Stopped by River Barge Park at 2:30 p.m. Friday to see 19 Black Skimmers on the rowing dock.  (Nine of which are pictured above.)

A half-hour earlier, roughly nine had been on a nearby mudflat, and none on the dock.

We hope they stick around.

Today (Friday, May 23) is World Turtle Day. Best not to click on the link. You can’t make this stuff up.

Ron Shields writes:

I found this guy zipping around the fragrant honeysuckle in back of Gunnell Oval this past weekend.

(Thanks, Ron — this might be the first hummingbird pic on this blog, although we did come close here.)

Found by Don Smith … Will post pix asap. Male.

On Saw Mill Creek mudflats.

Mickey Raine reports:

We went to River Barge park yesterday around 5:15-5:30 or so, and we each did a count of them and after several times, concluded that there had been anywhere between 30 and possibly 33.

I took some shots from an angle that should allow a fairly accurate count‎. The problem is that some that were situated almost directly behind ones closer may easily get lost; however, in spite of that 30 should clearly be evident.

Hey, maybe by the weekend, word amongst the Black Skimmer society might get out there and generate even more–perhaps akin to what folks see in Long Island or Cape May. . .

Thanks, Mickey!

A link to the NJMC’s Jim Wright’s June 2013 South Bergenite column on Black Skimmers is here.

The park is open on Monday, May 26, but the Meadowlands Environment Center and the Observatory are closed.  Have a great holiday.

Our next free guided walk will be Sunday, June 1, at 10 a.m., at DeKorte Park, followed by a free reception for the Flyway Gallery show, images from “The Nature of the Meadowlands.”

More on the gallery show here.

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