American kestrels have been hanging out at Mercer Meadows for several months, and I’ve seen as many as five at one time on the Pole Farm side of the park. Unable to go out birding this morning, after work I dashed out to the Reed Bryan Farm side of the park in hopes of catchingContinue reading “American kestrels in the gloaming”
Author Archives: Dan
Some birds are not always as they seem
The weather turned colder late last week, and every birder I know was smiling. Colder weather brings a greater variety of birds this time of year, when the fall migration is underway. I’ve been spending more time of late at the old AT&T Building One site at the Pole Farm, at a crossroads in theContinue reading “Some birds are not always as they seem”
Birding photography guide: Check your settings
Back in the pre-digital years, a photographer’s worst nightmare was concluding a shoot and discovering either that the film had not gone through the camera or the camera wasn’t even loaded. That happened to me a few times. Today’s version is discovering a mile and a half into the woods that your photo card isContinue reading “Birding photography guide: Check your settings”
I rely upon the kindness of other birders
Every day I’m reminded of how kind other birders can be in sharing their knowledge. Thanks to one of them, today at the Abbott Marshlands at the edge of Trenton, I was treated to a rare sight: a least bittern. Knowing that these elusive birds have been visiting the marsh across from Spring Lake atContinue reading “I rely upon the kindness of other birders”
Beyond birds: Butterflies and other flying creatures abound
If the birds are shy, I turn to butterflies. I usually can count on spotting at least bird 20 species whenever I visit the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, but that’s usually under ideal conditions in the morning when the birds are at their most active. Whenever I get an opportunity to make an afternoon visitContinue reading “Beyond birds: Butterflies and other flying creatures abound”
No matter how you pronounce it, the bobolink is a cool bird
The bobolinks have been hanging around the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm for the last few weeks, and that’s a reason to rejoice. These long-wandering migrants are partial to grasslands, and the Pole Farm has big fields well-suited for them. The first bobolink I saw this season came in late May, a female or possibly aContinue reading “No matter how you pronounce it, the bobolink is a cool bird”
Hitting 100: My species count climbs at the Pole Farm
For several weeks, my species count at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm sat at 99, enticingly close to the century mark. What exotic bird would take me into triple digits? Some rare visitor from Central America or the Arctic Circle? Some wayward wanderer from Europe, blown in by a storm? I pondered that question onContinue reading “Hitting 100: My species count climbs at the Pole Farm”
For birding, it helps to take a 360-degree view
Without a car for a few days recently, I was unable to get to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, at least not without some difficulty. So I improvised and headed on foot through the Rider University campus near home to the Loveless Nature Preserve. The preserve is a mostly wooded area that straddles the oldContinue reading “For birding, it helps to take a 360-degree view”
Getting the right shot of the tricky Eastern towhee
The Eastern towhee was one of the first non-backyard birds that caught my attention as I started birding regularly at the Mercer Meadows Pole farm three years ago. I first heard the bright “twee!” call one April morning three years ago, and it would be a few visits more before I spotted one about 10Continue reading “Getting the right shot of the tricky Eastern towhee”
Digging the Dickcissels in our midst
For the past several weeks, Dickcissels have been frequenting the grassland fields of the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, and it has been a thing of wonder. Initially, I wondered if I’d ever see the bird. My Merlin sound app kept hearing the bird, but I could never spot it. I’d see reports of Dickcissel sightingsContinue reading “Digging the Dickcissels in our midst”
The Jersey Birder 