On this beautiful late-summer day, I wasn’t able to get out with my camera in the morning. But with the sun shining brightly and a light breeze continuing after lunch, I hopped in the car for some birding. Mid-afternoon isn’t a time when many birds are out, and that was true on my first stop.Continue reading “A green heron grabs a bite to eat”
Tag Archives: photography
A rugged, muddy morning of birding in Princeton
Adjacent to the Princeton University campus, the Charles H. Rogers Wildlife Refuge is a wooded area with a marsh suitable for a leisurely birding walk on a late summer Sunday. I stopped there this morning, circling the marsh on the blue trail and hoping to spot a few warblers. Striking out on the warblers, IContinue reading “A rugged, muddy morning of birding in Princeton”
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”
A fine birding spot ruined, or nearly so
One of my frequent and favorite birding spots until last year was Mercer Corporate Park, a site with a USDA office and a few other small office buildings clustered around two small lakes that attracted a wide variety of birds. For many months, construction crews have put up two large warehouses and dramatically changed theContinue reading “A fine birding spot ruined, or nearly so”
Great blues rule, but green herons are also cool
Just about any piece of property that has a puddle of water or more in my part of the world, it seems, is habitat for great blue herons. I’ve seen them fly over our house after they’ve taken off from the golf course retention pond that’s about a 3-wood away from our property line. Today,Continue reading “Great blues rule, but green herons are also cool”
Red-eyed vireos: mostly heard but not seen
When I woke up Wednesday morning, I decided to shake up my routine and instead of driving to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I took the short walk over to the Rider University campus. It had been a while since I walked the campus, with its wide lawns, ample tree cover and pleasant walkways. NoContinue reading “Red-eyed vireos: mostly heard but not seen”
Third time’s the charm: spotting a little blue heron
The daily email I get from e-Bird alerting me to birds I’ve yet to record this month has been goading me since last week with reports of a juvenile little blue heron hanging out at Veterans Park in Hamilton. Twice last week I drove down there and didn’t spot the bird. This afternoon, I gaveContinue reading “Third time’s the charm: spotting a little blue heron”
A summer smorgasbord of New Jersey birds
In between spring and fall migration, we have plenty of resident and visiting birds to excite us, even if the variety isn’t quite as robust as when migrants are on the move. While having dinner at our kitchen table Sunday evening, my wife and I were delighted to see four (4!) juvenile bluebirds in ourContinue reading “A summer smorgasbord of New Jersey birds”
The pleasures of daily birding
Unless the weather is horrible or I have a family or other priority commitment, I get out birding almost every day. Most of my outings run in the 90-minute range, but shorter sessions can also bring joy. Today was an unusual three-stop day, starting at the Charles Rogers Preserve in Princeton for about 45 minutesContinue reading “The pleasures of daily birding”
A-bunting we shall go
For the second consecutive Saturday, my birding buddy Jim and I headed to Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, homing in on the hilly portion of the park that hosts the aviation navigation beacon. The hilltop fields remain rich in wildflowers, a powerful draw for birds and butterflies in colors as vivid as the blossoms. The standoutContinue reading “A-bunting we shall go”