Renowned bird photographer and author Kevin Karlson will offer a full day of free programs at DeKorte Park, home of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC), on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The event, sponsored by the NJMC as part of its 40th anniversary celebration, will kick off with a shorebird walk along DeKorte’s amazing mudflats at 8:30 a.m.
Next is a free seminar on identifying these marvelous migrants. After a lunch break, Karlson will present his acclaimed slideshow, “Birds on the Wind.”
Karlson has been a wildlife photographer for 28 years and active as a birder for even longer. He has traveled from the wilds of the Alaskan Arctic to the rainforests of South America to photograph birds. His work is widely published in numerous birding magazines and journals, as well as books, field guides, calendars and electronic media.
Click "Continue reading…" to see one of Kevin's photos and to get the complete schedule and more information.
The bird walk will start outside Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park, and the indoor events will be inside the MEC. Karlson’s bestselling book, The Shorebird Guide, will also be on sale at the Tidelands Treasures Gift Shop, inside the MEC, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For directions to the park, click on the “About Us” section of our Web site, www.njmeadowlands.gov.
A description of all three events follows.
Bird walk in DeKorte Park, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Join Karlson as he shares a simple and more effective approach to identifying shorebirds, as highlighted in The Shorebird Guide. Karlson calls the approach “Birding by Impression.”
It concentrates on basic impressions of size, shape and body motion to form a surprisingly accurate initial mental picture of every bird seen in the field. Other impression-based field characters include behavior, habitat use, vocalizations and comparison to nearby familiar birds.
Workshop: Shorebirds and Birding by Impression, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.: This interactive indoor workshop will amplify the “Birding by Impression” approach. The first half of the program concentrates on shorebirds and how to apply this approach in all field conditions.
The second half shows how to apply this approach to all bird families, and uses a number of digitized, comparative photos from an upcoming book by Kevin and his wife, Dale.
Lunch break: 12:45 to 2 p.m. BYO, and enjoy the sights of DeKorte Park. Note: the only food and drink options at DeKorte Park are vending machines, so please plan accordingly!
Slide show and talk: “Birds on the Wind,” 2 to 3 p.m.: Bird migration is truly one of the most amazing natural wonders in our world today. From the unbelievable 7,000-mile nonstop journey of Bar-tailed Godwits to spectacular raptor movements during migration, there are still many unanswered questions concerning the “how, why, where and when” of bird migration.
The program begins with a review of different types of bird migration, giving general examples of each. Karlson then highlights different bird families and select species that perform amazing feats of physical endurance each year during migration. Breathtaking photos and several musical interludes add to the interesting nature of this presentation.
To register for the Kevin Karlson programs, contact Jim Wright at 201-460-2002 or jim.wright@njmeadowlands.gov.