Like so many, you're probably wondering, how did the Crowphy get its name?

More than four  years ago, while celebrating the expansion of the Pirie-Mayhood Tower at the Celery Farm, several birders were discussing a new competition between Fyke and our arch-rivals, the Bergen County Audubon Society.

Someone said we needed a trophy to make the competition official, and I volunteered a metal crow that had been cleverly gathering dust on a bookshelf.

At which point Rob Pirie piped up: "Why not call it 'the Crowphy'?"

And the metal crow has been gathering dust on a BCAS  bookshelf ever since that first competition way back in 2015.

Darn you, BCAS!!

Herewith: All previous results.

2018: BCAS: 94, Fyke 80

2017: BCAS 95, Fyke 82

2016: BCAS 90,  Fyke 78

2015: BCAS 84, Fyke 80.

Last Monday I wrote:

I post this mystery courtesy of Sally Teschon for two reasons -- you can see this mystery plant at NY Botanical Gardens, and you can see the gardens' annual train show as well. The buildings -- almost all of them NYC landmarks -- are made from birch bark, acorns,  cinnamon sticks and other natural materials.

But you really should I.D. that plant.

The best answer came from Diane Louie, who wrote:

I believe it is a Milkweed, Gomphocarpus physocarpus, whose common names include "Hairy Balls" and "Family Jewels" -- for obvious reasons, given those seed pods. It is a native of Africa... (Nice work, Diane!)

Sally Teschon provided also provided this:

This Saturday, Fyke and the Bergen County Audubon Society are both doing their Christmas Bird Counts, and are once again vying for the Crowphy, emblematic of avian observation supremacy.

The BCAS has won the coveted corvid for the first four years of the competition.

This year's handicap is 14 -- the BCAS recorded 14 more species than we did last year, when our handicap was 13. 

Fyke has to win sooner or later!

Robert Williams got this distant shot of an adult Bald Eagle and a young one on Lake Appert yesterday and was kind enough to share.

I had seen the adult flying above the lake earlier but missed the show.

I see a Bald Eagle about once a month flying over the Celery Farm or the Fell House.

Great to see an adult and darker-feathered young one side by side.

Thanks, Bob!

Saw this on eBay for $500.

Why might it be a steal?

(The answer is in my ghost story, "Phantoms of the Ramapos." You can download the free e-book, set in 1938 in Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus and Mahwah here.)

Answer on Friday.