Delaware and Raritan Canal – The Jersey Birder

Which way to go? Follow the rare bird

A common gallinule -- dark body and head, red and yellow bill -- wades along the edge of a log in a swamp near a tree trunk.

A week had passed since I last went birding, and I was determined to get out before work this morning. But which way to go? At first I thought I’d go to my go-to place, the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. But birders had spotted a common gallinule — rare in these parts — the pastContinue reading “Which way to go? Follow the rare bird”

A few photos to brighten a wet weekend

A blue heron preens while percheed atop a tree in a swamp.

We’re in a stretch of rainy days, and I’ve also been busy with commitments on the Princeton campus. My birding has thus been limited, and I decided it was time to post a few recent photos previously unpublished. I devoted my previous post to the prothonotary warbler I’d seen at the Dyson Tract. That morningContinue reading “A few photos to brighten a wet weekend”

Things are looking up in birding

Flying left to right against a bright blue sky with a few small clouds, a red-winged blackbird chases a red-tailed hawk.

With migration underway, we birders spend a lot of time looking up to spot warblers high up in trees. On two outings this week, I’ve seen few warblers but have spent a lot of time craning my neck. I looked up at the Pole Farm on Wednesday to see a red-winged blackbird chasing a red-tailedContinue reading “Things are looking up in birding”

The cool, clear call of the Baltimore oriole

It’s hard to pick a favorite song or call of the birds I encounter in my part of the world, but unquestionably the sweet, clear song of the Baltimore oriole is among my favorites. I heard one for the first time this spring at the Pole Farm on Tuesday and heard another this morning atContinue reading “The cool, clear call of the Baltimore oriole”

No fooling: my first bird of April was a bald eagle

A mature bald eagle sits on a tree branch. Part of the bird's white head and yellow beak are obscured by a thin tree branch.

With the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm closed for a few days for the annual “controlled burn” torching of the fields, I headed to the Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal this morning. Propitiously, as I eased my car into a parking spot, I watched a mature bald eagle fly into a nearby treeContinue reading “No fooling: my first bird of April was a bald eagle”

Nothing beats a bald eagle

The head of a bald eagle, with wisps of white feathers showing on its neck.

Symbol of America, the bald eagle is a magnificent bird. I had the privilege of seeing two of them this morning. I got one of them on camera in Princeton as I was driving away from the Millstone River Impoundment. I was heading to U.S. 1 when I looked to my right and saw theContinue reading “Nothing beats a bald eagle”

Where have all the gulls gone?

A ring-billed gull stands on a railing on a wooden footbridge.

The other day I was telling a fellow birder that I’ve been wondering why I hadn’t seen many seagulls where I normally see them, such as at Colonial Lake. It also includes the Lawrence Shopping Center on the opposite side of Business Route 1, where ring-billed gulls often hover over the parking lot, looking forContinue reading “Where have all the gulls gone?”

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”

An abundance of pewees enlivens the soundscape

The sweet “pee-uh-wee!” call of the Eastern wood pewee has been sounding repeatedly in my part of New Jersey this Labor Day weekend. I heard several again this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm and at the Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. More often than not, I log my e-Bird peweeContinue reading “An abundance of pewees enlivens the soundscape”

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”