We are kicking off 2014 with a free guided walk at one of our favorite spots — Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. Might even see a Northern Shoveler scraping some ice (photo from a previous Mill Creek Marsh walk is above). Or that rail that Ray Duffy recently reported.
The event is sponsored by the Meadowlands commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society.
Details follow. Continue reading
Ray Duffy writes:
On Saturday at Mill Creek, I had a rail run across the corner with the platform where the Nelson’s Sparrow was found. It looked dark and I think it was a Virginia, but di
dn’t get a good enough look when it was there as it bailed into one of the briars and I never saw it come out and it didn’t respond to any of the calls I played.
I did find one of its footprints and it looked to be a little bigger than a quarter (photo at right). I’m not really up on my rail foot print sizes, Any idea?
On Sunday, I had the Peregrine eating something in the Osprey nest on the Swing Bridge next to Laurel Hill County Park. No sign of great corms yet. I don’t know if they’re not here yet or the Peregrine has run them off. (Thanks, Ray!)
We thought we’d look back at some of blog highlights from 2013, and showcase some of the great photography that folks have contributed.
Here’s May. (Thanks to all!) Just click on the text to link to the post.
May 3: Mill Creek Marsh from the Air
May 5: Severe Outbreak of Warbler Neck @ Losen Slote!
May 6: DeKorte Park in Bloom
May 8: Unusual Mill Creek Mammal
May 9: An Early Happy Mother’s Day! (Above)
May 12: The Marsh Hawks Win! The Marsh Hawks Win!
May 14: Ridgefield Mother’s Day Walk: The Full List
May 16: Losen Slote: Warbler Capital!!
May 25: Look Out for Snapping Turtles!
Mike Britt and a friend did a sweep of the Meadowlands on Saturday.
His report is here. (Note: The Kane Natural Area and the 1-E Landfill are off-limits to the public…)
Also, Al Sanford reported two Light-morph Rough-legs on Disposal Road Saturday afternoon. They have been seen for a few days now. (Thanks, Mike and Al!)
DeKorte Park, including the environment center and the observatory, is closed on New Year’s Day (Wed., Jan. 1). River Barge Park in Carlstadt is open, weather conditions permitting. Season’s greetings to all!
DeKorte Park is featured in the brand-new book “Hike of the Week,” by Daniel Chazin of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.
Subtitled “A Year of Hikes in the New York Metro Area,” the book leads off with none other than DeKorte Park, with a write-up of the birds of DeKorte Park by the NJMC’s Jim Wright.
The 358-page book features 52 walks in all — one for every week of the year.