Monthly Archives: July 2012

Coming in September: ‘Lost Bird Project’

LB-poster-001Here's your chance to attend a free September screening of the acclaimed new documentary film, "The Lost Bird Project,"about the stories of five birds driven to extinction in modern times and sculptor Todd McGrain’s project to memorialize them.

The event is on Thursday, Sept. 13,  from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

The Meadowlands Commission, Bergen County Audubon Society, Ramapo College and the New Jersey chapter of The Nature Conservancy are proud to sponsor this special screening, along with a question-and-answer session afterward.

More information follows.

Continue reading →

Bird Sightings from the Weekend

20120729-DSC_7324
 Roy Woodford writes:

Mill Creek seems to be the place to be these days.  At low tide, there are Sandpipers by the thousands … lots of Yellowlegs and a few Dowitchers if you look closely enough.  There are a lot of recently fledged Mockingbirds and Cedar Waxwings as well.  I also came across at least a dozen Snowy Egrets and one terribly cooperative Yellow-crowned NIght Heron.  He didn't seem to mind me watching him eat his crab lunch. 

Ray Duffy Reports:

I had a Caspian Tern flyover with a fish in its mouth on Sunday at Mill Creek Point.  I've had some least sandpipers perching/feeding in the flooded lawns at high tide at the point and had three semipalmated plovers on one of the softball fields.

Carole Hughes reports:

Led a NJ Audubon All Things Birds trip on Sundayday around the De Korte Environmental Center.  We got lucky with the weather.  It was overcast enough to keep it from being blazingly hot… but we had no rain!   

Highlights from the trip were:
   Northern Waterthrush – great look on the boardwalk Caspian Tern – close flyover
   1 Common Gallinule – in pond along rail road tracks Marsh Wren – many singing and 1 that sat up for group, 1 carrying what looked like more nesting material
   3 American Kestrels
   Black-crowned Night Heron
   1 Ruddy Duck
   Willow Flycatcher – singing from along Valley Brook Yellow Warblers – very active in multiple locations
   2 Least Sandpipers – had a good side-by-side comparison with a semi-palmated sandpiper to show the group Spotted Sandpipers - seemed like they were everywhere!
   Semi-Palmated Sandpipers – predominant shorebird on the mud flats 
   Western Sandpiper – a few scattered through the Semi-palmateds
   Indigo Bunting – multiple singing males
   Ring-necked Pheasant

 

 

DeKorte Today: Bank Swallows, N. Waterthrush, Terns

Northern Waterthrush
Chris Takacs reports: 

Took a few shots this morning at DeKorte Park — Bank Swallow Bank Swallows(below) from Gazebo and Northern Waterthrush (above)on the Marsh Discovery Trail.

Mike Newhouse of the Meadowlands Commission and I also observed 2 Caspian Terns from the Transco Trail. Birds were flying over the Saw Mill Creek flats. 1 adult, 1 juvenile calling and following the adult. Also  there today were 15+ Forster's Terns.

Also had Blue Grosbeak perched and singing from phone wires along Valley Brook Ave right at the Ball Fields entrance. Bird flew back towards the Snowy Owl field.

(Thanks, Chris!)

We will post some nifty weekend sightings from several folks (thanks, all!) as time allows.

More on the Tagged Egret

IMG_9685-001
Susan Elbin, Director of Conservation and Science for NYC Audubon. says that the tagged Great Egret seen yesterday in DeKorte Park's Shorebird Pool "was banded on 11 June 2012 (this year) at Elder's Point Marsh East, Jamaica Bay."

(Thanks, Susan!)