Get out your binoculars — and send us your Meadowlands Big Year totals as of Nov. 30!

The goal is to see as many different bird species as possible in the 14 towns of the Meadowlands District over the course of 2013 — and also to have fun birding.

To ensure a level playing field, all birds must be seen in areas open to the public, or on guided walks or banding events in such places as Harrier Meadow or the back of the Kingsland Landfill.

Join the Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society on Sunday (Dec. 1) at 10 a.m. for the NJMC’s Jim Wright’s short talk and slide show on “Winter Raptors of the Meadowlands” in the Meadowlands Environment Center, followed by a walk along nearby Disposal Road, Raptor Capital of the known universe (give or take).

Following the walk, the BCAS’ Don Torino will give a talk and side show on Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry, arguably the eighth Wonder of the World.

Full listing follows. Continue reading →

We had 25 folks and at least 28 species of birds today’s walk. Great group, great weather, great time.  (Thanks to all.)

Full list follows. Continue reading →

After nine weeks, 15 contestants and several stumpers and curveballs, we are pleased to announce the winners of the Teaser-palooza.

And we have a tie:  Mary Kostus and Valerie Knipping. Congrats to both winners, who answered all weeks’ questions correctly except for the two trick bonus questions that involved a black-and-white TV and a “palm warbler” along the way. One of the winners will receive “The Warbler Guide,” courtesy of Rick Wright of WINGS Birding Tours, and the other will receive “Mid-Atlantic Birds: Backyard Guide.”

We hope you had fun.

And a special thanks to Mike Newhouse and his wonderful volunteers at the banding station for letting us photograph these beautiful birds up-close.

Here are the answers to the nine-week-long Teaser-palooza.

Looking for a great way to beat the “Black Friday” day-after-Thanksgiving shopping crush and work off that turkey dinner?

Visit the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst for a free “Green Friday” guided nature walk beginning at noon inside the Meadowlands Environment Center.

The Nov. 29 event, sponsored by the NJMC and the Bergen County Audubon Society, will feature a walk on DeKorte Park’s Shore Walk and Lyndhurst Nature Reserve.

The walk runs from noon to to 1:45 p.m. Bring a brownbag lunch if you like.

For more information, contact Jim Wright at jim.wright@njmeadowlands.gov or 201-460-2002, or go the NJMC nature blog, www.meadowblog.net.  Bad weather cancels.

Wanted to see if there was any raptor action on Disposal Road this a.m. Didn’t stay long but saw a Snow Goose migrating with a flock of Canadas, and also had an Eastern Meadowlark perched behind the detention pond by the Carillon.

Lousy (and distant photo) of meadowlark is on right. If someone could please get a better one…

To see what might happen in December in the Meadowlands, we thought we’d post some highlights from last December (click on the text to link to the post):

Dec. 3: Redpolls at Losen Slote

Dec. 7: Column — Our Salute to Volunteers

Dec. 14: More Eerie Meadowlands Finds  (right)

Dec. 14: Disposal Road Great Horned Owl (photo by Ron Shields)

Dec. 16: Some Nifty Losen Slote Bird Pix (by Roy Woodford, above)

Better late than never, we thought we’d share some photos of Mill Creek Marsh in autumn, courtesy of Regina Geoghan.  We also thought Thanksgiving was the perfect day to share them.

(Thanks, Regina!)

This is one of several Wild Turkeys seen at DeKorte this spring.

Don Torino, a friend of this blog and president of the Bergen County Audubon Society, wrote his wildnewjersey.tv column this week about his Thanksgiving memories.

Here is a sample:

Getting outside and connecting with nature on Thanksgiving has always been a family tradition and an important part of my holiday festivities. In fact, it would not feel like a real Thanksgiving unless I got outside for a walk in nature and did a little birding before the official family events of the day begin.

My longstanding family tradition of getting outdoors on Thanksgiving morning goes way back to my younger days when my brother and I would wander the woods and fields of the Meadowlands taking in and enjoying all the wildlife that thrived around our urban wilderness home. …

The memories of all those special mornings stayed with us no matter what else was going on in our lives, we would always have that time to go back, whenever we felt the need to be together, no matter where time or life had taken us.

But all things change in nature, nothing stays the same, things die, others are born. That’s what nature is. Nature pays no attention to human plans. Nature’s only concern is that the trees, the birds and wildlife continue on.

The link is here.

This Tuesday Teaser-Palooza Toughie is a Pine Warbler — one of the few ever banded by NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse and his crew by Harrier Meadow.

Winner of the Teaser-Palooza contest will be announced Friday.