Finally photographed the male Belted Kingfisher who has been zipping around the Shorebird Pool. The white spot in front of the eye is really distinctive on this bird.

That strange thud you hear is the sound of people kicking themselves for missing the Meadowlands Commission's first annual "Green Friday" nature walk and talk. The rains never came, and some great birds were on the menu.

Some 20 of us headed out to sample the ducks du jour (eight species in all), four species of raptor, plus Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker and assorted other avian delicacies.

We twice had decent views of a Peregrine Falcon as it perched on a power-line tower. As promised, we are posting a distant fuzzy shot here.

After the walk, we headed to the Visitor Center for a brown-bag lunch (the brown bags were delicious but a little on the tough side!) and a slide show on the amazing critters of the Meadowlands.

A big thanks to all who attended, and another big thanks to Bergen County Audubon Society for hosting the walk with us.

Full list follows.

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As we post this at 8:15 a.m. Friday, there is a spritz of rain or two, but also a lot of ducks in the Shorebird Pool at DeKorte (Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Black Duck and Mallard)  and the wonderful sound of a Belted Kingfisher nearby.

Our "Green Friday" walk will begin at 10 a.m. as planned, and if the weather unexpectedly worsens, we'll check out birds from the warmth of the Visitor Center and watch a Meadowlands Nature slide show or two…

Bring your own lunch. There is a vending machine if you need a beverage. NJMC Staffer Jack Snipe brought in some left-over pies for a bit of dessert.

Don Torino, tireless nature-walk leader for Bergen County Audubon Society and all-around good guy, recently wrote a blog post on the Meadowlands for wildnewjersey.tv.

The link is here: wildnewjersey.tv/2010/11/23/the-meadowlands-get-better-with-age.aspx

Looking for a great way to beat the “Black Friday” day-after-Thanksgiving shopping crush? 

Visit the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s DeKorte Park for a free “Green Friday” guided nature walk and talk today, beginning at 10 a.m. outside the Meadowlands Environment Center.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there was 30 percent chance of rain, so please dress accordingly!

Today's event, sponsored by the NJMC and the Bergen County Audubon Society, will feature a walk on DeKorte Park’s Marsh Discovery Trail and other nearby trails, followed by a bring-your-own-lunch talk and slide show featuring some of the amazing critters that live in the Meadowlands. All of the photos are from this blog, and range from a Bald Eagle to (arguably) the world's most amazing Grasshopper shot.

The walk runs from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. We have been seeing yellowlegs, harriers and five or six types of ducks.

The brown-bag lunch is from noon to 1 p.m. in the Meadowlands Environment Center’s Visitor Center, which offers great views of DeKorte Park’s Shorebird Pool and the Manhattan skyline.

For more information, contact Jim Wright at jim.wright@njmeadowlands.gov or 201-469-7349, or go the NJMC nature blog, www.meadowblog.net.