Roy Woodford took a nice assortment of Dickie Birds over the weekend — from Dark-eyed Junco (still here, above) to newly arrived Palm Warblers (below).
More pix (including Field Sparrow, RC Kinglet and Northern Rough-winged Swallow) follow.
(Thanks, Roy!)
We're pleased to announce that Tom Yezerski, author the acclaimed Children's book "Meadowlands," will join us at DeKorte Park on Earth Day (Sunday, Aptr. 22) for a talk and book signing.
The free, family-friendly event runs from 12:20 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Meadowlands Environment Center. It is sponsored by the Meadwolands Commission and the Begen County Audubon Society.
Also Earth Day: at 10 a.m., the NJMC's Jim Wright will do a brief talk and slide show on the rebounding Raptors of the Meadowlands (and you thought they played in Toronto), followed by a nature walk that runs until noon.
At 1 p.m., following Tom's talk and signing, there'll be a Birding for Beginners Class on birding optics, followed by another walk to test drive what you learned…
Julie McCall reports:
I was at Laurel Hill Tuesday morning, and counted FIFTY Black-crowned Night Herons. That's not an estimate, I actually counted each individual bird. Pretty nifty.
I also had at least 4 Osprey – 4 was the high count I had in sight at once. There was an awful lot of interaction among them. They seemed to be squabbling for the rights to sit on top of the lights over the fields.
I stood next to one of the ballfields for about ten minutes while the Ospreys bickered right over my head. At one point, one Osprey got too close to the nest for comfort, and it was promptly chased off by one of the Common
Ravens. Other raptors included an American Kestrel, a Peregrine Falcon, an adult Bald Eagle, and the silhouettes of 3 Buteos.
Also of note: 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 flyover Common Loon, and 2 Tree Swallows fighting with a Northern Mockingbird that was too close to their nest box. (That Mockingbird must have aspirations to be an Osprey.)
(Thanks, Julie!)
Yesterday's Teaser asked: What is this?
It's a Northern Mockingbird's eye, photographed last fall at the bird-banding station. Not to worry — the photo is really cropped (as is the one below).
Congrats to Ray Duffy and others who put the right "eye" in ID.
We have two more great bird walks this month — including a visit to Harrier Meadow (usually closed to the public), with a bird-banding demonstration by the NJMC's Mike Newhouse next Tuesday at 10 a.m.
We also have an Earth Day Walk at 10 a.m., beginning with a brief talk and slide show about the endangered raptors of the Meadowlands.
Both events are sponsored by the Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
More information on the two events follows.
Cliff Peterson writes:
"On Saturday, I was at DeKorte Park trying to hone my Bird photography and learn new techniques when I saw this raptor with a rodent in his left claw.
"I had just parked and started to take pictures of some ducks but the ducks kept quacking. I stopped to see what the ducks were quacking at and when I looked over my left shoulder I saw this raptor siting at the lowest tree branch. The raptor just stood there while I was taking photos but then it eventually flew to another tree."
Cliff figures the rodent for a muskrat, and we figure the hawk for a Red-tail.
Thought we'd post this as a food-chain-in-action shot. Please e-mail Jim Wright at jim.wright (at) njmeadowlands.gov if you think this sort of photo is a little too "raw" — we do not want anyone to be grossed out. :- )
What is this?
For the third spring in a row, the Meadowlands Commission is teaming with the Bergen County Audubon Society to present three "Birding for Beginners" classes over the next three Sunday.
The free, family-friendly classes run from 1 to 3 p.m., with a helpful classroom presentation on birding IDs, birding optics, and birding guidebooks, followed by a walk around DeKorte Park to put our new-found knowledge to work.
You are also welcome to attend just the walk portion of the classes.
Details on all three classes follow.(Can you ID the two birds above?)
We are pleased to post our pamphlet "Birds of the Meadowlands checklist" 
for download. (Printed pamphlets are also available at the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park.)
This free color pamphlet is designed will help enhance bird-watching for birders of all levels.
The brochure provides a checklist of more than 250 species found in the Meadowlands District, as well as photographs of many of the most abundant birds. It also lists the seasons when each species is most likely to be seen.
The checklist divides birds into distinct categories, including the various species of waterfowl, shorebirds, birds of prey, rails, herons, gulls, woodpeckers and warblers.
Ray Duffy labeled this cellphone pic "Odd thing in Cedar Tree," from Mill Creek Marsh late last month, and suggested it as a Tuesday Teaser.
We posted the pic as a bonus Tuesday Teaser, and here's what we learned from Mickey Rayne:
The site below offers detailed information regarding what is, in fact, the Cedar Apple Rust, as Mike G had wondered earlier. It is a gall and/or fungus disease that attacks crabapples and such.
www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/diseases/car/car.asp
Elaine and I had just seen it for ourselves during a photo-op walk toward the end of the daylight hours today. We are not certain that it is the same one posted as the "teaser," but it is the same thing.
(Thanks, Mickey!)