On July 4, DeKorte Park is open until 7 p.m. The Environment Center is closed. River Barge Park in Carlstadt is open.

Don Torino of Bergen County Audubon Society, who is a leader on many of our regular walks, also writes a weekly column for wildnewjersey.tv.

His latest is on “good birds vs. bad birds.” Here’s a sample:

There are those folks that go into their backyards and attempt to chase off hawks that may want to prey upon their favorite little “good” birds that are attracted to their birdfeeders.

Aside from looking like a crazy person to the neighbors by waving a broom in the air, it is illegal to harass a raptor or any bird for that matter. After all, like you and me, it is just trying to make a living and isn’t that why they call them birdfeeders anyway?

Aren’t we really just providing a different kind of bird food? And as for those so-called “good” birds, just about all of them eat those beautiful butterflies that we all love.

Here’s the link.

Allan Sanford photographed this Wood Duck in DeKorte Park’s Shorebird and wondered if the plumage indicated it might be some sort of Wood Duck x Mallard hybrid.

We are thinking it’s “just” a Wood Duck — and an excellent sighting for the Shorebird Pool.

What do you think?  (Thanks, Allan!)

As these two recent photos by Regina Geoghan attest, We are in peak Daylily season at DeKorte Park, and are other gardens are equally beautiful. Please stop by and see for yourself!

(Thanks, Regina!)

River Barge Park in Carlstadt will be open Wednesday evening (July 2) for all Bergen, Passaic and Hudson County residents who’d like to see the Secaucus Fireworks Display.

Bring your own lawn chairs and (just in case) bug spray.

The fireworks start at 9 p.m. or so. The park’s rowing dock will be open if you’d like to sit down by the river (the marina will be closed).

Directions to River Barge Park are on the right-hand column of this blog.

The park will stay open until a half-hour after the last firework goes off. All this is dependent on the weather, so keep your fingers crossed.

Roy Woodford got this shot of a Carolina Wren fledgling near the Administration Building in DeKorte Park over the weekend.  The little guy needs to work on that tail. (Thanks, Roy!)

Stunning nature photography and seldom-seen archival images from the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) coffee-table book, “The Nature of the Meadowlands,” will be on display in the Meadowlands Environment Center’s Flyway Gallery continues through Monday, July 28.

The show features images by the three principal photographers for the book — Ron Shields, Marco Van Brabant and the NJMC’s Jim Wright — as well as illustrator Thomas Yezerski and several other North Jersey photographers.

Archival images from the acclaimed book, published by Schiffer Books, will be on view as well — including one of the last days of a Secaucus pig farm.

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