As my fifth year of regular birding is underway, my skill at identifying birds has vastly improved. But I still often encounter birds that puzzle me and defy easy identification. Case in point: this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I headed left off the trail from the parking lot, down the alley ofContinue reading “A hermit thrush tests my ID skills”
Author Archives: Dan
Cold breeze, nice light and good birding
We woke up to clear skies and brilliant sunshine this morning, which turned out to be nice conditions for an outing at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The highlight was getting to see a male Northern harrier twice swooping along the tree line up the central path, once from a distance and once close enoughContinue reading “Cold breeze, nice light and good birding”
Birds in the snow: an increasingly rare treat
We had two snowfalls this week, on Tuesday and overnight into this morning. Because the snow has been so scarce the past few winters, I made sure to get outside with my camera in hopes of getting some nice shots of birds in the elements. I didn’t get a great shot but I didn’t getContinue reading “Birds in the snow: an increasingly rare treat”
After the fire, the birds return
To keep out those pesky invasive vegetation species, the Mercer County Parks system does a controlled burn early each year at Mercer Meadows. Last week, conditions were right, and several of the meadows were put to the torch. I visited the Pole Farm yesterday and adjoining Reed Bryan Farm today to check out conditions. PortionsContinue reading “After the fire, the birds return”
Sitting on a park bench, eyeing bald eagles with photo intent
Some outings are long walks, and others are short, each with their own charms. Today, I had a typical walk at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm in the morning. In the afternoon, I headed over to Mercer County Park in hopes of sighting and shooting photos of a few eagles. It was a short walkContinue reading “Sitting on a park bench, eyeing bald eagles with photo intent”
Are the birds hinting at spring?
As the dreary days of winter drag on, I’m ever on alert for early signs of spring. Maybe the imminent arrival of Groundhog Day is stoking my curiosity, but I know for sure that certain bird behavior hints that hope springs vernal! As I stepped out of the house yesterday morning, I heard a cardinalContinue reading “Are the birds hinting at spring?”
A long look at a short-eared owl
In my few short years of being a serious birder, owl sightings have been few. I’ve seen short-eared owls flying around sunset a few times and I’ve snatched partial glimpses at long-eared owls tucked deep into the trees. But last Saturday morning I received an unexpected treat at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. A short-earedContinue reading “A long look at a short-eared owl”
Catching common mergansers in flight
It’s mid-January, and as in much of the country, we are more often than not waking to leaden gray skies in my part of New Jersey. But Saturday dawned gloriously sunny, and I headed out with my camera anticipating excellent shooting conditions. I stopped first at Audubon’s Plainsboro Preserve, hoping there’d be a variety ofContinue reading “Catching common mergansers in flight”
What part of ‘stay on the trails’ don’t you understand?
The Mercer County Parks staff has put up fences at the Pole Farm to remind people to stay on the trails and not to wander off into the woods where long-eared owls have been roosting. I applaud the move. I was walking up the central trail in shoe-sucking mud this morning when up at theContinue reading “What part of ‘stay on the trails’ don’t you understand?”
The shot that got away
With another wet, wind-driven storm bearing down on the East Coast, I thought I’d better get out for a bit of birding yesterday morning, as I likely wouldn’t have a chance today. I made only a short visit to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, where once again I spotted a female Northern harrier perched atopContinue reading “The shot that got away”
The Jersey Birder 