Had both male and female American Kestrels around 1:30 p.m. on Disposal Road yesterday.
The male, above, perched atop a utility pole for a bite of lunch.
Monthly Archives: January 2012
Our Latest ‘Wild New Jersey’ Post
Our latest "Focus on the Meadowlands" column for wildnewjersey.tv features photos of:
* a preview of the just-about-finished Marsh Discovery Trail
*a Muskrat up-close
* and an oriole nest.
The link is here.
Excellent Snowy Owl Video from Cornell
A friend of the blog passed along this Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology video on Snowy Owls. We had a visit from two Snowy Owls three winters ago, and would welcome their return. In the meantime, we thought we'd share the video.
Speaking of owls, The Raptor Trust is giving a free talk tomorrow (Thursday) night in East Brunswick on the owls of New Jersey. Details are here.
Tuesday Teaser Deciphered
A big thanks to Tom Shinskey for IDing the Tuesday Teaser fungi as "Bird's Nest Fungi."
More on these fungi here.
“Harbor Heron” Seen in Cumberland County
Don Freiday reported this morning that "among the 27 (!) Great Egrets at Turkey Point/Dividing Creek during Sunday's Cumberland CBC, there was one with light blue color band labeled DX on the left leg."
Turns out that it was a Harbor Heron from our region. Susan Elbin of NYC Audubon says: "DX was banded in the Bronx, NY, as a nestling on 15 June 2011. The nesting colony is/was on South Brother Island in the East River. South Brother is due west of Rikers Island."
Photo of the bird band is from Don's blog. Link is here.
These egrets nest in NYC and often come to the Meadowlands to feed. Earlier posts about Harbor Herons are here and here.
(Thanks to Don Freiday, Nellie Tsipoura of NJ Audubon and Susan Elbin of NYC Audubon for providing the information here!)
Tuesday Teaser 010312
Mickey Raine writes:
"Elaine and I headed to Richard DeKorte Park the
other day to see the special exhibit on display, water color paintings and photos of the nature. While there, Elaine pointed out these odd-looking things in mass down in the grass and dirt area off the walkway.
"Upon first glance, they look like tiny clam shells opened with little groups of orbs; however, when getting down to the ground level and touching them, they are hard and seem to be solidly secured into the soil. We have absolutely no idea as to what they may be. Each shell-like creation is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in diameter.
"If any of you can ID these tiny things, please assist." (Thanks, Mickey!)
DeKorte Bald Eagle (awesome pic), Plus…
Billy Kasselow reports:
Got to DeKorte at low tide this morning which was around 9:30. On the far trail going out, there was a huge flock of gulls. Of course, as soon as we got within scoping range of the flock, a BALD EAGLE decided to fly over putting them all up. No complaining about seeing an eagle though.
"A good number of gulls stuck around including a juvenile GLAUCOUS GULL. It was a pale sort of mottled bird, no black on the wing tips, heavy bill with the all black tip and about the size of a herring gull. A RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET was also hanging in the thickets off of the Transco Trail."
Ron Shields got a great shot of the Bald Eagle at 11 a.m., above. (Thanks, Billy and Ron!) Billy's list follows.
The Record’s Story on Sunday’s Walk, Plus Full List
Last Sunset of 2011
Mike Girone captured the final sunset of 2011 at DeKorte Park. (Thanks, Mike!)
New York Post on Region’s Environmental Recovery
The New York Post has wonderful New Year's Day story on the New York metropolitan region's environmental recovery, featuring quotes from NJMC naturalist emeritus Don Smith and the NJMC's Jim Wright, who keeps this blog.
The link is here. The Meadowlands is on the second and third "pages."