birder – The Jersey Birder

Snow and sunshine pretty up the Pole Farm

A snow covered bridge leads on a gentle incline past trees on the right and an open field straight ahead.

The Mercer Meadows Pole Farm is a beautiful place in all kinds of weather, but I find it extra special after a decent snowfall. We had back-to-back days of snow over the holiday weekend, and I was able to get to the park Monday. Annoyingly, the gates at the Cold Soil Road parking lot wereContinue reading “Snow and sunshine pretty up the Pole Farm”

Birds and fall color: a great combination

Savannah sparrow perched a cluster of red berries.

This is a golden time for birding, with the fall color peaking and enough leaves falling to increase the odds of seeing more birds in the branches. This morning was a nice example, as my pal Jim and I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The sun was out in full, shining liberally onContinue reading “Birds and fall color: a great combination”

Sparrows a-go-go at the Pole Farm

Two Savannah sparrows face one another in the tall grasses.

We’ve had a beautiful fall weekend here in central New Jersey, with warmer-than-we-really-should-have temperatures poking into the upper 70s. I was able to get two good outings in at the Mercer Meadow Pole Farm, where sparrows took center stage. I’m leading the post with two of the Savannah sparrows I saw while walking up theContinue reading “Sparrows a-go-go at the Pole Farm”

A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2

A yellow-rumped warbler perches, briefly, on a branch.

On Sunday, I made my first stop at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton, where other birders have been reporting good warbler traffic. As I stepped out of my car at the parking lot, plenty of birds were calling. My warbler brain has not been challenged much this fall, and I struggled at first toContinue reading “A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2”

A yellow warbler plays coy

A yellow warbler peeks out from a heart-shaped green leaf.

Having missed the prothonotary warbler Sunday, I took a quick trip to the Dyson Tract this morning hoping to spot it. Again, however, a yellow warbler stole the show. As I stood facing the swamp from the canal towpath, a yellow warbler flew down into some leaves clustered around the bottom of a telephone pole.Continue reading “A yellow warbler plays coy”

All hail the Northern cardinal

Northern cardinal, beak open, singing from a tree branch.

What is it about Northern cardinals that makes us homo sapiens swoon? Whenever I post a batch of bird photos to Facebook, if there’s a cardinal in the lot, it usually draws the most likes and comments, The cardinal is the state bird of my native Ohio, and I’ve always known them since I wasContinue reading “All hail the Northern cardinal”

A suprisingly good morning for photos

Eastern meadowlark singing from a small tree.

After a few days of rain and a forecast for heavy clouds today, I wasn’t expecting good conditions for photos as I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning. I was hoping that I might be able to spot a few early arriving warblers in the trees, which wasn’t to be. But IContinue reading “A suprisingly good morning for photos”

Watching a bald eagle is good for the soul

A bald eagle flies in front of a stand of trees.

The other day I headed to the Millstone River Impoundment in Princeton to see what I could see. This would turn out to be a visit of quality over quantity. The scores of common mergansers that had flocked here a few days before had flown off, and only a few gulls and Canada geese wereContinue reading “Watching a bald eagle is good for the soul”

A return to the Pole Farm, and a surprise at Colonial Lake

Trail leading into the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, with trees on the left and a dirt path at center.

Since knee surgery last month, I’ve been itching to get back out with my camera at my favorite birding spots. Having weaned myself off a walker and a cane thanks to terrific medical care and physical therapy, I chose this morning to venture out. My first stop was the Pole Farm (above), where I tookContinue reading “A return to the Pole Farm, and a surprise at Colonial Lake”

Wings clipped, I can still do some birding

Carolina wren, beak open, clings to a suet feeder cage.

Last week I had knee replacement surgery, and it will be a few if not several weeks before I can get back out into the fields. Even though I’m largely homebound, I can still partake of the pleasure of watching the birds through the windows that frame our backyard and the golf course beyond it.Continue reading “Wings clipped, I can still do some birding”