It was a chilly 13 degrees Fahrenheit when I reached the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm yesterday morning. Even without a breeze, few birds were out half an hour after sunrise. But avian activity picked up as I reached the woods up the central trail.
First to appear were several robins flitting about the trees.
I went a few steps farther and heard furious pecking somewhere above. Initially, I could only see the bird’s back. The pecking was so aggressive and loud that I guessed it was a hairy woodpecker. But I finally maneuvered into a spot where I got a few shots including its head and beak, which settled the ID: downy woodpecker.
Stepping ahead a few yards, I spotted another woodpecker, this one a female red-bellied (shown in photo topping this post). She was lit up nicely in the sun.
That sun not only made her look good, but it made a big difference to me. The cold air was bracing, and the bright sun plus the lack of wind made my mile-and-a-quarter stroll pleasant, with one exception.
Well, two exceptions: my hands. Even with good gloves, my fingers were cold, in part because I was taking them off to log my sightings in e-Bird and to adjust my binoculars and camera.
I had brought along some “Little Hotties” hand warmers. But they were duds, probably because I bought them a couple of winters back. I learned the (cold) hard way that they expire.
I have a rechargeable Zippo warmer, which I used exclusively last winter. I’ll be relying on it from here on out to keep my hands comfortable.
One of these days I’ll invest in a pair of gloves designed for outdoor photographers. If anyone has a recommendations, I’d be delighted to hear it. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 
Hi Dan,
Have you been seeing a lot of American Robins lately? On my walk through Van Horne Park this morning, I counted around 60 of them along the northern loop. There’s a thick stretch of conifers—pine, spruce, fir, juniper—lining the trail, and it makes sense they’d be hanging out there. I read that robins really like evergreens because the dense foliage gives them great nesting spots.
I’ve also been spotting a lot or American Robins in the cedars and junipers near my home. Those trees produce berries and cones, so they seem to be a good food source for the robins, especially in the colder months.
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