The Meadowlands Blog

Shrike Update 012910

        The Shrike was seen at least twice today in the early afternoon along Disposal Road by Fred Pfeifer. (Thank you, Fred!)

   The bird was first seen on Dec. 12, which means he has been in the area for seven weeks now.

    If you are looking for shrike this weekend, you might look along Disposal Road between the NJMC Maintenance Garage and the Carillon/Retention Pond Area,  as well as in the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve area. It has been frequenting the locales.

   The shrike likes to perch high in trees -- when it is visible. He posed for the photo above today, albeit at a bit of a distance.

   If you do see it, please e-mail Jim Wright here and he will update the blog first chance.

   Be aware that Disposal Road can get some major vehicular traffic, including oblivious drivers who are so busy dodging speed bumps and potholes that they may not to see birders or photographers in the road. Please be careful.

   Also be aware that no one should go onto any landfill in search of the shrike or to get better looks at the shrike.

   If you see anyone -- from birders to dog-walkers -- trespassing  on the Kingsland Landfill (along Disposal Road on the other side of the road from DeKorte Park and the Carillon), don't hesitate to call 201-896-8100 --that's the number for the company that is remediating the former landfill. They will send out security guards.

   Similarly, call that number if you hear off-road vehicles on the landfill.

   Former landfills in the Meadowlands are off-limits to the public, for all sorts of important reasons, from public safety to on-going remediation work. Thanks.

"No Shrike Wednesdays"

    Because we have posted so many Northern Shrike reports over the past month on this blog, we thought we would make Wednesdays a "Shrike-free Zone."  

   We will no longer  post shrike updates on Wednesdays for as long as the shrike hangs around.

     Thank you for your understanding.

Tuesday Teaser 011209: Find the Shrike!

    The Northern Shrike can be seen anywhere within a half-mile of the Retention Pond on Disposal Road, but we see the little dude tucked away along the barbed-wire Cyclone fence around the pond. He can easily hang out in there and go unnoticed.

    So we thought we'd show you a typical view of the shrike in his semi-typical spot, and see if you can find him. (He is believed to be a male because he is the biggest Lyndhurst crooner since Lou Monte.)

   Click "Continue reading..." immediately below to see the bird's little hideaway, plus two other likely spots.

   Click here for previous Tuesday Teasers.

Disposal Road Update: Shrike Plus 122409

   Quite a few birders and photographers on Disposal Road today looking for the Northern Shrike, and most got to see him in action at some point-- eating a mouse, defending his territory and singing like Caruso.

   The bird does seem to disappear for long stretches and then pop up. Also seen today from the road: immature Bald Eagle (we hope to post a photo by Ron Shields soon), a Gray Ghost and a female harrier or two.

   Just a reminder to be careful on Disposal Road. The road is not supposed to be a through street, and neither North Arlington nor Lyndhurst maintains it, but  there are a lot of trucks and other traffic that may not expect birders on the road.

   Earlier helpful posts on the Shrike, directions, etc., are here.

The Disposal Road Shrike Continues (122309)

   Ray Gilbert saw the Northern Shrike eating lunch (a mouse) at noon at the Retention Pond across from the Carillon on Disposal Road. (Thanks, Ray!)

   We found the shrike again at 12:50 on the Kingsland Landfill closer to DeKorte. (Photo on the right.)

   Ray also had a Bald Eagle through his spotting scope; the bird was flying across DeKorte toward 1-E.

   To see earlier key shrike posts and photos, click here and scroll down.

Disposal Road Shrike Continues...

      We had the Northern Shrike at 10:50 this morning -- great views by the retention pond across Disposal Road from the Carillon.

  We were in a vehicle across the road from the retention pond, and the bird flew in and perched in the tree above for about 30 seconds (above).

   It then hung out on a nearby strand of barbed wire, dipped down into the tree behind the barbed wire, then flew  across the pond and disappeared from view. We also had a male Northern Harrier fly overhead almost simultaneously.

    If you are planning to look for the shrike, birding from your vehicle does not seem to be a bad approach. You are out of the wind, and the bird seems oblivious to vehicles.

   This is the 10th day out of the past 12 that the bird has been seen.

   Click "Continue reading ..." for more shrike shots from this morning, including a "locating the bird" shot and a neat tailfeathers shot.

   Scroll down the blog for earlier Shrike posts.

The Most Recent Shrike Sighting (late Saturday)

     Stephen Buckingham reports:

    "I had planned to look for the shrike this morning, but had no free time until after 3 p.m. Saturday, when it was getting darker, windier and snowier by the minute.

   "Nevertheless I drove down to DeKorte from Montclair in a hurry, figuring this could be my last chance to see the bird. When I arrived and parked in front of the Amvet Carillon, it was 23 degrees with the wind seeming to blow snow into my face no matter which direction I was looking.

