“Look, Ma! One foot!”

Kick off 2015 the right way with a free guided nature walk along the trails of scenic Mill Creek Marsh.

We are offering a 25-cent reward to the first person to see a Eurasian Green-winged Teal, a dollar (U.S.) to anyone who sees a Gyrfalcon, and a pat on the back to anyone who sees a No-Sho (Northern Shoveler, above).

Details follow. Continue reading →

Ron Shields writes:

What better way to end the year than with a Bald Eagle from the Meadowlands?

For those keeping score at home, this is the Bald Eagle we often see perched on the 1-E Landfill.

Earlier today, it was nice enough to fly toward us, almost directly overhead.

Coming Monday: Ron’s pix of Alice and Al on the nest in Ridgefield Park. And don’t miss Ron’s talk at the Meadowlands Environment Center on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m.

Joseph Zevoteck wrote: “Got a few pics of a raptor yesterday in Secaucus. It was sitting on a fence next to a bush. I think it had chased something into the bush and was waiting for it to come out. It was a pretty big adult. Pics aren’t so great but …”

We think the bird is a Cooper’s Hawk. (Rick Wright said as much in his comment, we think.) (Thanks, Joseph and Rick!)

Richard Brown writes:

Earlier this week, I saw a pair of falcons at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus.  When I first got there at noon, one falcon was circling above and one was in the old raven nest.  Soon they flew off towards the river.

About an hour later, I saw them both chase off a Red-tailed Hawk that got close to the nest site.  One of the falcons then perched on a ball field light and I got some photos.

The photo below isn’t very clear, but it looks like the band reads Black 23 / Green AN.  (I was only able to see a Black 2 through my scope while it was perched.)

(Thanks, Richard!) Does this band number sound familiar to anyone?

In conjunction with our latest South Bergenite column, which follows, we are asking members of the Meadowblog community to vote for their favorite Meadowlands bird of 2014. So read the column by the NJMC’s Jim Wright — and then vote!

For local nature lovers, this past year will be remembered as a year of rare and unexpected birds — so many, in fact that we at the N.J. Meadowlands Commission would like you to vote for the 2014 Meadowlands Bird of the Year.

You can credit NJMC Naturalist Mike Newhouse for the idea. “We have seen so many amazing birds this year,” he said recently. “Why don’t we have local nature lovers vote for their favorite?”

 When Mike speaks, I listen.

  We started going over a list of cool birds that had been seen in the past 12 months — in addition to our usual array of terrific birds – and soon realized we had our work cut out for us. Continue reading →

Sometimes you see a bird and you don’t have your binoculars, but you really want to try to I.D. it anyway.

Here’s your chance.

Joseph Zevoteck writes: “Got a few pics of a raptor yesterday in Secaucus. It was sitting on a fence next to a bush. I think it had chased something into the bush and was waiting for it to come out. It was a pretty big adult. Pics aren’t so great but …”

We think we sort of know what species this raptor is. How about you? (Thanks, Joseph!)

We thought we’d look back at some of blog highlights from 2014, month by month, and showcase some of the great photography that folks have contributed. (Thanks to all!)

Just click on the text to link to the post.

December 5: Ron Shields’ Rough-leg Pix

December 9: Tuesday Teaser Ultra-palooza

December 10: Festivus Pole Fully Camouflaged

December 11: World Trade Center Memorial Cove

December 15: CBC Peregrine (Photo above by Chris Takacs)

December 16: Coop Du Jour

December 19: Sunset Mike’s Sunrise & Sunset Videos

December 20: DeKorte December Godwit

December 24: Bubbleheads and more

December 29: Monk Parakeet Update

“Look, Ma! One foot!”

Kick off 2015 the right way with a free guided nature walk along the trails of scenic Mill Creek Marsh.

We are offering a 25-cent reward to the first person to see a Eurasian Green-winged Teal, a dollar (U.S.) to anyone who sees a Gyrfalcon, and a pat on the back to anyone who sees a No-Sho (Northern Shoveler, above).

Details follow. Continue reading →

Ray Duffy reports:

“I had 4 or so Pine Siskins last night in Schmidt’s Woods in the picnic area feeding with Am. Goldfinches in a Sweet Gum tree.”

Thanks, Ray! Schmidt’s Wood directions are on the right-hand column of this blog.

This could be another great winter for Snowy Owls, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

For their forecast, click here. The article also explains why we had so many last year.

At one point, we had four Snowys in DeKorte Park last winter.

Heck, we’d settle for only one this winter. If you see any, please let us know.

(The photo above was taken in DeKorte Park last winter by Steve Birmingham. Thanks, Steve!)

For more Meadowlands Snowy Owl pix, just search the blog, using the search engine in the upper right corner of this blog.