Our fifth annual Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day is this Saturday, Aug. 10, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. It’s free and open to all. The event includes two guided walks featuring the author and photographer (and Bergen County native son), a shorebird ID seminar, a preview of Kevin’s latest projects, and a nature photography workshop. Joining Kevin all day will be his colleague and fellow ace nature photographer Lloyd Spitalnik.   More info is here.

Ron Shields reports:

Here are some images are from Friday morning’s paddle. I’ve never seen so many (least) bitterns in the marsh before!

The Green Heron is another great bonus.  (Thanks, Ron!) (Sorry  for oversized pix; software acting up.)
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Chris Takacs reports that at the Kearny Marsh on Friday , he saw:

Common Gallinule with 3 young, Least Bittern, 4 Wood Ducks and Peregrine. 2 Least Terns were in Kearny Marsh East, and 3000+ Semi-palmated Sandpipers and 24 Semi-palmated Plovers were in the mudflats across the tracks.

Above is a distant photo of a Gallinule with 2 of the 3 chicks in tow.  (Thanks, Chris!)

Greg Gard writes:

After a long break, I finally visited DeKorte Park last Tuesday evening. I was pleasantly surprised with the restoration done at the park! Well done!!!

Here is a quick video/time-lapse of the last hour of that day that I’ve managed to record. (Thanks, Greg!)

The William D. McDowell Observatory in DeKorte Park has an exciting month of programming in August.

Free public access is from 8:30 to 10:30 on Monday and Wednesday nights this month — weather permitting, of course.

Dress for the weather; with the dome open, you are basically outside.

Each evening at least two major objects in the night sky will be viewed, plus one or two other celestial objects or events depending on the observing conditions.

For a South Bergenite column by the NJMC’s Jim Wright about the observatory, click here.

For more information about summer Observatory programming, click here.