The William D. McDowell Observatory is open to the public for viewing the night sky from 8 to 10 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Click here for more information about the observatory and the upcoming viewing schedule.
A pair of cormorants
By the Barge Club in Carlstadt, where the Meadowlands Commission is going to build a new public boat launch, the cormorants are back in full force.
More on Double-Crested Cormorants here.
Snipes Park, Secaucus
One of the nifty unsung public parks in the Meadowlands is Snipes Park in Secaucus, a riverfront park that offers great views of the Hackensack and any birds that might be on or above the river.
The park is located on the Meadowlands Parkway behind WWOR. You'll see signs just to the left of WWOR's gated parking lot.
On a recent trip, we got some great looks at Buffleheads floating down the Hackensack. There are barbecue grills, picnic tables, benches and an ADA-compatible playground.
Now that the weather is getting warmer, this is a nice place to chill.
Click "Continue reading …" for more pix of the park and its neighbors.
TUESDAY TEASER 032409
Can you identify this bird?
For answer, click on "Continue reading…" immediately below.
For more Tuesday Teasers, click here.
K Rations
We saw this American Kestrel arrive with dinner earlier this month, a reminder of nature's ever-present food chain in action.
She hunts the fields off Valley Brook Avenue on a regular basis.
Birding for Beginners
The Meadowlands Commission is partnering with Bergen County Audubon Society for its major March birding event.
"Birding for Beginners" will be held on Sunday (March 29) from 1 to 3 p.m. at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst.
You can learn how to get started birding, learn about optics, and how to identify birds. We will begin indoors and then venture outside to use our new skills.
Registration is required for this free event.
Please contact Don Torino at Bergen County Audubon Society at 201-636-4022 or email here.
Stay tuned for other upcoming events, including a Skeetkill Marsh clean-up in March.
High Fliers
We took this shot of a drag race between a Redtail and a jumbo jet earlier this month in North Arlington…
APRIL WALK OF THE MONTH: Harrier Meadow
On Friday, April 3, five days after the free Birding for Beginners Course at DeKorte, NJMC naturalists are leading a free, 90-minute bird walk likely to include an influx of migrating waterfowl, sparrows and maybe some early shorebirds.
Tree swallows will also be returning and raptors should be in view. A bird-banding demonstration is also possible, depending on migration patterns.
The 10 a.m. walk is open on a first-come, first-accepted basis, and space is limited. Please RSVP to Mike Newhouse, 201-460-2002, michael.newhouse@njmeadowlands.gov.
Click "Continue reading…" for walk details and photos taken just this month at Harrier Meadow.
What’s In a Name Wednesday: Berry’s Creek
At our 40th Anniverasry Slide Show presentation in East Rutherford last week, we showed this shot of Berry's Creek, which prompted a question from the audience: "Where did Berry's Creek get its name?'
The short answer is that the creek is named for Captain John Berry, one of the early Meadowlands landowners.
More on Capt. Berry here.
Click "Continue reading…" to see two maps of Berry's Creek — before and after it was straightened.
TUESDAY TEASER 031709
Can you identify this bird.
Click "Continue reading… " for the answer.
Click here for more Tuesday Teasers.