Tag Archives: Meadowlands Commission

NORTH ARLINGTON: Disposal Road = Raptor Road

Img_9781
  The rough stretch of road connecting Schuyler Avenue in North Arlington and DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst is officially called Disposal Road or AMVETS Way, but these days it's Raptor Road.
   Every trip we've made along the road in the past week, we've seen a redtail or kestrel or marsh hawk. The female marsh hawk was seen hunting along the Kingsland Landfill last Thursday.

   The Marsh Hawk (Northern Harrier) is endangered in New Jersey. The American Kestrel is a species of special concern.

For more raptor shots, click "Continue reading…" below.

Continue reading →

MARSH RESEARCH: Innovations

    

   One of the Meadowlands Commission’s missions is to revitalize and diversify the region’s wetlands.

   To replace the invasive species phragmites, a tall inhospitable reed that tends to dominate a marsh, NJMC has been planting all sorts of native marsh grasses in marshes throughout the 14-town district.

   To measure the success of those efforts, the NJMC’s Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute has been using some innovative methods, including the use of helium-balloon photography (see video above).

   On Thursday, MERI is holding a workshop for wetlands professionals on the use of such remote techniques to monitor marsh vegetation.

    More about the workshop here.


HARBOR HERONS: The latest findings

Great_egret1

  The Meadowlands Commission hosted a press conference on the Harbor Herons Project today, featuring speakers from New York City Audubon and the New Jersey Audubon Society talking about the preliminary findings from this summer’s research.

  Click "Continue reading"  to learn more.

  Click here for all Harbor Herons posts.

Continue reading →

BIRD BANDING Week of 0915-091908

 NJMC naturalists are conducting a study to see what kinds of habitats should be created on the Meadowlands’ landfills to attract a greater diversitImg_7726_3y of migrating birds and to provide nesting habitat for threatened or endangered grasslands species, such as Savannah Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows.   

    As part of the study, Meadowlands Commission naturalists have been mist-netting birds on the Erie Landfill in North Arlington, banding them and recording their vital statistics, and then releasing them.

      We will post the bird data for the week here on Friday afternoons through early November whenever possible.

  Click "Continue reading…" immediately below for this week’s tally.

Continue reading →

BIRDS, BANDS & BEYOND

Img_8022
    We thought this guy was one attractive pigeon when we photographed him with a telephoto lens late yesterday afternoon.
   When we looked at the photo closely (see below), we realizeImg_80221_2d he was a real thoroughbred  — a racing pigeon or a show pigeon.
   He was seen atop the pavilion at the Meadowlands Environment Center.
If you can tell us more, please do!

Continue reading →

ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED

Flyway1  

   Are you an accomplished artist or photographer from the Meadowlands District?

  Then the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission wants to give you an opportunity to show your work at the NJMC’s Flyway Gallery in 2009.

   Click "Continue reading …" immediately below for more information on how you can qulaify.

Continue reading →

MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL OF BIRDING

Img_7764
  The Meadowlands Festival of Birding had a great turnout today, including this female Blue Grosbeak who showed up for the bird-banding demonstration in Harrier Meadow.
    Also making several appearances: Peregrine Falcons, Ospreys, Green herons, Black-crowned and Yellow-crowned and Great Blue Herons, umpteen egrets, Stilt Sandpipers, yellowlegs and so on.
   Oh, and an estimated 240 birders.
   Some 50 birders went on the Harrier Meadow morning bird walk, and more than three dozen attended the early morning bird-banding, which provided up-close looks at  a Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, Magnolia Warbler and Redstart.  A total of 36 birds were banded and released.

MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL OF BIRDING

Img_5943_2     Just a reminder that the big Bird Fest convenes at DeKorte Park tomorrow.

   The Meadowlands Commission’s Michael Newhouse will be doing a bird-banding demonstration from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Harrier Meadow.

    There will be guided  bird walks of Harrier Meadow — usually closed to the public — at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday as well.

   Click here for more about Harrier Meadow, including a video.

    For the early a.m. bird-banding, you’ll need to go to the Harrier Meadow site on your own. NJMC staffer Jim Wright will park his silver Honda hatchback on Disposal Road near the Harrier Meadow Entrance.

   (At the entrance to DeKorte Park at the end of Valley Brook Drive, bear right just after the train tracks and onto Disposal Road and follow it past the Amvets Carillon. Harrier Meadow entrance is on the left, just past the stop sign by the PSEG electric gizmos.)

    The guided bird walks meet at DeKorte and go by bus.

       If you can’t attend the bird fest but would like to go on a guided birdwalk in Harrier, e-mail Jim Wright (link above).