We’re back on standard time, and that means I’ll tweak the times for my birding outings. Even when I headed out to the Pole Farm this morning, I was contemplating a return after 4 p.m., hoping to get shots of Northern harriers hunting.
To my delight, that actually happened. As I walked up the central path, I spotted a harrier flying well off to my right. I took a couple of “may as well” shots that, as expected, weren’t in focus.
While I saw plenty of dogs being walked, I only saw the harrier and one song sparrow in my 44-minute loop through the AT&T Building One site and down the paved Lawrence-Hopewell Trail to return to my car.
I spotted the harrier — presumably the same one I’d seen earlier — flying a moderate distance in front of me. I pulled up my camera and shot maybe a dozen frames, mentally crossing my fingers that at least one of them would turn out decently.
The harrier was lit by the setting sun, which cast a reddish glow on the bird. The sky was still blue, and there was a light wash of clouds. That combination made for a photo better than I had expected, and I’m pleased for it to lead my first post of the month.
In the morning, I heard plenty of birds but didn’t snap any photos until I got back to the parking lot. The grassy field off the lot harbors a lot of sparrows at this time of year, and this Savannah sparrow stayed just long enough for me to catch it on camera.
It won’t be long before American tree sparrows arrive, and I’ll be on the lookout for them. I’d also hoped I might catch my first vesper sparrow before sunset. That didn’t happen, and I await the day I can add one to my life list. 🦅