Our next free guided walk with Bergen County Audubon is on Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon, and it’s a terrific Tuesday two-fer — a walk in Harrier Meadow, plus a bird-banding demonstration there by NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse.

Harrier Meadow — where we recently saw that wing-tagged Great Egret — is usually closed to the public, and Mike’s bird-banding demos are always the best. Mike banded the mystery warbler pictured above on Tuesday  — the same day we saw the tagged egret.

Details — and ID of mystery warbler — follow. Continue reading →

Earlier this week The Record published a fascinating article by staff environmental writer Scott Fallon about the Meadowlands marshes.

MITSU YASUKAWA / THE RECORD

Fallon writes:

Julie McCall found this neat caterpillar on Sunday’s walk as well.  Any ideas on ID?

Marie Longo took this shot of a cool Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar during Sunday’s walk. (Thanks, Marie!)

Dennis Cheeseman photographed this Semipalmated Plover at Clay Avenue Wetlands in Lyndhurst this morning. (Thanks, Dennis!)

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen at Jill’s Garden at 2:10 p.m.

Regina Geoghan writes:  “Finally – my first bird photos of the summer.  Quite a few Snowy Egrets at Mill Creek this morning (Labor Day).   Hard to get a clear shot of them through the reeds and shrubs and the lighting was rather dull but did get a few. ”  (Thanks, Regina!) Continue reading →

Don Torino’s latest column for wildnewjersey.tv is about a recent NJMC pontoon-boat cruise he took.

Here’s a sample:

I was fortunate enough to grow up meandering the marshes and creeks of the New Jersey Meadowlands. 

I am still very privileged as I get to help introduce folks from all over to all the wonders of the Meadowlands by leading nature walks.

But as much as I adore walking the trails of places like DeKorte Park and Mill Creek Marsh, a pontoon boat cruise on the Hackensack River can put the people, history and environment in a beautiful natural perspective that I never get tired of.

Link is here.

Despite the threat of rain and a sprinkle or two, we had a nifty “Back to Football” walk — including a Giant Egret, a Giant Blue Heron, a Falcon (Am. Kestrel) and an Eagle. (Thanks to all who participated.)

Full list follows. Continue reading →

Saw this wing-tagged (and banded) Great Egret in Harrier Meadow this afternoon, reported it, and got an immediate response from Susan Elbin, Director of Conservation and Science for New York City Audubon.

“That’s one of our kids – D12. … Banded the 7 August 2013 on Elder’s Marsh in Jamaica Bay.”

Susan reports that another of the 13 Great Egrets that were wing-tagged that day in Jamaica Bay was seen in Saratoga, N.Y., on August 19.

Note: The Meadowlands also hosted a tagged Great Egret from Jamaica Bay last summer. Link is here.

Earlier post on how to report tagged egrets is here. (Thanks, Susan!) Continue reading →

Remember that banded Peregrine we photographed on Lyndhurst office building early last month?

Bill Uhrich of The Reading Eagle did a column on the raptor this week.

Here’s a sample:

[A photo of the bird] showed the leg bands that Pennsylvania Game Commission Peregrine specialist Art McMorris and his crew placed on the nestling in Reading on May 31.

The bands once again proved their value as a wildlife management tool by allowing biologists to track falcon movements.

It was particularly good to see that this peregrine is out and healthy, since at the time of her banding, Art detected a low-level trichomoniasis infection and sent her up to Peggy Hentz at the Red Creek Wildlife Center near Schuylkill Haven for a round of antibiotics.

The bird was undoubtedly infected by the pigeon prey that she was fed by her parent peregrines, which have developed an immunity to trich.

Link to the column is here.

The link is here.