It’s an incredible sight.”
About Those Midges….
As visitors to DeKorte Park and other Meadowlands locales may have noticed, we are getting a lot of Midges these days. The good news is that they don’t bite, and the birds (especially the Tree Swallows) love them. The bad news is they can be annoying if you walk too close to a shrub where they are congregating.
They are amazing bugs of the Chironomid family, and they have long “whiskers” on their heads, as evidenced from the two close-up photos (above and on the “jump.”)
More on Chironomids here.