Chris Takacs sent in a photo of a Eurasion Wigeon he photographed at DeKorte Park this morning. The bird is rare for the area and the State, and is usually seen in the winter. The Wigeon was first seen Sunday afternoon by several people. Mike Sherman saw the male dabbling duck again this morning and alerted the birding community. Hopefully our newfound friend hangs out for a few more days.

While Green-Winged Teal are common in North Jersey for much of the year, Blue-Winged Teal … not so much. So we were very excited to get this photo from Liberty Valance via Mickey Raine of the migratory bird she saw at Mill Creek Marsh on Saturday. Ray Duffy spotted the male – the female was nowhere in sight – and let Liberty know as they passed each other on the Mill Creek Marsh trail.

Great teamwork and a reminder why it’s always great to head out to the Meadowlands, as you just might catch a glimpse of a rare bird for these parts.

While Green-Winged Teal are common in North Jersey for much of the year, Blue-Winged Teal … not so much. So we were very excited to get this photo from Liberty Valance via Mickey Raine of the migratory bird she saw at Mill Creek Marsh on Saturday. Ray Duffy spotted the male – the female was nowhere in sight – and let Liberty know as they passed each other on the Mill Creek Marsh trail.

Great teamwork and a reminder why it’s always great to head out to the Meadowlands, as you just might catch a glimpse of a rare bird for these parts.

Mickey Raine risked harboring a horrible scent to get these nice shots of this notorious critter in Schmidt’s Woods last Friday.

Mickey writes: While at Schmidt’s Woods to explore any new characters from the avian world, this furry black and white appeared into the scene. Ron Shields and his friend, Ethan, noticed it, so we followed its movement as it was busily foraging through the shrubs and ground for lunch.  It was amusing to see how it did this, and it had been mindful of our presence, often keeping us in its sight, but not afraid, by any means, for we all know it capabilities.

Nature offers so many surprises and learning experiences.  Birds are not the only critters to see when out in some of these known sites for birding, but groundhogs, muskrats, foxes, and even the very rare otters can be seen on any given day.

Ron Shields sent in the great pics below of an American Bittern he spotted at the Kearny Marsh yesterday. This elusive bird does a good job of blending in with the phragmites, but not good enough to escape Ron’s lens!