The (New) Jersey Birder

A Northern harrier soars over the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm.

Adventures in birding, radiating from central Jersey

This site is a compendium of observations on birds, birding and the flora and fauna inhabiting my world, with its axis in Area Code 609.

Latest Posts

A Northern flicker comes a hammering

While drinking my wake-up cup of coffee the other day, a metallic bam-bam-bam-bam-bam came hammering down the chimney. I’d left the fireplace flue open, so the racket coming from above was loud and intense. After a pause of several seconds, the hammering resumed, a pattern that would repeat itself several times. I’d no doubt that…

A 40-species outing at Abbott Marshlands

The thermometer read 27 degrees this morning, but the sun was shining and it brought out the birds at John A. Roebling Park on the Trenton-Hamilton border. Before our outing at this thriving section of Abbott Marshlands was over, with considerable help from sharp-eyed birding buddy Jim, I’d observed 40 species of birds. Not to…

Spring is here. Bring on the migrant birds

Today is the first day of Spring, and the sun shone as I made a pre-work visit to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. American robins were abundant, as is typical this time of year, and I’m topping this post with one of the first I saw as I walked up the central trail. Farther up…

Stretching my routes at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm

My new bionic knees have rejuvenated my ability to tramp around the woods, and I’ve been steadily increasing the distances I walk in this new year. Today, I put in 2.5 miles on one of my favorite routes that takes me to the north end of the park. Along the way, I had decent light…

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