We’re headed for 100-degree temperatures the next few days. How do I feel about that? The facial expression of the common yellowthroat above is a reasonable interpretation.
I spotted Ms. Yellowthroat perched on some small branches Saturday morning on the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows. I got a few shots of her in profile and was fortunate as she moved slightly to catch her as she opened her beak to sing.
On Sunday morning, I headed to the Millstone River Impoundment in Princeton. I was walking one of the footbridges when I spotted a great blue heron (probably the same one I see at the park on virtually every visit) standing across from me on the side of the lock channel.
It was a rare chance to be less than 20 feet from the bird, and I grabbed a few shots, marveling at how much its face filled the frame. I love the pattern of the feathers on the bird’s elegantly long neck.
I knew on my walk that morning that the coming heat wave would cut down on my birding time, so I made an afternoon run to the Plainsboro Preserve. While plenty of birds were singing, I managed only a mediocre shot of an Eastern kingbird.
This morning, I got out the door early, arriving at the Pole Farm at 6:26 a.m. The weather was nice but became progressively warmer as I trod the trails. Having worked up a sweat, I ended my walk as 7:30 approached.
The highlight of that outing was another common yellowthroat shot, this one of a male. When I got home, I added fresh water to our bird bath. It’s one thing I can do to help the birds beat the heat. I’ll dump some ice into the bowl when I get home. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 
The heron shot is wonderful – the curve of the neck, the texture of the feathers. My noir aesthetic would love to see it in B&W, though it’s colors are great. I, too, went to Reed Bryan today, with my dogs, around 8. But we didn’t walk to far. They were panting and even though I brought water for them, I didn’t want to push it. They’ll prefer my cool floors for the next few days…or the nearby creek to lay in.
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keep the dogs and yourselves cool! I post this as the HVAC guy is checking why our AC installed in May stopped working. 🤪
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