We are still trying to determine what kind of goose this is — leaning toward the hybrid theory put forth by several commenters on the blog.
The following link provided by Michael DeCorte was very helpful: click here.
Thanks to all who offered suggestions.
The Meadowlands Environment Center at DeKorte Park will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 29, due to a temporary shutdown of the water system.
Paula Dias took this shot of a pair of Red-tails in Kearny late last week.
Could this be the beginning of a fine feathered courtship? (Thanks, Paula!)
This Bald Eagle was perched on some frozen flotsam on the Saw Mill Creek Tidal Impoundment around 3:40 p.m. today. We got this shot just as it flew.
Yes, the bird is banded.
We went to Mill Creek Marsh to see if we could find a Eurasian (Common) Green-winged Teal see hanging out with American Green-winged Teal by the second bridge as you walk counter-clockwise.
We wished we had brought our cross-country skis — would have beat trudging through the snow. We saw the odd goose featured as today's Tuesday Teaser, plus Ruddies, Hooded Mergs (below), Sharpie and Red-tail. We did not see any Green-winged Teal but will try again later this week.
Mill Creek is beautiful in winter — as it is the rest of the year.
Can you help us ID this goose? it was seen yesterday afternoon at Mill Creek Marsh, by the second bridge you cross going counter-clockwise.
We are thinking Snow Goose. How about you?
Our cold but enjoyable free nature walk on Sunday at DeKorte produced some great looks at Northern Harriers flying low near Disposal Road (above).
We also got distant looks at our target bird, the Rough-legged Hawk.
Full list from Sunday's walk (courtesy of Kevin Browne, who saw a few more great birds post-walk) follows. (Thanks, Kevin!)
Greg Gard writes:
On Thursday we stopped by Laurel Hill to see if any Common Ravens were around. There weren't — but we did see several Great Cormorants on the swing bridge and a couple of Great Blue Herons fishing along the river at low tide.
NJMC naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany put up four new Tree Swallow boxes along the base of the boardwalk to the Visitor Center earlier this month.
At left, what the inside of an old Tree Swallow box looks like. (Tree Swallows love to line their nests with white feathers.)
We also put up a "Cliff Swallow Hollow" (below) by the Marshview Pavilion, but we are thinking it needs to be better protected from the elements.
Last summer, we saw Cliff Swallows bringing mud to the underside of the Visitor Center but we saw no sign of any completed nests.