A nesting pair of Common Nighthawks was discovered recently at an undisclosed location in the Meadowlands.
These birds are a species of special concern in New Jersey.
We believe this might be the first record of a nesting pair in the district in decades.
(We also are amazed by how big the eye is — appropriate for a bird that loves the twilight.)
More on Common Nighthawks here.
A post from two years ago, including a photo of a nighthawk in flight, is here.
We counted seven species of butterflies at DeKorte yesterday, including Red Admiral (above), Black Swallowtail, 
Silver-spotted Skipper, Summer Azure and our first Monarch (left). (Plus Orange Sulfurs and Cabbage Whites.)
The now-blooming Butterfly Bushes were the big attraction.
One note: Although we usually think of primetime for butterflies as mid-morning to mid-afternoon, we had a Red Admiral before 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday (on a Hydrangea. no less), and we had Summer Azure, Black Swallowtail and Monarch after 5:20 p.m. yesterday.
More on Red Admirals here.
Kristin (Mylecraine) Munafo of New Jersey Audubon writes:
NJA is currently recruiting volunteers for Harbor Heron surveys coordinated through its Citizen Science Program.
The survey will take place from mid-June until mid-October at sites in the Hackensack Meadowlands, Raritan Bay, and surrounding wetlands.
Specifically we are looking at the abundance and distribution of herons, egrets, and ibises that nest on small islands of the Greater NY/NJ Harbor in mixed wading bird colonies, locally known as Harbor Herons. The Harbor Herons have been a flagship for biodiversity in the Harbor Bight region since they started nesting here in the 1950s.
The Citizen Science Program is a collaborative effort of NJA, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP), and the NJ Meadowlands Commission.
This year we are continuing the survey that we initiated in 2008 to improve our understanding of the Harbor Herons and their use of foraging habitat in the NY/NJ Harbor.