We’ve had a delightful run of sunny days of late. I’ve donned a jacket a few times on my morning walks because the post-dawn temperatures have dipped into the low 60s and even the 50s. This morning dawned gloriously, and I got out to the Pole Farm hoping to photograph some of the warblers thatContinue reading “Birds kissed by morning light”
Tag Archives: Northern cardinal
It’s good to be back home and welcoming warblers
With the sun fully out and the temperature a cool 51 degrees, I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning for my first home outing since returning from Maine. I had checked Birdcast to find that warblers are returning to Mercer County on their fall migration, and I hoped I’d chance upon aContinue reading “It’s good to be back home and welcoming warblers”
Lunch al fresco, with a birdsong soundtrack
With a pair of off-campus meetings bookending the lunch hour yesterday, I stopped at the Charles Rogers Nature Preserve in between appointments to have lunch with the birds. I parked near the main observation platform overlooking a large pond that at this time of year is covered almost completely in rushes and reeds. As IContinue reading “Lunch al fresco, with a birdsong soundtrack”
All hail the Northern cardinal
What is it about Northern cardinals that makes us homo sapiens swoon? Whenever I post a batch of bird photos to Facebook, if there’s a cardinal in the lot, it usually draws the most likes and comments, The cardinal is the state bird of my native Ohio, and I’ve always known them since I wasContinue reading “All hail the Northern cardinal”
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”
A winter solstice treat: birds in the snow
With each passing year, it seems we’re getting less and less snow than we did previously. We got a surprising two inches of the white stuff overnight, and I gleefully headed out to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, anticipating some bird-in-snow shots. While it seemed most of the birds decided to sleep in at theContinue reading “A winter solstice treat: birds in the snow”
A short walk for a big bird
Most days, I go out to the birds. Some days, they come to me. Today was a case in point. Once the sun came up, I noticed that the tube feeder outside our dining room windows was empty. A Northern cardinal perched there briefly and looked around, seemingly puzzled that his breakfast had not beenContinue reading “A short walk for a big bird”
A hint of fall at the Pole Farm
We’re still a few weeks away from the autumnal equinox, but Mother Nature is dropping a few hints that Fall is coming. The annual fall migration of birds is underway, and I’ve yet to see any southbound warblers in my treks at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. But this morning, an obliging Northern cardinal perchedContinue reading “A hint of fall at the Pole Farm”
Birds bathing in high heat and humidity
The day dawned hot, muggy and foggy. After a strong overnight thunderstorm, the windows in our house were so steamed up that I could not see the closest feeder that’s barely 10 feet away outside. As the sun started to burn through the haze, I drove to Veteran’s Park in Hamilton, in hopes of findingContinue reading “Birds bathing in high heat and humidity”
The Jersey Birder 