Our next walk is the amazing Harrier Meadow in North Arlington — kicked off with a bird-banding demonstration by the Meadowlands Commission's Mike Newhouse.

This is a great double-header: Harrier Meadow is a 70-acre natural area typically closed to the public, and bird-banding is a rare chance to see wild birds up-close and learn about how banding birds helps research in the Meadowlands and beyond.

As of this morning, the American Avocet (above, from today) and a Forster's Tern were still hanging out in one of the Harrier impoundments.

The walks are sponsored by the Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society.

Full info follows.

Continue reading →

This moth, roughly the size of a quarter, was looking into the Meadowlands Environment Center on Saturday during BirdFest, and hung around for the folks at the 11:30 a.m. Butterfly Walk and well into the afternoon.

We knew it was a moth, albeit an unlikely one, but did a brain freeze trying to remember what kind. We promised we would post the answer.

Here goes: The answer is… It is a Plume Moth.

A link with more info on Plume Moths is here.

Another photo of this T-shaped moth from Saturday follows.

Continue reading →

We saw this mystery plant on our Harrier Meadow walk last month.

Anybody know what it is?

This guy had quite a few people scratching their heads at NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse's bird-banding demonstration by Harrier Meadow at Saturday's Meadowlands Festival of Birding.

Any idea? Full frame shot follows. Send in your answer as a comment.

Continue reading →