Our newest contributor, Steve Ceragno, continues to send in some great shots! Steve reports on these photos taken Sunday:
Eagle flyover at DeKorte. Circling over the observatory building about 3 times before heading North West over Disposal Road.
Buckeye Butterfly – Literally had to be careful where I was walking with the amount of Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon.
Peregrine falcons, Ospreys and Northern Harriers are the raptors that bring out the birders to the New Jersey Meadowlands, magnificent marauders of the skies that are the signature symbols of a restored and healthy habitat. Raptors back from the brink of extinction renew the soul and strengthen our spirit. But sometimes overlooked or put aside without a second look is another raptor, common yes, but no less Majestic or divine: the Red-Tailed Hawk.
Nice shot of a Pie-billed Grebe at DeKorte this past weekend from Rich Brown. Thanks Rich!
Rich Brown sent the following dispatch on Saturday. Always great to see photos of magnificent Bald Eagles!
Last December I sent a photo of a Bald Eagle perched on a log in the Passaic River. Yesterday (Friday) afternoon I saw one there again while driving by the area, so I drove by today with my camera. At around 11:45, I saw two (2) adult Bald Eagles on the same log. I took the attached photo from the sidewalk near the USGS Stream Gaging Station. Its the first time I’ve seen a pair of eagles in the area. After a while they both flew off together to the north (up river), scattering a large group of 100+ gulls.
Interesting article this weekend in the Atlantic City Press about there being less monarchs migrating through Cape May Point this year, though it may not spell a decline in the butterflies from years past. Check out the story here
Cooper’s Hawk
Many thanks to Joe Koscielny of the BCAS for these awesome photos taken during yesterday’s Mill Creek Marsh walk in Secaucus. Don’t miss the next Meadowlands Nature Walk: Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus from 10 am to noon.
The walk will focus on ducks, raptors and migrants. For more information contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.
Cooper’s Hawk
Green-winged Teal
Greater Yellowlegs
Northern Shoveler
Red-tailed Hawk
The more than 40 folks who came out for yesterday’s BCAS walk at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus had a great morning of birding! Twenty-five species were seen, including a Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Harrier.
Below is a complete list. Photos to come a bit later!
X |
Canada Goose |
|---|---|
X |
American Black Duck |
X |
Mallard |
X |
Northern Shoveler |
X |
Green-winged Teal |
1 |
Great Egret |
1 |
Northern Harrier |
1 |
Cooper’s Hawk |
X |
Red-tailed Hawk |
10 |
Greater Yellowlegs |
X |
Ring-billed Gull |
X |
Herring Gull |
X |
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
X |
Mourning Dove |
1 |
Belted Kingfisher |
X |
Fish Crow |
X |
Black-capped Chickadee |
X |
American Robin |
X |
Northern Mockingbird |
X |
European Starling |
X |
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
X |
Song Sparrow |
X |
Swamp Sparrow |
X |
Northern Cardinal |
X |
American Goldfinch |
We’ll start the week with a very nice photo taken on Friday at DeKorte by Sally Magin. Throughout the day we’ll have photos from yesterday’s great Bergen Audubon Mill Creek Marsh walk, where 25 species were spotted!
Join the Bergen County Audubon Society for a nature walk this Sunday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. They’ll be looking for fall migrants, sparrows and more along the beutiful marsh trail. Park and meet in the parking lot at the back of the Mill Creek Mall by the Bob’s Furniture Store.
BCAS walks are a great experience for new and experienced nature lovers and birders alike. Your guides point out birds along the way and bring a spotting scope so you can see them up close. They’ll also talk about the vegetation you encounter and the history of the marsh.
For more information contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.
Left to Right: BCAS Field Trip Chair Chris Takacs, NJSEA Senior Natural Resources Program Specialist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, BCAS President Don Torino, BCAS Education Chair Marie Longo
The Bergen County Audubon Society came calling at DeKorte yesterday with a very generous, and very much appreciated, donation for the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority: $5,000 to be used toward the purchase of hundreds of native tree shrubs, plants and grasses.
The new vegetation will help restore and enhance areas around DeKorte Park including the Kingsland Overlook and the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve. The plantings will be done by NJSEA staff in the early spring of 2017.
“The Meadowlands and especially DeKorte Park is a diverse, unique habitat, critical to many thousands of migratory birds, butterflies and pollinators,” said Don Torino, president of the BCAS. “Our donation will enable the NJSEA to add many new native plants that will ensure a healthy and vital habitat for generations to come. Many thanks to our Bergen County Audubon members who love and cherish the New Jersey Meadowlands for making this project possible.”
This is just the latest of many significant donations that Bergen Audubon has made to the NJSEA over the years, and we couldn’t be more thankful. For instance, the incorporation of milkweed plants at the Kingsland Overlook thanks to a previous BCAS grant greatly increased the amount of butterflies seen in DeKorte Park this year.
Thank you once again BCAS!