We will give a full report of our terrific Kevin Karlson Day as time allows, but the bird o' the day was an American Avocet, all the way out the Marsh Discovery Trail to the last promenade, and then to the left. Let's hope it stays.
To everyone who attended this great free event, thank you for participating. What a great group of folks. A special thanks to Bergen County Audubon Society for all their help! Kevin Karlson and Lloyd Spitalnik weren't exactly chopper liver either. More to come, including better photos of the avocet than these.
The Avocet was still out there after 7:00 pm. It moved about in that same area off the promenade throughout the day, sometimes very close to the promenade or to the last blind, and other times further off in the NE corner. People were joking that Mr. Karlson must have brought the Avocet, and then released it before the 8:30 walk started, because some very ‘old-school’ birders said they haven’t seen one in this particular area for ten years.
Awesome job to you also, Jim Wright. You kept things on schedule, but more than that, none of this would have worked out so well without your extensive preparations. You are today’s unsung hero, today’s Wizard of Oz, making things happen behind the scenes. Thanks for all the work you did in preparation! Thanks also to all the birding experts, the group leaders, and to the rest of the MC staff who made this event happen.