Don’t forget renowned birder and author Scott Weidensaul’s free talk tonight at the Meadowlands Environment Center at 7:30.  Weidensaul’s talk on the plight of migratory birds is titled, “Birds, Beans and Conservation: Simple Ways to Save Migratory Birds.”

Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books, including the Pulitzer Prize-finalist about migratory birds, “Living on the Wind.” Weidensaul’s newest book: “The Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean,” will be available for purchase, and Scott will sign books after the event. This program is sponsored by Birds & Beans: The Good Coffee, and hosted by the Bergen County Audubon Society. For more information, email greatauk4@gmail.com or call 201-230-4983.

All birders have their very own “Magic Tree” A tree that, no matter what, always seems to miraculously ensure multiple bird species anytime you guide a pair of binoculars in its direction. There could be many kinds of magic trees but most of the time the species of magic tree is the mighty oak.

In actuality, there is nothing mystical about the oak and the many bird species that are attracted to it. In fact, oaks are perhaps the most important wildlife tree we have in our forest.

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Rob Fanning found this Hudsonian Godwit among a bunch of mostly Greater Yellowlegs at the Clay Avenue Wetlands in Lyndhurst. Chris Takacs catpured the scene – the Godwit is in the middle flapping its wings as the Yellowlegs pay no mind.

The Meadowlands Nature Blog salutes all of the men and women who have served our country so proudly and courageosuly and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and way of life. (Pictured is the AMVets Carillon in DeKorte Park).

Scott Weidensaul, a nature author from Schuylkill County, handles a barred owl at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Albany Township. 2/11/03 Photo by Bill Uhrich

The Record ran an excellent feature today by Jim Wright on Scott Weidensaul, who is giving a free talk at the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park on Friday night at 7:30.  Weidensaul, an acclaimed naturalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, will be speaking on the plight of migratory birds and how to help them. Read the story here.

There’s a good – and sad – story in today’s Record about the steep decline of brown bats. While some people are scared of bats – no, there’s no such thing as a vampire bat! – they are very helpful to the environment. Read here for more.

Chris Takacs sent us the remarkable photos above taken from DeKorte of a  this weekend of a Bonaparte’s Gull in the Shorebird Pool and a Bald Eagle flyover. Beautiful way to start the week!

From our friends at Bergen County Audubon Yesterday:

Alice was at Her nest today along with Al who was up to the right , they are getting the nest ready for the upcoming nesting season !

If anyone has photos of the Eurasian Wigeon seen in DeKorte Park the past few days can you send along?

Thanks!

From Richard DeKorte Park to the Mill Creek Marsh Trail, every section of the Meadowlands is unique, distinct to its plants and wildlife that depend on that habitat for their subsistence and survival. But some of these unique environments are much less known or recognized than the others. One such park is Skeetkill Creek Marsh in the Borough of Ridgefield .

Driving past the seemingly endless rows of warehouses, along old railroad tracks, and every other blacktopped, steel and stone specimenof densely industrial development that Bergen County has to offer, one has to wonder where one might find the Meadowlands among the concrete wilderness of this small town?

But just as you might be inclined to make a U-turn and give up the quest you cruise down (appropriately enough) Pleasantview Drive and arrive at an enchanting refuge among the cars and commercialism.Small in size but no less important to the birds, butterflies and flowers that call it home, you are at Skeetkill Creek Marsh park

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