What A Day For The Birds!

Second Annual NJ Meadowlands Festival of Birding

By Hugh M. Carola

The day was a little warmer than most of us would have preferred but the company was stimulating, the food delicious, the keynote address entertaining, the field trips exciting, the exhibits educational and the workshops productive. But most of all, the birds were great!

Pale Male, the famous Central Park Red-tail hawk, and his mate were the subject of the keynote address by author Marie Winn.

More than 80 species were listed during the New Jersey Meadowlands Festival of Birding which began with an early walk at Liberty State Park on Saturday, September 19, and concluded at the State Line Hawk Watch in Alpine, NJ, the next day. Among the more notable sightings were: Peregrine falcon, Great cormorant, Caspian tern and Bald eagle. From novices to backyard bird-watchers to hardcore birders, each of the 225 attendees learned a lot and had a lot of fun in the process.

“I have to say that being involved in the festival has made me so much more aware of the environment and the issues that plague our natural resources,” said first-time attendee Christine Rottinger.

The 2nd Annual Festival of Birding was organized by Hackensack Riverkeeper® and the New Jersey Audubon Society and hosted by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC). Most activities took place at the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst with off-site bird walks at Harrier Meadow and Mill Creek Marsh Trail as well as two “Birding by Boat” excursions courtesy of Hackensack Riverkeeper® and the NJMC. The NJMC provided a generous grant to support the festival.

“From the spectacular Peregrine falcon flying overhead during our morning walk to the common but equally impressive Red-tailed hawk at the end of the day, the Meadowlands lived up to its reputation,” said NJAS’s Don Freiday. “It was great birding for everybody!”

In addition to the Festival partners, our sponsors–Wild Birds Unlimited of Paramus and Wild Bird Centers of West Caldwell– helped ensure the day’s success.