bald eagle – The Jersey Birder

My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025

A female common yellowthroat, perched on a small brown branch in front of long green leaves, opens her beak wide to sing, almost appearing as if she's angry.

I’ve had a lot of fun reviewing the bird photos I took in 2025, and it took me several passes to sort out the top 10. Weirdly, on my first ranking, I discovered that a few of the birds that made my 2024 top 10 were included in my ’25 list. Was I playing favoritesContinue reading “My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025”

When raptors make a house call — at your own home

A bald eagle flies over the golf course, with a a flag for the 10th green at lower right.

I wasn’t able to leave home today to go birding, which makes what transpired this afternoon all the more remarkable. Early in the afternoon, just before my wife and I sat down for lunch, I looked out the dining room window and was astonished to see a hawk in the laurel tree that marks theContinue reading “When raptors make a house call — at your own home”

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”

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”

Sandpipers and killdeers aplenty in Hamilton

A solitary sandpiper stands on a mud bank, with greenish water in the background.

After the excitement of seeing a pair of rare sedge wrens, for a change of pace I drove to Veterans Park in Hamilton. The park has a big lake that attracts eagles and waterfowl, and I was eager to spot a few to broaden my species count for the young month. I walked across theContinue reading “Sandpipers and killdeers aplenty in Hamilton”

In search of yellow birds, with bald eagles as a bonus

Yellow warbler perched amid tree branches.

For weeks, I’ve been hearing yellow warblers on my birding jaunts but until this morning I hadn’t seen one. For days, I’ve been seeing reports of a prothonotary warbler nearby, and I hoped I might spot it today on my first attempt. I went to the Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal withContinue reading “In search of yellow birds, with bald eagles as a bonus”

A good omen for the Eagles in the Super Bowl

Bald eagle flying above power lines in front of a condominium.

My wife and I were having lunch at the kitchen table when she looked up and saw a bird coming in for a landing on the golf course that adjoins our yard. It was no ordinary bird. On this Super Bowl Sunday, a bald eagle paid us a call, and I consider that a goodContinue reading “A good omen for the Eagles in the Super Bowl”

A fine morning at Hamilton Veterans Park

For the past several days, I’d been seeing e-Bird reports of snowy egrets and a little blue heron hanging around Veterans Park in Hamilton. When I woke up this morning, I figured it was high time I checked them out. Sure enough, the little blue heron was staying close to a larger snowy egret, asContinue reading “A fine morning at Hamilton Veterans Park”

Sitting on a park bench, eyeing bald eagles with photo intent

Some outings are long walks, and others are short, each with their own charms. Today, I had a typical walk at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm in the morning. In the afternoon, I headed over to Mercer County Park in hopes of sighting and shooting photos of a few eagles. It was a short walkContinue reading “Sitting on a park bench, eyeing bald eagles with photo intent”

Camera surprise: It’s a bald eagle!

On a walk when I found few birds other than Canada Geese, I took just six photos this morning, one of which I trashed in the camera on site. When I got home, I almost didn’t bother to check the card because the pickings at the Millstone River Impoundment in Princeton were so slim. IContinue reading “Camera surprise: It’s a bald eagle!”