We’re nearing the peak of fall migration, yet I found few warblers this weekend. Instead, I was treated to a variety of sparrows and — best of all — had as close an encounter with a Northern harrier as one could hope to have. As I made my way up the central trail at theContinue reading “Sparrows, a harrier and an unexpected owl highlight the weekend”
Tag Archives: Northern harrier
Surprise! It’s a dickcissel
One of the things I love about birding is its unpredictability. You get skunked one day, strike gold(finches) the next. Today was one of the latter, when my pal Jim and I made three stops in and around Princeton. The first and primary stop was the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, and we had near instantContinue reading “Surprise! It’s a dickcissel”
Migration joy: a Northern harrier appears at the Pole Farm
I’d been waiting for the moment. As my friend Jim and I worked our way up the central path from the Pole Farm parking lot, I looked to my left and spotted a big blob far across the field. Sitting atop a small tree was a Northern harrier, as I quickly concluded by looking throughContinue reading “Migration joy: a Northern harrier appears at the Pole Farm”
My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025
I’ve had a lot of fun reviewing the bird photos I took in 2025, and it took me several passes to sort out the top 10. Weirdly, on my first ranking, I discovered that a few of the birds that made my 2024 top 10 were included in my ’25 list. Was I playing favoritesContinue reading “My 10 favorite bird photos of 2025”
American tree sparrows are back
While pulling into the Pole Farm parking lot the other day, I declared my goal: to spot an American tree sparrow. Reports of the winter-visit birds had been trickling in on e-Bird, but I’d yet to see one this season. I was in luck, however, on this day-before-Christmas visit. I’d brought along my friend Jim,Continue reading “American tree sparrows are back”
A fulfilling weekend of birding
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”
A day of discovery and a lifer, sort of
I made two visits to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm today, and it was full of surprises. On a longer than usual three-mile walk in the morning, I finally added a red-headed woodpecker to my e-Bird reports. It was a lifer. Or was it? I’ve been hoping to spot a red-headed woodpecker since I beganContinue reading “A day of discovery and a lifer, sort of”
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 snow goose helps us see in the new year
“What’s that white bird out there?” my wife asked at the breakfast table this morning. “Out there, in the geese.” As there were about 200 Canada geese on the neighboring golf course, just beyond our property line, it took me a while to pick out the white bird. I grabbed my camera, dashed outside andContinue reading “A snow goose helps us see in the new year”
Humor and humility: Birding brings both
Besides a sharp eye and patience, a birder needs a sense of humor and a sense of humility. I keep that in mind, particularly with my photography, as I tread the fields and woods on my birding outings. The photography certainly keeps me humble, as I review my photo cards and see the shots thatContinue reading “Humor and humility: Birding brings both”