Yesterday afternoon was another great raptor fest, with three male pheasants hanging out as well. The light-morph kited along Disposal Road for long stretches, plus we had Red-tails and Harriers. Let's hope they hang around for Sunday's free walk.
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Token Dickie Bird
Finding a Bird a Day
Audubon Magazine's blog, The Perch, has been posting updates about a nifty birding challenge: Several birders nationwide, including NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse and Meadowlands ace birder Chris Takacs, have been trying to see a different bird species a day for as many days as they can, beginning on Jan. 1.
For your own amusement, you could start your own bird-a-day list now and see how long you can keep going. It sounds simple at first, but involves some strategizing — you don't want to "use" a common bird for the bird o' the day unless you are desperate.
The link to Audubon Magazine's blog post by Rene Ebersole (Mike Newhouse is her hubby) explaining all about the contest is here. Her latest post, detailing birds seen so far, is here.
A link to The Perch's main page is here.
Mike Newhouse's list to date follows — most of them are from the Meadowlands.
Bird Report 021011: Kearny Marsh
A quick Thursday afternoon trip to the Kearny Marsh in advance of Sunday's walk found 15+ American Coots, several Common Mergs (skittish as ever), 4 Hooded Mergs, a Red-tail, a Great Blue Heron and Black Ducks among the Mallards and Canada Geese. Plus lots of American Crows — always good to see.
Note: Access is limited to piles of plowed snow. You have to climb up a 5-foot-high snow embankment to get to the marsh. Footing wasn't too bad but did require some dexterity.
Reminder: Free Nature Walks Sunday, Tuesday
A reminder: Our special Valentine's Day Weekend Walk is at 10 a.m. this Sunday at 10 a.m.
We will look for wintering waterfowl at DeKorte, plus Rough-legs and Northern Harriers and other raptors on Disposal Road — with a quick optional trip to the Kearny Marsh to look for coots and moorhens.
Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and see another Bald Eagle, like last weekend. Or a Ring-necked Pheasant — they've been seen and heard a lot lately.
Word to the wise. Dress warmly. It can get windy. More information on the Tuesday walk will be posted on Monday.
Details on Sunday's walk follow.
Dark-morph Rough-leg on Disposal Road
Saw our first-of-the-season Dark-morph Rough-leg along Disposal Road this afternoon, at about 4:30. (Thanks to Mike Girone and Ron Shields for pointing it out, perched, at right).
Also saw a few pheasants.
Raptor Report 021011
Mike Girone, intent on outdoing our recent report on Disposal Road, says:
Hung out on Disposal Rd. for much of [Wednesday] afternoon, and the raptors put on a classic show!
3 Bald Eagles were spotted from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. (#1: possible 4th year bird; #2: 2nd or 3rd year bird; #3: 4th year/near-adult). All were soaring northbound.Up to 3 Red-tailed Hawks were visible at once.
At least 3 Northern Harriers patrolling the edges of the landfill (including 1 Gray Ghost, photo above).
A light-morph Rough-leg was frequently seen hover-hunting the area from 2:45 to 4:10 p.m. (the 2nd Bald Eagle of the afternoon was soaring by during one of the Rough-leg's hunting displays).
A Peregrine Falcon (possibly a juvenile) flew in from the east, following the Saw Mill power lines, then along Disposal Rd. heading west. Lost it behind the trees, but it did briefly soar out beyond the retention pond, looked to be hunting.
And not to be out-done, up to 5 Ring-necked Pheasants were seen foraging on the side of the landfill (mainly males, 1 female was seen).
Raptor Jamboree (Once Again)
Not to sound like a broken record, but Disposal Road is a daily raptor jamboree — just have to be there at the right time.
We were there yesterday at the right time — on our lunch hour, around 12:45.
First came the kiting the Red-tail, halfway between the Carillon and DeKorte.(Photo below, and yes, it needs to get that secondary feather fixed.)
Then came the Gray Ghost,on the landfill across from the Carillon, and too elusive to photograph.
Then came the light-morph Rough-leg (above and left), who was not the least bit camera-shy — too busy hunting. It worked the side of the landfill from the Carillon two-thirds of the way to DeKorte.
These birds are offering great, prolonged looks. Check out the Rough-legs while they're still in town.
‘Super Bird Sunday’: The Full List
Here's the full list of birds seen on "Super Bird Sunday," thanks to Julie McCall and Denise Farrell. Highlights included a Bald Eagle and a distant Rough-leg. (Thanks to Myke Malzone for these pix!)
Full list and another photo follow.
Tuesday Teaser Answer
That hawk that had us in the rear-view as it flew down Valley Brook Avenue from DeKorte Park was indeed a Red-tailed Hawk.
Really tough to tell from this angle, but the second photo clearly showed it to be a Red-tail.
Congrats to all who correctly ID'd the bird.