This pair from our spring banding project should be easy to figure out.
Harrier Meadow Walk is on Tomorrow (Tuesday)
Reminder: A free guided nature walk of Harrier Meadow, a 70-acre natural area usually closed to the public, is tomorrow at 10 a.m. It will be around low tide, so we could see hundreds and hundreds of sandpipers…
Details are here.
South Bergenite column on this weekend
The NJMC's Jim Wright wrote his latest "Nature Next Door" column for The South Bergenite on shorebird photographer Lloyd Spitalnik, who will be co-leading a nature photography workshop with Kevin Karlson this Saturday at DeKorte. The program is part of a day of free programs with Karlson, beginning with bird walks at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. More on the event is in the column below:
For the second year in a row, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission is sponsoring a day of bird walks and talks at Lyndhurst's DeKorte Park by noted nature photographer and shorebird expert Kevin Karlson. Best of all, the entire program is free.
The event, on Saturday, Aug. 21, also features an exciting new twist this year. In the afternoon, Kevin and another top nature photographer, Lloyd Spitalnik, are presenting a free workshop entitled: “How to Compose and Create a Better Digital Wildlife Photograph.”
DeKorte Butterfly Report 081310
We had plenty of butterflies at DeKorte yesterday, including these amorous Monarchs. Also seen at the Butterfly Garden: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Common Busckeye, Cabbage White, Orange Sulhur, Pearl Crescent, Red Admiral, Question Mark, Painted lady, Silver-spotted Skipper, Broad-winged Skipper, Peck's Skipper, Least Skipper, Common Sootywing, Wild Indigo Duskywing and Clear-winged Moth.
Don’t Forget: NJMC Pontoon Boat Rides
The Meadowlands Commission is running its terrific pontoon boat eco-cruises out of its new marina in Carlstadt, 
and NJMC naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany reports that she has some openings on a few upcoming cruises, including Aug. 18 and 19 at 5:30 p.m.
On a cruise earlier this week had more than 1,000 semipalmated sandpipers (above) hanging out on a nearby dock alongside a Yellow-crowned Night Heron (righth). We also had Ospreys and a Peregrine Falcon (Thanks, Marcus!).
All four species are considered threatened, endangered or of special concern statewide.
The suggested donation is $15 per person for the two-hour cruise, making it one of the best deals around. Download a schedule and registration form here. For more information e-mail Gabrielle here.
Other pix from this week's cruise follow.
All About Kevin Karlson Day Aug. 21
Help Wanted: Shorebird Roosting Sites
As the New Jersey Audubon Society embarks on its Meadowlands Shorebird Study, researchers are eager to hear of any overlooked places in the district where shorebirds congregate.
For an example, N.J. Meadowlands Commission staffer Angelo Urato passed along a photo (above) to this blog of dozens of peeps roosting on a dock at the new River Barge Marina in Carlstadt.
Another pic and more info follow.
Harrier Meadow Walk is on Tuesday
The Meadowlands Commission's free Third-Tuesday nature walk this month is at the legendary Harrier Meadow. The timing (and tide) should be right to see migrating shorebirds and a raptor or two.
The walk, run in association with the Bergen County Audubon Society, runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Because the site is usually closed to the public, you will need to sign a standard liability release. Download it here: Download HARRIER Release.
Full listing, with rsvp information, follows.
Neat Story on Birding Serendipity in the Meadowlands
John V. Soltes, editor-in-chief of The Leader, did an offbeat front-page story this week on "lucky" birding finds in the Meadowlands. The story quotes the NJMC's Jim Wright, who keeps this blog, and NJMC naturalist Gabrielle Bennett-Meany.
Some nice pix from the blog (including the one above of a young Peregrine) provided the visuals. Link is here.
Carlstadt Harbor Herons
The Meadowlands is a prime destination for foraging egrets that have colonized South Brother Isand in the East River. That fact was underscored late last month when Lorraine Novinski was taking one of her regular bird counts for the Harbor Herons survey.
Lorraine noted a Snowy Egret that had been banded on South Brother. When NYC Audubon heard of the sighting, it sent reseracher Liz Craig (above) to the site to see if she could find the banded Snowy as well.
She did not see the Snowy, but she held up a large antenna and picked up the signal from a Great Egret that had been equipped with miniature radio transmitter at South Brother Island in June.
