A big thank you to Aiden Dartley, who today presented NJSEA Naturalist Gaby Bennett-Meany with four home-made Forster’s Tern nesting platforms! Aiden, 14 and an avid birder, said he made the 2-foot-by-2-foot platforms because “I thought it would be a good way to contribute to the community.” Aiden is a frequent visitor to DeKorte Park and especially enjoys watching Forster’s Terns. “They have a certain charm to them,” he says. Thanks again Aiden, from the NJSEA and DeKorte’s Forster’s Terns!
Join the Bergen County Audubon Society this Tuesday for a nature walk at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. The walk goes from 10 am to noon. Mill Creek is a wonderful site for bird watching and they’ll be looking for various spring migrants and shorebirds.
For more information contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.
This hungry Peregrine Falcon made short work of an unlucky pigeon this past Saturday morning. Chris Takacs provided the photo taken during an NYC Aubudon boat tour with the NJSEA. Peregrines (and sometimes their prey) are one of many marvels of nature that can be seen along the Hackensack River from the unique vantage point of an NJSEA pontoon boat. For more info and to register for a tour click here
Visitors to DeKorte Park are always in awe of the Tree Swallows that have become a symbol of a rejuvenated and revived Meadowlands. But what many folks may not know about these little metallic blue dynamos is that their life and future generations depends on the tiny wooden nest boxes that you see standing along the waters edge throughout the Meadowlands.
No manmade swallow boxes, no more Tree Swallows. That is the reality of this great migratory bird . But there is another bird much less common which is also blue that raises an even a bigger challenge to help bring back to our area: the Eastern Bluebird.
Awww! How cute are these baby Red-tailed hawks.Chris Takacs took the fantastic photo, and more, during Saturday’s NYC Audubon boat trip with the NJSEA. Thanks to Chris for the photos!
Terrapin
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Great Egret
Thanks to Chris Takacs for these great photos taken during Saturday’s New York City Audubon Society pontoon boat tour along the Hackensack River hosted by the NJSEA! Interested in taking a tour? Click here for schedule and registration info.
Osprey
Osprey
Black-crowned Night Heron
Join the Bergen County Audubon Society next Tuesday for a nature walk at Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. The walk goes from 10 am to noon. Mill Creek is a wonderful site for bird watching and they’ll be looking for various spring migrants and shorebirds.
For more information contact Don Torino at greatauk4@gmail.com or 201-230-4983.
Echinacea purpurea eastern (purple coneflower)
Thanks to the NJSEA’s own Gaby Bennett-Meany for these photos of just several of the many beautiful native plants in bloom at DeKorte Park! A great way to start the day.
Cornus sericea (red osier dogwood)
Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)
Gypsy Moth
Don’t forget to register for Moth Night! The free event takes place on Tuesday, July 24, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The program features a talk by moth expert Elena Tartaglia on the importance of these amazing, lesser-known cousins of butterflies. You’ll gain a new perspective on the misunderstood creatures and how they benefit the environment.
We’ve also got kid’s activities both during and after the talk, including painting trees to attract moths. The event is sponsored by the NJSEA and the Bergen County Audubon Society and is part of National Moth Week.
To register click here
Mallards
The mallards at DeKorte on Tuesday seem to have been at home out of the water. Thanks to Joe Koscielny for these photos and more!
Mallard
Marsh Wren
Great Egret
Great Egret