Some 20 folks participated in a Skeetkill Creek Marsh cleanup, sponsored by the Meadowlands Conservation Trust,  which owns and maintains this lovely 16.3-acre marsh in Ridgefield.

In addition to roughly 30 garbage bags of trash, the volunteers removed a few tires, a plastic milk crate or two, a discarded (propane?) cannister, and a 10-foot pole, with which we wouldn't touch some of that trash if we weren't wearing gloves. 

The Ridgefield Environmental Commission was a  huge help as well.

Great job by all!  The Meadowlands Conservation Trust passes along its gratitude.

More on the MCT here.

Dennis Cheeseman asks: What is different about one of the Green-winged Teal in this Photo-shopped photo?

All I'm saying is that it was not my idea.

Mike Britt reports:

"The DeKorte Park area had 4 Northern Harriers, an American Kestrel (male), Barn Owl (5:22PM), & 40 American Pipits."

Our latest post on wildnewjersey.tv features three photos this week:

   * a Brown Creeper at the Meadowlands Commission's bird banding station.

   * a look at recent free guided nature walk in Harrier Meadow that the NJMC sponsored with Bergen County Audubon Society.

   * an American Kestrel — just one of the amzing raptors hanging out on Disposal Road these days.

The link is here.

Tuesday, on a guided walk of Mill Creek Marsh, Denise Farrell spied a Eurasian Green-winged (Common) Teal, fairly scarce around here.

The bird was perched alongside an American Green-winged Teal in the first tidal impoundment as you walk counter-clockwise around the trails. It was sort of in the middle, next to a long piece of dock that somehow found its way into the marsh.

I took a few distant shots (including the one on the right), but it was a cloudy day, and the teal was chilling and had his head tucked the whole time we were there. (He's on the left in the pic.)

We sure could use a better photo of it, if anyone has the inclination.

We are getting requests for better photos, so if you are in the vicinity and want to take a shot, here's a photo approximating where the teal was in the impoundment on Tuesday.

E-mail them to jim.wright (at) njmeadowlands.gov.

Yesterday's mystery bird was a Black-throaed Green Warbler, photographed at the NJMC bird-banding station by Jim Kuehlke.

Congrats to Kevn Browne and Jim Hayes for contacting the blog with the right answer.

   This walk kicked off with a Peregrine Falcon perched on a nearby radio tower and kept delighting throughout — right down to the dragonflies we saw at the walk's end.

As we posted yesterday, highlights included a male Eurasian (Common) Green-winged Teal, a couple of American Kestrels and (as always) those nifty old Atlantic Cedar stumps.

Full list follows. 

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On our Mill Creek Marsh this morning, Denise Farrell found a distant Eurasian (Common) Green-winged Teal in the first tidal impoundment, standing next to an American Green-winged Teal.

The photo above was taken with a 400mm lens, then cropped, so image quality is not too hot. Note the teal on the left lacks a vertical white bar, and has a bold line above the eye.

We saw a Eurasian GW Teal on a guided walk last winter at Mill Creek Marsh (along with a Bald Eagle and a Gray Ghost; link is here).

We have also seen Eurasian GW Teal in years past in Teal Pool at DeKorte.  In fact, that DeKorte impoundment was named for this teal. (How's that for trivia?)

We will print a full list of birds seen on today's walk tomorrow, with pix…

More on these teal here as well.

The Meadowlands Conservation Trust is is seeking volunteers for a cleanup of the Skeetkill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The marsh is located on Pleasantview Terrace in Ridgefield. Directins are on the left-hand column of this blog. To RSVP and get more information, call Debbie Lawlor, 201-777-2410.

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Can you ID this warbler species?

Jim Kuehlke photographed this bird at the NJMC's bird-banding station earlier this fall. (Thanks, Jim!)