birds – Page 9 – The Jersey Birder

Wood ducks brighten the day

Male wood ducks on tree limbs extending over a pond, with reeds in the background.

At least one Virginia rail is hanging out in the big pond at the center of the Charles Rogers Wildlife Refuge in Princeton, and I stopped there before work Monday. I was hoping as on previous visits merely to hear a rail, a bird that hides among the reeds and rarely ventures into view whenContinue reading “Wood ducks brighten the day”

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”

Bird Safe program at Princeton saves bird lives

Still from video showing student Patrick Newcombe walking in front of a glass box building.

Distressed over the heartbreaking number of birds killed by striking windows on campus, a group of Princeton University students set out on ambitious plan to study the problem and find a solution. Their inspiring work has led to changes in the university’s building procedures, saving the lives of countless numbers of birds. The students ofContinue reading “Bird Safe program at Princeton saves bird lives”

An end-of-the-hike surprise

A pied-billed grebe floats right to left on a lake.

I have always depended on the kindness of other birders. Yesterday was no exception as I finished my walk around Spring Lake at John A. Roebling Park, a.k.a. Trenton marsh. As I was finishing my loop around the lake, I spotted at least three yellow-rumped warblers in the trees near the parking lot. They wereContinue reading “An end-of-the-hike surprise”

A chipping sparrow enlivens the feeder

Chipping sparrow perched on an iron rail.

This time of year, it’s always a good idea to check the traffic at your bird feeder to see if any newcomers or old friends show up. On Sunday morning, I looked out the back windows at home and spotted a chipping sparrow on the circular perch of our primary feeder. It was the firstContinue reading “A chipping sparrow enlivens the feeder”

Let’s hear it for the field sparrow

Field sparrow with beak fully open as it sings from a tree branch.

I had little opportunity to go birding during the work week, so getting out Saturday morning was a priority. The sun was out as I arrived at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, but a wall of clouds soon moved in. Nonetheless, it was bright enough when I reached the old AT&T Building One site aboutContinue reading “Let’s hear it for the field sparrow”

A song sparrow gone wrong

Song sparrow on ledge outside a window, with a white candle off to the side on ledge inside the window.

For the last several days, a song sparrow has been pecking at a couple of windows on the back end of our house. While my wife has been bemusedly coping with most of the attacks, I finally got a photo of the offending fellow this morning. If you look at the window in the photoContinue reading “A song sparrow gone wrong”

A meadowlark serenade

Eastern meadowlark, lit by the sun, sings from a small tree amid the brown grasses of a field.

My birding opportunities are limited this week, so with the sun shining and the temperature flirting with 60 degrees, I decided to make a quick dash to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm after work. The highlight of my 2-mile stroll was a chorus of Eastern meadowlarks singing in the fields as I made my wayContinue reading “A meadowlark serenade”

My big zoom is back!

A song sparrow sings from a tree branch at the edge of a grassy field.

I was able to pick up my Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary lens from the camera shop on Friday afternoon. I am happily back out shooting with it again. The problem with the zoom mechanism locking up is gone, and the repair gave me another fix I wasn’t expecting. Ever since my Canon R7 arrived severalContinue reading “My big zoom is back!”

Zoom troubles take my Sigma lens offline

A red-winged blackbird squawks while sitting on a tree branch.

The blackbird above must have been channeling my feelings this morning. Over the last several weeks, my Sigma 150-600 mm Contemporary lens that I use for almost all my birding outings was increasingly acting up. The lens’ zoom function was locking up intermittently, limiting my shooting to a narrow band of 400 mm to 500Continue reading “Zoom troubles take my Sigma lens offline”