Roy Woodford writes:
You just never know what will show up on Disposal Road.
This is a first for me … Eastern Meadowlark.
I ran down the street when I saw it. That must have been quite a sight … me sprinting with the tripod over my shoulder.
That Meadowlark is no lemon.
Thanks, Roy, and sorry about the Meadowlark Lemon joke, but he’s a cool guy!)
Mike Girone reports:
An update on Peregrine activity along DeKorte’s Saw Mill Creek trail from the last few outings.
An unbanded juvenile male falcon seems to have laid claim to the trail, and has been present the last few times I checked the area out (October 14, 18 & 26). Could also be the same falcon from the dramatic duck attack back on October 5.
On October 14 (Columbus Day), his activity along the trail included chasing down an Osprey with a freshly caught fish. Upon return to the trail, he perched low enough on a tower to offer outstanding close-up viewing. He took off a little while later, briefly hunting over the 1-E landfill before heading east towards the Turnpike.
October 18 featured lots of flying action from this young hunter. A number of hunting attempts were seen, starting near the Carillon and ending up at the south end of Saw Mill Creek trail, across from the 1-E landfill. Each of the hunting forays flushed large numbers of ducks and gulls, but resulted in no captures.
His hunting continued well past sunset, with the falcon only visible in the strip of fading twilight just above the horizon. A spectacular moonrise capped off the eventful day.
This is an Indigo Bunting, photographed at NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse’s banding station late last month.