wildlife photography – The Jersey Birder

A delightfully busy day at the Pole Farm

A Philadelphia vireo perches on a branch in a maple tree, surrounded by green leaves.

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 one-bird day at Abbott Marshlands

An Eastern phoebe perches on a horizontal tree branch. The bird has an olive green back and a white breast with hints of yellow.

The Nor’easter finally churned away from New Jersey, and the rain fizzled out early this afternoon as I was on my way to John A. Roebling Park at Abbott Marshlands. I’d seen recent reports on e-Bird of Northern shovelers and hoped I’d find one. No such luck. After better than 48 hours of rain, theContinue reading “A one-bird day at Abbott Marshlands”

A green heron grabs a bite to eat

A green heron snags a small frog from the water and clutches it in its beak. The bird's gray crest has raised up.

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”

Migration joy: a Northern harrier appears at the Pole Farm

A Northern harrier leans forward while perched atop a small tree with green leaves.

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)

A red-eyed vireo is bathed in sunlight while perched on a tree branch.

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)”

The pleasures of daily birding

A bald eagle lifts its head up and looks toward the sky. The bird has a white head, brown body and yellow talons.

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”

Another routine day of Pole Farm birding

A tufted titmouse peeks out from a vee of branches in a tree.

Even an ordinary day of birding at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm can become extraordinary. Today, for example. No unusual species appeared, which was not a surprise during this mid-summer lull when many birds go quiet if not away. I was lucky to catch an indigo bunting singing from atop a low tree in oneContinue reading “Another routine day of Pole Farm birding”

A smokey sky trims my birding

A male common yellowthroat clutches an orange insect in its beak. The bird is on a small branch, with green leaves behind.

WIth smoke from Canadian wildfires blowing into the mid-Atlantic region, I woke up this morning with some irritation in my eyes. With the air quality rating poor, I decided to skip a planned outing with the birds. I did go out Thursday morning and encountered hazy conditions under filtered sunlight at the Mercer Meadows PoleContinue reading “A smokey sky trims my birding”

Birds make me smile; do they smile back?

A willow flycatcher sings with its beak wide open as it perches on a small tree branch.

Birds make me happy, and many of them make me smile. Northern cardinals and indigo buntings always lift my spirits, for example, as their thrilling colors brighten my world. Other birds instantly bring a smile to my face, whether it’s the chickadee calling “dee-dee-dee” near one of our feeders or the goofy brown thrasher mumbo-jumboingContinue reading “Birds make me smile; do they smile back?”

Least bitterns cause a stir at Rosedale Park in Pennington

A male least bittern looks to its right as it sits on a green stalk.

Every once in a while, Mercer County hosts a celebrity bird or two. This week, the least bitterns that have shown up at Rosedale Park in Pennington are doing their star turn, luring birders in bunches. When birding buddy Jim and I showed up this morning, we spotted a group of birders with long cameraContinue reading “Least bitterns cause a stir at Rosedale Park in Pennington”