Batstock is almost here again! Beginning Friday, Aug. 24, the three-day event will feature live music, bat movie viewings, artesian bat works, live-bat presentations, and a night bat-walk hosted by Joe D’Angeli.

The first event is next Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst: The Meet–A—Bat  &  Bat Movie night Fund-raiser.

Enjoy beverages, snacks, and the company of these friendly, incredibly important  night-flying  mammals. A $5 donation is requested.  For more information on this event and other Batstock events, visit njbatman.com.

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In Secaucus, Ray Duffy reports:  At Schmidt's Woods this morning,  I had a male Blue-winged Warbler, female/immature Chestnut-sided Warbler and a yellow American Redstart in the woods. (Thanks, Ray!)

In DeKorte's Shorebird Pool this morning, Least Bitterns were seen early. No word of the Tricolored Heron. Plenty of Forster's Terns, Great and snowy Egrets and Semiplamated Sandpipers.

We finally have tallies through July for the folks involved in the Meadowlands Big Year competition. Sorry for the delay.

Congrats to all for competing. We hope you are having fun close to home, and we hope you are seeing new species again now that the fall migration is in full swing.

If you're name's not on the list, please e-mail Jim Wright at jim.wright (at) njmeadowlands.gov. It's not too late to participate!

The leader board as of July 31 follows below (just to heighten the suspense).  Also posting the standings as of June 30 below…

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Greg Gard captured this video of a Least Bittern in the Shorebird Pool.

(Thanks, Greg!)

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to pleased to announce the upcoming publication of "The Nature of the Meadowlands," an amazing coffee-table book that celebrates the environmental comeback of this amazing place.

With a foreword by N.J. Governor Thomas H. Kean, the lavishly illustrated, 128-page book illuminates the region's natural and unnatural history —  from its darkest days of a half-century ago to its  environmental revival.

It also celebrates the amazing landscapes and parks to be found here, including DeKorte Park, Kearny Marsh and Secaucus’s Laurel Hill.

And it features some pretty cool images, from including present-day nature and landscape photography to pictures of an old Secaucus pig farm, a "Sopranos" landmark, a Harp Seal in Carlstadt, an Eastern Coyote on a Meadowlands landfill, and rare Laurel Hill minerals.

More information follows.

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A few weeks back, we posted a Rick Wright sighting of Sand Wasps on the beach at Teal Pool. ("The Beach at Teal Pool" — sounds like a new condo development, no?)

Rick now has a semi-official ID, for those who follow these things. They are likely Bembix american spinolae.

Link is here. (Thanks, Rick!)