The second part of our three-part "Birding for Beginners" is this Sunday at 1 p.m. at DeKorte. Here's the scoop:

Sunday, April 10, 1 p.m.
Birding for Beginners
This free two-hour Birding for Beginners class starts with a short session on birding basics at the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst at 1 p.m., followed by a 90-minute walk in surrounding DeKorte Park. We’ll look for swallows, killdeer, waterfowl and other birds. The event is run the Bergen County Audubon Society and hosted by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission. Check meadowblog.net for last-minute weather updates. You will have to sign a standard liability release for this event. To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-636-4022.

We happened upon this contraption  the other day in DeKorte Park by the entrance to the Center for Environmental and Science Education.

What is the object in the foreground and what does it do? 

Object in the background (the McDowell Observatory) is a bit of a clue.

Answer tomorrow, along with a free viewing night at the observatory.