I have noted that I have a devil of a time spotting red-eyed vireos, a bird that I hear on most outings to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm and many other spots in my part of New Jersey but rarely see.
So it was a delight this morning when at the Pole Farm, my friend Jim spotted one on a branch flooded with sunshine high up in a tree not far from the AT&T Building One site. I got several shots. In many, the bird was in shadow and its namesake red eyes were not apparent.
But in a few glorious frames, that red eye stood out, and I’m pleased to offer two photos of the vireo on this post.
With more than 1 million birds believed to have flown over Mercer County overnight as per Cornell Lab’s birdcast site, Jim and I were keenly looking for early arriving warblers. I got a couple of good looks through my binoculars of a black-and-white warbler, but it moved too quickly and too deeply into the leaves for me to get a photo.
On the trail while returning to my car, we saw a pair of bobolinks fly overhead and land in the distance. We also watched a blue grosbeak fly up the meadow and out of camera range.
The trail offered other treats, starting with a giant swallowtail butterfly that was a few feet in front of us, feeding on field thistles. The butterfly — its species the largest in North America — was so close to us that I had to back up to get my zoom lens in focus.
Farther down the trail, a black swallowtail was also munching on thistles.
We spotted a few small butterflies, too, although I wasn’t able to get them in focus.
As excited as I was to see what we saw today, I know the Pole Farm and other wild places will become even more active in the days and weeks ahead as fall migration picks up speed. 🦅