Lots of American Robins were dining on these berries last week along the Celery Farm border along Boroline Road. Two Pileateds were hanging out nearby. Would love to know what kind of tree. Crabapple? Thanks. Continue reading

Last Monday I wrote: Photographed this guy earlier this month near the Celery Farm. (What is it?) Denise Farrell replied: Larva for a Dobsonfly or Fishfly species? Works for me in a pinch. Thanks, Denise! Continue reading

A big shoutout to Theresa Jackson for posting about this Bald Eagle on Facebook. Got there in time to take a few pix from afar. Did not want to trespass to get a closer shot, so these are quite cropped...... Continue reading

There's a full-page review of my book in the new issue of The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) in the U.K., which calls itself "the world’s leading magazine for culture and new ideas." The review, by Wesley Stace, describes The Real James Bond as "handsomely illustrated" and packing "a familiar Flemingian punch." Here's a sample: It is by turns a capsule portrait of Philadelphia high society at the turn of the last century, a bibliographical thriller, and an exploration of the historically close ties between birders and spooks, even unmasking a surprising villain. Although Bond “appeared every inch the genteel pipe-smoking... Continue reading

The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count -- invented by Frank Chapman of Teaneck back in 1900 -- will be held between Monday, Dec. 14, to Tuesday, Jan. 5. The COVID-19 pandemic may affect participation. Many counts will be done under... Continue reading

My latest column for The Record is all about attracting birds to your feeders this holiday season -- including Pine Siskins if you're lucky. (Photo by Barbara Dilger, Thanks, Barbara!) You can read it here: By Jim Wright As I... Continue reading

This post is a bit far afield, but I just had to share it. According to The Daily Mail in the U.K., a postal worker went to rescue an injured baby owl when she discovered it was a ... mushroom.... Continue reading

A friend passed this along, and I thought I'd share. I've heard Sibley speak in the Meadowlands, and he was terrific. He was also gracious enough to write the foreword to the Celery Farm book (In the Presence of Nature),... Continue reading

Photographed this guy earlier this month near the Celery Farm. The little thing is a plastic milk bottle cap, used in lieu of a quarter for scale. Continue reading

On Monday I asked: Can you I.D. this bird by its silhouette? Photographed this fall in North Jersey. The answer: It's a Common Raven I photographed at Stateline Lookout. Continue reading

If you're looking for perfect gifts that support the Fyke Nature Association and the Lee Memorial Library, stop by the library and buy a 2021 Celery Farm calendar ($15 each) or a signed copy of my book, The Real James... Continue reading

The Free Library of Philadelphia just posted a cool podcast about The Real James Bond, including a segment about a 16th-century cartographer/spy. You can listen to the podcast -- which begins with a snippet from Schiffer's audiobook version narrated by... Continue reading

The Free Library of Philadelphia just posted a cool podcast about The Real James Bond, including a segment about a 16th-century cartographer/spy. You can listen to the podcast -- which begins with a snippet from Schiffer's audiobook version narrated by Raphael Corkhill -- on Spotify here for free. The Free Library's Joe Shemtov and Andrea Lemoins hosted the podcast. (Thanks, Joe and Andrea!) Continue reading

Can you I.D. this bird by its silhouette. Photographed this fall in North Jersey. Please answer in the Comment field.... Continue reading

On Monday I asked On a visit to High Mountain on Friday, my wife Patty and I came across two extremely bright boys who were looking for amphibians. They not only helped us find the guy pictured here but told... Continue reading

This Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the death of the incredible ornithologist Frank Chapman (1864-1945), one of the most influential naturalists and birding writers in history. Chapman started the Christmas Bird Count. He founded the forerunner of Audubon Magazine.... Continue reading

The Beauty of Fall, 2020 from Catfishjohn on Vimeo. Featuring the Celery Farm... Continue reading

Typepad, this blog's provider, is having issues with loading images. It hopes to solve the problem shortly. Continue reading

At an auction of Ian Fleming-related books and manuscripts that ended on Wednesday, Sotheby's sold a signed copy of James Bond's 1947 edition of Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies for 3,000 pounds (approx. $4,000). This was the first signed Bond field guide that came up for sale at a prominent auction (that I'm aware of), and the first thing I wondered was whether the signature was authentic. When I compared the signature and inscription to other signatures and hand-written notes by Bond, my thinking it that is likely genuine, although this was the first "Jim Bond" signature... Continue reading

My column today was inspired by an email from Ginny Chucka, who had a mystery involving a raptor and a Mourning Dove for me. (That's Ginny's photo of the raptor above.) You can read it here: By Jim Wright Special... Continue reading

My favorite veteran... Stiles Thomas ... and his fellow vets starring in an Allendale Memorial Day Parade. As you likely know, Stiles also led the march to save the Celery Farm. Continue reading

To learn about Franklin Clove, check out this video by the late Jim Longo, Frank Lakes' official historian. Continue reading

One of my favorite places to wander is High Mountain's Franklin Clove, which offers history, pre-history, geology and natural history all rolled into one. Here are some of my recent photos from the ravine from both sides, plus a historic... Continue reading

Earlier this fall, The American Ornithological Society's The Condor magazine published an extensive review of The Real James Bond. The two-page review by Harry Armistead concludes thusly: "It is a pleasure to highly recommend this entertaining biography of James Bond, which also is full of 007 and Ian Fleming lore. "Wright keenly describes Bond’s aristocratic upbringing and relatives, his education at St. Paul’s School and years in England, his writings, and his ornithological legacy." "An obdurate researcher, Wright has been to all the relevant archives, libraries, has spoken to many key persons, and has traveled extensively for first-hand experiences of... Continue reading