We’re nearing the peak of fall migration, yet I found few warblers this weekend. Instead, I was treated to a variety of sparrows and — best of all — had as close an encounter with a Northern harrier as one could hope to have. As I made my way up the central trail at theContinue reading “Sparrows, a harrier and an unexpected owl highlight the weekend”
Tag Archives: warblers
A delightfully busy day at the Pole Farm
Birding friend Nancy and I arrived at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm nearly simultaneously this morning, and we had a feast-famine-feast kind of day. As we worked our way up from the Cold Soil Road parking lot, we spotted a few palm warblers chasing each other about. That was a great start, but our walkContinue reading “A delightfully busy day at the Pole Farm”
A little extra effort finds a palm warbler
I arrived at the Pole Farm a few minutes before the 6:44 a.m. sunrise today, and other than blue jays and catbirds I saw few birds on the trail loop I walked. As I returned to the parking lot, I passed my car and walked past the lot to see if any birds might beContinue reading “A little extra effort finds a palm warbler”
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”
At last, a red-eyed vireo appears (also, butterflies)
I have noted that I have a devil of a time spotting red-eyed vireos, a bird that I hear on most outings to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm and many other spots in my part of New Jersey but rarely see. So it was a delight this morning when at the Pole Farm, my friendContinue reading “At last, a red-eyed vireo appears (also, butterflies)”
More warblers in the New Jersey Pinelands
My buddy Jim and I headed south once more today to the Pine Barrens, hoping to find a summer tanager in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. In my Subaru Outback, we crawled along some sandy trails and negotiated many large puddles to get deep into the woods. Alas, no summer tanagers brightened our day, evenContinue reading “More warblers in the New Jersey Pinelands”
Another day in the New Jersey pines
If you’re wondering if warblers are still hanging around in New Jersey in mid-July, the answer is yes. It helps to travel to the Pine Barrens to find them, as my pal Jim and I did this morning. We headed to the MIchael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve, stopping in two areas. The first was aContinue reading “Another day in the New Jersey pines”
Ovenbirds: loud and lovely warblers
The loud, insistent call of the ovenbird is a daily experience in the woods at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, but it’s rare that I get to see one. Today, I spotted two. I took an unusual route. I headed up the central trail from the Cold Soil Road parking lot, turned right to theContinue reading “Ovenbirds: loud and lovely warblers”
Spotting the prothonotary warbler and its nest
Each of the last few years, prothonotary warblers have shown up during Spring migration at the Dyson Tract along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. It took me a few visits, but today I struck gold, so to speak. As I arrived at the parking lot, I turned on the Merlin app and hoped it wouldContinue reading “Spotting the prothonotary warbler and its nest”