Our destination was DeKorte Park in the Meadowlands.  It’s a birding hotspot all year long, but the winter is a special time and the results of the blizzard of 2010 were something to behold.  The normal winter winds of the Meadowlands are not for the faint of heart, but this storm was incredible.  The winds created sand dune like sculptures in the snow.  Some places were completely void of any snow at all and others had over 3 feet while the strong winds were still whipping off the partially iced over water.

Canvasbacks were huddled near the waters edge for protection like commuters at a bus stop standing against a building.  Lesser Scaup, Gadwall, and of course Mallards all weathered the storm well.  Further down the trail, I was up to my knees in snow and pulling myself out by hanging on to the cedars.  I remembered wanting a pair of snowshoes for Christmas, but was sure if I got them it would never snow again in New Jersey.  Oh well.  As we trudged on, we came upon a small pocket of fast running open water with a lone Common Merganser and Ruddy Duck.  Like two master kayakers, they maneuvered the swift water, diving under and coming up a little farther away and working their back again.  It was quite a sight. A fisherman would say they had found “the honey hole”.

A Northern Harrier worked its way over reeds, rising and diving through the marsh like a mythical creature appearing and vanishing into the blinding winds.  It is always an amazing thing to watch, but even more incredible this day.  Not too far off a Red-tailed Hawk circled above us, hunting for easy targets in the snow.  I silently wished him well. The small birds were not to be outdone in this storm.  American Tree Sparrows and White-Crowned Sparrows seemed to be on every stalk of weeds that managed to get its head above the snow.  Cardinals looked like a late Christmas card that had just arrived.  Where did the small birds go in 50 mph winds I wondered?

Late afternoon had come, the winds still howling, our faces red and hands partly frozen.  We decided we had enough, but just getting out there and being able to say we were there after the storm will be something not soon forgotten.  After all, that is what birding and life is all about.

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