On Tuesday, Nov. 25, we How’s this for a timely Teaser?  Photographed at the NJMC’s awesome banding station last month. What is it?

The answer is: Fox Sparrow. Congrats to Shana and the others who ID’d it correctly.

Jim Wright, who maintains this blog, also writes a monthly column for the South Bergenite. His latest column is an interview with NJMC naturalist about birds we might see in the coming weeks:

Early December in the Meadowlands is a time to look ahead and predict what rare birds might be coming our way this season.

Winter, after all, can be a prime time for seeing rarities — especially a certain charismatic white owl.

“Right now, snowy owls are being seen in the vicinity of the Meadowlands,” says N.J. Meadowlands Commission naturalist Mike Newhouse. “It might be just a matter of time until one is found here.”

Early 2014 saw an invasion of these large raptors the likes of which had not been seen in decades. During one stretch, a snowy owl was seen daily in DeKorte Park.

Sometimes the owl would be seen sitting on the ice in an impoundment. After the ice thawed, it could be seen sitting on a park bench, watching the ducks that swam past it.

The most amazing sighting came one Saturday afternoon last February, when lucky DeKorte visitors got to see four snowy owls at once! Continue reading →