Bob Defrino reports that this goose  has been hanging out at White's Pond in Waldwick for quite some time.

What kind of goose is it? (I'm pretty sure I know, but it may be a mystery to you.)

My latest column in The Record and Herald-News is about two birds that always seem to elude me -- purple finches and yellow-billed cuckoos. You can read it here:

  
Patty and I decorated our Christmas tree last night, with predominately bird ornaments as always. We had forgotten how many owl ornaments we have, and how many species of owls.

   Other favorites include the glass Red-shoulder and the Blue-footed Booby and the photo portrait of the Beast -- our favorite Peregrine who until this year would rule State Line Lookout.

Happy Holidays!

An acquaintance keeps seeing these birds by the thousands this time of year in Manasquan.

I know the pic isn't great, but what birds fly in such large numbers there this time of year?

We had a lot of great answers for this week's mystery, in which my Screech Owl Companion co-author Scott Weston asked: What is this a picture of?

Answers included owl pellet, praying mantis egg casing, and kingfisher pellet.

The correct answer, from Mia Rose White and Jack Duhig: kingfisher pellet. (Congrats, Mia Rose and Jack.)

More on kingfisher pellets here:

https://www.featheredphotography.com/blog/2016/12/05/belted-kingfisher-throwing-a-pellet/

I love this illustration, from an antique ckidren's book in the fascinating Ridgewood Schoolhouse Museum.

https://ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org/about-us/the-schoolhouse-museum-ridgewood-nj/