Mercer Meadows – The Jersey Birder

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”

Spring is here. Bring on the migrant birds

An American robin perches on a slender tree branch before a deep blue sky. Other slender branches are nearby.

Today is the first day of Spring, and the sun shone as I made a pre-work visit to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. American robins were abundant, as is typical this time of year, and I’m topping this post with one of the first I saw as I walked up the central trail. Farther upContinue reading “Spring is here. Bring on the migrant birds”

Stretching my routes at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm

A song sparrow, with its beak wide open and its tongue visible inside, belts out its song while perched on a diagonal tree branch.

My new bionic knees have rejuvenated my ability to tramp around the woods, and I’ve been steadily increasing the distances I walk in this new year. Today, I put in 2.5 miles on one of my favorite routes that takes me to the north end of the park. Along the way, I had decent lightContinue reading “Stretching my routes at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm”

A birding adventure in the Pine Barrens

Red-headed woodpecker sitting on a nearly horizontal tree limb.

We weren’t out to find the mythical Jersey Devil. My friend Jim and I set out for Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in the Pinelands to find pine warblers and red-headed woodpeckers. Jim, who has been visiting Colliers Mills since he was a kid, guaranteed that we’d find the red-headed woodpeckers and figured we hadContinue reading “A birding adventure in the Pine Barrens”

A walk in the sunshine

An American robin perches on a small tree. The bird turns its head back to the left. Its red breast and yellow bill are well-illuminated by the sun.

The weather reversed course Thursday, the temperature dropping and the snow falling although not sticking. This morning, I went out to my car, which had iced over so much that I couldn’t pull open the rear driver-side door where I usually place my camera with my binoculars. The windshield was covered in crystals, which theContinue reading “A walk in the sunshine”

Snow and sunshine pretty up the Pole Farm

A snow covered bridge leads on a gentle incline past trees on the right and an open field straight ahead.

The Mercer Meadows Pole Farm is a beautiful place in all kinds of weather, but I find it extra special after a decent snowfall. We had back-to-back days of snow over the holiday weekend, and I was able to get to the park Monday. Annoyingly, the gates at the Cold Soil Road parking lot wereContinue reading “Snow and sunshine pretty up the Pole Farm”

My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025

A female common yellowthroat, perched on a small brown branch in front of long green leaves, opens her beak wide to sing, almost appearing as if she's angry.

I’ve had a lot of fun reviewing the bird photos I took in 2025, and it took me several passes to sort out the top 10. Weirdly, on my first ranking, I discovered that a few of the birds that made my 2024 top 10 were included in my ’25 list. Was I playing favoritesContinue reading “My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025”

Slip-sliding into the new year

A male house finch, with a deep red head, sits atop a cedar tree with a deep blue sky in the background.

I can’t not get out and go birding on New Year’s Day. So with a bitter wind blowing in my face, I headed up the trail at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, quickly realizing that underneath the half inch of snow that had fallen overnight lay a slippery layer of ice. With that gusty windContinue reading “Slip-sliding into the new year”

American tree sparrows are back

An American tree sparrow perches amid criss-crossing tree branches.

While pulling into the Pole Farm parking lot the other day, I declared my goal: to spot an American tree sparrow. Reports of the winter-visit birds had been trickling in on e-Bird, but I’d yet to see one this season. I was in luck, however, on this day-before-Christmas visit. I’d brought along my friend Jim,Continue reading “American tree sparrows are back”

The Canada goose stands on guard

A "sentinel goose" looks to its righ as the geese behind it forage on the golf course grass.

From the fall through the winter and into spring, the golf course that sprawls just beyond our property line becomes a haven for Canada geese. I daresay the fairways of Cobblestone Creek Country Club see more takeoffs and landings in one day than Pearson Airport in Toronto. My wife and I generally are amused byContinue reading “The Canada goose stands on guard”