Fifth annual Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day was a big hit with dozens of birders who participated in the morning walks and afternoon talk and photography workshop.

A big thanks to Kevin Karlson and his ace photographer colleague Lloyd Spitalnik for a memorable day, and a big thanks to evreyone who participated in the day-long series of events.

We will post the full list of bird and butterfly species seen in the coming week.

The event was sponsored by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.

When the Meadowlands Commission got a phone call about an injured, banded hawk in Lyndhurst today, we responded immediately and figured if it was banded it was likely a Peregrine.

When we got to the office where the hawk had been seen on a ledge for more than two hours, there sat the Peregrine.  We hoped that it was OK, but wondered how we could access the ledge if it was injured.  Short answer was, by ladder from the roof. When we checked out the roof  (photo below), the bird flew away…

The young Peregrine was double-banded, bare-aluminum on the right leg, and AR 70 on black over green band on the left leg.

This was the second banded Peregrine we have seen in the past two weeks, and the fourth in the past two years.

We will post  more info as we learn it. (A big thanks to the folks who called us about the bird!)

Regina Geoghan took this shot earlier this week at DeKorte Park. Our gut instinct was a fritillary.

Any suggestions?  (Thanks, Regina!)

Here are the tallies as of July 31  in the Meadowlands Big Year for 2013.

Congrats to all for competing. We hope you are having fun near to home, and seeing lots of great birds.

Keep in mind that some birders are in the Meadowlands all the time, and others get here occasionally, so their birdage may differ drastically.

If you’re name’s not on the list, please e-mail Jim Wright at jim.wright (at) njmeadowlands.gov. It’s still not too late! Sign up now!

Here is the leader board as of July 31:
1. Chris Takacs: 180, (2012 reigning champion, ineligible for prizes
in 2013 as a result, lives in district)
2. Mike Newhouse 176 (NJMC, setting a target number for competitors.)
3. Ray Duffy, 168 (in district)
4. Jackie DeMarco, 155 (out of district)
5. Mike Wolfe,  144 species (out of district)
6. Dennis Cheeseman, 140 (out of district)
7. Jim Wright,  135  (NJMC staff, ineligible for prizes)
8. Mike Turso 126 (out of district)
9. Oliver Stringham, 123  (in district)
10. Julie McCall, 114 (in district).
10. Rob Fanning 114  (out of district)
12.  Roy Woodford 112 (out of district)

The leader board as of June 30 follows. Continue reading →

Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, also writes a twice-monthly nature column for the South Bergenite. His latest is an interview with author/photographer Kevin Karlson:

Four summers ago, the Meadowlands Commission invited well-known nature photographer and author Kevin Karlson to host a day for the public at DeKorte Park.

The plan was for Karlson, a Bergen County native and Ramapo College alumnus, to lead bird walks, offer photography seminars, and talk about his latest publishing projects — all free of charge to the public.

When Kevin and I drove to DeKorte that morning, it was pouring rain, and we wondered if anyone would be there for the event.  To our eternal surprise, 85 people showed up, and Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day was born.

Fast-forward to August 2013, and the event — cosponsored by the Bergen County Audubon Society — is in its fifth year. On Saturday, starting at 8:15 a.m., Kevin and fellow ace nature photographer Lloyd Spitalnik will once again to help folks connect with nature. It promises to be a great day.

We recently interviewed Kevin between his national appearances. Here are some highlights: Continue reading →

Kurt Muenz writes:

I was at DeKorte yesterday (Aug. 7) and photographed a dragonfly (2 images attached), which could be a first record for Spot-winged Glider in Bergen Co. It was buzzing around,  about 150 feet out onto the Transco Trail. I’ve submitted my ID and these same images for review by Odonata Central (the Ode equivalent to eBird) along with the following note:

“Relatively new to ode photography and ID, so pls. consider above ID as tentative and review in-flight photos submitted. Believe it to be immature female per text in Paulson Eastern Field Guide.

If ID correct, it would be a first listing for Bergen County. If incorrect, would appreciate learning actual ID.  (Thanks, Kurt — can anyone help?)

Mike Maddaloni is in the Meadowlands taking sunrise and sunset shots so often that some of the other photographers have apparently taken to calling him “Sunset Mike.”

Here’s the latest word from Mike:

I have TONS to share, from lightning storms to great sunrises and new stuff from Mill Creek and elsewhere …

I also have a pretty much finished with a video of that time lapse stuff I was doing, if you could share that there have been MANY people I run into in DeKorte that wanted to see how the shots with my “contraption” turned out (above).

It took 2 months of capturing shots to get it ready. (Thanks, Mike!)

We had a nifty First-Sunday Walk at DeKorte on Sunday, with 11 species of butterflies, 31 species of birds, and 36 varieties of humans.

Butterfly highlights included a Question Mark, a Horace’s Duskywing and a Mourning Cloak. Bird highlights included a (distant) Bald Eagle and  a Peregrine Falcon (while we were packing up).

(Thanks to Joe Koscielny for the non-human photos of the airborne egrets and the Question Mark butterfly with its wings open!)

Full list follows.

Continue reading →

This caterpillar is a Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar named Maria, after the NJMC staffer who found her. We are hoping that Maria (the caterpillar) pupates and becomes a Giant Leopard Moth. Congrats to Patrick Carney and Denise Farrell for answering correctly…)

Pix of Maria’s current house at DeKorte’s Science Center and what she might someday look like follow. Continue reading →

When the National Moth Week folks told us that they were hoping a guest from Canada would attend Moth Night in Meadowlands last month, we did not realize he/she would be a big deal.

When we met the guy — Jim Des Rivieres — that evening, he seemed nice enough. Did not realize he was the photographer whose moth photography is currently on view at the American Museum of Natural History.

Then we saw this post by the folks at National Moth Week.