While many Americans were hitting the mall this morning, my friend Laura and I drove down to the Tulpehaking Nature Center, one of the gateways to Abbot Marshlands. We joined a group of about 10 birders for a “Black Duck Friday” birding walk. Gathering in the parking lot, we were treated to a through-the-scope viewContinue reading “A trip to Trenton on ‘Black Duck Friday’”
Author Archives: Dan
Happy Thanksgiving to all birders!
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, and I’m thankful for all the times I get to go birding and for all the other birders I’ve met in the field and those of you have been kind enough to read my site. I started my day at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, and itContinue reading “Happy Thanksgiving to all birders!”
A wonderful morning at the Pole Farm, harrier hotspot
I wrote recently about days when photo opportunities are few. As if to restore balance to the universe, Mother Nature smiled on me today with good morning light and encounters with a couple of photogenic birds. Knowing that time was limited “because work,” I took the quickest route to the closest place, the Mercer MeadowsContinue reading “A wonderful morning at the Pole Farm, harrier hotspot”
Bluebirds bring happiness
The sun came out in full force this Sunday morning, and the temperature was a brisk 28 degrees Fahrenheit as I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The park’s paths offer a few turning points, and the first one to confront is just up from the Cold Soil Road parking lot: either go upContinue reading “Bluebirds bring happiness”
Some days birding, starlings are the best you get
A small percentage of my birding excursions give me a goose egg: no birds spotted whatsoever. Such outings are rare, and I can almost predict when I’ll get that result. Time of day is the most reliable predictor. On off-work days either my wife will shoo me out of the house or I’ll head outContinue reading “Some days birding, starlings are the best you get”
Kaboom! Birding while hunters overrun the area
My birding buddy Laura and I headed to the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area on Saturday, hoping to explore the expanses of the lake and it surrounding woods. As we drove along Imlaystown-Hightstown Road, we knew something was not quite right. Everywhere we looked were pickup trucks and SUVs disgorging hunters in blaze orange and camoContinue reading “Kaboom! Birding while hunters overrun the area”
Courage or stupidity: mockingbird v. hawk
After taking a walk at the Reed Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows today, I was reminded of the time when my father and I played golf with two Jesuit priests from my high school. To my great surprise, one of the priests became greatly agitated at the other, who as I recall stepped intoContinue reading “Courage or stupidity: mockingbird v. hawk”
A bird’s gotta eat
I’m delighted to be able to get back out onto the trails again, and I’ve been building back my stamina. This morning, I did a nearly 1.5 mile loop out at the Pole Farm, and at my slower pace, I’m learning to enjoy how it brings me unexpected pleasures in birding. The photo atop thisContinue reading “A bird’s gotta eat”
Adventures of a three-legged birder
Medical challenges rudely interrupted my summer, but thanks to excellent care and support by doctors, nurses, therapists and my family and friends, I’ve been able to return to the parks and fields for the fall. One major difference: because of a balky knee, I now must walk with a cane, and I can’t tramp aroundContinue reading “Adventures of a three-legged birder”
Inspiration from a goldfinch with a disability
Since I am dealing with temporarily limited mobility and walking with a cane, I felt a kinship with a male American goldfinch that came to our nyjer seed feeder this afternoon. On a beautiful late summer day, I couldn’t resist parking in a chair on our patio, hoping to spot a wide variety of birds,Continue reading “Inspiration from a goldfinch with a disability”
The Jersey Birder 