Monthly Archives: November 2010

Free Nature Walk ‘n’ Talk Today (Friday)

IMG_9097-1 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.  

 

The Ron Shields Report

Copy of IMG_3388 Ron Shields was loose in the Kearny Marsh again, with the usual fine results.

He has a knack for capturing the beauty of this often forgotten gem.

Writes Ron: "Attached please find assorted images from my most recent kayak trip into the Kearny Marsh this weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!"

His shots are verticals, so we have to put two of them "on the jump," as they say.

They are shots of two Green-winged Teal and a close-up of a real fan fave, the Black-capped Chickadee.

(Thanks, Ron!) 

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Losen Slote, Late November

IMG_6111-2Made a quick trip to Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry this week, and the natural area was decked out in  the hues of late November — tans and IMG_6448browns and russets and grays.

The water pictured at the bottom of the image is Losen Slote — with "Slote" being Dutch for "creek" or, more commonly,  "ditch."

Birding was slow, but we did see a Redtail,  Fox Sparrow (pictured here), and a late turtle and a late dragonfly.

More on Losen Slote here.

NJMC on NY1

NY1 Television recently did a short spot on Friday's free guided nature walk, done in conjunction with Bergen County Audubon. The spot features NJMC Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, who will be leading the walk with the NJMC's Jim Wright and BCAS' Dick Enberg.

Link is here.

Free Nature Walk This Friday!

IMG_9097-1 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 beginning at 10 a.m. outside the Meadowlands Environment Center.

The Nov. 26 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.

The walk runs from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. 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 201-460-2002, or go the NJMC nature blog, www.meadowblog.net.  

 

Meadowlands Annual Report Is Online

To save money and paper, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has a paperless annual report this year.

It can be viewed here. We're partial to Page 33, which includes some of the rare birds seen here in the past 15 months. And to Page 22, which highlights our partnership with the Bergen County Audubon Society.

Note: The opening of the report features a little music to brighten your day, so you might want to hit the "mute" button if you need to watch silently. (Thanks, Mike G!)

Find a Rare Bird, Win an Eco-Cruise for Two!

Over the past couple of winters, the IMG_8313-1Meadowlands has attracted some great rare birds.

Two years ago, From late December into February, we had two Snowy Owls (including the one on the right).

Last year, a Northern Shrike visited the Disposal Road area from mid-December to Saint Patrick's Day.

And both winters we had at least one Rough-legged Hawk.

Taking a page from birder Mike Hiotis' playbook, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is offering two free pontoon boat rides during the 2011 season for the first birder to find a Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike or Rough-legged Hawk in the 30.4-square-mile Meadowlands District in the coming weeks.

The only ground rule, courtesy of Mike, is that the bird must be seen "for more than one day with multiple observers." Of course, if you can share a photo of your find, you will receive all sorts of fame and recognition.

E-mail the NJMC's Jim Wright here.

Pix of the Disposal Road Shrike and one of the Meadowlands' wintering Rough-legged Hawks follow.

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South Bergenite: A Few Words With Scott Weidensaul

NJMC Staffer Jim Wright's latest "Nature Next Door" column in The South Bergenite previews the upcoming talk by noted nature author Scott Weidensaul. Here is the column:

Part of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s mission is help people connect with nature nearby, and To help accomplish that, we like to invite well-known writers and other experts to provide their unique perspective.

That’s why the commission is hosting  Weidensaul1(C)Amiran White-2 award-winning author Scott Weidensaul at the Meadowlands Environment Center on Monday, Dec. 6.

Weidensaul’s talk is free and open to the public, and his subject is perfect for a place located in the middle of the Middle Atlantic Flyway: “Against All Odds – Miracles of Bird Migration.”

If you’ve ever been to DeKorte Park or down to the Hackensack River, you’ve likely seen many migrating birds first-hand – from the raptors and waterfowl of winter to the shorebirds of spring and fall.

But where do these birds come from, and why are they here? Weidensaul will provide the big picture.

The talk, hosted by NJMC and sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society, will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Environment Center auditorium.

(Rest of column continues on "jump.")

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