Mickey Raine writes:
Mickey Raine writes:
Tuesday morning’s Harrier Meadow walk had produced some nice sightings, including the Semipalmated Plover and the Laughing Gull — besides the more commonly seen birds we have encountered numerous times.
The Laughing Gull was neat, for the laughing sound is so similar to that individual everyone knows — the guy with the annoying laugh.
(Thanks, Mickey!)
Tiny guy. Over-caffeinated. Blackish with white trim on wing edges.
We didn’t say the ID would be easy.
Seen at the Transco Trail entrance to the Marsh Discovery Trail at DeKorte. (May well be a a non-breeding adult plumaged bird, according to Chris Takacs. Thanks, Chris!)
Still being seen in DeKorte Park as of Tuesday, Aug. 19. That’s 44 days and counting.
Our next free walk is Sunday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. DeKorte Park, and it features a special football theme — and nifty prizes. (Stay tuned: there might be an added attraction.)
We’ll walk around parts of the park, looking for shorebirds, raptors and other birds, and we’re offering prizes to the first people who see any bird species with the same name as a pro-football team: Cardinal, Raven, Falcon, Eagle, Seahawk (osprey), Giant (great) egret and Giant (great) blue heron. All seven team bird species can be seen in the park.
The walk is run by the N.J. Meadowlands Commission and the Bergen County Audubon Society. Check meadowblog.net for last-minute weather updates. You will have to sign a standard liability release that is good for NJMC/BCAS events throughout the year. To rsvp, contact Don Torino of the BCAS at greatauk4@aol.com or 201-230-4983.
Semipalmated Plover is on the right. Semipalmated Sandpiper is on the left.
In case you were wondering, “semipalmated” means their toes are only partially palmated. Glad we could clear that up for you.
(Thanks to Patrick Carney for pointing out the plover last week.)
Saw lots of butterflies around Jill’s Garden and elsewhere in DeKorte Park this past week — including scads of skippers (“scads” is the official term for many skippers, possibly from the Latin word for “many,” in case you were wondering).
Viceroys (above), Monarchs, Ladies, Red Admirals, various swallowtails, a Comma… you get the idea
Patrick Carney writes:
I don’t know if Hackberry Emperors are seen all that often, but I wanted to pass along this photoof a rather tattered one from Aug. 15. Also note the Snowberry Clearwing in the background.
