Fishers and tracking in New Jersey

In the latest issue of Trail Walker, a publication of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Robynn K. Shannon takes a look at the return of fishers to Sussex County in northern New Jersey (page 7). These nocturnal mustelids are extremely elusive and were only confirmed in the state with the use of strategically placed camera traps.

The wildlife biologist who works most extensively with these camera traps, Charlie Kontos, has also written an article which appears on page 7 of this issue. He discusses the tracking of both fishers and bobcats in northern New Jersey during the winter. This knowledge helped him to eventually capture a fisher on camera in 2006, the first known record in the state since the late 1800s.

Photo by Charlie Kontos (c) 2006

Kontos, a PhD student in the Ecology & Evolution graduate program at Rutgers University, also runs his own website chronicling the history of the fisher in New Jersey. The site can be found here and also includes photos, interesting information about the predator, and much more regarding the Garden State's lesser seen wildlife. Check out both the Trail Walker and The New Jersey Fisher Experience to learn more about the state's most impressive hunters.

Who says nature isn't funny?

I took this photo last year just down the block from my condo, near one of the man-made ponds. Coincidence? Or was this Belted Kingfisher stickin' it to the man? The world may never know.

This photo is currently being featured on the front page of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds site, a great resource for birders and nature-lovers.

The Flickr page can be found here.

Wawayanda State Park

Join Wild New Jersey's David Wheeler as he hikes Wawayanda State Park. His light-hearted "Wild Wawayanda" series is currently running on the Wild New Jersey site. Head over there now to check out part 3!

Photos (c) David Wheeler 2009

Big day in Cape May

This morning in Cape May a Northern Goshawk was spotted at the Meadows during a morning walk. A short time later, a Swainson's Hawk was seen flying over one of the fields at the Beanery. Add a Western Kingbird to the mix and it's quite the day for mid-autumn birding down at the tip of New Jersey!

Swainson's Hawk (c) Jerry Oldenettel 2007

While the Northern Goshawk's southern range does extend into New Jersey during the winter, it is still a treat to see one this early in the year that isn't flying overhead at a Hawkwatch. The Swainson's Hawk and Western Kingbird are true rarities in the state, as their eastern ranges do not usually extend beyond the Mississippi River. These three make for quite the trio - just remember to be courteous to both the birds and other people if you plan on heading down to search for them.

Western Kingbird (c) Matt Knoth 2009

Follow the Cape May Bird Observatory twitter for sightings and updates: http://twitter.com/cmbobirds

Vote Yes Tomorrow!

For information on public question number 1 and why it is imperative that we all vote "yes", please visit http://njkeepitgreen.org/ - thanks!

Autumn Harvest

We visited Suydam Farms in Somerset this weekend to do some pumpkin shopping. After choosing one we are hopeful is filled to the brim with delicious seeds (which we will toast this weekend), we also found a nice variety of decorative gourds for our home. There was also a bounty of delicious, freshly picked produce for sale including turnips, a wide variety of potatoes, apples, peppers of all different kinds, squash, and more.


We decided to add some great-looking green beans to our purchase. Yesterday Elizabeth cooked them with some garlic and we had them with dinner. Mmm mmm mmm.


It's not too late to enjoy local, fresh produce. And not only are the products you'll get at your local farm or farmer's market fresh and probably better tasting than the grocery store alternative, it's also a ton of fun to get outside on a nice fall afternoon and pick your pumpkins, shop around an open-air market, and support the farmers of your community.

Sage Thrasher moves on

Prior to this week, only three known Sage Thrashers had ever visited the Garden State. On Tuesday, Sandy Hook welcomed the fourth.

Bob Devlin (c) 2009

The range of the Sage Thrasher is mostly contained with the American south-west. It is not known to breed, migrate, or winter east of the Mississippi River, so finding one on the Atlantic Coast was quite a sighting. With no sightings as of 7pm on Friday, it appears that the lost bird has moved on, possibly to try and find his way home.

Let's all remember that these birds are often stressed and should be given plenty of space. If you are approaching too closely and it is affecting the behavior of the rarity, you should take a few steps back until the bird seems to calm down. Most of you know this, so please pass it along to those who don't seem to! Thanks, and good birding!