Showers are forecast for Tuesday morning, so dress accordingly.
Monthly Archives: October 2010
Don’t Forget: Free Nature Walk Tomorrow
The Meadowlands Commission's next free nature walk with Bergen County Audubon is tomorrow, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. at DeKorte Park.
We'll look for newly arrived White-crowned Sparrows and new waterfowl (like these two Pintails above, photographed on Oct. 21, 2008, at DeKorte), plus any lingering shorebirds and a raptor or two.
Details follow.
Yellow-Rumps, (Not quite) Adios
We have been seeing lots of Yellow-rumps all over the Meadowlands these days, from Disposal Road to Mill Creek Marsh, and we have to say it's bittersweet.
We can remember April, when they were coming through en route to points north, and they were so ubiquitous we almost wanted a Yellow-rump filter for the binocs. Two seasons later, we see them and realize we won't see them again till Spring — and decide that maybe there's more to them than meets the passing eye.
Dennis Cheeseman took this Yellow-rump shot last week at DeKorte. (Thanks, Dennis!)
A Couple of Cormorants
Ron Shields’ Kearny Marsh Report
Ron reports: The coots are back!!!
The attached image from Wednesday give evidence to their recent arrival in the Kearny Marsh.
In addition, the almost perfect camouflage of this green-winged teal is comprised only by its brightly colored wing patch.
Needless to say, the change of seasons has been extremely exciting.
(Thanks, Ron!) 
Peregrine at DeKorte
Always a good idea to check the power-line towers by DeKorte Park for raptors.
In the summer, it's usually Osprey. Today, it was a young Peregrine, perched near the park's entrance.
Snapping Turtle on Disposal Road
The guy above isn't the largest Snapping Turtle we've ever seen, but he was pretty big, and he was crossing Disposal Road near the Carillon just after lunch today.
Corn-like Milk Snake (or vice-versa) by Bird Banding Station
(Reposted) Erica Mueller recently photographed a (non-poisonous) snake by the bird-banding station at the closed Erie landfill.
We know that some people don't like to view photos of snakes, so you'll have to continue reading to see a couple of photos and use a link to learn more about two types of snakes that this snake has been ID'd as — Corn or Milk. You decide! (Thanks, Erica!)
Newly Minted Monarch
The Monarch migration continues. We caught this newly minted Monarch on Goldenrod at Harrier Meadow on Wednesday morning.
More on the 2010 fall Monarch migration here.
Shorebird Pool Open to Tides Again
As of late Thursday, the tide gates for the Shorebird Pool (aka the Kingsland Impoundment, the first body of water on your left as you enter DeKorte) are open, exposing this tidal impoundment to the ebb and flow the tides. At low tide, this means mud flats. We have had yellowlegs here this week.
As a rule of thumb, tides are roughly 1-2 hours later than the tides at the Amtrak RR Bridge on the Hackensack River. You can click here to get those tides. For example, low tide on Saturday in the Shorebird Pool should be a bit after noon.
Note, tides are affected by all sorts of factors, including rain, wind and Moon. In other words, water depth at low tide can vary drastically.
A lengthy but riveting explanation of how to predict tide follows.