Updates

Hey readers,

I have to apologize for the lack of updates. This past Saturday I returned from a week of birding and hiking central Panama, and next week I leave for Reno, NV. A day after I get back, I'll be driving up to Maine! And while those places have little to do directly with "New Jersey Outdoors", I should have some great photos to post here soon!

On the NJ front, banding has continued at HMF in my absence. Some new birds have been banded including Scarlet Tanager, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Hairy Woodpecker, and Red-Bellied Woodpecker.

With the breeding season drawing to a close, our hope is that this banding will continue next summer and beyond so that abundances and species composition can be monitored. Trends in these numbers will hopefully reveal causes of decline and perhaps increases in certain species of birds. With the potential control of invasive plants looming on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how that affects the bird communities of Hutcheson Memorial Forest moving forward.

The forest is a unique ecosystem for the area, and it's a great place to visit and explore. Check the website for upcoming tours at http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~hmforest/

Bird's Nest Fungi

Stay tuned! Starting this fall NJ Outdoors will be commencing a Species Profile series for the different types of wildlife in the Garden State. An interview series is also in the works featuring sit-downs with prominent members of the community. Scientists, photographers, and many others with their hands in our natural world.