NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse reports seeing an American Avocet this morning in the second tidal impoundment at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington– a bit more distant than the one earlier this fall.
Harrier Meadow is closed to the public but NJMC staffer Jim Wright hopes to look for the bird during his lunch hour if anyone really needs to see this bird. No guarantee it will still be around.
Contact Jim at jim.wright (a) njmeadowlands.gov.
Rick Wright thinks this a Barn owl feather. That's what we were hoping…
(Thanks, Rick!)
Here's the full list of species seen on Sunday's two-hour Harrier Meadow walk sponsored by Bergen County Audubon Society and the N.J. Meadowlands Commission.
Highlights included seven duck species, six raptor species (including great looks at multiple Bald Eagles), and a few Eastern Meadowlarks. Thanks to all who participated!
Found this feather in Harrier Meadow on a recent walk.
Any ideas what it is?
The Meadowlands Museum has a bunch of photos likely taken in the 1930s along the Hackensack and Passaic River. This look likes work on a tide gate to us… Anybody have any ideas?
Folks who participated in yesterday's Harrier Meadow walk were treated to some real nice looks at several Bald Eagles, who wheeled high in the sky and provided great views of those trademark white heads and white tails. Also had one perched.
A few of our eagle-eyed participants thought they saw a transmitter on the back of one of the adult eagles, and Bruce Harman was able to get a few shots of the distant bird (shown here). What's the big deal?
The big deal is that this bird is likely one of the pair that successfully north of the Meadowlands this year. We have posted other photographers' photos of this same bird in the past — in fact, it was Alice Leurck's photo (Close enough to see the bands on the legs) that enabled us to track down where the bird was from. Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, wrote about that same bird and the increased frequency of Bald Eagle sightings two weeks ago in The South Bergenite. Link to that column is here.
A post with Mike Malzone's Spring 2011 transmitter-eagle shot and earlier links is here.
We had one of our best guided walks ever yesterday, with 51 of us enjoying nature's pleasures in Harrier Meadow in North Arlington. The species count was 40 — beginning with an American Kestrel at the start of the walk to three Bald Eagles at the end.
The weather was operfect and the group could not have been more congenial.
The free walk was sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission.
We will post a full list and highlights — and a separate post on one of the Bald Eagles — in the next couple of days. Thanks to all who participated!
Ducks are moving into DeKorte in greater numbers these days — like these Northern Pintails photographed in Teal Pool last week by Dennis Cheeseman. (Thanks, Dennis!)
Also seen: More Gadwalls, Ruddies, Green-winged Teal and Northern Shovelers.
DeKorte Park will be open on Veterans Day (Friday, Nov. 11) but the Meadowlands Environment Center will be closed.
A Northern Harrier was hunting along Disposal Road this afternoon despite 
some gusty winds.
She was joined by two pals, and they raced along the top of the old Kingsland Landfill before vanishing.
Also had a couple of Red-tails but, alas, no Bald Eagle sightings.
Maybe they are waiting for Sunday's walk.