orchard oriole – The Jersey Birder

Things are looking up in birding

Flying left to right against a bright blue sky with a few small clouds, a red-winged blackbird chases a red-tailed hawk.

With migration underway, we birders spend a lot of time looking up to spot warblers high up in trees. On two outings this week, I’ve seen few warblers but have spent a lot of time craning my neck. I looked up at the Pole Farm on Wednesday to see a red-winged blackbird chasing a red-tailedContinue reading “Things are looking up in birding”

A mid-year report on New Jersey birding

A female orchard oriole perches in tall green grasses.

We started the second half of the calendar year today, and I figured this would be a good time to assess how my birding adventures went in the first half. I’ve done OK. My species total in New Jersey stands at 104, lagging a bit behind my total of 116 at the same point lastContinue reading “A mid-year report on New Jersey birding”

My ‘Big Day’ gets off to a nice (red)start

American redstart perched on a tree branch.

I suffer from warbler deprivation syndrome. I head to the woods, hoping to find multiple migrants flitting above me or, even better, right in front of me. I was feeling particularly underserved by the warbler community as I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm early this morning. While my Merlin app the last coupleContinue reading “My ‘Big Day’ gets off to a nice (red)start”