Photographer Ada Baisre of Manhattan took us up on our request for butterfly photos and sent in this shot of a Cabbage White butterfly, taken recently in DeKorte Park near the WTC Memorial.

   "The park is steaming with flowers and insects," writes Baisre. "I got a few more shots of bumble bees, ladybugs, a muskrat, several bunnies, the pesky midges, several flowers, spiders, birds and much more. It is really a great place to visit, even (especially) for a Manhattanite."

    More on Cabbage Whites here.

   Today is the first day of summer.
   We took this Friday afternoon in DeKorte Park.

    After searching for the Stilt for the past five days, we figure our visiting Black-necked Stilt has moved on. 

    We will keep an eye out, but we are thinking this bird has flown.

     We know this doesn't  really qualify as nature, but we thought we would be remiss if we did not let you know….

   The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) will perform a “Salute to America!” – a selection of patriotic tunes, American popular music and opera favorites – on Saturday, June 27, in DeKorte Park at 7:30 p.m.

   This special concert in the heart of the Meadowlands is the NJSO’s only outdoor show in Bergen County this summer. The concert is presented by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) and the Ramapo College Foundation and is part of the NJMC’s 40th Anniversary celebration.

    Click "Continue reading …" for details.

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   We rescued another turtle on Disposal Road last week. We are thinking this guy is a Slider — but please e-mail us if you think we've got it wrong. This guy was roughly 10 inches long.

   Click here for posts on other Meadowlands reptiles and amphibians.

   Click "continue reading …." for more photos.

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     Nature Photographer Walter Choroszewski has been taking the Meadowlands Commission's pontoon boat eco-tours to get some great shots along the Hackensack River.
   The most recent post on his blog  (here) talks about the NJMC boat trips:
    "The tours provide great photo opportunities for birds, wetlands and more.   The volunteer guides are excellent and they provide natural and historical information and interesting stories about the Meadowlands.  It's the best $15 adventure you can buy."
    Scroll down that post and you'll see a link to his gallery of Meadowlands shots.
    Thanks, Walter!

    We have not seen the Black-necked Stilt in Harrier Meadow since last Friday, and are thinking that either:
    A: He moved on to browner mudflats.
    B: He is still in the vicinity, and we just haven't seen him. He could be frequenting  one of the DeKorte mudflats, for all we know.
    We will keep looking. If we see him agian, we will have a free guided walk in Harrier Meadow on Saturday. Check the blog again on Friday… Thanks.

   Note:  Harrier Meadow is off-limits to the public. If you call us, we'll try to help you take a look for the Stilt, but please do not trespass.