A big thank you to everyone who attended Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day at DeKorte today. More than 100 people attended one of more of the five sessions.
Birding highlights included a Black-bellied Plover, Eight Caspian Terns, Pectoral Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Spotted Sandpipers and an assortment of herons and egrets.
We will try to print a full list next week.
In the past week, a first-year Bald Eagle has been seen on at least three occasions by DeKorte Park and vicinity. Ron Shields was in DeKorte on saturday when he got some incredibly close shots.
We are thinking that this guy is result of a successful Bald Eagle nest thi spring, located just outside the district.
We are posting one of the pics here. (Thanks, Ron!)
Who knows? Maybe we'll see the bird again tomorrow, during Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day.
The Hudson Reporter did a nice advance story on Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day. Read it here.
Our third annual Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day is Saturday, Aug. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Kevin is one of the nation's top nature photographers and author/co-author of several books, including "The Shorebird Guide" and "The Birds of Cape May."
All the programs are free, and include two guided walks, a birding ID seminar and a photography workshop with Kevin and Lloyd Spitalnik. Bring water, lunch and sunblock!
The day is sponsored by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
DeKorte gates open at 8 a.m. Directions to DeKorte Park are in the left-hand column of this blog. Event details follow.
As part of a national Landscape Architect Day, the Meadowlands Commission's Lisa Cameron, put up educational signs,distributed informational flyers and talked with the public yesterday.
You can download the flier here:
One of the participants on recent walks, Rick Wright, is a transplanted birder from Arizona.
He has a blog called "Birding New Jersey and the World," and he just did a post on Tuesday's walk. The link is here.
NJMC staffer Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, also writes a column every other Thursday for The South Bergenite. His latest, about a thatcher building a roof out of Phragmites in the Meadowlands, is below:
Most people don’t have much use for Phragmites, the tall, thick reed that has taken over much of the Meadowlands over the past 75 years.
But don’t count William Cahill among the invasive plant’s detractors.
Cahill is a thatcher — a craftsman originally from Galway, Ireland, who in recent weeks has been using Phrags to build the roof of a pavilion at River Barge Park, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s new 5.5-acre waterside park and marina in Carlstadt.
It turns out that one of Meadowlands’ most persistent plants is also one of the most environmentally friendly building materials.
Full story continues below.
This week's Tuesday Teaser was more like the Tuesday headache — proof positive of how hard it is to ID a bird sometimes — especially by photograph alone.
Followers of this blog offered three possible IDs, all flycatchers: juvenile Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher or of that family, or Willow Flycatcher (possibly a young one).
The Meadowlands Commission's Mike Newhouse thinks that the bird is probably a Willow or Alder Flycatcher.
Thanks to all who submitted IDs, and congrats to Jim Hayes for agreeing with Mike.
Starting today, the wildnewjersey.tv blog is featuring three resent nature photos each Wednesday from the Meadowlands Commission. NJMC's Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, is providing the photos.
Today's feature includes shots of a young Peregrine Falcon attacking a flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers on the Hackensack River, plus a photo of a tiny Peck's Skipper, which makes occasional appearances at DeKorte Park's Butterfly Garden.
Today is Landscape Architect Awareness Day. To mark the occasion, Lisa Cameron, a N.J. Meadowlands Commission Senior Landscape Architect, will spend her lunch hour out and about at DeKorte Park.
Lisa designed the new Sensory Garden and many of the park's other wonderful features.
Lisa has posted seven signs by Landscape Architecture around 
the park, and has placed flyers at the reception desks.
Receptionists will wear an “ask me” button in case people inquire about the signs.
If you'd like to meet Lisa or ask her about the design of DeKorte Park or about landscape architecture, please stop by.
If you can't find Lisa at lunchtime, give Jim Wright a call on his cellphone, 201-469-7349.