No photo tops this post because on my last birding outing I took no photos of birds. In fact, in my 30-mile drive south to Palmyra Cove late this morning, I only saw three of the meager 14 birds I observed across seven species. That’s it. Two cardinals in flight, and a third bird (probablyContinue reading “There’s never a bad day birding”
Author Archives: Dan
Is this dickcissel the loneliest bird in America?
For the past two weeks, a male dickcissel outside his normal range has been visiting the Reed Bryan Farm section of Mercer Meadows park, singing throughout the day to attract a mate. So far, no females have replied, at least according to the dozens of birders who have come to the site to see thisContinue reading “Is this dickcissel the loneliest bird in America?”
Having an extra set of eyes makes birding better
Most days when I’m out birding, I’m a loner. I’ll stop to chat with passing birders, of course, sharing tips on what I’ve spotted and hoping they’ll share something I’d like to see. But I enjoy my own company, if you will, and I’m perfectly happy to pursue my birding in solitude. But then thereContinue reading “Having an extra set of eyes makes birding better”
Tips on making your yard a bird sanctuary
A surprise request came in to my mailbox several days ago. The real estate firm Redfin asked me to contribute some words of advice on how to attract birds to your yard. I’d been considering a post on that very topic, so here’s what I submitted: We’ve set up a triangle that attracts a colorfulContinue reading “Tips on making your yard a bird sanctuary”
Scarlet tanagers on the nest
As often as I walk the trails of the parks near home, I’ve spotted only a few bird nests. I was fortunate last week to come upon my friend Andy in the woods at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, who told me he knew where a pair of scarlet tanagers were nesting. We walked overContinue reading “Scarlet tanagers on the nest”
When catbirds attack, duck and run
We birders — most of us, anyway — are happy to share tips on where and how to spot the various birds that come calling in our little corners of the planet. Today’s tip from me is unusual. I’m offering advice on how to avoid a bird, not how to find one. Last week IContinue reading “When catbirds attack, duck and run”
In nature photography, how much post-processing is too much?
Saturday morning arrived cool and very, very overcast gray in my part of the mid-Atlantic region. Those conditions can occasionally make for great photos, but often they leave me with dull, muddy images. The photo above of a great blue heron stalking in Colonial Lake just off Business U.S. 1 in Lawrence Township is whatContinue reading “In nature photography, how much post-processing is too much?”
Tapping the animal network to bring out a bird
Spring migration has been a bit of a disappointment for me this year, as I haven’t seen as many warblers as I did last year. I’ve heard them, or more accurately the Merlin sound app has heard them clustered around me, but I’ve had relatively little luck spotting them. As of the start of thisContinue reading “Tapping the animal network to bring out a bird”
How big was my ‘Big Day’ in 2023?
My 2023 Spring “Big Day” was a lot of fun as I logged 51 species in e-Bird, doing my part to contribute to the crowd-sourced science that makes these annual counts so important in preserving our avian friends. Unlike last year when I traveled to Cape May County during the World Series of Birding, IContinue reading “How big was my ‘Big Day’ in 2023?”
Big days in May: chasing the rare prothonotary warbler
When I first started paying attention to the Spring migration a couple of years ago, I saw sporadic, excited reports of prothonotary warblers being spotted here in New Jersey. What a weird name for a bird, I thought, and I’ll be darned if I’m going to chase all over kingdom come to find one. AContinue reading “Big days in May: chasing the rare prothonotary warbler”
The Jersey Birder 