Welcome to the Salem County Nature Club Newsletter!
This is a bit of an experiment, so bear with us as we learn our way around the blog site. We chose this medium because it's easily accessible and allows us to post photos of events...and it's free!
Our goal for the newsletter is to provide a schedule of upcoming meetings and events, as well as summaries and photos of recent activities.
Thanks for checking in.
September 2008
Jerry Haag and Jack Mahon put on a Birding Identification seminar at our September meeting. They did comparisons of similar birds. That made it easy to remember their differences. Their birding anecdotes kept us entertained while their extensive birding knowledge kept us informed. We are looking forward to October's seminar on raptors and scientific birding surveys.
Our September walks took us back to Natural Lands Trust's property in Quinton. While the weather was perfect for walking the birds were not plentiful. We saw Peewees, Phoebes, Prairie Warblers, Pine Warblers, American Redstarts, Blackthroated Blue Warblers, Black and White Warblers, Bluebirds, an imature Red-tailed hawk,and as soon as Jack left us, we saw a mature Bald Eagle.
This months slideshow includes a few pictures from the walks. I learned a valuable photographic lesson this month - warblers move really fast!!! Of the six pictures I took of the Black and White Warbler the only one with a bird in it shows his butt disappearing into a hollow tree. I guess that is what makes nature photography so much fun. Don't forget to take some pictures for our December Photo Contest. If you took a nature shot in Salem County enter it in our contest. Shortly we will post the categories and requirements on our blog.
Three of our members attended the September 27th Littoral Societies walk of part of the Bayside Tract. Young eagles were plentiful. Palm Warblers, Catbirds, Snowy Egrets with their "golden slippers", Great Egrets, and Great Blue Herons filled the peaceful landscape. The antics of the Belted Kingfisher kept us entertained. Their rattling flights over the impoundment kept us scrambling to try to get photos. A snapping turtle and small peculiar crab kept us trying to watch our feet, the trees and the sky and water all at once. Keep your eyes open for future Littoral Society walks, they are great fun and free! The Littoral Society lobbies for preservation of waterways and wetlands. They are are powerful preservation organization worthy of any nature lovers support. Marilyn Patterson
