No sooner did we arrive in DeKorte Park Tuesday morning than we heard a Baltimore Oriole calling like crazy. No wonder.
As Roy Woodford points out: "You don't have to go far from the front parking lot at DeKorte to find an Oriole or three (or more).
"These guys are everywhere this year (the females are around but they seem to be a bit camera shy). Last year, I had a hard time finding one of each." (Thanks, Roy! Orchard Oriole pix follow.)
Note: Baltimore Oriole above is banded!
Composer Diane Moser has been recording sounds in the Meadowlands as part of one of her innovative music programs.
She writes: “I finally wrote some descriptions on the sounds I collected. I think the one that would interest your readers the most would be the one entitled ‘Marsh Sounds’… There is a bird on there that I haven’t been able to identify.
“It might be fun to put this on your blog and ask your readers to comment and identify the various bird songs.
“They won’t be able to comment on soundcloud unless they already have a soundcloud account, so they might comment on this blog about the sounds instead.”
The link is here.
More of Moser’s Meadowlands recordings can be found here.
Moser’s website is here.
Our next free guided walk is this Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon in DeKorte Park, featuring the legendary Edith Wallace, botanist extraordinaire.
Full info follows.
We swear there must be some sort of avian travel agency that is steering so many species of birds to Disposal Road year-round.
To protect Snapping Turtle eggs from raccoons and skunks, the MEC built this little exclosure in DeKorte Park.
Are baby Snapping Turtles part of a teachable moment down the road?
Roy Woodford sent in these recent images of DeKorte Park flycatchers.
Can you ID them? (Thanks, Roy!)
Yesterday's first-time-ever Mill Creek Point walk in Secaucus was a big hit, with great views, 24 species of birds — and lots of Marsh Wrens.
A big thank you to all who participated, esecially Denise Farrell for compiling the list and Patrick Carney for photographing one of the wrens!
Full list and Patrick Carney's Marsh Wren shot follow.
While looking (in vain) for butterflies at DeKorte Park last week, we came an unusually cooperative Black Saddlebags dragonfly.
The William D. McDowell Observatory 
in DeKorte Park has an exciting month of programming in June.
Free public access is from 9 to 10:30 on Monday and Wednesday nights this month — weather permitting, of course.
Dress for the weather; with the dome open, you are basically outside.
Each evening at least two major objects in the night sky will be viewed, plus one or two other celestial objects or events depending on the observing conditions.
For a recent South Bergenite column by the NJMC's Jim Wright about the observatory, click here.
Bergen County Audubon Society and the Meadowlands Commission are hosting our first-ever guided walk along the Secaucus High School Boardwalk this Sunday at 10 a.m.
Full info follows. Click here for directions.