Celery Farm Dragonflies
June 30, 2010
Pat O'Shea took these dragonfly shots at the CF over the weekend. She writes that the above is a Common Whitetail, but wonders if the one below is a Unicorn or Lilypad Clubtail. (Thanks, Pat.)
June 2010
Monday Mystery Solved
June 29, 2010
This piece of leather is a traditional jess, once used by falconers as a sort of leg leash for their raptors. These single strips of leather jesses have been replaced by more sophisticated versions.
The jess in question was found attached to a Barn Owl in an abandoned building in the Meadowlands by Celery Farm Marsh Warden Emeritus Stiles Thomas many years ago.
Congrats to John Workman for getting the right answer!
Monday Morning Mystery 062810
June 28, 2010
What in the world is this? Huge clue: It's bird/birding related.
Bobwhites at Celery Farm
June 27, 2010
Marsh Warden Mike Limatola and I just saw four Bobwhites near the Green Way entrance to the CF -- on the right, just beyond the Pine Grove, near the little bridge to Phairs Pond.
I saw them in the open and got a few shots. I was busy trying to photograph but think it was a male, female and two youngsters.
A Bobwhite was last seen at the CF in Sept. 2007. Link is here.
Two more pix follow.
Continue reading "Bobwhites at Celery Farm" »
Beethoven Bird: Ending on the Right Note
June 27, 2010
Laura DeFlora, and her neighbor, Bill Hoffman, live in Ridgewood by the Saddle River. They both heard the bird, and Laura asked her sister-in-law, also named Laura DeFlora (You can't make make this stuff up), for help.
Laura II lives in Demarest, She asked her friend, Michele Sunberg, also of Demarest, who met me on a bird walk and talked about the Beethoven bird.
Bill Hoffman later made the superb recording, and the mystery was eventually solved.
Laura II reports: " I can report that I
have also been hearing the Song Sparrow here - three high tones, and one longer
low one - and can now say with confidence 'Song Sparrow'."
I imagine that Stiles Thomas would like credit for predicting "Song Sparrow" on Day One.