We have a great free walk coming up tomorrow (Friday): the Great Backyard Bird Count Walk at Mill Creek Marsh.
The walk, at 10 a.m., is sponsored by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
We are offering a 25-cent prize to the first person who spots an Eurasian Green-winged Teal. No lie. And we will ytry to pay up a little quicker this time around.
Full listing follows.
Happy Valentine's Day! Try not to spend it like a Monk [Parakeet].
– (From our amazing archives…)
Because of the landfill remediation work being performed along Valley Brook Avenue, please do not park your vehicle along the roadway. This for your own safety.
(Note: The birds seen along the roadway have not been seen in recent days. )
Also, please be mindful of the major truck and construction-vehicle traffic. If you are on the roadway, walk facing traffic and expect to get muddy.
Thank you for understanding.
I think this was one of our most popular Teasers ever (thanks to Roy Woodford's nifty photo).
Yes, those feet belong to an American Coot! (Congrats to all who answered correctly.)
Ron writes: "A couple more shots from a fantastic weekend. A big thanks to Chris for finding the Grasshopper Sparrow!
Above and below, Horned Larks.
A photo of an Accipiter follows. What is it?
Our next talk and slide show on the NJMC's coffee-table book "The Nature of the Meadowlands" is Wed., Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m., for the Montclair Bird Club in Upper Montclair.
The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, click here.
Roy Woodford writes: “Sometimes 600mm is a bit too long.”
What bird has feet as funky as these?
As promised, here are a couple of Ron Shields' photos of yesterday's Disposal Road Grasshopper Sparrow found by Chris Takacs. (Thanks, guys!)
Chris Takacs writes:
Sunday at the Meadowlands was a very birdy day. I started around 9 a.m. as I drove down Disposal Road. Another wonder showed up there. A Grasshopper Sparrow was on the road near the retention pond.
"I found Ron Shields and showed him. He has some nice shots, too [one is above]. Not much else was happening on Disposal for the morning other than some of the usual sparrows along the roadside.
"Ray Duffy called me around lunchtime to inform me there was a Light-Morph Rough-legged Hawk being harrassed by Red-tailed Hawks over Kingsland landfill. I was home so I came down and saw it flying off the landfill heading north.
"I made a drive down Valley Brook to check a spot I had Horned Larks and Snow Buntings Saturday evening, and the birds were back. A dozen and a half Horned Larks and 6 Snow Buntings. Snow Buntings were on the wires overhead.
Ray Gilbert photographed this Merlin disposing of a Snow Bunting on Valley Brook Avenue over the weekend. (Thanks, Ray!)
