Monthly Archives: March 2018

DeKorte Snow Montages

Three snow landscapes taken in DeKorte Park in the NJ Meadowlands on the morning after a spring snowstorm blanketed the Northeast USA.

Thanks to Regina Geoghan for these beautiful photos taken yesterday morning as the sun came out and the sky began to clear! We’ll have some presnow photos later today.

Four snow landscape images taken at Richard W. DeKorte Park in the New Jersey Meadowlands on the morning after a snow storm in early spring.

Thank You BCAS!!!!

Pictured left to right: Vincent Prieto, President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; Don Torino, President of the Bergen County Audubon Society; Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, NJSEA Senior Natural Resource Program Specialist

Don Torino, President of the Bergen County Audubon Society, presented the NJSEA with a donation of $2,000 from the BCAS for use toward the Kingsland Overlook Restoration project in DeKorte Park. The program began last year with a BCAS donation of $5,000.

“The NJSEA commends the Bergen County Audubon Society for their great generosity and unwavering dedication to the betterment of DeKorte Park and all of the natural areas in the Meadowlands District,” said Vincent Prieto, President and CEO of the NJSEA. “I appreciate and value our partnership and look forward to continuing to work together to introduce people to the natural wonders of the Meadowlands.”

Once part of the now-closed Kingsland Landfill, the six-acre Kingsland Overlook site was among the first landfill-to-parks projects in New Jersey and the entire country. The NJSEA is using the BCAS funding to enhance areas along the trail with native vegetation beneficial to wildlife.

Don Torino’s Life in the Meadowlands: My Favorite Five Shrubs For Your Backyard Wildlife Garden

Don Torino with a Buttonbush

It seems every week that I sit down to write my column about native plants there are snowstorms in the forecast. Having said that, March is usually the time of year when gardeners are just itching to get outside and get their hands dirty.

Despite the predictions of foot deep snow I have seen trees and shrubs budding out and of course the Red-winged Blackbirds have been back for a few weeks now, filling up the Meadowlands with their O-ka-leeeee call. So I know for sure that spring is out there somewhere just waiting.

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Birding in the Meadowlands This Week: Spring Arrivals

Peregrine Falcon

Chris Takacs reports on what many have been long been waiting for: the arrival of Spring migrants in the Meadowlands!!! Read on:

Spring arrives in the Meadowlands – Here’s what’s new and the birds expected to arrive this week.

Great Egret

Two Great Egrets were spotted over the weekend and more will arrive in the coming weeks, stopping here to feed on the way to their breeding colonies. Ospreys have been seen in Bergen County over the last few days as well.

Osprey

Look for our breeding birds to arrive this week or next. Tree Swallows should arrive as well,  looking to put the many swallows nesting boxes to use. Eastern Phoebe will be arriving this week. Check out Disposal Road, DeKorte Park, Mill Creek Marsh and Laurel Hill to find these migrants. Greater Yellowlegs should be arriving to join Killdeer as the shorebirds begin moving north.

Yellowlegs

The Meadowlands is one of the best places in NJ to see large numbers of Yellowlegs. Peregrine Falcons have been seen hunting the impoundments. Look for our local pairs to be mating and getting ready to nest. Hawks have also been on the move north with local hawk watches opening last week. Look for Merlin, Kestrel, Red-shouldered Hawk as well as vultures migrating through the area. It’s a great time to get out to The Meadowlands and see all the new birds migrating here.

Renowned Author/Nature Tour Leader Rick Wright to Lead Walk at Meadowlands Birding Festival

Great news! Prominent nature tour leader and birding author Rick Wright will lead a walk at this year’s Meadowlands Birding Festival!

Rick designed the highly-regarded Victor Emanuel Nature Tours Birds & Art program, is the author of of two books on the Latin and German animal literature of the late Middle Ages, and several birding field guides. He is a prolific contributor to birding literature and a sought-after lecturer and tour guide.

Check out Rick’s American Birding Association blog here

Don’t miss out. The Meadowlands Birding Festival is Saturday, Sept. 15, at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. We’ll have more announcements and a complete schedule in the coming months.