Most of the time, I aim to post “day of” on my birding outings. Having spent 32 years in daily journalism, I put a high value on keeping things current. This post, however, leads with a photo that I shot the day before. On Thursday, I posted the hawk take-off sequence I shot at VeteransContinue reading “Photo feast or famine while birding”
Tag Archives: wildlife photography
Getting a hawk as it takes off
With another gorgeous fall morning aborning, I made two birding stops today. After looping Spring Lake at Abbott Marshlands, I headed to Veterans Park in Hamilton to see if I might find a few late-arriving birds to add to my October log. Several killdeer were plucking at the edges of the lake, and I tookContinue reading “Getting a hawk as it takes off”
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 one-bird day at Abbott Marshlands
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
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
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)”
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”
Another routine day of Pole Farm birding
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
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”