Spicebush

March is the time of year when gardeners are just itching to get outside and get their hands dirty. Today I noticed my Honeysuckle leafing out and even saw the buds ready to pop on my Serviceberry. The Red-Winged Blackbirds have been back for a few weeks now, filling up my yard with their O-ka-leeeee call. I know spring is just about here.

Along with the return of many of our favorite birds, spring also means it is time to think about creating or improving your backyard wildlife garden. As more land is lost to development in New Jersey, our backyards will become even more important in the fight to maintain biodiversity in the Garden State. In suburbia a healthy backyard free of pesticides and insecticides along with a good variety of native plants may mean survival for many of our butterflies, migratory birds and pollinators.

A very wise friend of mine once said, “Trying to pick a favorite plant is like trying to pick a favorite grandchild.” It’s just about impossible .“ But since many folks I talk with get a little overwhelmed when trying to pick plants to begin a backyard wildlife garden, I thought I would attempt to pick out a few of my favorites.

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Along with the warm weather one of our favorite spring migrants, the Tree Swallow, has returned to the Meadowlands for the spring nesting season. Dennis Cheeseman got this great shot of the small, magnetic-blue bird at DeKorte Park earlier today.

Tree Swallows migrate to the Meadowlands by the hundreds every spring and our naturalists are busy installing dozens of nesting boxes around the park and in areas along the Hackensack River. The Tree Swallow is a secondary cavity nester, which means it must have the use of dead trees to nest in, and it must have a hole that has been excavated by a primary cavity nester.  Loss of habitat and competition for nest sites from other bird species are part of the reason why we provide these vital nest boxes for these beautiful birds.

Below are some more spectacular shots by Joe Koscielny from yesterday’s DeKorte Park Nature Walk. Enjoy!

Ruddy and Buddy

Ruddy Duck

Canvasbacks

Canvasbacks

Gadwall and Mallards

Below are some of the 28 species of birds that were photographed by Joe Koscielny during yesterday’s DeKorte Park Nature Walk.  We’ll have a second batch of great photos later, so check back! The complete list of species seen is at the bottom of this post.

Robin

Red-winged Blackbird

Green-winged Teal

Green-winged Teal

Northern Pintail

Immature Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawks

Crocus

Bird species seen (28)

Mute Swan

Gadwall

Mallard

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback

Bufflehead

Hooded Merganser

Ruddy Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

Northern Pintail

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Mourning Dove

Fish Crow

Carolina Wren

American Robin

Northern Mockingbord

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Crackle

Thanks to the more than 30 outdoor enthusiasts who participated in yesterday’s Bergen County Audubon Soceity DeKorte Park nature walk! It’s always a pleasure to see people experiencing the park. It was a great day for birding, with 28 species identified! We’ll have a bunch of pics up in a bit. But for now, here’s to those who came out!

p.s. Don’t miss the next BCAS walk on Tuesday, March 15, from 10 am to noon at Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus. Email greatauk4@gmail.com or call 201-230-4983 for more information.

The Bergen County Audubon Society will lead a nature walk at DeKorte Park tomorrow, March 6, from 10 am to noon. During the free walk they’ll be looking for raptors, waterfowl and other birds of interest. The walk is suitable for all ages and levels of expertise. For more information, email greatauk4@gmail.com or call 201-230-4983.

Great, good news article in today’s Record about the Osprey’s amazing comeback in recent decades, from around 50 pairs in New Jersey in the early 1970s to close to 600 pairs last summer! Read the story here.

The Bergen County Audubon Society will lead a nature walk at DeKorte Park this coming Sunday, March 6, from 10 am to noon. During the free walk they’ll be looking for raptors, waterfowl and other birds of interest. The walk is suitable for all ages and levels of expertise. For more information, email greatauk4@gmail.com or call 201-230-4983.

Alice and Al the Bald Eagles Along the Overpeck in Ridgefield Park Credit: Jill Homcy

About an hour before I sat down to write this week’s column, I was standing on the banks of the Overpeck in Ridgefield watching a pair of nesting Bald Eagles preparing to once again bring forth the next generation of the nation’s symbol into the world .

A truly magnificent thing to see, but one I never dreamed I would ever be able to witness , especially here in one of the most densely populated places in the nation. Yet they are here , back from the brink of extinction for everyone to see and witness. The Bald Eagle has returned.

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We received this email from Mickey Raine last night:

We have been enjoying the nice weather recently, and for photography, the balance between sun and slight overcast has been ideal, even if not the special Magic Hour periods of early morning or late afternoon.

The fist sunset shot was captured during about a 30 second stretch when the sky was on fire when seen from Mill Creek Marsh on Saturday. The second photo was taken during a stop over on our way to visit our buddy, Angelo, yesterday. The Mute Swans were at their graceful best by the reeds across the way from the raised gazebo in DeKorte Park.

The most interesting find, however, was today, as we were returning from some shopping in Edgewater.  We drove over to River Barge Park and stepped out of the vehicle. The first thing Elaine noticed was the Harbor Seal (female).  Our friend, Richie Romano, had told us about some sightings of it when we ran into him yesterday.  So, although hearing such reports, we knew that the chances of actually seeing it ourselves was slim, and accordingly, no expectations  . . .

Well, what a pleasant surprise to see this pretty creature basking in the sun.  One of the gentlemen who was also there had stated that it was unusual to see the seal this early, for most of the fish it catches for its diet had not migrated north, yet.