   "It took me all of five minutes walking up and down the road though, before I heard the crazy bird singing as if it were spring.  Had I not heard it, there was no way I would have spotted it in the dim light and snow. "

   Click "Continue reading ..."  for the rest of the report.

   Please e-mail Jim Wright here if you see the Disposal Road shrike.

If You Plan to Look for the Shrike This Weekend...

    As of Thursday, the Northern Shrike has been seen seven days in a row off Disposal Road.

   If you are planning to look for this bird, we thought we'd offer a few bits of pertinent info.

  The bird has been seen several places on both sides of Disposal Road, mostly on the former landfills on the North Arlington side of the AMVETS Carillon (toward Schuyler Avenue). 

   The former landfill on the Carillon side of the road is the Erie landfill. The former landfill across the road is Kingsland. (Both landfills are off-limits, and no trespassing is allowed.)

   The shrike has been seen several times on the far side of the Kingsland retention pond, and several times on the Black Locust near the top of the Kingsland Landfill.

   When it is visible, the bird is typically seen perched high in a bare tree -- much like the silhouetted shot at top of the post, taken on Wednesday.

   The bird can perch for a few minutes at a time, and hunts from that perch like a flycatcher, possibly returning to the same spot. But it more often seems to be out of view entirely, so patience is a virtue.

   Disposal Road does get traffic, so beware of vehicles.

   Dress warm; it can be pretty cold out there these days.

   If you do see the bird, please e-mail Jim Wright here, and he will post the news to the blog. You can also e-mail him if you have questions, and he will try to get back to you as soon as he can.

   Ray Duffy took a nice video early in the shrike's stay. It is here. (Thanks, Ray.)

   Good luck!

   (Scroll down for earlier posts, which contain directions to Disposal Road and more shrike info.)

Northern Shrike Coughing Up a Pellet

   We happened to get a photo of the Northern Shrike coughing up a pellet yesterday, and thought we'd pass it along in case you found the whole notion of pellets hard to swallow.

   NJMC Naturalist Michael Newhouse is hopeful that the sightings of the shrike coughing up pellets is a sign that it has found a plentiful food supply and might stick around a bit.

  The shrike has been seen along Disposal road for five days now, and possibly could have been here a while before it was first seen last Friday.

(Likely) the Last Shrike Update of the Day

  Several birders saw the Northern Shrike sporadically on Disposal Road from just after noon through 1:15 p.m. today (when we had to leave).

    We even had the good fortune of watching it cough up a pellet at the former Kingsland Landfill.

   Several birders saw the same show this morning and, as one commented, "Recycling on a landfill -- how appropriate."

   We saw the bird across the road from the Carillon, just behind that water retention pond, typically perched very high in a bare tree. (This shot was taken just after noon.)

   Scroll down for earlier posts for directions and more info on this bird.

   Feel free to e-mail Jim Wright of the NJMC if you plan on looking for this bird.

   We are hoping he hangs around for the Christmas Bird Count this weekend -- if not longer.

About Northern Shrikes

    The Northern Shrike, which has been seen along Disposal Road in North Arlington the past four days, is a winter arrival from the north and rare for the Meadowlands -- to the point where it was not on our official list until now. The bird was last seen this morning on the former Kingsland Landfill near the AMVETS Carillon.

   The bird was first seen Friday by Daniel Brill of South River (Thanks, Daniel!), and has been seen at least once each day since then.

    The bird is the size and shape of a Northern Mockingbird, but it has a distinctive hooked bill and black mask. It is sometimes called "the butcher bird," because it impales its prey on a branch before eating. 

   Birder Chris Takacs, who spotted the bird yesterday and today, calls the shrike a "flycatcher with attitude," because it likes to hunt from a perch, then fly back to the perch,  like a flycatcher likes to do.

    We are trying to get better pictures of the Disposal Road Shrike, but it has been distant and/or the lighting has been bad.

    According to NJMC naturalist Michael Newhouse, there is a possibility that the shrike may be setting up a territory. On Sunday morning, he chased away a Redtail; this morning he harassed a Belted Kingfisher that flew over the landfill.

Ad Hoc Shrike Walk Monday 8 a.m.

   A Northern Shrike has been seen three days in a row along Disposal Road by the Carillon area. It was last seen around 8 a.m. Sunday...

   The weather since then has been lousy, so we are hoping maybe the bird will be back Monday. To that end, we'll be around the Carillon area on Disposal Road around 8 a.m. Monday...

   To get to Disposal Road, go to DeKorte Park Entrance and bear right over speed bump... Ignore sign that says no admittance...
  
   For DeKorte Park directions, go to meadowblog.net -- Google Map generated directions will be at the top of the right-hand column

   We will park just past the Carillon...  Jim Wright hopes to have his cellphone on him -- 201-785-6604...

  To all who attended our soggy walk this morning -- thanks for coming!