Meadowlands Commission Naturalist Mike Newhouse covered Harrier Meadow, the 1-E Landfill, the Erie Landfill and the MRI wetlands on last Sunday's Lower Hudson Christmas Bird Count.
His team saw 55 species, including a Semipalmated Plover, Horned Lark, and a Barn Owl.
Full list follows.
| Cackling Goose | 2 |
| Canada Goose | 157 |
| Gadwall | 364 |
| American Black Duck | 79 |
| Mallard | 407 |
| Northern Shoveler | 90 |
| Northern Pintail | 19 |
| Green-winged Teal | 145 |
| Bufflehead | 18 |
| Hooded Merganser | 8 |
| Common Merganser | 9 |
| Ruddy Duck | 8 |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | 2 |
| D.C. Cormorant | 48 |
| Great Blue Heron | 5 |
| Great Egret | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 5 |
| American Coot | 8 |
| Killdeer | 16 |
| Semi-palmated Plover | 1 |
| Ring-billed Gull | 155 |
| Herring Gull | 17 |
| Great Black-backed Gull | 1 |
| Rock Pigeon | 14 |
| Mourning Dove | 14 |
| Belted Kingfisher | 3 |
| Downy Woodpecker | 1 |
| Northern flicker | 2 |
| Am. Kestrel | 1 |
| Blue Jay | 2 |
| American Crow | 1 |
| Fish Crow | 29 |
| Horned Lark | 1 |
| Black-capped Chickadee | 19 |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | 2 |
| American Robin | 2 |
| Northern Mockingbird | 4 |
| European Starling | 59 |
| Yellow-rumped warbler | 1 |
| American Tree Sparrow | 40 |
| Chipping Sparrow | 1 |
| Savannah Sparrow | 48 |
| Fox Sparrow | 1 |
| Song Sparrow | 69 |
| Swamp Sparrow | 3 |
| White-throated Sparrow | 31 |
| White-crowned Sparrow | 6 |
| Dark-eyed Junco | 8 |
| Northern Cardinal | 8 |
| Red-winged Blackbird | 1 |
| American Goldfinch | 10 |
| House Sparrow | 15 |
Good job, Mr. Newhouse! Good luck on your Meadowlands Big Year (even if there’s only a week left…).