Tag Archives: black skimmer

Our Latest South Bergenite Column: Black Skimmers

IMG_0469-1Jim Wright, who maintains this blog for the Meadowlands Commission, also writes a column for the South Bergenite on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. His latest is on this year’s bumper crop of Black Skimmers.

Now is the time of year to see an amazing bird called the black skimmer in the Meadowlands, and this is a year when they seem to be incredibly plentiful.
Considering that these large black-and-white shorebirds are an endangered species in New Jersey, the frequent sightings being reported across the Meadowlands are all the more impressive.
Last week alone, these birds were seen fishing in DeKorte Park and the Clay Avenue Wetlands in Lyndhurst, in Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus, and along the Hackensack River from Carlstadt to Kearny.
But these guys, with their bright red and black bills, don’t fish like most other avian anglers.  Herons and egrets, for example, wade in the water and grab fish with their pointy bills. Belted kingfishers hover, then crash into the water to seize their prey. Ospreys hover as well, then dive into the water and grab the fish with their talons.
Black skimmers, on the other hand, live up to their name. They skim. Continue reading

A Walk To Remember

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   What can you say about a bird walk that begins with an Osprey catching a fish and a Black Skimmer show  (above)– all in the first 15 minutes!

 IMG_0013 The NJ Meadowlands Commission and Bergen Audubon wish to thank all the birders of all skill levels who participated in the holiday weekend walk.

  The Bergen Record's story on the walk is here, with a schedule of upcoming  NJMC/Bergen Audubon walks.

  Not only did we see plenty of neat birds, but we also saw a few neat butterflies, including a glimpse of one that was either a comma or a question mark.

 For now, it remains a question mark. (Which reminds us — our next  NJMC/Bergen Audubon walk is a butterfly walk on July 19.

  We plan to post a list of all the birds seen on the July 6 walk when it's available.

  E-mail Jim Wright here is you would like to rsvp for future walks or to join our e-mail alert list for rare bird sightings and upcoming events.