We have two free guided walks set for this Sunday (July 6) at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst — a bird-oriented nature walk at 10 a.m. and a butterflies-for-beginners program and walk at 1 p.m.
Bring a lunch and enjoy a picnic between events. (Also might bring water and sunblock!)
Full listings follow. Continue reading
To see what we might expect in July 2014, we thought we’d look back to blog highlights from July 2013…
Just click on the text to link to the post.
July 3: Roy Woodford: Mill Creek Point Flycatcher
July 9: More Hurricane Sandy Repairs: River Barge Park
July 17: So That’s Why It’s Called a Clear-winged Moth!
July 18: Meet Joey the Tobacco Hornworm
July 22: Ron Shields: BCN Heron-palooza @DeKorte
July 23: A Wet and Wild Moth Night
July 24: DeKorte Park FOY Gray Hairstreak (Photo above by Regina Geoghan)
July 26: WTC Memorial Cove Repairs Done
We photographed them at DeKorte last week. Know what they are?
Muhammad Faizan reports via eBird that he saw a Northern Harrier and a Blue Grosbeak (above) along Disposal Road yesterday. (Thanks, Faizan!)
DeKorte Park’s Saw Mill Creek Trail is closed 
until further notice for PSE&G upgrades and trail renovations.
This will be a very dangerous construction site, with high voltage wires. There are no exceptions to this prohibition.
In short: Keep out.
In anticipation of our free Butterflies for Beginners Program on Sunday, July 6, and our free Butterfly Day, July 27, we have started a list of butterfly sightings, posted just inside the door at the MEC.
Below are pix of the butterfly board, a Summer Azure (we think) and a Silver-spotted Skipper. All photographed today.
Great news! Construction on the Marsh Discovery Trail begins on Monday (June 30).
This work will repair damage from Superstorm Sandy. The contract runs through November, and we expect the work to be completed by then.
Note: The contractor will be setting up a staging area in the gravel overflow parking area opposite the Marsh Discovery Trail main entrance, at the start of the Kingsland Overlook Trail.
Please use caution when traveling through this area: Workers will be crossing the entrance road frequently.
It is possible a section of the Environment Center parking lot may be needed for storage as well.
A secondary work area will be accessed from Transco Trail: It will be closed only for the time needed to complete that part of the work. This blog will post that info when it becomes available.
Thanks for your patience and cooperation. We love this trail as much as you do and can’t wait for it to reopen!
Allan Sanford reported on eBird that he saw a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in DeKorte Park’s Lyndhurst Nature Reserve yesterday (Thursday), plus a male Wood Duck x Mallard hybrid “mixed in with quite a few juv. mallards…. Shorebird Pool, Transco Trail.”
(Thanks, Allan. trying to get some pix.)
The other week, NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse and 
Zach Batren got a good look at the banded Peregrine male nesting under the Route 3 bridge, and Zach got a photo where the band was readable.
Mike submitted the band number, and just got a certificate and info about the the bird from the USGS. It turns out the bird was banded as a nestling in New York State in 2012.
Certificate follows — always a good idea to report a band number.
(Thanks, Mike and Zach!) Continue reading
Regina Geoghan was kind enough to share several images she took at DeKorte Park on Monday and last week. (Thanks, Regina!)
