March 5, 2026
The Sky’s the Limit for This Birder
Fewer than 500 people worldwide have reported seeing this African bird – a blue-moustached bee-eater. Photo by Marc Chelemer By…
What is this, and where in Allendale did I photograph it?
Answer: It's a benchmark from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and it's next to the Allendale firehouse.
More about these markers here:
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-i-find-survey-benchmark-and-triangulation-station-information
There used to be one on top of High Mountain but it and its replacements reportedly kept getting stolen. Still fun to try to find where it was.
My favorite fake: A U.S. Geological Survey benchmark, sold as a keychain fob at the Grand Canyon. (So sorry to hear about the wildfires there.)