Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, also writes a regular column for the South Bergenite, His latest is about a new pamphlet planned by the Meadowlands Commission —  “Common Birds of the Meadowlands”:

Can you tell a Great Egret from a Snowy Egret, or a Canvasback from a Bufflehead?

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission wants you — to be able to identify more of the beautiful birds that make their homes in this region.

With that goal in mind, the NJMC is working on a new free color brochure called “Common Birds of the Meadowlands,” with an emphasis on our avian friends that can be seen frequently in DeKorte Park and along the Hackensack River.

The idea is produce a pamphlet designed for young people, new birders and the folks on our popular summertime pontoon-boat cruises. The Meadowlands is one of the best places to watch birds in New Jersey. The goal of the brochure is to whet people’s appetite. Continue reading →

Photo Credit: Joel Furman   

In his latest column for wildnewjersey.tv, Don Torino of Bergen County Audubon writes about the joys and benefits of watching nature at your backyard bird-feeders in the morning. Here’s a sample:

On occasion some may argue the scientific benefits of backyard bird feeding but there are no academic studies that I know that can measure the connection to nature we get from feeding our backyard birds.

There are countless people that have begun their love of nature and a life of birding from just hanging a feeder full of sunflower in a tree by the window.

The sense of wonder of seeing the first Downy Woodpecker up close and personal soon brings them to the realization that birds must be protected and their habitat preserved.

There is nothing that I know that brings that understanding and appreciation of our natural world quicker and easier to folks that otherwise would never be aware of the miracles of nature than feeding backyard birds.

The link is here.

In 2012 came news of a new species of frog, found only in the Meadowlands  and a couple of other places.

Sean Sullivan of nj.com recently did a nice follow-up on the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, based on a new reserach paper about the amphibian. The post is here. Very cool.

Who dis? (From the NJMC banding station last month.) (We think it’s a first for the banding station.) Continue reading →

Looked unsuccessfully for the Peregrine(s) at Laurel Hill yesterday, but almost tripped over this huge Praying Mantis.  Perhaps they should be spray-painted orange…  Or not.

Nearly four dozen nature enthusiasts had an invigorating guided walk yesterday in Harrier Meadow yesterday, with a visit to the nearby Carillon area to look for the vaunted Lark Sparrow.

In all, we saw nearly four dozen species.

Full list follows. Continue reading →

Best in Show: “Belford Fishing Boats,” Edward J. Szep (Bloomfield)

The Art Association of Rutherford has announced the top finishers in its 67th Annual Juried Exhibition show at the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s (NJMC)
Flyway Gallery.

The gallery is located in the NJMC’s Meadowlands Environment Center. The exhibit, which includes photography, watercolors, oil works, mixed media and more, runs
through Friday, Nov. 28.

Below is a list of winners and honorable mentions,with the artists’ home town in parentheses. Continue reading →

The Meadowlands Environment Center is closed on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4. DeKorte Park will be open but roadwork may be under way, so please drive slowly.

Jack DeKorte, the brother of the late Richard W. DeKorte (for whom DeKorte Park is named), made an unannounced visit to the park this week with his daughter Margot.  We were honored to meet them.

More about Richard W. DeKorte here.

We had another exhilarating Harrier Meadow walk this morning, capped off with incredible looks at the visiting Lark Sparrow, which was hanging out near the detention pond across from the Carillon around noon. (Thanks, Faizan, for re-finding the bird.)

Will post a full list tomorrow (Monday).