photography – Page 2 – The Jersey Birder

Great light brightens the birds

Eastern towhee sitting on a tree branch, turning its head to the left.

My last two outings to Mercer Meadows brought lighting challenges and opportunities. Each morning started with heavy fog, with the sun ultimately breaking through and burning off the gray stuff. Sometimes, the fog makes for interesting, moody shots. I went to the Reed-Bryan Farm side of the park today. The fog was heavy, and throughContinue reading “Great light brightens the birds”

Magnificent Sunday with a bald eagle

A bald eagle soars under a blue sky with thin white clouds.

When several hours of rain finally lapsed Sunday afternoon, my wife suggested I head out with my camera. I had not expected to have an opportunity to do any birding, so I jumped at the chance — promising to be back soon to help get things in order for dinner guests. Because of all theContinue reading “Magnificent Sunday with a bald eagle”

A bobolink party at the Pole Farm

A bobolink clutches red and green grass stalks that bent under its weight.

The classic Dr. Seuss book “Go, Dog. Go!” ends [spoiler alert] with a pack of dogs climbing a ladder to the top of a big tree for a big dog party. My birding buddy Lee and I experienced the avian equivalent today at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. We pulled into the parking lot oneContinue reading “A bobolink party at the Pole Farm”

Birds kissed by morning light

A Northern cardinal, deep red with some black streaks about its head for missing feathers, snacks on a rolled up leaf whiile perched on a tree branch.

We’ve had a delightful run of sunny days of late. I’ve donned a jacket a few times on my morning walks because the post-dawn temperatures have dipped into the low 60s and even the 50s. This morning dawned gloriously, and I got out to the Pole Farm hoping to photograph some of the warblers thatContinue reading “Birds kissed by morning light”

Braving shoe-sucking mud for photos

A green heron, feet obscured by grasses, stands on a downed log in a swamp.

The Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal has been drawing lots of birders to check out the little blue herons that have taken up residence for the last week or so. I’d stopped by a few days ago and went back Sunday afternoon. At this time of year, the trees are thick withContinue reading “Braving shoe-sucking mud for photos”

When birds turn their backs to you

A willow flycatcher, facing away from the camera, perches on a stalk in a field of green grasses, with a few purple blossoms from a plant to its left.

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”

No camera for birds? No problem – switch to wildflowers!

One ripe blackberry and several unripe red berries appear on the edge of the bush's branches, with green leaves in background.

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!”

A goldfinch saves the day on the photo front

Male American goldfinch sitting on tree branch with dark green leaves behind him.

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”

Another yellow warbler brightens a gray day

Yellow warbler singing from skinny vertical branch at the top of a tree, with a few leaves below it.

For the past few years, yellow warblers have made a home in a group of trees about 100 yards up from the Cold Soil Road parking lot at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. From their arrival during Spring migration until their departure in Fall, I can count on hearing one of them in this sameContinue reading “Another yellow warbler brightens a gray day”

It pays to shoot, even when in doubt

American goldfinch stretches its wings as it flies off from a muddy trail.

Morning broke foggy in my part of the world. A couple of days of heavy rain left us soggy and humid conditions. I dodged puddles as I headed up the central trail at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning and spotted an American goldfinch ahead of me. It was poking in the wet dirtContinue reading “It pays to shoot, even when in doubt”