Grateful for an overnight temperature drop from the 90s into the mid-60s, I headed to the Pole Farm this morning. The sky was overcast, with little sun to coax the birds out into the open. I had walked nearly two miles without even lifting my camera up to shoot when I heard the buzzy callContinue reading “When birds turn their backs to you”
Author Archives: Dan
At last, an egret
For several weeks, I’d been puzzled that I had yet to log a sighting of an egret in 2025. Great egrets usually show up in spring in these parts, but here we are halfway through summer and I’d yet to see one. I’d been seeing reports of great egrets and a little blue heron atContinue reading “At last, an egret”
Gnatcatchers catch my eye
On a relatively quiet morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I approached a trail intersection near the old AT&T Building One site and spotted movement about halfway up some tall trees. Birds, undoubtedly, but what were they? As one flew from one branch to another, I spotted its white breast and gray wings andContinue reading “Gnatcatchers catch my eye”
Molting makes for some odd-looking birds
For many birds, mid- to late-summer is molting season. As a result, you may see some odd-looking ones like the “bald” male Northern cardinal we’ve been seeing in our yard. His head is black; the red feathers have fallen off. While looking out to the yard this afternoon, I was surprised to see a hairyContinue reading “Molting makes for some odd-looking birds”
No camera for birds? No problem – switch to wildflowers!
A couple of times a year, I forget to stick the SD card back into my camera and discover the problem only when I reach the Pole Farm parking lot. It happened again today, and I was even more irritated to discover my backup card wasn’t in the car. Rather than head back home, IContinue reading “No camera for birds? No problem – switch to wildflowers!”
Ironic twists add to my birding experiences
While it didn’t quite rise to the nemesis stage, a broad-winged hawk had been one of the species I’d been itching to add to my life list. One of them has again taken up residence near an overpass on Interstate 295 only a few miles from my home. My birding buddy Jim Parris had spottedContinue reading “Ironic twists add to my birding experiences”
A goldfinch saves the day on the photo front
One of the things I love about birding is its unpredictability. Some days birds abound, other days they hunker down. Then there’s a day like yesterday, when plenty of birds were out but only a few came into view for photos. When I got back home from the Pole Farm, I took stock of whatContinue reading “A goldfinch saves the day on the photo front”
Close encounter with a field sparrow
Every once in a while, I experience a fleeting moment of bonding with a bird. This morning, for example, I was walking a trail in the northern section of the Pole Farm when I spotted a field sparrow on the ground, barely five feet in front of me. The bird and I had a briefContinue reading “Close encounter with a field sparrow”
With the onset of summer, bird sightings slow down
Spring migration is over. As the days of summer pile up, bird activity appears to slow down. Plenty of birds are still about, of course, but the variety isn’t quite as wide now that the migrants have flown north. I’m still observing plenty of species on my outings, but it seems the photo opportunities areContinue reading “With the onset of summer, bird sightings slow down”
A mid-year report on New Jersey birding
We started the second half of the calendar year today, and I figured this would be a good time to assess how my birding adventures went in the first half. I’ve done OK. My species total in New Jersey stands at 104, lagging a bit behind my total of 116 at the same point lastContinue reading “A mid-year report on New Jersey birding”
The Jersey Birder 