Left to right: Al Barrera, Kathy Clark of NJ-ENSP, David Wheeler of CWF, Alice Leurck, Doug Morel, Fred Nisenholz, Mike Girone, Ron Shields, Roy Woodford, Jana Brusich, Allan Sanford and the NJMC’s Jim Wright. (To be clear, Kathy Clark is holding a replica Bald Eagle egg, not a real one.)

The Meadowlands Commission would like to thank a whole lot of people for making Wednesday night’s launch event for “Bald Eagles in the Meadowlands & Beyond” such a success, beginning with Kathy Clark of New Jersey’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program, Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s David Wheeler, and all the awesome photographers who contributed their work for the book.

We’d also like to thank Bergen County Audubon Society for sponsoring the event, and everyone who attended.

It’s just a theory at this point…

At the NJMC Banding Station.

Photo by Chris Takacs. (Thanks, Chris!)

Can anyone identify this bird? It refused to read the field guide.

The NJMC’s Mike Newhouse and his merry band of banders explained the whys and hows of their job and showed some really cool birds before and after the walk. This gallery features both the birds and the event.

To celebrate Batstock, the Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society are sponsoring a free nature walk at DeKorte Park from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tomrrow (Friday), followed by Batstock at 6. We meet in the first parking lot.

Batstock features a live bat exhibit, an appearance by the Batmobile (we hear its on-board navigation system is sonar), and a bat movie night. Details follow.

Continue reading →

Honeybees are great pollinators, and the commission is happy to welcome new hives maintained by Jaimie Julia Winters (above center) of Rutherford to a prime spot near the Erie Landfill and Harrier Meadow in North Arlington.

State Apiarist Tim Schuler (above right) visited the thriving hives recently and offered some advice on how to keep the hives buzzing.  We were lucky enough to have Tim point out a honeybee emerging from its pupa (below).

More on the life cycle of Honeybees here.

We had a nifty bird-banding demonstration on Tuesday morning, thanks to the NJMC’s Milke Newhouse and his terrific band of banders. that was followed a walk in Harrier Meadow.

As the walk progessed, the weather got better and better — to the point that we had sunshine by the time we returned to the banding station (in time to see the above Black-and-white Warbler” drop by).

(Thanks to Alice Leurck for the photo above.)

We’ll post some bird-banding shots tomorrow as time allows.

Full  list follows. Continue reading →

We are happy to announce that workers are putting the finishing touches to the entrance to the Marsh Discovery Trail. It will reopen soon.

Amid reports that Monarch numbers are down again, we have been seeing quite a few in recent days– at Harrier Meadow on yesterday’s walk, in DeKorte Park, and elsewhere.

To all of you have planted/shared milkweed, the Monarchs say thank you!  Photo above was taken at Jill’s Garden yesterday with a point-and-shoot.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) night is the big Bald Eagle e-book launch event, featuring David Wheeler of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, the NJMC’s Jim Wright and special guest Kathy Clark of the state’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program.

The event will celebrate the heartening comeback of our nation’s symbol in our region, accompanied by some amazing photographs of these majestic raptors — and other Meadowlands raptors on the threatened and endangered list. The book’s photographers have been invited to attend and take a bow.

The free event is at 8 p.m. in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park. Directions are here.

More info follows. Continue reading →

Interesting story about Monk Parakeets in The Times today, though it mentioned only one colony in New Jersey, and it wasn’t Ridgefield. (Hello?)    :- )

The link is here.