Can you solve a mystery?

Yesterday, John and Peggy Koney of Ringwood stopped by the Meadowlands Environment Center with a strange object they had found on their lawn under a tree. It resembled a very small brown derby, closed top and bottom, clearly hollow — it was as light as a feather.

The Koneys wondered what it could be.  So do we, though we suspect it might be some sort of insect nest. One theory they had heard was that it was some sort of puffball fungus.

Can anyone help?  Just post your answer in the "Comments" section below. 

Don Torino reports: Good activity at Mill Creek this morning, Palm Warblers seemed to be all over as well as Common Yellow throats. Savannah Sparrows were numerous and my firs White-Throated Sparrow too. Green-winged Teal and Northern Shovlers also and about twenty Greater Yellow-legs. Large Flock of Red-winged Blackbirds were moving through.  and at least 15 Monarch Butterflies and two Buckeyes.

Ray Duffy reports:  I had a pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Schmidt's Woods around 6 p.m. yesterday. I had a Sora in the High School Marsh about 3/4 of the way to the High School in that high muddy area between the river and the boardwalk around 6:45 p.m.

(Thanks, guys!)

We picked this for the Tuesday Teaser for two resaons — it's a neat teaser and a really cool pic. Taken in the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve earlier this month by Dale Jankowski. (Thanks, Dale!)

Chris Takacs reports that the American Avocet was still hanging out in Harrier Meadow this morning, for the 28th day now.

Mike Britt reports that Sunday at DeKorte Park he had  "Great
 Egret (49), Snowy Egret (14), Great Blue Heron (7), Blackpoll, Pine, Yellowthroat, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Chestnut-sided, Parula, Kestrel (2m), Harrier (2), Least Sand (the only shorebird), Savannah (3), Forster's Tern, Cooper's Hawk, etc."

(Thanks, Chris and Mike!)

This small lens piece was turned in at the Meadowlands Environment Center quite some time ago and was only recently brought to our attention. Please e-mail us via the "e-mail me" button in the left-hand column of this blog if you want to claim it. Post a comment if you think you know what it is. Thanks.

Dennis Cheeseman photographed this aptly named warbler last Thursday in the trees right off the far parking lot.  No confusing fall plumage for this guy. (Thanks, Dennis!)

Don't miss our next guided walk — at Laurel Hill in Secaucus at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2. We'll look for Ospreys and other raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds and whatever else turns up. The walk is brought to you by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

Who knows? Maybe we'll even see one of the local Common Ravens.

For a list of the 28 species of birds we saw on Oct. 3, 2010, at Laurel Hill, click here.

Full info follows.

Continue reading →

Ron Shields reports: "Here are some assorted shots of the more than 1/2  
dozen kestrels that were working the landfills beginning on Friday. 

Continue reading →

Plenty of highlights on yesterday's walk — in addition to the banding demo by the NJMC's Mike Newhouse (above left, with a young birder named Nestor), which provided great looks at Yellow-breasted Chats, warblers, catbirds and more. 

  We saw a distant Coyote walking along the edge of a distant 1-E Landfill, a flock of Greater Yellowlegs,  great looks at the American Avocet, which has been here for three weeks now, a Prairie Warbler and a Pied-billed Grebe.

Did not see the Caspian Tern that has been hanging out here.

Only a few American Kestrels around, but we had up-close views of one as Mike banded it (left).

Full list follows. (Thanks again to all our participants!)

Continue reading →

The bug is a Locust Borer. It only attacks Black Locust around here, but there are plenty of Black Locusts, and they are considered invasive.