Last Monday I asked:

What’s this plant, photographed recently at State Line Lookout?

I think it’s Salsify — used to see it in the Meadowlands.

More here:

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-the-heck-is-salsify

What’s this plant, photographed recently at State Line Lookout?

Chinese national-park officials captured footage of their drone being attacked by a Peregrine — a young one by the looks of the video.

You can read the story in the link below.

My questions: Was the peregrine OK after the clash, and why were they flying a drone near an active eyrie?

https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/3934625-speeding-falcon-strikes-drone-in-dramatic-zhangjiajie-aerial-clash

My latest column for The Record is about all the birds, mammals and bugs that dine at  hummingbird feeders.

I asked folks to tell me what has been showing up at their feeders. Some of the answers: a flying squirrel, baby raccoons, and woodpeckers galore. A family of Downy Woodpeckers has been draining my small hummingbird feeder daily. I have to remove the perch from this one and put up another so my hummingbird has more room to sip and sup.

Landis Eaton's trailcam photo of the mooching flying squirrel wouldn’t work for the newspaper, so I am including it now.

You can read the column here:

I am pleased to announce that Allendale’s Red-shouldered Hawks raised three more fledglings this year.

By popular demand, the fledglings are named Sheila, Jack and Lillian, after three legendary longtime local luminaries.

I am told that two of next spring’s young will be named Hans and Dora, after two more local legends.

The proud raptor parents (or their cohorts) have nested in Allendale for more than two decades. Red-shouldered Hawks, the more-handsome cousins of Red-tailed Hawk, are considered endangered in New Jersey when nesting. We are lucky to have them in Allendale.

If Allendale someday chooses to have an official borough bird, my vote’s for these beautiful buteos.

(That’s Mom on the right in the photo.)