As 2023 fades into history, I am reflecting on what this odd, odd-numbered year has meant to me. Most of all, I am grateful for the friends I’ve encountered in my birding excursions. They include my steady friends, Jim and Andy, regulars at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, who share their joy in spotting birdsContinue reading “2023 in review: counting birds, blessings and friends”
Category Archives: Birders and birding
My kingdom for a cackling goose
Our wild goose chase finally came to an end today. My friend Laura and I have been obsessed with finding a cackling goose to add to our life lists. We’ve been scanning huge flocks of Canada geese to find a ride-along cackling goose, with its smaller body, stubby beak, shorter neck and lighter back. EverywhereContinue reading “My kingdom for a cackling goose”
Can my Philadelpia Eagles cap help me find more birds?
It’s a bit of a joke, but when I’m out birding I often wear my Philadelphia Eagles cap with a vague notion in my head that it will bring out more birds, maybe even induce a bald eagle to fly by. A silly notion, yes, but I’ll seek any advantage I can to bring moreContinue reading “Can my Philadelpia Eagles cap help me find more birds?”
Birds large and small, I like photographing them all
I don’t know what the numbers are, but a high percentage of birders are photographers. And among birding photographers, a certain percentage focus exclusively or primarily on the largest birds, mostly raptors — eagles, hawks and the bigger owls. I’ve done field studies of a sort, in that I often talk photography with birders IContinue reading “Birds large and small, I like photographing them all”
The irony of wildlife photography
“Don’t look back” may be good psychological advice for putting the past behind you, but for wildlife photographers in the field, it’s advice to be ignored. Shortly after I arrived at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm yesterday, I looked ahead and saw a photographer I didn’t recognize pointing a camera with a long, tripod-mounted lensContinue reading “The irony of wildlife photography”
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!”
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”
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”
Chasing a nemesis bird with birding author Julia Zarankin
If you are reading this post, you’re either already a birder or taking your first steps on the path to becoming one. Even if neither of those situations applies, I recommend that you read a wondeful book on discovering the joys of birding: Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir, by Julia Zarankin. JuliaContinue reading “Chasing a nemesis bird with birding author Julia Zarankin”
The Jersey Birder 