Scott Weidensaul, a nature author from Schuylkill County, handles a barred owl at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Albany Township. 2/11/03 Photo by Bill Uhrich
The Record ran an excellent feature today by Jim Wright on Scott Weidensaul, who is giving a free talk at the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park on Friday night at 7:30. Weidensaul, an acclaimed naturalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, will be speaking on the plight of migratory birds and how to help them. Read the story here.
There’s a good – and sad – story in today’s Record about the steep decline of brown bats. While some people are scared of bats – no, there’s no such thing as a vampire bat! – they are very helpful to the environment. Read here for more.
Chris Takacs sent us the remarkable photos above taken from DeKorte of a this weekend of a Bonaparte’s Gull in the Shorebird Pool and a Bald Eagle flyover. Beautiful way to start the week!
From our friends at Bergen County Audubon Yesterday:
Alice was at Her nest today along with Al who was up to the right , they are getting the nest ready for the upcoming nesting season !
If anyone has photos of the Eurasian Wigeon seen in DeKorte Park the past few days can you send along?
Thanks!
From Richard DeKorte Park to the Mill Creek Marsh Trail, every section of the Meadowlands is unique, distinct to its plants and wildlife that depend on that habitat for their subsistence and survival. But some of these unique environments are much less known or recognized than the others. One such park is Skeetkill Creek Marsh in the Borough of Ridgefield .
Driving past the seemingly endless rows of warehouses, along old railroad tracks, and every other blacktopped, steel and stone specimenof densely industrial development that Bergen County has to offer, one has to wonder where one might find the Meadowlands among the concrete wilderness of this small town?
But just as you might be inclined to make a U-turn and give up the quest you cruise down (appropriately enough) Pleasantview Drive and arrive at an enchanting refuge among the cars and commercialism.Small in size but no less important to the birds, butterflies and flowers that call it home, you are at Skeetkill Creek Marsh park
While most Snowy Egrets have already headed south for the winter, a few can still be seen lingering around the Meadowlands. Chris Takacs got these shots at DeKorte Park yesterday and Monday. Nothing so far today, but we’re holding out hope!
Mill Creek Greater Yellowlegs
Thirty-five people participated in yesterday’s walk at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. It was a great day for birding, with 18 species identified – including these taken by Joe Koscielny.
At the bottom of the post is a list of the species observed.
Our next free, guided walk is Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Losen Slote Park in Little Ferry from 10 am to noon. We’ll be looking for sparrows, late fall migrants and other birds of interest. See you then!
Species seen on Nov. 1 Mill Creek Marsh Walk:
Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Northern Harrier
Greater Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
American Kestrel
Fish Crow
Marsh Wren
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow
Rich Brown spotted a pair of Wood Ducks yesterday enjoying Halloween in the West Shorebird Pool in DeKorte. Photo taken from Transco Trail. Happy Nov. 1!