Mike Girone reports: "I was watching the American Avocet from the east-facing promenade on Marsh Discovery Trail late [Saturday] afternoon, when it took off with a small flock of sandpipers around 3:55 p.m.

"The avocet landed in deeper water about halfway between the promenade and the eastern end of the shorebird pool, while the sandpipers continued past Transco Trail.

"Shortly afterward, a juvenile Peregrine Falcon appeared from the tops of the Phragmites near the small bird blind, dropped to within a foot or 2 of the water and went straight for the Avocet.  The Avocet ducked under the water as the falcon passed within inches of it. The Peregrine buzzed it several more times, but the Avocet stayed in the water, and just kept ducking the falcon's talons as it drifted east. The Peregrine broke off after a few minutes and headed west along Transco Trail.

The Meadowlands Commission would like to thank the more than 100 people who participated in our second annual Kevin Karlson Day on Saturday. It was a great event — from the 8:30 a.m. bird walk to the 3 p.m. photography workshop.

We got some nice media coverage, too, beginning with Kevin's guest appearance on the New York Nightly News with Chuck Scarborough on Friday evening. The Record had some nice photos of the event ( View here), and NY1 did a real nice report on the event (link is here).

Kevin had a great handout on Birding by Impression. You can download it here and here.

Kevin and his fellow ace photographer Lloyd also had a handout at the photography workshop. You can download them here and here and here and here.  Semipalmated Plover photo from Saturday, below, is by Stephanie Seymour.  (Thanks to all!)

The NJMC's Gary Tomaro and Bob Sagro got this shot of a Bald Eagle at the Keegan Landfill in Kearny earlier this month. They have seen up to four at a time. (Thanks, guys!)

Rob Fanning reports that the American Avocet continues in the farthest Shorebird Pool impoundment this morning. He also has seen an American Kestrel, plus a Peregrine Falcon that has been divebombing shorebirds. We also have a report of a Sora and a Pectoral Sandpiper in the Shorebird Pool. A Least Bittern has been seen three of the last four evenings around 6 p.m.

We have gotten some nifty images and video of the avocet. We are posting them here, with an eye to posting a report on Kevin Karlson Day tomorrow — and  some pix of an immature Peregrine Falcon strafing the avocet.

Pic by Jeff Nicol is above. Pic by Marc Schoenholz is below. Video by Ray Duffy is here.  (Thanks, Rob, Jeff, Marc and Ray!)

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.

Kevin Karlson Day is tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 21). Water levels in the Shorebird Pool are down, and we are getting hundreds of egrets and hundreds of small shorebirds  — including White-rumped Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. Seven shorebird species in all so far this week.

We are expecting a large turnout for this free event, so please bear with us.

Don't forget to bring your own lunch, beverage, sunblock and binoculars. Scroll down the blog for more information.

Dennis Cheeseman photographed this Warbling Vireo eating its lunch by the Kingsland Overlook Trail earlier this week. (Thanks, Dennis!)

Now is prime time for birding at DeKorte. The water levels are down so there's a lot of exposed mud, and the birds are coming in. We counted nearly 100 egrets on Wednesday afternoon, plus umpteen yellowlegs and and a few Semipalmated Plovers and Ospreys.

At 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, Mike Batard saw a Least Bittern from the trail and reported:

"From the easternmost window blind, saw a bittern flying
low across the water east to west, landing on Phrag island on left.
Stayed away from the reeds, clearly visible and exposed for at least 50
minutes, when I left.

"Four osprey hunting at the same time, alternately crashing into he
water. More than a dozen GBH and a few BCNH." (Thanks, Mike!)

The Marsh Discovery Trail is now open most of the way — the shot above was taken from a blind there on Wednesday afternoon.

We expect these conditions to continue through Kevin Karlson Day on Saturday and the entire weekend.

The butterflies and flowers aren't chopped liver either. Hope to see you at DeKorte soon.

A big thank you to the more than 40 people who attended our free Tuesday walk at Harrier Meadow. The turnout was great — especially for an August Tuesday.

Highlights included hundreds of Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few yellowlegs and Semipalmated Plovers, Ospreys, a last-minute American Kestrel, several Laughing Gulls and two Monarch caterpillars munching on Milkweed leaves.

Our next free walks with the Bergen County Audubon Society: This Saturday at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. at DeKorte Park with Shorebird Expert Kevin Karlson. (Scroll down for more info.)