A quick reminder: I'll be doing a talk on the real James Bond for New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Spring Festival this weekend

My updated talk, developed from my book for Schiffer Publishing, will  on Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m. in the Crystal Room at the Grand Hotel. 

I'll also be helping lead Friday's Zeiss DTI Night Birding, which starts by the lighthouse. It runs from 8 to 9 :30 p.m.

Here’s a link to check out the schedule (and then register):

https://cvent.me/wAd3NQ

Pete Dunne and Kevin Karlson are the keynoters, and their talk is free and open to all. The entire lineup is terrific.

I figured I would be able I.D. this bird mascot featured in a recent insurance commercial, but the "caw caw" threw me off.

I still think I know, but any thoughts?

On Monday I asked:

This dude was  in the Celery Farm's wonderful butterfly garden last month. (Thank you, BG volunteers!)

What is it? (Be as specific as possible.) 

The answer (I hope): American Toad. Congrats to all who answered correctly...

This Friday at 8 p.m. at the new Allendale Community Center, 210 West Crescent Ave.

Expert birder and nature photographer Kevin Watson presents a photographic journey across the northern latitudes of North America and Europe, from Alaska through northern Canada and across to Svalbard, in the far north of Europe, in search of birds and wildlife.

In this live presentation sponsored by the Fyke Nature Association, we’ll see shorebirds, waterfowl and more in breeding plumage, as well as mammal residents such as walrus, Arctic fox and seals. The Arctic is home to the world’s largest land carnivore, the polar bear, and Kevin has spent many hours watching, learning about and photographing these charismatic apex predators, and he will be sharing some of his best images.

This will be Fyke's last presentation until September so please stop by this new venue for what promises to be a fun, entertaining presentation from Kevin.

The talk is free and open to the public.

Park in front of the new Allendale Community Center and enter through the main double doors in the center of the building.

Since 2015, Fyke meeting costs have been funded by generous grants from the Winifred M. and George P. Pitkin Foundation.

Can you I.D. this bird? It recently appeared at a local nature preserve. Photo credit: Jim Wright

My latest column for The Record and Herald News is all about identifying that strange new bird on your feeder. You can read it here.