nature – Page 2 – The Jersey Birder

Nothing beats a bald eagle

The head of a bald eagle, with wisps of white feathers showing on its neck.

Symbol of America, the bald eagle is a magnificent bird. I had the privilege of seeing two of them this morning. I got one of them on camera in Princeton as I was driving away from the Millstone River Impoundment. I was heading to U.S. 1 when I looked to my right and saw theContinue reading “Nothing beats a bald eagle”

Close encounters of the bird kind

A great blue heron turns its head to the left as it stands in front of an inlet at Trenton marsh.

With birding as in life, you never know what lies around the corner. I had two great blue heron sightings today. This morning, from the main observation platform at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton, I spotted a heron at the edge of the reeds on the back side of the pond in the centerContinue reading “Close encounters of the bird kind”

Cold-weather birding is back

A red-bellied woodpecker pauses on a tree branch before attacking the bark for bugs.

It was a chilly 13 degrees Fahrenheit when I reached the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm yesterday morning. Even without a breeze, few birds were out half an hour after sunrise. But avian activity picked up as I reached the woods up the central trail. First to appear were several robins flitting about the trees. IContinue reading “Cold-weather birding is back”

Surprise! It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker

A yellow-bellied sapsucker pecks the bark on the trunk of a tree.

Few birds were about this morning as I walked the trails at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, which made a surprise discovery all the more enjoyable. I’d seen a couple of wedges of Canada geese but little else as I reached the woods half a mile up the trail from the parking lot. I hadContinue reading “Surprise! It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker”

What do I need to start birding?

Man in baseball caps using binoculars to look out on the water while standing on beach.

If you’re interested in becoming a birder, you’re probably wondering what gear you might need. In this post, I’ll offer some advice based on my experience. I aim to keep expenses reasonable and minimal. For starters, all you need to do is look out the window of your home to see what birds show up.Continue reading “What do I need to start birding?”

Thank goodness for backyard birds

Northern flicker clings to the bottom of a suet cage, its beak ready to pluck at the suet.

Cooped up at home for a couple of weeks after knee surgery, I’ve managed birding only by looking out the windows at home. I got a surprise yesterday when a Northern flicker parked on the suet feeder long enough for me to get my camera and take a few photos. Flickers visit our yard withContinue reading “Thank goodness for backyard birds”

Dee-dee-dee: How I love thee, chickadee

A black-capped chickadee perches on a tree branch.

My heart belongs to the chickadee. Black-capped or Carolina, I have no preference. Whichever of those perky, petite birds comes into range, I am in thrall and in love. [Note: This is a repost of the original post from Nov. 8, which I accidentally deleted.] This morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I tookContinue reading “Dee-dee-dee: How I love thee, chickadee”

Where have all the gulls gone?

A ring-billed gull stands on a railing on a wooden footbridge.

The other day I was telling a fellow birder that I’ve been wondering why I hadn’t seen many seagulls where I normally see them, such as at Colonial Lake. It also includes the Lawrence Shopping Center on the opposite side of Business Route 1, where ring-billed gulls often hover over the parking lot, looking forContinue reading “Where have all the gulls gone?”

With the first frost of fall, some cool birds

A Cooper's hawk faces the rising sun while sitting on a thick tree branch.

With the thermometer at 30 degrees this morning, we had our first frost of the fall. It turned out to be a decent day for birding. I hadn’t been to the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows for a while and decided to go there rather than to the Pole Farm side of the park.Continue reading “With the first frost of fall, some cool birds”

A fulfilling weekend of birding

A pair of Savannah sparrows sit on different branches of a small tree with red leaves.

Over the weekend, I spent two mornings at Mercer Meadows with friends, human and avian. While I’m still awaiting the arrival of more Northern harriers, I’m pleased to report that the Savannah sparrows have been arriving steadily. My friend Sally had mentioned that she’d love to see an Eastern meadowlark at the Pole Farm. SinceContinue reading “A fulfilling weekend of birding”