As ubiquitous as the blue jay is in much of this part of the world, I’ve taken relatively few photos of them in wild, especially when compared with many less common species. Early in my walk this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I spotted one sitting regally atop a tree and snapped away.Continue reading “The magnificent blue jay”
Tag Archives: nature
A magnificent surprise: a great horned owl
As we headed up the trail this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, my friends Jim and Andy and I had no clue of the wonderful surprise awaiting us in the woods. We were hoping we’d see a few of the warblers that have been trickling into the park this week. The weather wasContinue reading “A magnificent surprise: a great horned owl”
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”
Waking up to the robins
Well before dawn, the robins in our neighborhood start singing. I don’t think they’re trying to wake me up or spur me to get out of bed, but in whatever message they’re conveying, they are persistent. This morning, I listened to them for 5 or 10 minutes, and when I heard a cardinal start singingContinue reading “Waking up to the robins”
In the middle of the night, a screech owl pays a call
“What bird is that?” The question, posed by my wife, came at about 2:20 a.m. “What bird?” i asked groggily, awakening from a deep sleep. “THAT bird,” she said. “Can’t you hear it? It woke me up.” “No, I can’t.,” I said, glancing at the clock. I took a few seconds to debate whether itContinue reading “In the middle of the night, a screech owl pays a call”
Springing into Spring
After enduring three dreary days of rain, I was pleased to wake up to a clear sky this morning. Lifting my spirits higher was the sight of an Eastern bluebird perched atop one of our backyard feeders. Although bluebirds are common in parks near home, it’s a rare day when I see one in ourContinue reading “Springing into Spring”
With Ping-Pong song, field sparrows reveal themselves
When I stepped out of the car at the Pole Farm parking lot, it took only a few moments for the sound to register. There it was, the unmistakeable dropping-Ping-Pong-ball song of the field sparrow. Field sparrows may actually hang around all year long in this part of the country, but they stop singing sometimeContinue reading “With Ping-Pong song, field sparrows reveal themselves”
A wild duck chase, and an unassisted walk
That grin on my face emerged with that gesture of triumph this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, where for the first time in many months I went birding on my own two feet, without a cane. Since troubles with my knees crossed into acute territory over the summer, I’ve been trying hard toContinue reading “A wild duck chase, and an unassisted walk”
Looking out my back door on Leap Day
Because of work and other complications, I figured I wasn’t going to get in any birding — let alone bird photos — on this “Leap Day,” the quadrennial 29th of February. After a quick run to campus and the bank this morning, as I pulled back into my driveway, beyond the roof of our houseContinue reading “Looking out my back door on Leap Day”
Along the interstate, I find a lifer
Bright sunshine held sway all day today, and my friend Laura and I took advantage of it and headed out this morning for a couple hours of birding. Our first stop was at a scenic overlook along the Delaware River off Interstate 295 near Trenton. We’d stopped there once previously, only to find a big,Continue reading “Along the interstate, I find a lifer”
The Jersey Birder 