Although we had some rain overnight Sunday into Monday, we’ve had an extended drought here in the New York-Philadelphia region. Wildfires are burning here and there at a time of year when they shouldn’t be a concern. Not a puddle is to be had at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm or many of my otherContinue reading “Eastern drought seems bad for birds”
Tag Archives: photography
On standard time, a five-sparrow day
It was time to “fall back” today as the United States reverted to standard time, giving us an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour to seize or squander. I have been looking forward to the switch, which gives me more time in the morning to bird ahead of work. I headed to theContinue reading “On standard time, a five-sparrow day”
Twitchers’ reward: a sandhill crane
Over the past several days, several birders have sighted a sandhill crane or two at the Miry Run area (a.k.a. Dam Site 21) that touches Hamilton, Robbinsville and West Windsor, New Jersey. The site is a 15-minute drive from home. When my friend Laura texted me that she was going to try to find theContinue reading “Twitchers’ reward: a sandhill crane”
A rare capture of a common bird: the Carolina wren
While I can almost always count on hearing a Carolina wren on my visits to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, it’s a rare day when I see one and even rarer when I’m able to get a photo. I routinely hear and see these tubby little birds at home. I have several photos of themContinue reading “A rare capture of a common bird: the Carolina wren”
So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots
Take a look at the yellow-rumped warbler topping this post. The bird is in profile high up in a tree, eying a cluster of berries. A moment later, the bird would have one of those berries in its beak, but that shot was blurred. Another frame shows the bird with its beak plunged into theContinue reading “So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots”
Giving my new Canon R7 a workout
I took today off from work in anticipation of great fall weather to give my new Canon EOS R7 camera a second-day workout. I’d taken the camera out to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm on Thursday morning. With the high-speed auto advance blazing, I shot 162 frames — maybe 10 of which were in focus.Continue reading “Giving my new Canon R7 a workout”
A new Canon R7. Bring on the birds!
Well, it’s a start. The American robin topping this post was the first bird photo I was able to snap with my new Canon EOS R7 camera that arrived Monday. What followed was a series of unfortunate events. The first was that the adapter I need to mount my older-generation lenses was delayed a dayContinue reading “A new Canon R7. Bring on the birds!”
Surviving a scare with my camera
The camera I use on my birding outings, a Canon SL2, is getting on in years, and I’ve had a few cases of the shutter failing to fire in recent months. None was so alarming as what I experienced this morning while visiting the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows. The camera wouldn’t even turnContinue reading “Surviving a scare with my camera”
Catch a kinglet if you can!
My birding friend Nancy and I had a nice stroll trough the main trails of the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm this morning. Noticing little action as we made our way up the central dirt path, we had better luck once we reached the woods and the area near the old AT&T Building One site. TheContinue reading “Catch a kinglet if you can!”
Backyard bluebirds = joy
While I’m fortunate to see Eastern bluebirds during much of the year on my birding outings, it’s rare to see them at home. Two of them surprised my wife and me a few mornings back as we were eating breakfast at the kitchen table. One perched briefly on our suet feeder while another hung outContinue reading “Backyard bluebirds = joy”
The Jersey Birder 