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”
Tag Archives: Mercer Meadows
Let’s hear it for the field sparrow
I had little opportunity to go birding during the work week, so getting out Saturday morning was a priority. The sun was out as I arrived at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, but a wall of clouds soon moved in. Nonetheless, it was bright enough when I reached the old AT&T Building One site aboutContinue reading “Let’s hear it for the field sparrow”
A real estate rush at the Pole Farm
Even without the formal arrival of Spring on the calendar, you know it’s a new season at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The tree swallows are back, jetting over the fields and checking out the bird boxes. The boxes are cozy quarters for the swallows and Eastern bluebirds, the latter staying in the park year-round.Continue reading “A real estate rush at the Pole Farm”
A meadowlark serenade
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 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!”
Backup plan: shooting birds at the home feeder
Today I made two trips to Mercer Meadows, to the Pole Farm at mid-morning and to the Reed-Bryan Farm in late afternoon. The only bird shots I took were of an American kestrel sitting atop a bird box, too far off for a clear photo. When I got home this afternoon, I spotted a chickadeeContinue reading “Backup plan: shooting birds at the home feeder”
The cardinals are singing again
Can Spring possibly be near? One sure sign is birdsong, and my mood lightened last week when I heard Northern cardinals singing at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm for two consecutive days. On the third day, I heard one singing as I went out to my car for a morning appointment. Again yesterday, I heardContinue reading “The cardinals are singing again”
Getting up close to a Northern harrier
Over my many visits to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I’ve seen scores of Northern harriers flying overhead and perched on poles or trees. Rarely do I see them relatively close by, as whenever I approach they scram. Today was different. As I was walking up the central path to the woods, I spotted aContinue reading “Getting up close to a Northern harrier”
A return to the Pole Farm, and a surprise at Colonial Lake
Since knee surgery last month, I’ve been itching to get back out with my camera at my favorite birding spots. Having weaned myself off a walker and a cane thanks to terrific medical care and physical therapy, I chose this morning to venture out. My first stop was the Pole Farm (above), where I tookContinue reading “A return to the Pole Farm, and a surprise at Colonial Lake”
A cold morning for sparrows
We’re at the front end of a cold snap that will bring temperatures down into the single digits Fahrenheit for a few days. We had two to three inches of snow fall yesterday, and I pulled on my Muck boots to head to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. It was slim pickings for birds. IContinue reading “A cold morning for sparrows”
The Jersey Birder 