NJMC Emeritus Don Smith stopped by today to let us know a Brown Thrasher was rooting around in the leaves across from the Environment Center at DeKorte Park. Bird was seen this morning — along with a couple of Fox Sparrows. “X” marks the location in the map above. (The bird was seen over the weekend as well.)

The Meadowlands Commission is honoring Black History Month with a weekly post on this blog. Today the focus is on the Underground Railroad in Jersey City.  This series of four posts originally ran in 2009. That’s great thing about history — it never gets old.

Runaway slaves from the South took several routes through New Jersey before and during the Civil War, but those escape routes all had one thing in common: They converged at Jersey City.

By one estimate, as many as 70,000 runaway slaves escaped through Jersey City.

If you click on the map on the right (from the state of New Jersey’s Web site), you can see the major New Jersey stops on the Underground Railroad.

   More on Jersey City’s role in the Underground Railroad here.

    More about New Jersey’s role here.

   For a glimpse of slavery in late 18th Century Bergen County, click here.

And in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday tomorrow, here is a link to information on the Emancipation Proclamation.

Louis Balboa writes:

On Disposal Road last week, this bird was snatched out of the air by a Gray Ghost.  an you idenify the bird? (Thanks, Louis!)

If you are coming to DeKorte Park to look for Snowy Owls, the best place to park is either in the visitors lot by the administration building or in the far parking lot, beyond the parking lot with the solar canopy.  That way you do not have to walk around the piles of snow  or (heaven forbid) try to climb over them.

On the map above, “x” marks the places to park… Yellow line is the Transco Trail, a good vantage point to look for owls. Please stay on the trail and view any owls from a distance.  We did not see any owls as of 4 p.m. today, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t around.

Thank you.

Patrick Carney writes:

Here are some photos from Saturday from today, featuring the famous Disposal Road Merlin, a distant Snowy Owl, and an Eastern Meadowlark, which, along with the Merlin, was found near the Meadowlands Ballfield.  (Thanks, Patrick!)

Due to the crazy weather last week, just finishing our Super Bird Sunday coverage now.

Wanted to bring your attention to the coverage in the Secaucus Home News by Edna Duffy.

You can download the pdf superbirdsunday here. We also wanted to include some photos by the NJMC’s Brian Aberback, below.

(Thanks, Edna and Brian!)

The Meadowlands Commission is doing its best to keep DeKorte Park’s Trails and Disposal Road open to the public despite the snowy conditions, but we are concerned about your safety.

In DeKorte Park:

Use common sense. Do not go out on the ice — these are tidal mudflats,  never safe for humans.

Do not go up on the embankment (berm) on the Transco Trail for a “better” look. It is snow-covered and potentially slippery. Stay on the trail at all times.

Do not climb over gates or barriers to trespass on closed trails.  Do not harrass the owls.

Note: If trail conditions become slippery, the Commission may need to close the trails.

On Disposal Road:

Do not park on any curve.

Pull your vehicle to the side of the road as much as possible.

Look out for vehicles whenever you are near or in the roadway.

If you see folks breaking the rules, please ask them to stop. We appreciate your cooperation.

Muhammad Faizan writes:

Attached are some shots from one of last week’s Snowy Owl shows. One of the snowy owl came really close to the wooden dock after the sun set.

(Thanks, Faizan!)

More of Faizan’s Snowy Owl pix can be seen here.

Note: We saw only one Snowy (on a railing)  today (Friday), but it was still fairly windy.  The Transco Trail and other trails are covered with crusty snow that makes walking difficult.

 Mickey Raine sent us this photo of a sunset  this week:

The sunset was spectacular, and when narrowing in a bit more through the view finder, focusing only on the intense flaming sky, the resulting effect was perfect, especially with the phragmites swaying in the breeze as the foreground.  The deep colors remained for only a few minutes, then the sun had disappeared across the hill.

(Thanks, Mickey!)

Steve Buckingham reports:

While others were marveling at the Snowy Owls at DeKorte on Saturday, I went over to Laurel Hill Park to check on the Lapland Longspur reported by Chris Takacs earlier in the week, and was not disappointed.

There were actually 2  Longspurs, a mature male and a female/immature male, hanging out with about 50 Horned Larks.

I was watching them forage and periodically take flight and fly circles around the field and then land in different spots.  After about 45 minutes, they all took flight heading south away from the field and out of sight.

Turns out what spooked the birds was a bright male Kestrel.  He apparently was less interested in the imported arctic tundra bird special than the locavore rodent special on Saturday’s lunch menu.

(Thanks, Steve!)

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