Liberty Valance photographed the Dunlin above at Mill Creek Marsh this past weekend. (Thanks, Liberty!)

 
We had a great walk last Tuesday at Mill Creek Marsh — though it did feel a tad too much like summer.

The walk, sponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society and the N.J. Meadowlands Commission, featured 34 species of birds — including four species of shorebirds — plus Millie the honey bear pictured above.

She has been hanging out at the marsh for nearly a month, and seems fairly harmless.

 Full list, and a couple more pictures, follow.

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Photo from "The Nature of the Meadowlands"

Bergen County Audubon Society and the Meadowlands Commission are hosting three free guided walks in June — beginning with our first-ever guided walk along the Secaucus High School Boardwalk this Sunday at 10 a.m.

Other walks include our 4th annual DeKorte Plant Walk with the legendary Edith Wallace (no, we will not be taking any plants for a stroll) on Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m.

Full info on all three walks follows.

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Congrats to everyone who named the Clay Avenue Wetlands in Lyndhurst as the site of yesterday's teaser.

The smokestack was once part of a munitions plant that was sabotaged pre-World War I.

More info is here…

Chris Takacs took this shot of everyone's fave fowl.

Where did he take the photo, and what is the structure?

(Thanks, Chris!)

Photo by Bill Stripling

The Meadowlands Commission is hosting a special free screening of the documentary "Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air," brought to you by the Bergen County Audubon Society, this Thursday (May 30) at 7 p.m. in the Meadowlands Environment Center auditorium.

The screening will also include information on how to get involved in Audubon’s new citizen science program, Hummingbirds At Home. 

The Hummingbirds at Home website and smart phone app make it easy and fun for people to keep track of the hummingbirds they see, while collecting data that will help Audubon scientists and researchers increase their understanding of these remarkable birds and of how to protect them.   

In the meantime, this blog would love to post a photo of a hummingbird taken in the Meadowlands if anyone has a good one….

More information on Thursday night's documentary follows.

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Ron Shields writes:

Here are  some images of several Blue Grosbeaks found along Disposal Road on Saturday despite the rain.

I'm not sure if the image on the left  is of a female or a juvenile male.

I also captured a male Indigo Bunting that was banded as well. 

Check out his right leg.

More pix, including the banded bunting, follow. (Thanks, Ron!)

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We are seeing all sorts of waterfowl with young these days. Liberty Valance took this photo at Mill Creek. A mom with nine youngsters. Gadwalls, judging by that white patch on the mom? (Thanks, Liberty!)

This is egg-laying season for turtles, so please be on the lookout.

If you see a Snapping Turtle in the road, please do not try to move it. They bite, and they move much faster at close range than you might think. Never pick one up by the tail — could damage their spine.

Ron Shields took the photo above — always a nice result when Ron and wildlife see eye to eye. (Thanks, Ron!)

The park is open on Monday, May 27, but the Meadowlands Environment Center and the Observatory are closed.  Have a great holiday.