Symbol of America, the bald eagle is a magnificent bird. I had the privilege of seeing two of them this morning. I got one of them on camera in Princeton as I was driving away from the Millstone River Impoundment. I was heading to U.S. 1 when I looked to my right and saw theContinue reading “Nothing beats a bald eagle”
Tag Archives: Wildlife
Cold-weather birding is back
It was a chilly 13 degrees Fahrenheit when I reached the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm yesterday morning. Even without a breeze, few birds were out half an hour after sunrise. But avian activity picked up as I reached the woods up the central trail. First to appear were several robins flitting about the trees. IContinue reading “Cold-weather birding is back”
Surprise! It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker
Few birds were about this morning as I walked the trails at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, which made a surprise discovery all the more enjoyable. I’d seen a couple of wedges of Canada geese but little else as I reached the woods half a mile up the trail from the parking lot. I hadContinue reading “Surprise! It’s a yellow-bellied sapsucker”
What do I need to start birding?
If you’re interested in becoming a birder, you’re probably wondering what gear you might need. In this post, I’ll offer some advice based on my experience. I aim to keep expenses reasonable and minimal. For starters, all you need to do is look out the window of your home to see what birds show up.Continue reading “What do I need to start birding?”
Dee-dee-dee: How I love thee, chickadee
My heart belongs to the chickadee. Black-capped or Carolina, I have no preference. Whichever of those perky, petite birds comes into range, I am in thrall and in love. [Note: This is a repost of the original post from Nov. 8, which I accidentally deleted.] This morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I tookContinue reading “Dee-dee-dee: How I love thee, chickadee”
Where have all the gulls gone?
The other day I was telling a fellow birder that I’ve been wondering why I hadn’t seen many seagulls where I normally see them, such as at Colonial Lake. It also includes the Lawrence Shopping Center on the opposite side of Business Route 1, where ring-billed gulls often hover over the parking lot, looking forContinue reading “Where have all the gulls gone?”
With the first frost of fall, some cool birds
With the thermometer at 30 degrees this morning, we had our first frost of the fall. It turned out to be a decent day for birding. I hadn’t been to the Reed-Bryan Farm side of Mercer Meadows for a while and decided to go there rather than to the Pole Farm side of the park.Continue reading “With the first frost of fall, some cool birds”
A fulfilling weekend of birding
Over the weekend, I spent two mornings at Mercer Meadows with friends, human and avian. While I’m still awaiting the arrival of more Northern harriers, I’m pleased to report that the Savannah sparrows have been arriving steadily. My friend Sally had mentioned that she’d love to see an Eastern meadowlark at the Pole Farm. SinceContinue reading “A fulfilling weekend of birding”
How to capture a kinglet
It was a comical scene at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm: my birding buddies Lee, Jim and I we’re standing in front of a section of trees and bushes, watching a ruby-crowned kinglet flit from branch to branch. Each of is a well-experienced birder and photographer, and we were all bemoaning how quickly the kingletContinue reading “How to capture a kinglet”
Birds and fall color: a great combination
This is a golden time for birding, with the fall color peaking and enough leaves falling to increase the odds of seeing more birds in the branches. This morning was a nice example, as my pal Jim and I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. The sun was out in full, shining liberally onContinue reading “Birds and fall color: a great combination”
The Jersey Birder 