The Linnemans of Wood-Ridge appeared at the Environment Center on Friday with their pet dog and a large box with holes punched in it.

They found a bird near Wood-Ridge High School that couldn't fly and was acting stunned, so they brought it to the Meadowlands.

Naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany took the bird toward the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve area of DeKorte Park, and opened the box to see if the Magnolia Warbler could fly on its own.

It could, and it did.

We thank the Linnemans for thinking of us. We suspected the bird must have flown into a window and must have been stunned when they found it.  The Linnemans concurred.

Once the bird recovered, they could have released the bird on their own, but they wanted to make sure the bird was OK.

Thank you for caring, Mr. and Mrs. Linneman!

We got hit with high winds and dubious weather for Tuesday's DeKorte Walk, but five brave souls endured and were rewarded with 37 species, even though the weeks' rains have raised the Shorebird Pool.

Bergen Audubon's Denise Farrell, who co-led the walk with Don Torino, compiled the list. (Thanks, Denise and Don!)

Full list follows.

Continue reading →

Mike Gempp reports:

"Around 6:30 I had 3 Green Herons, one adult and two immature, down at Clay Ave. There are two Princess Trees just across the small marsh, and they sat in those trees calling for about 10 minutes. 

"In flight, one could easily mistake it for a crow or similar-sized bird. I've never seen them there before, so it was a bit of luck.

"When leaving, there was a good size snapping turtle relaxing right in the middle of Clay Ave, about 25" from the front to the back of the carapace. I gently tapped him with my trekking pole until he was annoyed enough to finish crossing the street."

Thanks, Mike!

Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, also writes a nature column every other week for The South Bergenite. Here is his latest column — on his first trip on the Hackensack River this spring:

Last week, I went on a sneak preview of the 2011 New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s pontoon boat rides, and all I can is: Wow!

 I had not been on the river in nice weather since last September, and I had almost (but not quite) forgotten what an amazing place the Hackensack River is.

The two-hour cruise, which began at Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus, was not only a delightful way to spend a sunny spring morning but it was also packed with one highlight after another — from rare birds to rare turtles, with plenty of great scenery in between.

Column continues below, with pic of Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

Continue reading →

After a bit of debate, we decided the fish is a carp. The mouth was so big that we thought it might be a large-mouth bass, taken in the Kearny Marsh (see link here).

But when you hear hoofbeats you should think horses, not zebras, and when you see big fish in the Meadowlands these days, you should think carp, not bass. (Unless it turns out to be a bass.)

Thomas F. Yezerski, author of the enchanting new children's book "Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival story," will be giving two free talks and slide shows at DeKorte Park in the next two months.

The presentations are brought to you by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

The first, for adults, will be Tuesday, May 24 ,at 7 p.m. The second, for children age 6 and older and their families, will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 25.

Copies of the book will be for sale for a discounted price of $14.95 (please bring cash or check), and Tom would be happy to sign and inscribe them.

Listings info follows.

Continue reading →

The free guided nature walk at DeKorte Park is still on, though the Marsh Discovery Trail will likely be closed.  Lightning cancels the walk.  Dress dry!

As you can see, things were really looking up for the Meadowlands Marsh Hawks on Saturday.

The team placed second out of 13 "one-county-only teams," seeing or hearing 127 species in roughly 18.5 hours. They placed second, by two percentage points, to the Rancocas Conservancy Brown Creepers, who covered Camden County like  Meadowlands midges in late April. (Congrats to the Creepers!)

Among the Marsh Hawks' many highlights: Clapper Rail, Sora, Black Skimmer, Hooded Merg, Barn Owl and Boat-tailed Grackle.

Full list follows, including the Bergen towns we visited.

Continue reading →

We know the bird is an Osprey, but who's that fish? Photo was taken last week on the Hackensack River. Answer tomorrow.

NJMC Staffer Jim Wright's nature column for South Bergenite, on the pontoon boat trip on the river, will be posted Thursday.

Our next free walk is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10 a.m. at Dekorte Park, though the Marsh Discovery Trail may be closed because of rain.

Full details follow.

Continue reading →