I love this time of year, when our seasonal visitors return. I had the pleasure of welcoming back two full-throated birds to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning.
After clearing the fields and reaching the woods, I was on alert for whatever migrants might be stopping by or arriving for a longer stay. Then I heard what at first I thought was a cardinal, but that wasn’t quite right. I had turned on Merlin, and there it was — ovenbird.
The loud chip-chip-chip song was coming from nearby. I swiveled my head to find the bird silhouetted 20 feet or so above me on a tree branch. It took a couple of hops and finally came into a clear spot where I could focus.
Although I regularly hear ovenbirds at the Pole Farm, I don’t often spot them, let alone get to snap a photo of one. I’m grateful that I got a couple of shots so early in the season.
I continued through the woods on my two-mile loop. As I came into the clear on the central path to return to my car, I heard another familiar song — “ricky-ricky-ricky” — a common yellowthroat.
The bird was out of sight, deep in the grass, and only sang a couple of verses. Although I couldn’t get a shot, I moved on with a smile on my face. I’ll have plenty of chances to take photos of my little yellow-and-black friends as the warm weather comes on. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 