This Black Skimmer showed up in the back of the Shorebird Pool by the Transco Trail around 12:30 this afternoon.  It then flew around the East Pool of the Shorebird Pool (aka the Kingsland Impoundment) for several minutes.
   This is prime time for these guys, and we have our first anniverary walk with Bergen County Audubon Society at DeKorte Park at 10 a.m.
   On the first walk the Meadowlands Commission did BCAS last Fourth of July Weekend, we had great looks at a Black Skimmer — and an Osprey catching a fish.
    Link to last year's walk is here. 

    Info on this weekend's walk is here.

   The William D. McDowell Observatory in  DeKorte Park begins a new month of programming next week with free public programs at 9 and 10:30 p.m. — weather permitting, of course.  Please check the Observatory's Web site to see it will be open on Monday, July 5. Link is here.
   Dress for the weather; with the dome open, you are basically outside.
   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 July schedule, click here.

 
  The sunny weather is bringing out plenty of butterflies at DeKorte — yesterday we had our first Pearl Crescent (above), a Viceroy, a Monarch and a Black Swallowtail in addition to the usual (beautiful) suspects.

   For the third day in a row, we had a Snowberry Clear-winged Moth (below) as well.