We had plenty of butterflies at DeKorte yesterday, including these amorous Monarchs. Also seen at the Butterfly Garden: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Common Busckeye, Cabbage White, Orange Sulhur, Pearl Crescent, Red Admiral, Question Mark, Painted lady, Silver-spotted Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Peck's Skipper, Least Skipper, Common Sootywing, Wild Indigo Duskywing and Clear-winged Moth.
Monthly Archives: August 2010
Don’t Forget: NJMC Pontoon Boat Rides
The Meadowlands Commission is running its terrific pontoon boat eco-cruises out of its new marina in Carlstadt, 
and NJMC naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany reports that she has some openings on a few upcoming cruises, including Aug. 18 and 19 at 5:30 p.m.
On a cruise earlier this week had more than 1,000 semipalmated sandpipers (above) hanging out on a nearby dock alongside a Yellow-crowned Night Heron (righth). We also had Ospreys and a Peregrine Falcon (Thanks, Marcus!).
All four species are considered threatened, endangered or of special concern statewide.
The suggested donation is $15 per person for the two-hour cruise, making it one of the best deals around. Download a schedule and registration form here. For more information e-mail Gabrielle here.
Other pix from this week's cruise follow.
All About Kevin Karlson Day Aug. 21
Help Wanted: Shorebird Roosting Sites
As the New Jersey Audubon Society embarks on its Meadowlands Shorebird Study, researchers are eager to hear of any overlooked places in the district where shorebirds congregate.
For an example, N.J. Meadowlands Commission staffer Angelo Urato passed along a photo (above) to this blog of dozens of peeps roosting on a dock at the new River Barge Marina in Carlstadt.
Another pic and more info follow.
Harrier Meadow Walk is on Tuesday
The Meadowlands Commission's free Third-Tuesday nature walk this month is at the legendary Harrier Meadow. The timing (and tide) should be right to see migrating shorebirds and a raptor or two.
The walk, run in association with the Bergen County Audubon Society, runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Because the site is usually closed to the public, you will need to sign a standard liability release. Download it here: Download HARRIER Release.
Full listing, with rsvp information, follows.
Neat Story on Birding Serendipity in the Meadowlands
John V. Soltes, editor-in-chief of The Leader, did an offbeat front-page story this week on "lucky" birding finds in the Meadowlands. The story quotes the NJMC's Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, and NJMC naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany.
Some nice pix from the blog (including the one above of a young Peregrine) provided the visuals. Link is here.
Carlstadt Harbor Herons
The Meadowlands is a prime destination for foraging egrets that have colonized South Brother Isand in the East River. That fact was underscored late last month when Lorraine Novinski was taking one of her regular bird counts for the Harbor Herons survey.
Lorraine noted a Snowy Egret that had been banded on South Brother. When NYC Audubon heard of the sighting, it sent reseracher Liz Craig (above) to the site to see if she could find the banded Snowy as well.
She did not see the Snowy, but she held up a large antenna and picked up the signal from a Great Egret that had been equipped with miniature radio transmitter at South Brother Island in June.
Can You ID These Sandpipers?
These are the main types of sandpipers we are getting at DeKorte these days. These were photographed on a free guided Marsh Discovery Trail walk last week.
Can you identify them?
Answer follows.
DeKorte Butterfly Report for 081010
Lots of great butterflies around these days, including this Monarch photographed recently by R.T. Geoghan. (Thanks, R.T.!)
After the noon Marsh Discovery walk today, we checked the Jill Ann Ziemkiewicz Butterfly Garden and nearby Butterfly Bushes and saw at least 10 species in less than 10 minutes: Monarch, Viceroy, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Pearl Crescent, Common Buckeye, Silver-spotted Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Cabbage White, Wild Indigo Duskywing.
Mill Creek Marsh Today
Don Torino reports:
"Spent a beautiful early morning at Mill Creek Marsh.
"The Marsh was a live with a 1,000+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, both Yellow-legs, two Imm. Yellow-crowned Night Herons, many Yellow Warblers, Marsh Wrens, 25+ Forsters Terns, Great and Snowy Egrets, and numerous Monarch Butterflies.
"Just a wonderful spot to watch the fall migration."