With migration underway, we birders spend a lot of time looking up to spot warblers high up in trees. On two outings this week, I’ve seen few warblers but have spent a lot of time craning my neck.
I looked up at the Pole Farm on Wednesday to see a red-winged blackbird chasing a red-tailed hawk over the fields. I doubt the blackbird caught up to the hawk, but the former seemed to be doing a good job at moving the hawk along, as the top photo attests.
I was only a few minutes into my walk that morning when I spotted an orchard oriole in a tree not far from the parking lot. It flew off before I could raise my camera, but I got a second chance an hour later as I returned to my car. The oriole was in another tree, stubbornly staying behind a few branches between us. For a second, it poked its head out and I was able to catch a shot.
The next morning at the Dyson Tract, I had better light in which to shoot. I hoped I’d be able to spot or at least hear a prothonotary warbler that had been reported the day before. I had no luck on that, but plenty of other birds were about.
I had trouble focusing on a yellow warbler, but I was able to catch a Northern house wren belting out its song from high up in a tree along the Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath.
As I walked up the trail perpendicular to the towpath, I heard a Canada goose squawking loudly. It sounded as if the big bird was directly overhead and, sure enough, it was. The goose was about 30 feet above me on a bare tree trunk. I’ve taken lots of shots of geese flying above me, but never of one above me but staying put.
Not long after that encounter, I spotted a red-shouldered hawk flying onto the top of a tree with a bare trunk. The hawk let out several cries, although it went quiet every time I pointed the camera its way.
Migration will be hitting its peak over the next few days, and I intend to spend a chunk of time outdoors looking for warblers. Wish me luck! 🦅
The Jersey Birder 