The Fall Big Day really was a big day

Saturday was the Fall Big Day for birding, organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and I did my part. Yellow-rumped warblers ruled in the stops I made in Mercer County, and in tribute I’ve posted a photo of one of them atop this post.

I started the day at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, where I spent a good chunk of the hour-and-a-quarter visit trying to get a fix on ruby-crowned kinglets that were zipping about the old AT&T Building One site. I was relieved to get a couple of in-focus shots of those cute little devils, who are in continuous motion.

A ruby-crowned kinglet looks out from its perch in a tree with green leaves. The bird's head is tilted slightly to its left, giving it a quizzical expression.
In a rare moment of stillness, a ruby-crowned kinglet gazes out toward a few birders.

Nearby, a couple of Eastern phoebes presented themselves in the trees. One obligingly came into the open on a drooping branch, giving me an opportunity to squeeze off a couple of shots.

An Eastern phoebe leans forward on a bowed branch, its beak slightly open. The bird has an olive cap and white breast with light green patches.
An Eastern phoebe leans forward, a moment before taking flight.

Other birds I put in the “usual suspects” cateogry revealed themselves at the Pole Farm, including a female Northern harrier hunting far across one of the main fields but not a yellow-rumped warbler. That was about to change.

Female Northern flicker sitting on a tree branch. Her beige breast has black spots and the undersides of her tail feathers are yellow.
Female Northern flicker

Later in the morning, I walked the trails at John A. Roebling Park in Abbott Marshlands. I met my friend Jim there, and he had seen several yellow-rumped warblers by the parking lot. We were hoping to see a few ducks in the marsh or on the Spring Lake, but none were to be found, not even a mallard.

But we did see plenty of yellow-rumped warblers on our walk, which featured a bald eagle flyover and Northern flickers a gaggle of robins in the trees on the back island.

Jim drove off from the parking lot, and I stuck around for a few extra minutes, hoping to catch some of the warbler action he had seen just before I’d arrived.

That was a good move. Not only did I see a few yellow-rumped warblers, but I also unknowingly managed a few shots of Cape May warbler. This one was my favorite shot of the day.

A Cape May warbler sits on a tree branch with green leaves. In the bird's beak is a winged insect about to be consumed.
A Cape May warbler is about to munch on an insect in its beak.

Late in the afternoon, I headed back to Mercer Meadows on the Reed-Bryan Farm side of the park. Savannah and swamp sparrows filled the fields, and I soon spotted a yellow-rumped warbler.

A yellow-rumped warbler looks upward while perched on a small branch of a bare tree.
Yellow-rumped warbler in a tree at Reed-Bryan Farm.

On my way back up the trail to my car, I took a break and sat on a bench, hoping some of the sparrows would come to me. They did not, but my friend Jim wandered down the trail. We spent some time watching sparrows — Savannah, song, swamp and one Lincoln’s — fly in front of us.

Jim also spotted a palm warbler, and I was happy to get this shot of it.

A palm warbler perches in a bare tree. The bird has green and black striped wings, a yellow rump and a yellow eyeline across its dark olive green head.
Palm warbler at Reed-Bryan Farm.

The Reed-Bryan nightcap was a great way to end the day. Although I didn’t accumulate any staggering species totals, I was happpy to contribute to the Fall count and get a few good shots of birds that lighten my spirits. 🦅

Sparrows, a harrier and an unexpected owl highlight the weekend

We’re nearing the peak of fall migration, yet I found few warblers this weekend. Instead, I was treated to a variety of sparrows and — best of all — had as close an encounter with a Northern harrier as one could hope to have.

As I made my way up the central trail at the Mercer Meadows Pole farm this morning, I spotted a dark blob sitting on the path 100 yards or so ahead of me. Ordinarily, it would be an Eastern cottontail or a robin or two in such a spot.

As I walked closer and began taking photos, I realized that what was hunkered down on the ground was a female Northern harrier. The bird sat calmly as I approached and didn’t take off until I was 30 to 40 feet away.

Miss Harrier (I suspect she was a young one) flew up the trail but not far, landing on a wooden stake just off the trail.

The harrier, roughly 30 feet from me and seemingly unconcerned.

Again, I walked toward her, taking photos every 10 steps or so. I drew within 30 feet before she took to the sky, and I got the shot topping this post.

Getting so close to a raptor was a privilege and a thrill. I felt as if the bird had done me a favor. It was the highlight of the day and, in fact, the weekend.

There were other pleasures, to be sure. On Saturday, I took a meandering walk through Mercer Meadows starting on the Pole Farm side and crossing over to Reed-Bryan Farm. There, I noticed a lot of movement in a small tree and discovered three palm warblers flitting about.

