The weather reversed course Thursday, the temperature dropping and the snow falling although not sticking. This morning, I went out to my car, which had iced over so much that I couldn’t pull open the rear driver-side door where I usually place my camera with my binoculars.
The windshield was covered in crystals, which the defroster was able to clear to get me on my way to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The temperature was not quite out of freezing range, but the sun was shining nicely, throwing off the kind of light that makes for good photos.
As I walked up the central path, I trained my Canon on a couple of red-winged blackbirds, sparrows and the robin who graces the top of this post. One of the sparrows faced the sun, and as I squeezed off several shots I assumed it was a song sparrow.
A more attentive look made me smile — the white belly, bicolor bill and rufous cap signaled American tree sparrow, a sometimes visitor that always cheers me.
I did see a few song sparrows. I almost always do at the Pole Farm. I took several photos of three of them not far off the trail, but most of the time they turned their backs to me. I did manage did catch one oriented just right for an in-profile portrait.
I hope these photos give you a sense of how comforting and warm the sunshine made the fields seem. Needing to get to work, I spent only 53 minutes, walking just over a mile. Every step was worth the visit. 🦅
The Jersey Birder 