orchard oriole – The Jersey Birder

Has the summer slowdown begun at the Pole Farm?

An orchard oriole calls from tall green plants. Its head iand wings are black, its breast a deep shade of orange, and its beak is mostly black on top and silver on the bottom.

Spring migration is over, and most birds have settled into where they’ll spend the summer. I crossed paths with a birding friend yesterday, and we both noted that opportunities to see and photograph birds at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm seem as if they are starting to slow. On Wednesday, for example, I shot photosContinue reading “Has the summer slowdown begun at the Pole Farm?”

Chasing bobolinks and wrapping up a record month

Bobolink perched atop a gray wood fence, with green grasses behind it.

I’ve never had a better May for birding than this one. By spotting three double-crested cormorants in a tree at the Millstone River Impoundment in Princeton today, I logged my 100th species for Mercer County. The numbers are all well and good, especially since I had an eight-day stretch in which I didn’t have anContinue reading “Chasing bobolinks and wrapping up a record month”

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”