A palm warbler sits on a tree branch. The bird has a brown cap, a black eye line and a yellow and bron head. Its yellow breast has vertical brown streaks.
Palm warbler

Earlier that morning, I’d seen a black-throated green warbler but wasn’t quick enough to get a photo.

Both days gave me several opportunities to get shots of sparrows. For once, song sparrows were in the minority. Savannah sparrows were abundant, and I also spotted a few swamp sparrows.

A Savannah sparrow grabs a black berry while perched in a tree.
Savannah sparrow grabs a berry.
A swamp sparrow perches amid the green-leafed branches of a tree.
Swamp sparrow tucked into a tree.

I wasn’t able to get a photo of one other highlight of the weekend, which came Friday evening as my wife and I stepped onto our patio before sunset. High above us in one our trees, a screech owl was calling.

We couldn’t see it but we were thrilled with another near encountered with one of our feathered friends. 🦅

Blue jays are magnificent

I guess it’s human nature that we value our common birds less than we do the uncommon or rare birds that come by. I was thinking while walking the Pole Farm trails yesterday that one such bird is the blue jay, common if not ubiquitous in the neighborhoods and the wilds of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.

With its natty combination of blue, black and white feathers, it is a beautiful bird. For birders in other parts of the world visiting the Eastern or Midwestern U.S., spotting a blue jay would be a priority and a thrill.

I was reminded of that this morning as I went to the Reed Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows, the part of the park that features the last pole standing from the old AT&T Pole Farm.

I had come down the trail with Gretchen, one of the best birders in the area, who pointed out the abundant Savannah, swamp and Lincoln’s sparrows on both sides of us. Before she turned back uphill to start a tour she was about to lead, we stopped just past the creek that passes under a bridge at a long line of trees.

Before crossing the bridge, we’d spotted scores of sparrows and seen a Merlin and a Cooper’s hawk tangle in the air. Once over the bridge, we spotted Downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and, high up on a bare tree, one of the several blue jays patrolling the area.

I couldn’t tell as I was shooting, but the jay had an acorn in its bill. Well lit by the sun, the bird struck a handsome pose.

A blue jay stands on the top branch of a tree while grasping an acorn it its beak.
Common but uncommonly beautiful, the blue jay holds an acorn atop a tree.

I have put a horizontal crop of the scene at the top of the post to go along with the vertical crop from another frame here.

Whichever way you frame one, the blue jay is a striking specimen. I’m glad to see them virtually every day without having to cross an ocean to do so. 🦅

Harriers and newly arriving sparrows usher in October

We flipped the calendar to October today, and the birding population in some ways is itself flipping. Take sparrows for example. The old standby house sparrows and song sparrows are still here while their migrant cousins begin to arrive.

I spotted my first swamp sparrow of the season at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm on Wednesday to close out September. Today I got my first good seasonal shot of one of the Savannah sparrows that have been trickling in the past few weeks.

Savannah sparrow turns its head while standing atop a stalk of prairie grass.
A Savannah sparrow posing nicely in one of the meadows.

As I wrapped up this morning’s walk, I decided to take a look in the fields behind the parking lot. I soon saw a couple of swamp sparrows and took several shots. What I didn’t realize was that one of the sparrows I was shooting turned out to be a Lincoln’s sparrow, which I didn’t figure out until looking at the bird on the big screen on my desk at home.

A Lincoln's sparrow perches ona tree branch in a field of brown grasses.
Lincoln’s sparrow perching. Key to the ID: that yellow wash over the streaks at its neck and upper breast.

Lincoln’s sparrows visit my part of New Jersey every now and then, but my encounters with them are infrequent. I was happy to get a few photos.

At the Pole Farm yesterday, my friends Jim, Nancy and I watched a Northern harrier fly across the fields. This morning on my solo return, I spotted a harrier on a post in the middle of the field off the central path. She was preening herself and set up nicely for a portrait, once I found a clear lane through the grasses separating us.

A female Northern harrier perches atop a small tree with green leaves up high and leaves that have turned red below.
Northern harrier looking my way.

I’m thrilled to see the harriers return. I consider them the signature bird for the Pole Farm, as they are reliable residents about half the year.

I’ve put one of the photos of today’s harrier atop this post and on top the homepage of my site. I’m intending to swap out the top homepage picture every month as the seasons change.

I also want to mention that Wednesday was another good day at the Pole Farm. Not only did I get that first swamp sparrow of the season but I also spotted a blue-headed vireo for only the second time in my birding years.

The vireo was flitting about the wall of trees at the AT&T Building One site. My friend Nancy was with me, and we again had a devil of a time focusing. I just got this single frame of the vireo. It’s not as sharp as I’d like it to be, but the photo does seal the ID.

Blue-headed vireo clutches a branch in a maple tree, surrounded by green leaves with blue sky in the background.
Blue-headed vireo, with one of its telltale “spectacles” eye rings on display.

