At the stroke of midnight on May 10, more than 100 teams from all over the country will commence New Jersey’s 25th annual World Series of Birding (WSB), a 24-hour mad-dash to spot as many bird species as possible throughout the state. Most of the bird watching will happen in your backyard — the Meadowlands.

Sponsored by the New Jersey Audubon Society, the World Series raises millions for conservation and brings together "extreme" birdwatchers and naturalists for what they call a Big Day: a meticulously-planned feat of logistics that involves being in exactly the right places at exactly the right times to maximize sightings.

In previous years, the number of species spotted by individual teams has ranged from 48 to 229. And because teams secure corporate pledges based on the number of species sighted, fundraising totals can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $160,000.

Team RiverCreepers

WSB teams will set out from locations throughout the state, from the Palisades to Cape May to the Meadowlands’ own DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. The park has long served as a launching point for South Bergenite-area birders, and it will be central to the plan of attack for the South Bergenite’s hometown team, the Hackensack RiverCreepers.

The team consists of Captain Hugh Carola and Ivan Kossak, both from the conservationist group Hackensack Riverkeepers, and Kerul Kassel, a naturalist who comes all the way from Florida to participate in the event. The team name plays on the Brown Creeper, a common but elusive songbird found in various parts of North America.

Carola and company will try to beat their team record of 115 species in 2007, and plan to focus efforts in Bergen and Hudson Counties.

"We’re going to bird the Hackensack River Watershed and Hudson shore from Kearny Point to the State Line Lookout," said Carola. "We’ll visit parks and other open spaces that contain suitable migratory bird habitat," including DeKorte Park, Palisades Interstate Park and Tenafly and Flat Rock Brook nature centers in Englewood.

Tips for beginners

Southern Bergen County locals can get involved in the World Series as level-II, non-competing teams. And instead of worrying about trekking up and down the state, they can focus their efforts on a single site—a so-called "Big Stay" instead of a "Big Day".

Beginner birders need only two things according to Carola: A pair of binoculars and a field guide.

"The rule of thumb I use is that people should get the best pair of binoculars they can comfortably afford," said Carola, adding that camera stores and Audubon stores are the best places to purchase binoculars as well as more powerful spotting scopes for advanced birders.

As far as field guides—books containing pictures and other information about various bird species—Carola recommends the "Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America" by Roger Tory Peterson, because of its regional focus. He added that the "National Geographic" guide and ornithologist David Sibley’s "Guide to Birds" are also excellent.

As with hiking and other outdoor activities, birders should dress for the weather. "Some of the best birding is done in crappy weather," said Carola.

Michael Newhouse, a resident naturalist for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, added the importance of plenty of water and sunscreen when birding in warm weather.

For Newhouse, it is just as important for beginner birders to remember what not to do.

"If you think you’re going to disturb the animal, don’t do it. That’s my rule," Newhouse said. "And you don’t want to make loud noises either. For one so that you can hear the birds singing, but also because the more noise you make the less you are going to see."

Carola agrees on the need for birders to maintain respect for birds in their habitats.

"Tread lightly," he said. "Remember, you’re visiting, the animals live there."

Carola added that it is especially important not to get too close to nesting mothers, as this could scare them away and leave their chicks in danger.

Best spots

More ambitious local birders can plan a trip through the many parks and other protected open spaces of the Meadowlands.

Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst is open daily from dawn until dusk. The park features many walking trails ranging from 1.5 to 3 miles. Simply pick up a trail map at the Meadowlands Environment Center. Along the trail, you might hear the songs of the American Robin, Northern Mockingbird, Mourning Dove, Red-Winged Blackbird, Blue-Headed Vireo and Tree-Swallow. Also watch out for Sandpipers and Yellowlegs feeding during low tides, and look up to see Swallows munching on insects overhead. You can do some catch-and-release fishing while you’re there, too.

The 400-acre Kearny marsh is a recent acquisition by the NJMC. Years of development have transformed it from a tidal marshland to a freshwater impoundment, its shallow waters making it ideal for species like the American Bittern, Night-Heron, Marsh Wren, American Coot and Moorhen. Other common wildlife includes muskrats (look out for their dome-shaped nests) and several species of turtles. There is even the occasional eel. Marine-minded visitors can travel through the marshlands on canoe or kayak.

Many consider the Laurel Hill County Park and adjacent Saw Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area in Secaucus as the "jewel of the Meadowlands." In addition to many marine species, look for the Clapper Rail and Marsh Wrens in the waters and for Indigo Buntings, Orchard Orioles, warblers and swallows in the fields. The area is ideal for non-motorized boating along the Creek and the Hackensack River. Maps can be found at the Meadowlands Environment Center or at the Hackensack Riverkeeper’s Paddling Center.

Also in Secaucus are the Mill Creek Point Park and the surrounding Mill Creek Marsh. The marsh represents another environmental success story. After two centuries of manmade development destroyed much of the wetlands, it has taken only 10 years of rehabilitation to bring back important bird species, including Green-winged Teals, Herons, egrets and cormorants, along with hawks, ospreys and other birds of prey. The spring also welcomes a variety of songbirds, including swallows, warblers, vireos, thrushes and Red-winged blackbirds. At low tide, check out the "forest of stumps"—a huge expanse of centuries-old white cedar stumps that mark the days when the area was a freshwater swamp.

The adjacent Schmidt’s Woods Park is 14 acres of woodland, the last such expanse in the Meadowlands. Along its walking trail you might find warblers, Brown Thrashers, red-winged Blackbirds and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. In between lookouts, you can lunch at the park’s picnic area.

To learn how you can get involved in the World Series of Birding, visit their Web site at www.worldseriesofbirding.org.