Last week Ray Duffy spotted two banded Semipalmated Sandpipers in DeKorte Park’s Shorebird Pool where the Transco Trail meets the New Jersey Turnpike. The sandpiper photographed by Ray was banded on May 17, 2013, near Heislerville in Cumberland County. The second bird was banded on May 20, 2013, in Fortescue in Cumberland County. Both sandpipers are believed to have been hatched in 2012 or earlier.
Thanks to Ray for the info and photo!
Great story in The Record today about a badly injured red-tailed hawk found in a Clifton parking lot last year that was treated at the Raptor Trust and identified by its band at Garrett Mountain Reservation in Woodland Park earlier this month. The detailed article tells the bird’s story, and that of the good samaritans who saved and redisovered it. In addition, the story gives a brief history of the Raptor Trust, which has treated more than 90,000 injured birds of various species since it was founded in 1982. Check out the story here.
Photo by Jeri Kratina
Snowy Egret, Mill Creek
The NJSEA has plenty of events in September, including guided nature walks with the Bergen County Audubon Society, the final month of our pontoon boat tours and stargazing at the William D. McDowell Observatory.
Next month’s free nature walks are Sunday, Sept. 6, at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus and Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington, normally closed to the public. Both walks are from 10 am to noon.
The William D. McDowell Observatory is open every Wednesday in September from 8 to 10 p.m.for free public viewing nights. In addition, the Observatory will be open from 7:30 pm Sunday, Sept. 27, to 1:30 a.m Monday, Sept. 28, so the public can view a Total Lunar Eclipse.
The peak of the eclipse, when the Earth is positioned completely between the Full Moon and the Sun, will take place at approximately 10:45 pm. The event will include a talk on the history of eclipses and telescope viewing of other astronomical objects, including Saturn and Neptune.
There’s still time to get in a pontoon boat ride along the Hackensack River before the season ends in late September. These great rides offer a whole new perspective of the Meadowlands’ amazing natural beauty and wildlife. For times and registration information click here.
See you in September!
Jill Homcy was recently on Valley Brook Avenue when she recognized a familar Peregrine. Jill explains: “Last October I stopped at River Barge Park in Carlstadt and found a beautiful banded peregrine falcon fledgling in a tree. I sent pics in to the national banding site, and they helped identify her as having been born in New York City and banded on June 5, 2014.
The following month, Jim Wright and Chris Takacs also identified the banded peregrine in Harrier Meadow in North Arlington and Jim went on to write a wonderful article about her background. Well, I am excited to report that I spent an hour with her (on Aug. 18) and she looks well!”
Jill’s first shot is of the fledgling peregrie last October. The next two pics are from Aug. 18, 2015.
Things are changing in the Meadowlands. Despite the oppressive heat of the last few weeks and what it may say on your calendar summer has gone. Nature has no date book, apps or IPhones. Rather, it prepares as it has done for eons despite our best efforts to take one more visit to the beach and have another barbeque.
Now, the Semipalmated Sandpipers are congregating by the thousands on the mudflats of the Meadowlands, resting and refueling for their incredible journey that began in the Arctic and will end in South America. The Yellow-legs, Egrets and Plovers can also be seen now, meeting together, and well aware that summer in the Meadowlands is rapidly leaving us behind. The last generation of Monarch butterflies, although far less than years past, are flying high over the marshes on their long arduous journey to Mexico. More Warblers are arriving by the day but their visit will be short as the days go by, and the Orioles will not be seen much longer as fall slowly but assuredly arrives.
Retired staffer Jim Wright shared some photos he took while on Monday night’s pontoon boat cruise. Jim was on the trip with members of the Nature Conservancy. Check out Jim’s report here.
Absolutely breathtaking. That was my thought when I first saw Ron Shield’s spectacular photos from late June and mid-July of a Common moorhen nest at the Kearny Marsh and the resulting fledgling, on its own and hanging out with mom.
“Wonderful surprises are often had in the Meadowlands. Some of these surprises are extremely special as was my discovery of a Common moorhen’s nest in the Kearny Marsh in late June,” Ron said.
He continued: “Most intriguing was the fact that the nest was built out in the open with very little cover or disguise; Moorhens are usually very secretive. All in all, eight eggs were laid. For several weeks, the adult moorhen tended the nest and fended off intruders such as raccoons, milk snakes and mute swans seen in the vicinity. She did so by puffing her feathers and splashing water about with her feet.
Hatching occurred in the middle of July, and I was present when the last baby moorhen (nicknamed Moortimer) left the nest. Additional images portray mom with Moortimer making their way towards cover. My most recent image of Moortimer was as a growing juvenile.
snowy egret Mill Creek
The NJSEA has plenty of events scheduled for September, including guided nature walks with the Bergen County Audubon Society, the final month of our pontoon boat tours and stargazing at the William D. McDowell Observatory.
Next month’s free nature walks are Sunday, Sept. 6, at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus and Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Harrier Meadow in North Arlington, which is normally closed to the public. Both walks are from 10 am to noon.
The William D. McDowell Observatory is open every Wednesday in September from 8 to 10 p.m.for free public viewing nights. In addition, the Observatory will be open from 7:30 pm Sunday, Sept. 27, to 1:30 am Monday, Sept. 28 so that the public can view a Total Lunar Eclipse.
The peak of the eclipse, when the Earth is positioned completely between the Full Moon and the Sun, will take place at approximately 10:45 pm. The event will include a talk on the history of eclipses and telescope viewing of other astronomical objects, including Saturn and Neptune.
There’s still time to get in a pontoon boat ride along the Hackensack River before the season ends in late September. These great rides offer a whole new perspective of the Meadowlands’ amazing natural beauty and wildlife. For times and registration information click here.
See you in September!
Last Thursday evening’s pontoon boat trip proved spectacular for bird sightings. Two dozen species were soon during the two-hour trip along the Hackensack River. The snowy egrest in this post are courtesy of one of Ron Shields, one our favorite photographers.
Here’s the list of species seen. There’s still time to take a pontoon boat tour. The season runs through Sept. 24. For schedule click here.
Mallard
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Caspian Tern
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Peregrine Falcon
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird
Canada Goose
peregrine falcon
The Peregrine Falcon, the fastest creature in the world, thrives once again in the New Jersey Meadowlands. Even on this past Tuesday’s pontoon boat ride through the Meadowlands on the Hackensack River I found it hard to believe I can say those words, a phrase I never thought I would or could ever hear or even dreamed possible not so many years ago.
I have the distinct privilege on many of our field trips of pointing out a Peregrine to folks who see them for the first time. It’s hard for me to put into words and describe the plight of the Peregrine to them as it is to a room full of school children, but it never gets old. I have to slow myself down and think about and savor those words, at least for just a brief moment, making sure they understand my words and that I am purposely able to explain to them with enough regard and respect to help people understand where this noble Falcon was and how far it had to come to return not only to the Meadowlands and New Jersey but to the entire country .