A new year for birding begins

On this first day of 2025, I got a fast start on birding. I began the day under a beautiful cloud-dappled sky at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, logging 13 species in an out-and-back walk on the central trail.

Three American crows flew into a tree as I got out of my car, making them my first official sightings for 2025. A short while later I spotted an American tree sparrow close to a few song sparrows.

Curiously, I didn’t see a Northern harrier, which is unusual for this time of year. Surprisingly, I got a nice look at a field sparrow sitting before a metal fence at the AT&T Building One site. I’m always happy to get a field sparrow photo, and this bird certainly was cute.

Three Savannah sparrows were in the grasses as I made my way back down the trail but I didn’t get a clear shot.

When I got home, I watched the usual suspects show up at our feeders: house sparrows, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers, a white-breasted nuthatch and dark-eyed juncos. A white-throated sparrow poked its head out of one of the bushes at the front of our house.

A big flock of Canada geese was back on the neighboring golf course, and I figure it’s the same geese who were here yesterday. Among them was an immature snow goose, which surely must be the same one we saw yesterday.

At mid-afternoon, I drove to Trenton to see what was on the water at John A. Roebling Park. Mallards were plentiful, as were ring-necked ducks, gadwalls and Northern pintails. I didn’t spot any Northern shovelers or teals on the marsh, but a pair of mute swans were plying Spring Lake.

On the way home, I diverted briefly to Colonial Lake in Lawrence Township to see what I might see. A group of ring-billed gulls were on the water, and I was pleased to spot a male hooded merganser in the middle of the lake. While I couldn’t get a crisp shot of that bird, several mallards floated close by in nice light.

All told, I spotted 29 species today. Birding for me isn’t all about the numbers, but when I get a good daily score, I feel good about it. 🦅