Great sequence taken by Mickey Raine on Sunday at DeKorte of an Osprey making a nose dive to capture a tasty meal!

Barn Swallow

Thanks to Mickey Raine for these photos taken last Friday at DeKorte, including our first Barn Swallow photos of the season!

Barn Swallow

Gadwall

View of NYC

Snowy Egret and Forster’s Terns

Snowy Egret and Forster’s Tern

Great Egret

The photo above sent by Mickey Raine is extremely important.

It’s a photo of a tick that attached itself to Mickey as he was walking the trails at DeKorte Park last week. With the nice weather finally here everyone needs to be vigilant for ticks and tick bites. Tick bites can cause long-term damage, including lyme disease, if not dealt with immediately and properly. There is an article in today’s Record on the rise of lyme disease in New Jersey.

The best way to prevent tick bites is to take preventive measures and be aware while you’re on the trails. For information on ticks and how to prevent tick bites click here and here

Tree Swallows

As promised, here are some more  great photos from Mickey Raine taken at DeKorte Park last week. Thanks again Mickey!

Tree Swallow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Least Sandpipers

Savannah Sparrow

Finally a perfect day!!  Let’s start the day with some glorious photos taken recently by Mickey Raine in DeKorte Park. We’ll have more great photos from Mickey later. Thanks Mickey!!!

Song Sparrow

Least Sandpipers

Greater Yellowlegs

Great Egret

Tree Swallow

Marsh Wren

Mickey Raine was at DeKorte very early this morning and captured some spectacular sunrise shots of a variety of birds. Thanks for sharing Mickey!

Red-winged Blackbird

Note: This sunrise photo of DeKorte was taken last Friday, May 11

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

Red-throated Loon

After Tuesday’s Bergen Audubon Harrier Meadow Walk Mickey Raine headed to DeKorte Park, where got some great photos of a variety of species. Thanks Mickey!

Red-throated Loon

Great Egret

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper

Least Sandpipers

Forster’s Tern

Forster’s Tern

Tree Swallow

Dunlins

Thanks to Mickey Raine for more photos from the Bergen Audubon’s Harrier Meadow walk this past Tuesday. Our first batch from Mickey focused on birds in flight. Now we’ve got some great ground photos. Check out the Dunlins above hanging with a group of Least Sandpipers. They’re the two large reddish ones in the back with the black bellies.

The two Long-billed Dowitchers below are on the front–left end –with a more reddish tone, with one standing and the other sitting down in the water.

Thanks Mickey!

Long-billed Dowitchers

Killdeer

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Osprey

Mickey Raine sent these photos taken during Tuesday’s Bergen County Audubon Harrier Meadow walk, along with some interesting background information detailing the circumstances behind the shots. Many thanks Mickey!

The Osprey way high up in the sky was spotted as soon as I got there, flying overhead and then once more later, but even farther up the second time.  Less than 30 seconds after seeing the Osprey, the Great Blue Heron flew overhead. You can see the fade-away of the nearby tree that almost obstructed the full view.

The Black-Crowned Night Heron had suddenly flew up from where it must have been resting down along the embankment, spooked by the movement and sounds of the visitors walking along the path.  By the time I was able to lock in, it was already far across the water and near the southern landscape.

Great Blue Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

All photos by Don Torino

Sometimes important environmental issues seem to go by the wayside, usually because there are just so many critical problems we need to deal with on a daily basis. But some very important ones get forgotten and set aside for another day or time. We do what we think we can and then move on to the next issue and concern, not looking back and hoping that our mission is complete.

But the Monarch butterfly, strong, undaunted and fearless, is still extremely vulnerable and on the brink of being lost forever.

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