More than 100 people attended yesterday’s Birding for Beginners class at Richard DeKorte Park. Don Torino of Bergen County Audubon gave an amiable and informative presentation on birding basics at the MEC auditorium. The main message was learn to look. Don pointed out what characteristics birders should note in the field in order to identify them later with the help of a field guide or other resource. He emphasized that birding can be enjoyed on many levels from casual to competitive. And that skills are honed over time, making birding an interest that can last a lifetime.

Breaking into smaller groups, we walked the park – along with many other visitors – to see what we could see. The group I walked with spotted an osprey, a redheaded duck, buffleheads, common mergansers, pintails, mallards, a great egret and several gulls. Stay tuned for the full list.

It was a beautiful day! Many thanks to BCAS volunteers Nancy Hall, Mary Kostus, Alice Leurek, Julie McCall, Peggy O’Neill, Rich Santangelo and Chris Takacs for sharing their time and knowledge to help others.