Our next free guided walk is in Harrier Meadow on Tuesday, Feb. 19.The 70-acre natural area is usually closed to the public. Will look for raptors, wintering waterfowl and a surprise or two.
The 10 a.m. walk is sponsored by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
Full listing follows.
Mill Creek Marsh is open again as of 9:30 a.m. today.
NJMC staffer Jim Wright, who maintains this blog, writes a twice-monthly column for the South Bergenite. His latest is on that banded Bald Eagle seen on Disposal Road Last month.
Bald eagles have made an incredible comeback in this region in recent years — to the point where they are almost a common sight.
But the Meadowlands had never experienced what occurred in the mid-January: A majestic bald eagle sat atop telephone poles and in trees near DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst for two consecutive days.
The weather was dreary, so the raptor probably wasn’t much in the mood to fly. It didn’t mind if birders and photographers got close, so long as they stayed in their vehicles.
(Unless you are on the other side of a body of water, an eagle will typically high-tail it if you get within 100 yards.)
Equally amazing, photographer Louis Balboa snapped a photo of the bird (above) with a lens that was long enough that he not only was able to see bands on both legs, but he could also read the number and letter on a black double band on its left leg: “9/V.”
