Like life, birds move pretty fast. But every so often they park in place, giving us photographers an opportunity to compose and take their portraits. I had two cracks at it today, this first day of December. As I was making my way back to my car this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm,Continue reading “The outdoor avian portrait studio”
Tag Archives: Pole Farm
Savannah sparrows speak to me (and I am corrected)
The grasslands in the fields at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm are prime habitat for Savannah sparrows, and I never tire of taking photos of them. This morning, I found the one topping this post in a tree at the history exhibit for the AT&T radio telephone years that spanned much of the 20th century.Continue reading “Savannah sparrows speak to me (and I am corrected)”
A close encounter with a red-tailed hawk (and more)
My birding buddy Jim and I have walked the trails of the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm many times, but today was the first time we pulled into the parking lot almost simultaneously. Within a few minutes, a rare treat was in store. We and other regular Pole farmers have been grousing of late about theContinue reading “A close encounter with a red-tailed hawk (and more)”
Awesome: Harriers in aerial maneuvers by the setting sun
What inspired man to take flight? I had a flash of inspiration this afternoon while watching two Northern harriers joust in the golden light of the setting sun at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. Watching two female Northern harriers playing on the steady breeze over the main fields brought to mind Icarus, who in GreekContinue reading “Awesome: Harriers in aerial maneuvers by the setting sun”
Eastern drought seems bad for birds
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”
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”
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”
The early bird gets the berries
While I had trouble the other day getting a clear shot of a yellow-rumped warbler eating berries, I was able to get one this morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. I can’t say whether it was one of the birds I saw Sunday, but it was the same tree that the bird was onContinue reading “The early bird gets the berries”
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”
The Jersey Birder 