The other day I was telling a fellow birder that I’ve been wondering why I hadn’t seen many seagulls where I normally see them, such as at Colonial Lake. It also includes the Lawrence Shopping Center on the opposite side of Business Route 1, where ring-billed gulls often hover over the parking lot, looking forContinue reading “Where have all the gulls gone?”
Author Archives: Dan
With the first frost of fall, some cool birds
With the thermometer at 30 degrees this morning, we had our first frost of the fall. It turned out to be a decent day for birding. I hadn’t been to the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows for a while and decided to go there rather than to the Pole Farm side of the park.Continue reading “With the first frost of fall, some cool birds”
What is New York’s state bird?
My 4-year-old grandson was visiting us from New York City recently, and we got to talking about birds. I have cocktail napkins illustrated with an American goldfinch. As I showed one to my grandson, I noted that it is the state bird of New Jersey. “What is the state bird of New York?” I asked.Continue reading “What is New York’s state bird?”
A fulfilling weekend of birding
Over the weekend, I spent two mornings at Mercer Meadows with friends, human and avian. While I’m still awaiting the arrival of more Northern harriers, I’m pleased to report that the Savannah sparrows have been arriving steadily. My friend Sally had mentioned that she’d love to see an Eastern meadowlark at the Pole Farm. SinceContinue reading “A fulfilling weekend of birding”
How to capture a kinglet
It was a comical scene at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm: my birding buddies Lee, Jim and I we’re standing in front of a section of trees and bushes, watching a ruby-crowned kinglet flit from branch to branch. Each of is a well-experienced birder and photographer, and we were all bemoaning how quickly the kingletContinue reading “How to capture a kinglet”
Birds and fall color: a great combination
This is a golden time for birding, with the fall color peaking and enough leaves falling to increase the odds of seeing more birds in the branches. This morning was a nice example, as my pal Jim and I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The sun was out in full, shining liberally onContinue reading “Birds and fall color: a great combination”
Sparrows a-go-go at the Pole Farm
We’ve had a beautiful fall weekend here in central New Jersey, with warmer-than-we-really-should-have temperatures poking into the upper 70s. I was able to get two good outings in at the Mercer Meadow Pole Farm, where sparrows took center stage. I’m leading the post with two of the Savannah sparrows I saw while walking up theContinue reading “Sparrows a-go-go at the Pole Farm”
A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2
On Sunday, I made my first stop at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton, where other birders have been reporting good warbler traffic. As I stepped out of my car at the parking lot, plenty of birds were calling. My warbler brain has not been challenged much this fall, and I struggled at first toContinue reading “A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2”
A beautiful weekend for birding, part 1
Where to begin? This weekend has offered a lot of birding thrills in addition to beautiful weather. The sun has been shining as I’ve made several stops at parks near home. The temperature reached the mid-80s Saturday and is expected to do so again today. I’ll start with the rare bird that came Saturday toContinue reading “A beautiful weekend for birding, part 1”
A good day for sparrows, and an owl call
Dawn arrived with a temperature of 43 degrees , our first truly Fall-feeling morning. I pulled on a green plaid jacket, turned on the heater in the car and headed to the Pole Farm. At the parking lot, I heard the cry of a pileated woodpecker as I switched to my hiking shoes, figuring thatContinue reading “A good day for sparrows, and an owl call”
The Jersey Birder 