Fred Weber spied this beautiful native plant on the way to the Warden's Watch.
   It's a Cardinal Flower, great for hummingbirds -- like the one that frequents my window feeder all day.
  More on Cardinal Flowers here.

   You can now follow this blog on Twitter.  You will receive an e-mail when I post an item about Celery Farm events and sightings, my birding column in The Record, as well as the new coffee-table book "Hawk Mountain."

   Follow the Celery Farm Blog  at http://twitter.com/celeryfarm or by clicking here and then clicking "follow."

   Dave Payne of Franklin Lakes sent along this neat poem about the Celery Farm. He describes it as "random thoughts on our many happy trips to the Celery Farm."
   I am posting the first verse here -- click "Continue reading..." below for the entire poem.

The Celery Farm
By Dave Payne

In Allendale, The Celery Farm is such a wondrous jewel.
Stiles Thomas told mayor FitzPatrick: “To build here would be cruel.
We’ll raise the funds and buy it, keep a natural preserve.
I think the people need it, and the wildlife deserve.”

   I did another bat count at a nearby house recently, and came up once again with no bats.

   I also checked (from afar) the openings in the vacant Fell House barn across the street. Nada.

  If you know of a bat roost in Allendale or adjacent town, please let me know and I will do a survey (time willing)....