Thought we’d take advantage of the beautiful weather on the first full day of autumn on Sunday. We put in at River Barge Park in Carlstadt (free boat ramp) and paddled up the Hackensack River a short ways  to Mill Creek Marsh.

Shot above is a fellow paddler entering the Hackensack River at Mill Creek Point — with the sports complex and MetLife Stadium in the background and a couple of Double-crested Cormorants on the pilings. Just a reminder that autumn is still a great time to kayak in the Meadowlands.

Made a quick trip to Laurel Hill to see if any Ospreys still were out and about. They weren’t, but a pair of young Peregrines put on quite a show above and along the cliffs — dive-bombing each other and zipping around full-tilt pretty high up. (Yes, one of them is upside-down in the photo above; and yes, the one in the photo at lower left appears to be carrying a feather in his talons.)

This, of course, made them tough to photograph (sorry about that). As far we could tell, one was banded and the other was not. They are likely part of the young birds that have been hanging out in the Meadowlands and along the Hackensack River for much of the summer.

Yesterday we asked, “Who is this ‘pillar of strength — from last Tuesday’s walk?”

Fran Duggan and Tiffany Giovia said it is a Wooly Bear Caterpillar. Patrick Carney says it is an Isabella Tiger Moth Caterpillar.

Ian Garrison covered all the bases:” Wooly bear. Cute little guy, too. He’ll make a nice tiger moth.”  Thanks to all who answered!

For those who guessed Wooly Bully, that was a bit of a sham.

(Thanks to Marie Longo for the pic!)