Rob sez:  I led a NJAS (SHBO) field trip to the Celery Farm on Sunday.
   Despite less than ideal weather, we were able to scrounge up some nice birds.
    Totals include birds seen before the trip started.
   Nearly all birds listed were seen during the field trip including all the warblers  (including black-throated green warbler shown here).
   Click "Continue reading..." immediately below for Rob's full report.

  This delicate bloom was seen along the main path...
   Other Monday Morning Mysteries here.

   Edith Wallace, Nancy Bristow and Deedee Burnside did a fern survey at the Celery Farm last week.

They found the following seven species:

Athyrium filix-femina       lady fern
Onoclea sensibilis        sensitive fern
Osmunda cinnamomea    cinnamon fern
Osmunda regalis        royal fern
Pteridium aquilinum        bracken
Thelypteris noveboracensis    New York fern
Thelypteris palustris        marsh fern

   Note: The wildflower Web site I linked to here has no images for the marsh fern... Maybe someone could send one along or point out the plant to me to photograph?

Thanks, Edith, Deedee and Nancy!

Grackles, Starlings and R-w Blackbirds have been amassing at the Celery Farm in the evenings, then leaving in the morning in droves.
   But where do they go on a rainy day?
   One of the answers: my feeder.
   They arrived at 7:30 a.m. -- at least 100 of them -- and proceeded to devour every seed they could find. They were gone in 10 minutes.

There's been a pretty decent air show at the Celery Farm's Lake Appert around 6:45 a.m., with mixed flocks departing in droves.
    An osprey has been fishing several dawns, with mixed results.
   Part of his probelm: He sometimes gets harassed by dozens of starlings and crew at a time.