blue grosbeak – The Jersey Birder

A-bunting we shall go

A deep blue indigo bunting perches on a tree branch, with green leaves behind him.

For the second consecutive Saturday, my birding buddy Jim and I headed to Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, homing in on the hilly portion of the park that hosts the aviation navigation beacon. The hilltop fields remain rich in wildflowers, a powerful draw for birds and butterflies in colors as vivid as the blossoms. The standoutContinue reading “A-bunting we shall go”

Another routine day of Pole Farm birding

A tufted titmouse peeks out from a vee of branches in a tree.

Even an ordinary day of birding at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm can become extraordinary. Today, for example. No unusual species appeared, which was not a surprise during this mid-summer lull when many birds go quiet if not away. I was lucky to catch an indigo bunting singing from atop a low tree in oneContinue reading “Another routine day of Pole Farm birding”

A blue grosbeak, full frame

Blue grosbeak perched on a stalk surrounded with green -- leaves to the right, grasses behind. The bird is blue with a silver beak. It has two rust-colored bars on its black wing.

I have no data to prove it, but when it comes to getting photos of the most colorful birds on my outings, I usually hear them before I see them. That’s true for cardinals, blue jays, Northern yellow warblers, indigo buntings, and blue grosbeaks. At the Pole Farm this morning, I heard several indigo buntingsContinue reading “A blue grosbeak, full frame”

Blue grosbeaks and brown thrashers rule the day

We’re in a hot spell in much of the Eastern half of the country, with temperatures pushing into the high 90s here in central New Jersey. As a result, more birders than usual were out at the Pole Farm in the 7 o’clock hour this morning to beat the heat, as the temperature was onlyContinue reading “Blue grosbeaks and brown thrashers rule the day”

The thrill of a new bird sighting

Because of work commitments, my time in the woods and fields has been limited of late, so I’m extra appreciative when new birds come into view. I spotted my first blue grosbeak on May 17 at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, and the bird seems to be hanging around as fellow birders spotted it thisContinue reading “The thrill of a new bird sighting”