Nature Done Wright

My new column for The Record and other USA Today newspapers in New Jersey is all about the Garret Mountain bioblitz — and related birding events — two weeks from now. (A big thank you to Sandy Sorkin for the photo of an Orchard Oriole at Garret.)

You can read the column here:

By Jim Wright

Special to The Record

Garret Mountain in Woodland Park is one of New Jersey’s premier birding spots. On Saturday, June 12, you’ll have the opportunity to look for birds there with experts — not once, but twice, at 7 and 10 a.m.

 The free guided walks, led by the Montclair Bird Club, are part of a larger citizen-science event called a bioblitz, which focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in one location over 24 hours. Naturalists and the public join forces to get a snapshot of an area's biodiversity. 

  The bioblitz will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 11 at Garret Mountain and nearby Rifle Camp Park. It was originally scheduled for last year but postponed because of the pandemic.

 The event, co-sponsored by the Friends of Garret Mountain Reservation, will also feature plant walks with the Torrey Botanical Society, a butterfly walk with the North American Butterfly Association, and other nature walks. 

(A complete schedule should be available by the time this is published. See the end of the column for more info)

 Vera Lazar, president of the Friends group, says the goal of the bioblitz is to develop a complete picture of the species that rely on Garret Mountain and Rifle Camp Park.   

     The data collected during the bioblitz will help with bird and wildlife habitat management, restoration plans, forestry, and environmental management plans for the two natural areas.

    Even if you can't attend the Saturday walks, stop by. Montclair Bird Club members will be available during the day to answer questions and help identify birds.

Sandy Sorkin, president of the Montclair Bird Club, likens bird watching to panning for gold.  “You don’t know what you’ll see, but you are certain to see something and have a nice day outdoors,” he says. 

“We can expect some regulars [that Satirday]: Canada goose, mallard, American goldfinch, American robin, red-winged blackbirds, starlings, turkey vultures, black vultures, red-tailed hawks, downy woodpecker, warbling vireo, Baltimore oriole, orchard oriole, rough-winged swallow, barn swallow, great blue heron, green heron and so on.”

    Sorkin recommends binoculars for the bird walks. Sightings during the bioblitz should be entered into eBird so they can be included in the data set.

  A free phone app called iNaturalist is a must for other identifications. “We encourage everyone to use and become familiar with the iNaturalist program,” says Lazar. “We'll be using it to tally all the data.” 

   Lazar also advises:  “People should take general precautions against ticks. Light-colored clothing recommended. People should also social distance whenever possible.  Masks should be worn when social distancing isn’t possible.” 

  The Boathouse, by Barbours Pond at Garret Mountain Reservation, will be the bioblitz headquarters and serve as the meeting place for the two bird walks and most of the other walks.  

  To register: bit.ly/3oCDiiw/  For more info, go to the Facebook page: FoGMBioblitz

The Bird-watcher column appears every other Thursday. Email Jim at celeryfarm@gmail.com.