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 theContinue reading “Sparrows, a harrier and an unexpected owl highlight the weekend”
Category Archives: Birds in the wild
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 StatesContinue reading “Blue jays are magnificent”
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 onContinue reading “Harriers and newly arriving sparrows usher in October”
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. That was a great start, but our walkContinue reading “A delightfully busy day at the Pole Farm”
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, theContinue reading “A one-bird day at Abbott Marshlands”
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 beingContinue reading “Starlings have surprising charms”
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 beContinue reading “A little extra effort finds a palm warbler”
A green heron grabs a bite to eat
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”
Surprise! It’s a dickcissel
One of the things I love about birding is its unpredictability. You get skunked one day, strike gold(finches) the next. Today was one of the latter, when my pal Jim and I made three stops in and around Princeton. The first and primary stop was the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, and we had near instantContinue reading “Surprise! It’s a dickcissel”
Seeing old friends before the migrants arrive
Fall migrants are slowly beginning to arrive in my part of the world. Meantime, I’ve been savoring seeing the birds who’ve been gracing our fields and forests over the spring and summer before they, too, head south. This morning at the Pole Farm, I was pleased to observe a few common yellowthroats. All but oneContinue reading “Seeing old friends before the migrants arrive”