Eastern meadowlark – The Jersey Birder

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”

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 10 favorite bird photos of 2024

Ranking one’s favorite photos is a difficult task, akin to ranking one’s favorite desserts, cars or children. While over the span of a year I take scores of clunkers, I also look back fondly on the keepers. My list of favorites is a mish-mash: some make the list for their technical quality, others rate becauseContinue reading “My 10 favorite bird photos of 2024”

An Eastern meadowlark amid fall color

I follow a number of blogs that are short on text and long on images. So for a change to my usual chatty m.o., here’s a photo of an Eastern Meadowlark that I spotted at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm on Saturday morning. I am pleased with it, and I hope you like it, too.

Awaiting the warblers but still having plenty to see

While my social media feeds are awash in warblers, I have been waiting to see them in my neck of the woods. I went to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm today with high hopes to spot one. My friend Andy caught up with me shortly after I arrived, and — to relieve you of theContinue reading “Awaiting the warblers but still having plenty to see”

Can hearing aids make you a better birder?

I had just stepped out of the car at the Reed Bryan Farm parking lot at Mercer Meadows, anticipating the usual gaggle of European starlings that congregate in the large tree near the barn beside the lot. I hadn’t even opened the back-seat door to fetch my camera and binoculars when I heard the loudest,Continue reading “Can hearing aids make you a better birder?”