We had a bit of birding excitement this week when a Townsend’s warbler was spotted at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. Word got out Wednesday afternoon, and I hoped when I’d be able go to the park on Thursday that the bird would still be around. I got to the park around 9 a.m. and,Continue reading “A rare Pole Farm visitor from the west: a Townsend’s warbler”
Tag Archives: New Jersey
Nothing beats a bald eagle
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
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”
Dee-dee-dee: How I love thee, chickadee
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”
An annoyance of grackles descends
‘Tis the season for huge flocks of common grackles to fill the sky and, in recent days, descend into the front and back yards of our home. A quick Google search revealed that groups of the stolid black birds with iridescent purple heads can be called a flock or, more pointedly, a plague or anContinue reading “An annoyance of grackles descends”
Where have all the gulls gone?
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?”
A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2
On Sunday, I made my first stop at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton, where other birders have been reporting good warbler traffic. As I stepped out of my car at the parking lot, plenty of birds were calling. My warbler brain has not been challenged much this fall, and I struggled at first toContinue reading “A beautiful weekend for birding, part 2”
A beautiful weekend for birding, part 1
Where to begin? This weekend has offered a lot of birding thrills in addition to beautiful weather. The sun has been shining as I’ve made several stops at parks near home. The temperature reached the mid-80s Saturday and is expected to do so again today. I’ll start with the rare bird that came Saturday toContinue reading “A beautiful weekend for birding, part 1”
Magnificent Sunday with a bald eagle
When several hours of rain finally lapsed Sunday afternoon, my wife suggested I head out with my camera. I had not expected to have an opportunity to do any birding, so I jumped at the chance — promising to be back soon to help get things in order for dinner guests. Because of all theContinue reading “Magnificent Sunday with a bald eagle”
For variety’s sake, Veterans Park in Hamilton serves us well
Veterans Park in Hamilton is just a bit too far for me to reach on pre-work mornings, so I usually go there on weekends. The man-made lake attracts a good variety of birds, and it’s not unusual to spot a bald eagle there. Last weekend, I paid an afternoon visit and spotted some shorebirds onContinue reading “For variety’s sake, Veterans Park in Hamilton serves us well”
The Jersey Birder 