I continue to track the daily reports on Birdcast.org and anticipate plenty of exciting days ahead this month for birds and birders. The white-throated sparrows could arrive at any hour! 🦅

A delightfully busy day at the Pole Farm

Birding friend Nancy and I arrived at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm nearly simultaneously this morning, and we had a feast-famine-feast kind of day.

As we worked our way up from the Cold Soil Road parking lot, we spotted a few palm warblers chasing each other about.

A palm warbler perches amid small tree limbs, its body and peak partially obscured by leaves.
One of the palm warblers, partially obscured.

That was a great start, but our walk up the central trail surprisingly turned up nothing more. As we made our way into the woods, we turned right to the AT&T Building One site and looked up hopefully into the wall of trees well lit by the sun.

Things started happening quickly. Yellow birds were darting here and there, and I fixed my binoculars on one of them, not immediately able to make the ID. The birds kept flying, and Nancy and I laughed as we tried — mostly in vain — to get a focus fix on them.

Both of us kept shooting, hoping that we’d get at least a few sharp shots. We decided to move along, and then encountered our friend Jim coming up the trail. Jim looked at one of my photos and decided on black-throated green warbler for the ID.

A black-throated green warbler perches in an evergreen tree.
One of the black-throated green warblers.

Jim also surmised that another bird I shot was a Philadelphia vireo, which I’d confirm in bringing the images up on screen at home.

A Philadelphia vireo perches in profile on a branch, surrounded by maple leaves.
The Philadelphia vireo, also appearing in the photo topping the post, poses in profile.

On the way back to our cars, we didn’t spot the Savannah sparrows that Jim had seen on the way up the trail. But we did see a song sparrow set amid some of the changing leaves just off the trail.

A brown and white song sparrow perches on a slender branch amid spotted green leaves turning orange and yellow.
The song sparrow in a classic autumnal setting.

Considering that the day before I shot just one bird individually, I was thrilled to be able to shoot a couple of warblers and the Philadelphia vireo while walking the trails with two good birding friends.

That’s the best kind of birding day. 🦅

A one-bird day at Abbott Marshlands

The Nor’easter finally churned away from New Jersey, and the rain fizzled out early this afternoon as I was on my way to John A. Roebling Park at Abbott Marshlands. I’d seen recent reports on e-Bird of Northern shovelers and hoped I’d find one.

No such luck. After better than 48 hours of rain, the marsh was curiously low on water. I counted four dozen Canada geese and a single mallard, and I heard only a few other birds on a 50-minute walk. I wondered if I’d have a rare photo shutout.

On the way back to my car, I watched a belted kingfisher race past me with another bird behind it veering off into a tree ahead of me. Under heavy cloud cover, I had a bit of difficulty focusing on the bird, which was jumping from branch to branch every few seconds.

Eventually, I caught up to it, an Eastern phoebe, and grabbed a few decent shots. My favorite tops this post.

I took a shot of some of the geese in the marsh with my iPhone, but the phoebe was the only bird I photographed individually. I’m satisfied with that.

I plan to head to the Pole Farm tomorrow morning, ever hopeful for lots of bird to capture on camera. 🦅

Maya Lin installation draws attention to threats to birds, other wildlife

The Nor’easter storm churning along the Atlantic Coast is keeping this birder indoors this weekend. I’ve turned my attention to a new exhibit at Princeton University that elegantly draws attention to threats to nature and how to respond to them.

The exhibition “What Is Missing? What If?” opened this week in the newly opened environmental sciences building on the Princeton campus. On Thursday evening, I was at Briger Hall for a film screening at an auditorium that’s next to the exhibition.

“What Is Missing? What If” is the work of Maya Lina, who as a Yale University undergraduate became instantly famous when her design was chosen for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Lin’s latest work at Princeton is a two-story multimedia presentation displayed on windows and glass doors. Projected are images of giraffes, whales, tigers, elephants and other animals threatened with extinction and making comebacks thanks to conservation efforts.

Video footage shows bald eagles flying over a lake with other birds on the shore.

When I first glanced at the exhibit, I saw a common loon displayed. Bald eagles, their population once decimated by DDT and other factors and now rebounding, soared across the screen. Wild turkeys strutted and pecked in snowy woods.

In viewing the images, I felt a cautious optimism about the future of our natural world. Occasionally, I’ve been cheered by seeing bald eagles fly over or near the Princeton campus, which features two other Maya Linn installations.

“What Is Missing? What If?” is open to the public weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended availability to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. There is no charge to view. For a deeper dive into the exhibition, please see the university’s excellent feature story about it.

Starlings have surprising charms

Considered pests by many, European starlings won’t likely to top anyone’s favorite birds list beyond the Shakespeare fan who brought them to the United States in 1890.

