Had a distant Common Moorhen at the Kearny Marsh this afternoon, just visible from the parking lot at Gunnell Oval.
Also Americans Coots galore, a few Northern Shovelers and a Great Blue Heron.
Common Moorhen pictured at left for verification; not trying to compete with Ron Shields. :- )
Sandy reports seeing an American Wigeon "in a pond off of the road leading into DeKorte Parl. It seems to me that it is fairly late to see an American Wigeon. He was with an American Coot and about 30 Green-winged Teal." (Something to keep an eye out for on Sunday.)
Sandy also sent along a shot of a Northern Cardinal inside the park. It was a nice reminder of how striking this common bird can be. (Thanks, Sandy.)
Cardinal photo follows.
Ron Shields was kayaking in the Kearny Marsh earlier this week when he took these amazing photos of an American Bittern in beautiful plumage. (Thanks, Ron!)
More on the American Bittern (a threatened species in New Jersey) here: Ambittern.
This Sunday is our free monthly "First Sunday" walk, and the site is DeKorte Park.
The program begins at 10 a.m.with two very short talks, "Winter Raptors of the Meadowlands" and the never-before-seen "Winter Waterfowl," by the NJMC's Jim Wright.
The talk will be followed by a guided walk in search of those winter waterfowl and raptors.
On our last DeKorte walk we had Peregrine Falcon, Redtail, Northern Harrier and Sharpie. , and we had American Kestrel on Disposal Road today.
At DeKorte are currently seeing plenty of Ruddies, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, Black Ducks, and Bufflehead, and the Canvasbacks should be back soon.
The walk is sponsored by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society.
Details follow.
