This week's (rainy) Harrier Meadow walk featured a bird-banding demonstration by NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse and his band of banders.
   Highlights included male and female Red-winged Blackbirds (above) and a mysterious flycatcher thought to be a least.
   The walk itself proved to be Shorebird Central, including three –– count 'em, three — types of plovers (Black-bellied in breeding plumage, Semi-palmated and Killdeer), Spotted and Least Sandpiper, and Short-billed Dowitcher. The walk was sponsored by the Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

 
    Ron Shields writes:   "These are photos from an epic two hour battle between two manhole cover sized snapping turtles at the Kearny Marsh on Saturday. 
   "They must have had some beef with each other as they completely ignored my presence only a few feet away.
   "They splashed, rolled and floated at least twenty yards during the encounter resting for a few minutes in between rounds. 
   "Note the wounds on the head, legs and throat of the combatants.  There was no clear winner as both eventually swam away seemingly unharmed.  Needless to say, this marsh championship bout was exciting to witness and photograph!"
   We are wondering if this battle may have been a question of overly amorous turtles. Any theories?
   More pix follow on "jump."

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   Julie McCall writes: "I decided to head  to DeKorte & Disposal Rd.
for "a few hours" since the radar had looked pretty active the night before.  I had a goal of 35-40 species.
   "I also set the ridiculous goal of 10 warbler species, since I'm trying to learn warblers this year and I haven't had more than 6 in a day. I downgraded that goal to '7' around 11 a.m., and then to 'just let me get 6' by noon."
   Julie's list of 11.5 warblers and the rest of her report are on the "jump."

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    What is this?
    Answer on "jump."

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    We are all set for tomorrow's 10 a.m. Harrier Meadow walk and bird-banding demo, with one small change.
   We had planned to allow some participants to park in DeKorte Park by 9:40 a.m. and car-pool to Harrier Meadow (about a half-mile away), but DeKorte is hosting a solar-energy conference and parking will be at a premium.
   If you want to carpool, please meet us outside DeKorte at the entrance to Disposal Road by 9:40 a.m.
   Above is an Indigo Bunting banded this morning.
   The walk is rain or shine. The bird banding may be weather-dependent.
   Full listing follows.
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Thanks to the wonders of bird-banding, we have tracked down some information on that Bald Eagle w/transmitter that was seen over the Overpeck Preserve earlier this spring and deftly photographed by Alice Leurck.
Because of the red/black band on the eagle’s left leg, it has been determined that the bird was originally from Northern Manhattan and hacked six years ago, in 2004.

Peter E. Nye, Leader of the Endangered Species Unit of the Wildlife Diversity Group for the New York State DEC, says: “This is a NY band: we’ve put red/black on captive-reared and/or hacked birds over the years, but not too many.” (Thanks, Pete!)

Original post is here.

   Ray Duffy reports: "As a heads up, Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus has been reopened.  I took a walk there Saturday evening as the tide as coming in at 7pm.  Not too much activity, mostly Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers.  There were some Lesser Yellowlegs as well.  I had a number of Yellow Warblers and a male Blackpoll Warbler.
   "I took a walk around Schmidt's Woods Sunday a.m. from 7:30 to 8:30 before work.  A pretty good morning for warblers:  Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, Northern Parula, Northern Waterthrush, Black-throated Green, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Magnolia, Blackpoll, Common Yellowthroat.  I also had a few White-crowned Sparrows.  Wood and Swainson's Thrushes as well." (Thanks, Ray!)

  We hear there's great viewing from the state DEP's Peregrine Cam in Jersey City. Four hatchlings!

  Link is here and here.

 
  We checked on the Common Raven family at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus this morning at 10 a.m., and we are happy to report that all four nestlings are fully fledged and flying near the cliffs,
   At one point, we saw the entire family of six ravens flying.
  If you visit and don't see the ravens, that doesn't mean they are gone. A similar visit on Thursday morning came up empty.
   Earlier raven posts are here.
    

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