Registrar: Joyce Wright
Participants: 8
Weather: Sunny morning with a light breeze
Bird Species: 41
On arrival at 7:30 am we were already observing bird activity in the parking lot. As we waited on the dock overlooking the Hackensack River, we were looking forward to getting out onto the river, where there is an average tidal change of six feet. On the boat was Donna from New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), the captain, a trainee and a few birders from a NJ Audubon chapter. We saw many osprey nests – so many it was hard to keep count. We were informed that in New Jersey this species isn’t doing as well because of the scarcity of fish.
The Meadowlands District includes parts of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties. Created in 1969, NJSEA has fought to end dumping and has developed or contributed to the design of parks throughout the Meadowlands.
Leaving the Barge at 10 am it was a 13-minute drive to Richard Dekorte Park, which is at the center of nature activities in the Meadowlands District. The park, set against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, is built atop a former landfill. We walked along the Saw Mill Creek Mudflats. Some construction work taking place to upgrade part of the boardwalk limited our ability to walk the full loop, but we were aware of this before the trip.
We walked along the edge of the water in the shade since by that time it was feeling warmer than it had previously on the water. The water level was low as we walked the path lined with trees and greenery. Chris pointed out the area that had been seriously affected by Superstorm Sandy and the impact on the trees there.
Dekorte Park like the entire Meadowlands District, is located along the Atlantic Flyway, a major route for migratory birds. Chris pointed out Kingsland Overlook, a hilltop trail over a former landfill, which runs through a variety of habitats including an open meadow. Some common plant life is Red Cedar, Milkweed and Phragmites.
Species List
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
Mallard
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Common Gallinule
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
American Herring Gull
Least Tern
Double-crested Cormorant
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Belted Kingfisher
Peregrine Falcon
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Marsh Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal