Each Monday, we post the upcoming events for the Meadowlands through the upcoming weekend.

This week’s event is a talk about New Jersey’s search-and-rescue dogs — featuring a working rescue dog.

Details follow. Continue reading →

Despite the gloomy weather, has a great walk at Mill Creek Marsh. Highlight was two Nelson’s Sparrows — a life bird for some of us.

We also had  a Peregrine, lots of yellowlegs, tons of Double-Crested Cormorants, an Osprey or two (right) and a few warblers.

We will post a list of all 42 species later this week.

If anyone got a photo of the Nelson’s. please send it Jim Wright (just click “e-mail us” in right-hand column.

Saw this really cool spider’s web in Jill’s Garden on Friday.  Figured it might be some sort of funnel spider’s web. Can anyone shed more light?

Monarchs have been few and far between this fall, so when we finally came across this beauty on Friday during lunch hour, we went a little overboard. (Click to enlarge below.)

Want to get the most recent eBird bird sightings from any of 10 major birding spots in the Meadowlands with a single click?  Thanks to this new feature to be found in the right-hand column of this blog, you can see what species have been seen recently and who is reporting them.

Once you are on the eBird location, you can even click on “get directions” and get Google Maps to tell you how to get there. (Thanks, eBird.org!)

Dennis Cheeseman photographed this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker today at DeKorte Park. Says Dennis: “I saw it on the Kingsland Overlook Trail — the end toward the guardhouse — tree toward Disposal Road side — at 12:30.   Lots of warblers in the trees, too,   Look for the tree with all the woodpecker holes, lol”

Here are the tallies as of Sept. 30 in the Meadowlands Big Year contest for 2013. We have a couple of tight competitions.

Congrats to all for competing. Most of the tallies are up from last year at this time.

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 your name’s not on the list and you’d like to compete, 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  Sept. 30:
1. Mike Newhouse 200 (NJMC, setting a target number for competitors.)
2. Chris Takacs: 199, (2012 reigning champion, ineligible for prizes
in 2013 as a result, lives in district)
3. Ray Duffy, 175 (in district)
4. Jackie DeMarco, 157 (out of district)
5. Mike Wolfe, 158 species (out of district)
6. Dennis Cheeseman, 155 (out of district)
7. Jim Wright,  146  (NJMC staff, ineligible for prizes)
8. Zach Batren, 144 (out of district)
9. Mike Turso 138 (out of district)
10. Rob Fanning 131  (out of district)
11. Julie McCall, 127 (in district).
12. Oliver Stringham, 125  (in district)
13.  Roy Woodford 124 (out of district)

Link to Big Year totals last year at the end of September is here.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Flyway Gallery in DeKorte Park is hosting the Art Association of Rutherford’s 66th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, now through Friday, Nov. 29.

An awards reception is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free, and open to the public.

The exhibit features three-dozen pieces that fall into five categories: Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Photography, Computer Manipulated Art and Other Media. Works range from photographs and paintings of nature scenes and wildlife to pastel portraits.

The artists include folks from the Meadowlands as well as other southern Bergen County communities and some Essex County residents. The watercolor above is “Edge of the Woods,” by John Hardin of Rutherford. Continue reading →

Our next free guided walk with Bergen County Audubon Society is Sunday at 10 a.m. at Mill Creek Marsh — an amazing place with great waterfowl, egrets, raptors and ancient Atlantic White Cedar stumps. It is especially beautiful this time of year.  (Just look at Regina Geoghan’s recent post below.)

Details follow. Continue reading →

Regina Geoghan was nice enough to share some of her recent images from Mill Creek Marsh, including the selection of scenics below.  As Regina says, now is “a lovely time of year to visit Mill Creek Marsh for a walk.” (Thanks, Regina!)