Joe Koscielny took a stroll around DeKorte last week and wow did he get some great photos! Thanks for submitting Joe!

Credit: Amy Newman, The Record

The Record today reports great news: New Jersey’s bald eagle population added five nesting pairs in 2015, including a pair that set up home in a tree in Kearny near the confluence of the Hackensack and Passaic rivers. The results come from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s annual eagle population survey. Read the article here.

Congratulations are in order for Phyllis and Warren Strohmeyer of Rochelle Park, who recently became the first recipients of a Bergen County Audubon Society Wildlife Garden Certification.

The new program aims to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring that backyards, schoolyards, business grounds and other areas benefit wildlife. The BCAS invites homeowners, communities, schools, nature centers and others to have their gardens certified.

Commenting on the Strohmeyer’s superb efforts to create and maintain a garden that is inviting to birds, butterflies and other wildlife, BCAS President Don Torino said: “The backyard native plants provide what our birds, butterflies and pollinators need to survive. They have not only made a better place for wildlife but also a healthier place for the entire community.”

Want to learn more about the BCAS’ Certified Wildlife Garden Program? Come out to Wild Birds Unlimited on Route 17 south in Paramus this Saturday at 10 am for a seminar on how to create a Bergen Audubon Certified Wildlife Garden. For more information contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.

Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry is one of the last stands of hardwood lowland forest in the Meadowlands District and the very last that is accessible to the general public. The park is a 22-acre magical hidden gem in an otherwise congested part of Bergen County, where birders can see migrants such as Hooded and Blackburnian Warblers, where Wood and Swainsons Thrush have the run of the forest floor, and Bald Eagles soar over this unique and distinctive nature preserve.

In order to document as well as celebrate the incredible diversity of the bird life that thrives at Losen Slote, Bergen County Audubon Society sponsored a “Big Year” Competition in 2015 . A Big Year goes from January 1 to December 31. During that time birders compete to see how many species can be seen in that given year. This first ever “Big Year at Losen Slote Creek” was won by Chris Takacs of Lyndhurst with 83 species of birds!

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Don’t miss the Bergen County Audubon Society’s next Meadowlands Nature Walk, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus. The free walk is from 10 am to noon. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for ravens, raptors, waterfowl and other birds of interest on the Hackensack River. The walk meets in the parking lot by the ballfields. Information: 201-230-4983 or greatauk4@gmail.com.

The Bergen County Audubon Society has a great new program, the BCAS Certified Wildlife Garden Program, that the entire community can take part in. The program allows homeowners, communities, schools, businesses, places of worship, nature centers and others anywhere in New Jersey to have their gardens that benefit wildlife certified by Bergen County Audubon Society. The Record ran a story yesterday about the program. You can also read more at the BCAS website.

Rich Brown sent this photo of an American Coot he got yesterday in the Teal Pool among a group of mallards near the AMVETS Carillon in DeKorte Park. His reaction seems to be one of “Who are you and what’s this all about!”

The Bergen County Audubon Society marked National Save the Eagles Day on Sunday by focusing their binoculars on Al and Alice, the regions’ most popular Bald Eagle couple. The majestic pair have nested in a cottonwood tree in Ridgefield Park since at least 2011, producing nine eaglets. The eagles are located in a precarious perch, next to a planned nearby development. The developers have redesigned their plans to create a buffer zone between construction and the eagle’s nest, though BCAS members fear the nearby work may cause Al and Alice to flee. The Record ran a story on  the issue on Saturday – check it out here. The paper today published a report on yesterday’s Al and Alice Rally.

There’s a short piece in today’s NY Times on the European Starling, which is mentioned in Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I.”  Check it out here.

Chris Takacs captured a great photo of a Hermit Thrush yesterday at Losen Slote Creek Park in Little Ferry. Like some other species, the Hermit Thrush is sticking around a little longer than usual before beginning its southern migration due to the warm December weather.