Birders and birding – The Jersey Birder

A green heron grabs a bite to eat

A green heron snags a small frog from the water and clutches it in its beak. The bird's gray crest has raised up.

On this beautiful late-summer day, I wasn’t able to get out with my camera in the morning. But with the sun shining brightly and a light breeze continuing after lunch, I hopped in the car for some birding. Mid-afternoon isn’t a time when many birds are out, and that was true on my first stop.Continue reading “A green heron grabs a bite to eat”

A Labor (Day) of love for birding

An immature little blue heron, with white plumage, struts in a swamp.

One of the joys of birding is the unexpected discovery, whether of a bird or new birding friends. Such was my Labor Day experience, which started with a trip to Veterans Park in Hamilton. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve seen any gulls, and I thought that the lake at the park mightContinue reading “A Labor (Day) of love for birding”

A rugged, muddy morning of birding in Princeton

A red bellied woodpecker poises itself to strike a bare tree.

Adjacent to the Princeton University campus, the Charles H. Rogers Wildlife Refuge is a wooded area with a marsh suitable for a leisurely birding walk on a late summer Sunday. I stopped there this morning, circling the marsh on the blue trail and hoping to spot a few warblers. Striking out on the warblers, IContinue reading “A rugged, muddy morning of birding in Princeton”

The pleasures of daily birding

A bald eagle lifts its head up and looks toward the sky. The bird has a white head, brown body and yellow talons.

Unless the weather is horrible or I have a family or other priority commitment, I get out birding almost every day. Most of my outings run in the 90-minute range, but shorter sessions can also bring joy. Today was an unusual three-stop day, starting at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton for about 45 minutesContinue reading “The pleasures of daily birding”

Another routine day of Pole Farm birding

A tufted titmouse peeks out from a vee of branches in a tree.

Even an ordinary day of birding at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm can become extraordinary. Today, for example. No unusual species appeared, which was not a surprise during this mid-summer lull when many birds go quiet if not away. I was lucky to catch an indigo bunting singing from atop a low tree in oneContinue reading “Another routine day of Pole Farm birding”

Retirement means more time for birding!

A male Baltimore perches on a treetop branch.

My retirement from Princeton University took effect Wednesday, and I took first opportunity to head to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The morning was sunny and warm, and I knew those conditions would not last as a heat dome was starting to form over New Jersey and much of the Eastern United States. As theContinue reading “Retirement means more time for birding!”

Another trip to the pines: warblers, lizards and a snake

A blue-winged warbler perches in a pine tree. The bird is yellow, with a black beak and a black eyeline.

Hoping to spot a summer tanager, my pal Jim and I drove south into the Pine Barrens this morning to the Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve. The tanager would have been a lifer for me, and Jim figured our odds of spotting one were good because he’s seen them there for a few years running.Continue reading “Another trip to the pines: warblers, lizards and a snake”

Losing track of time while tracking birds

A red-bellied woodpecker clings to one of several trees in a wooded area.

Unexpectedly, I had a transformative experience while birding in the woods today. I had intended to drive to Trenton marsh but mistakenly took an early exit off Interstate 295 and decided to drive to Veterans Park in Hamilton. Once there, I skirted Martin’s Lake and headed onto the trail that runs along the lake’s southContinue reading “Losing track of time while tracking birds”

Slip-sliding into the new year

A male house finch, with a deep red head, sits atop a cedar tree with a deep blue sky in the background.

I can’t not get out and go birding on New Year’s Day. So with a bitter wind blowing in my face, I headed up the trail at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, quickly realizing that underneath the half inch of snow that had fallen overnight lay a slippery layer of ice. With that gusty windContinue reading “Slip-sliding into the new year”

Praise the light! A nature photographer’s prayer

Photography: n. from the Greek, writing with light. I majored in the classics in college, and I’m familiar with the roots of many common words in the English language. Anyone who is halfway serious about photography knows that good light makes for good photos. Although it wasn’t quite the “golden hour” before sunset when IContinue reading “Praise the light! A nature photographer’s prayer”