One of the most enjoyable things about birding, besides the birds themselves, is keeping track or records of all the birds that we have seen over the years. These lists can contain more than just the date, place and times of all the many special sightings of our feathered friends that make up one of the great passions of our lives. Birds can also hold many special memories of those extraordinary days when we saw that new bird species for the very first time.

Bird lists, or “Life Lists,” as they are commonly called, can be compiled from birds we have seen from all around the world to a state or even just one singular location. But my favorite Life List to keep is from a much smaller geographic location: my own backyard.

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Due to inclement weather, tonight’s (Dec. 2) open public viewing at the William D. McDowell Observatory in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst has been cancelled. The next open public viewing night is Wednesday, Dec. 9, from 7 to 10 pm.

There’s a story in the New York Post about a rare bird that touched down in Brooklyn over the weekend. According to the article at least 100 avian enthusiasts a day are showing up at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center to see the Florida tweeter — called a painted bunting — with its multicolored plumage.

Jim Wright’s “Monday Mystery” feature on his Celery Farm and Beyond Blog features a question concerning the connection between Mehrhof Pond in Little Ferry and an old bottle of porter. Check it out here. Jim will post an explanation on Friday, and we’ll link to it here.

Some fantastic photos from Mickey Raine of Great Blue Herons performing an aerial dance over Mill Creek Marsh on Sunday. Love Mickey’s poetic description:

The pair emerged high above and gracefully circling the main body of water several times.  Their movement was so beautifully synchronized, and the elegant display with the warm tones of the sky during sunset was like watching a performance.

The call to one another went on for most of the flight, and it was clear that one was following the other.  After several circles overhead, they flew over toward the turquoise building with the glass faces, making one loop around it before returning to the marsh area and ultimately flying off to the far northern end of the wetlands.  It was not uncommon for me to see these great birds in flight, but it was a first to see a pair that was certainly engaged in something more than just surveying the water below for fish.  There was no intent to land, for this aerial dance seemed to have a purpose aside from going between Point A and Point B.