I like Shakespeare but I’m less enthused by starlings. I dismissively refer to them as “Euro trash,” but I usually hold a beat and then scold myself being unfairly harsh on them.

Three starlings perched on branches of a tree with a blue sky above.
Three starlings perch in a tree.

Today, I happened upon nearly two dozen of them perched high in a tree at the Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. On first spotting them, I was puzzled. The heads of the birds appeared tan or yellow from my perspective looking upward.

Through my binoculars I got a better view, and the birds’ speckled breasts left no doubt that they were starlings.

Pretty birds? No, but they must look attractive to one another.

I had started my birding at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm at 8:45, later than usual. Few birds were out in the steady breeze and gusts that were blowing, and I took no photos other than a landscape shot with my iPhone.

A little blue heron stands on a downed log in a swamp. The bird, a juvenile, is white with greenish yellow legs.
Little blue heron

I stopped by the Dyson Tract an hour later and had better luck. I spotted a little blue heron that has been staying in the swamp for the past few weeks. A great blue heron was standing in the lake on the other side of the path perpendicular to the canal towpath.

As I walked up the path, I saw a bird land atop a bare tree a good way away. I couldn’t make the bird out through binoculars but took a few “here’s hoping” photos on the chance I might be able to make an ID back home on the computer screen.

Zooming in on the photos, I spotted the chunky beak of what turned out to be a female rose-breasted grosbeak. I’d seen several males during spring migration, but this was the first female I can recall spotting this year.

That sighting reminded me of how rich the Dyson Tract is in bird density. In an out-and-back walk through the site that’s less than one mile, a great variety of birds reveal themselves. It’s one of my favorite spots in Mercer County — even with all the starlings! 🦅

A female rose-breasted grosbeak sits on a bare tree branch. The bird is mostly brown, with brown streaking on a white breast and a white streak across its head over its eye.
The rose-breasted grosbeak, shot from a distance.

Adding birdsong audio to e-Bird just got easier

Our friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have done it again: given us birders a faster and easier way to participate in the citizen science of the e-Bird mobile app.

The lab announced at the beginning of the month that sound clips of bird songs and calls can be uploaded directly to e-Bird from the Merlin app or other mobile recording apps.

I gave it a try a few days ago while walking through the woods at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. Two Eastern towhees were calling to one another, “twee” to “twee.” At least I think it was two towhees, as the calls were coming from both sides of the trail.

I had turned Merlin on to record once I heard the calls, and I let the recording run for 10 seconds. I saved the file and moved on. But after turning onto another trail, I remembered that mobile uploads were possible.

I’d already logged the towhees in my e-Bird report. With a few clicks I was able to upload the audio file to that report. Voila! It was super easy, and I’m grateful for that.

I’d previously only uploaded a few audio files. I’d email the clips from Merlin to myself, download the file and then post it to an e-Bird report from my computer at home.

Filing from the field was much more fun. I expect this capability will induce more birders to upload audio files, further enriching the Cornell lab’s fantastic database. 🦅

A little extra effort finds a palm warbler

I arrived at the Pole Farm a few minutes before the 6:44 a.m. sunrise today, and other than blue jays and catbirds I saw few birds on the trail loop I walked. As I returned to the parking lot, I passed my car and walked past the lot to see if any birds might be in the grasses just beyond it.

It was a lucky move. In a small tree poking out of the grasses, I spotted a small bird perched on a branch and nipping at its buds. My first thought was that it was a young Carolina wren, but I had my doubts. The bird’s lower breast showed some yellow.

When I got home and pulled up the images, I made a correct ID: palm warbler, the first of the season reported at the Pole Farm.

A palm warbler nips at the buds of a small tree in front of a background green from grasses.
The palm warbler looks young, to my eyes. Regardless of age, I welcome it.

I was glad to see this returning migrant. In previous seasons, I often spotted palm warblers in small trees in the meadows. But some of those small trees have disappeared, and the other day I was wondering if that would cut down my palm warbler sightings.

I’ve been visiting Mercer Meadows regularly since 2019, long enough that I’ve begun noticing changes in the landscape. For example, two significant trees that often attracted birds have disappeared since the first of the year.

A tall, bare, spike-like tree not far from the Pole Farm parking lot often had Northern flickers perched atop it. The tree came down in recent weeks. It must have toppled either in a storm or from old age. I found it lying amid bushes the other day, its trunk snapped just above the ground.

Early in the year, on the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows, a large “devil’s fork” tree that was a favorite perch for American kestrels and Northern harriers vanished. It was off the trails and not in a spot to which I could or should walk to see what remains of it.

The foliage will continue to change, and I expect the patterns of bird activities will shift as well. Nonetheless, the Pole Farm remains a terrific habitat for birders and us birders who appreciate their continued presence. 🦅