On a recent visit to the always-worth-the-drive NJ Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, came across a sort-of-unusual tree.

Can you I.D. it?

(Hint: It is not of a cherry tomato tree.)

In case you missed my Zoom talk on the Red-shouldered Hawks of Allendale and would like to view it, here it is.

The expiration date to view the vido is Sunday night. After that, it will only be available to Fyke Nature Associationmembers.

The talk, which runs under 24 minutes, is brought to you by the Fyke Nature Association and the Lee Memorial Library.

It stars 20 years of Red-shouldered Hawks, with a guest appearance or two by Allendale's legendary Stiles Thomas.

If you click the square in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, you can watch the video full-screen.

These endangered, magnificent hawks have made a remarkable recovery in Allendale, and can often be seen in the Celery Farm and elsewhere in town.

This past spring, a pair of adults had four young—the most in one brood ever—and all fledged.

Jim's talk covers  Red-shoulders in general and their history in Allendale--dating back to the heyday of Stiles Thomas. With a surprise or two.

Jim, a marsh warden at the Celery Farm,  monitors the nest for the state Department of Environmental Protection. He was able to document the hawk’s most recent nesting season and beyond with some great color photos.

Saw the Moon setting this a.m., ran home, got camera and tracked down a clearing to get a few shots before it disappeared.

What's wrong with this picture?

If you're a serious birder, you'll know why this is annoying...

I visit Crestwood Parl (home of Crestwood Lake) several times a week, and find it a good place to spot an occasional raptor and raven. In the past two days, I have seen Red-shoulder, Red-tails, a Sharpie and ravens.

Don't forget to check the cell tower.