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”
Tag Archives: Dyson Tract
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
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”
Magnificent Sunday with a bald eagle
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
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”
In search of yellow birds, with bald eagles as a bonus
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”
My big zoom is back!
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!”
Eastern drought seems bad for birds
Although we had some rain overnight Sunday into Monday, we’ve had an extended drought here in the New York-Philadelphia region. Wildfires are burning here and there at a time of year when they shouldn’t be a concern. Not a puddle is to be had at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm or many of my otherContinue reading “Eastern drought seems bad for birds”
So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots
Take a look at the yellow-rumped warbler topping this post. The bird is in profile high up in a tree, eying a cluster of berries. A moment later, the bird would have one of those berries in its beak, but that shot was blurred. Another frame shows the bird with its beak plunged into theContinue reading “So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots”
The Jersey Birder 