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.)

We lowered the water levels in the Shorebird Pool at DeKorte Park this week in preparation for Kevin Karlson Day this Saturday. We are already  getting lots of peeps and yellowlegs — and Ospreys that like fishing in the shallow water.

More info on Kevin Karlson Day — free and open to the public — is here.

Above, an NJMC naturalist closes one of the tidegates that helps regulate water levels in the Kingsland Impoundment, a.k.a. the Shorebird Pool, right outside the Environment Center.

Note: When the Marsh Discovery Trail opens this week, it will be open only part way. Because of extensive damage to one part of the trail, it is no longer a loop. You will have to turn around instead of walking all the way to the Transco Trail.

Due to repairs being done to the Marsh Discovery Trail, toady's noon walk has been canceled. Thank you for your patience. Stay tuned for further updates.