The very rare (for the East Coast) Cinnamon Teal first seen last Friday morning by the NJMC’s Naturalist Emeritus Don Smith on DeKorte Park’s Saw Mill Creek mudflats was found again by us  Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. on another ebbing tide.

Full info, including maps,  follows:Chris Takacs helped get the word out quickly, as there has been tremendous interest in this bird.

Although we have had no reported sightings yet today (Thursday), we are faintly optimistic that it might be seen again this afternoon on that same ebbing tide. (Best to get here by 3:15 p.m. and view mudflats from near the start of the trail by the Admin Building.)

The map on the right shows where it has twice been found. Admin Building is designated with the “1.”

On those two  occasions, the bird fed on the newly exposed mud for maybe 25 minutes before leaving.

Yesterday, the MEC’s Coryn Lombardi saw the Teal fly toward the appropriately named Teal Pool, where it remained for several hours.

See map on right for the area where it hung out for quite a while, and where Ron Shields took the photo above.

According to the New Jersey Birds Records Committee, there are three previous records for the state — although that figure apparently excludes sightings not deemed official by the committee.

We do not know whether the committee has ruled on this bird yet.

More info on Cinnamon Teal is here.

Directions to DeKorte Park are in the right-hand column of this blog.

Please e-mail jim.wright(at)njmeadowlands.gov with sightings and photos.  Thank you!