We made a quick lunchtime stop at the Kearny Marsh yesterday to see what was around.
Parking in the northeast part of the Gunnell Oval (off Schuyler Avenue), we saw at least six American Coots and a distant Pied-billed Grebe amongst the Canada Geese.
Who is this sparrow, who was popping up a lot of places in the region last month? (This is a toughie, but they can't all be cardinals.) :- )
Click here for more Tuesday Teasers.
Click "Continue reading …" for the answer and more information about this bird.
A stunning photo of an immature Yellow-Crowned Night Heron captured first prize in the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s 2009 Amateur Photo Contest, “The Meadowlands: 40 Years of Progress,” the NJMC announced today.
The winning photo, and other contest entries, will be on display from Dec. 2 to Jan. 3 at the NJMC’s Flyway Gallery.
Ernie Fragetta of
Click "Continue reading…" to see the other two winning photos and for more information on the contest.
If you are looking to do the Christmas Bird Count this year, there is now one central listing of the dates and locations for each circle in New Jersey. Here's the link.
For a link to the National Audubon site, which has more about the Christmas Count's history and procedures, results of past counts, etc., click here.
This guy has been tooling around the tidal impoundments at DeKorte, but he never sits still for a portrait. We managed to sneak up on him on Friday to get this one shot. Needless to say, we heard him before we saw him.
How do we know it's a male?
More on Belted Kingfishers here.
An apparent leucistic American Tree Sparrow was seen by participants on Saturday's Bergen County Audubon Society field trip to Mehrhof Pond.
Marco Lips photographed the bird, and BCAS is sharing the photo with readers of the Meadowlands Blog. (Thanks, Marco and BCAS!)
More on leucistic birds here.
The Meadowlands Commission and BCAS are hosting a trip to Mehrhof Pond on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Click "Continue reading…" for more information on the upcoming walk. You must rsvp by Dec. 4.
Neil Maruca Reports:
Safety Note: Duck Hunters were out today on the Saw Mill WMA across from Laurel Hill Park. The current portion of Northern NJ duck season goes Nov. 17 to January 2. There was also some gunfire coming from the impoundment dikes outside to the Wildlife Mgt Area near the WMCA radio towers.
Highlights Kearny East: Clapper Rail, 3 Red Breasted Merg, Coot, Great Cormorant, Tree Sparrow, 400 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Greater Scaup in with the Rudyies and & 2 Lesser Scaup near the Hackensack River. Also a white "bibbed" domestic duck in with some dabblers.
Had Carolina Wren and Northern Flicker off Belleville pike, DeKorte had 9 greater yellowlegs, 200+ GW Teal, 150 Mallards and 50ish Shovelers and Gadwall.
Beth Goldberg reports:
Great bird walk at Mehrhof Pond this morning with Bergen County Audubon led by David Hall.
Birds included both Double Crested and Great Cormorants, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Mergansers, Great Blue Heron, Black Crowned Night Herons, Red tailed and Coopers Hawks, Song and Tree Sparrow and an unusual, but cooperative, Leucistic Tree Sparrow.
When we first saw this distant accipiter at Harrier Meadow this morning, we were thinking (or hoping) that this was a juvenile Northern Goshawk. Now, after a good look at the even bands on the tail, we are thinking it has to be a juvenile Cooper's Hawk.
What do you think? E-mail us.