Last week, we posted an item about a hard-to-ID dove we saw on a Harrier Meadow walk (photo above). Link is here.
Many readers voted for the Ringed Turtle-Dove, but it just may be a semi-domestic strain now called "African Collared Dove."
Click "Continue reading…" for the full explanation.
Now that the DeKorte Shorebird Pool water levels have been lowered, we're getting lots of birds fishing and mud-rummaging in there.
Yesterday, we saw these two Snowy Egrets with Mohawk-hairdos have a little spat over fishing grounds — just like nations like to do.
One of the tricks of finding shorebirds at DeKorte is timing the mudflats. Unfortunately, it's a bit of an art and a science. 
In this post, we'll try to suggest some ways of increasing your odds of getting a good shorebird day.
(Be advised that this week, we are trying to reduce the water levels in the Shorebird Pool to complete some building maintenance, so there should be opportunities to see good birds — like the Lesser Yellowlegs above — all week long.)
Here's the main rule of thumb for timing the other tidal impoundments:
To find out roughly when the low tide at DeKorte is going to be, calculate the low tide at the Amtrak Swing Bridge on the Hackensack River, and add two hours.
Click "Continue reading…" for links to the tide charts and another mudflat shot.
Thanks again to everyone who took a flier on the weather and attended "A Day With Kevin Karlson" on Saturday.
We had a spot or two of rain during the morning walk, 
but we did have enough mudflats in the Shorebird Pool to get a lot of peeps and several other good birds.
Thanks again to Kevin Karlson, ably assisted by NJMC Naturalist Michael Newhouse, NYC "Mega-birder" Lloyd Spitalnik and Ace North Jersey birder Rob Fanning.
Click "Continue reading…" for the Full Monte.
This is another find from the butterfly walk on Sunday, Aug. 9.
We assumed that it was Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, and we assumed wrong. Thanks to walk leader Tom Halliwell for the right ID.
Click here for more Tuesday Teasers.
Click "Continue reading for the answer and more info.
082409: Neil Maruca reports: Meadowlands Highlights: Long-billed Dowitcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, Solitary Sandpiper, Yellow-crowned Night Heron
In The Kingsland Impoundment at DeKorte Park on Sunday, there were 17 Dowitchers, 67 yellowlegs and 3 Solitary Sandpipers viewable from the parking lot , in addition to 100+ Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. The Dowitcher breakdown was 14 Short-billed (Atlantic subspecies), 1 Short Billed (Prairie Subspecies) and 2 Long-billed. The Yellowleg breakdown was
55 Lesser to 12 Greater, Solitary were in with the Lessers.
The Yellow Crown night heron was an adult, found in the marshes on the Secaucus bank of the Hackensack River, which had good shorebird counts also (60+ Semipalmated Plovers, 250+ Peep, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, both Yellowlegs). Had a candidate for a Baird's sandpiper (20% larger than the larger Semipalmateds, black legs, buffy/peach breast) but I lost sight of it in the reeds before I could confirm the wing extension and feather pattern on the back. 🙁
(Thanks, Neil!)
Click "Continue reading…" for more August reports.
Thanks, Kevin, and all our participants for making "A Day With Kevin Karlson" such a success.
We had an enthusiastic turnout of more than 70 in spite of really dubious weather, and we were rewarded with a most-informative bird walk that featured some solid birds — and two engaging indoor presentations by author/photographer/birder-extraordinaire Kevin Karlson.
It was a great day of birding in the Meadowlands. Thanks, all!
We are all set for Saturday at 8:30a.m., rain or shine. If it is raining hard at 8:30, Kevin may do his "Birding by Impression" seminar first. We will do the walk as the weather allows.
We have reduced the tidal flow to the nearest impoundment in hopes of having some mudflats regardless of tide.
Other notes:
Bring your own lunch.
Directions to DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst are here.
A limited supply of Kevin's book, "The Shorebird Guide" will be on sale at Environment Center Gift show for $17.95. (List price is $24.95.)
Only if you absolutely need to call: Jim Wright's cellphone is 201-785-6604.
