2022 10 27

Kestrel and Kingfisher at Hawk Rise Sanctuary

2022-10-27

< Back to Blog Home

I went to Hawk Rise Sanctuary this morning before work. It was a cool fall morning with no clouds in the sky. The leaves are almost all turned to their fall colors but still mostly on the trees. This time, I brought my wide-angle lens to get shots of the landscape as well.

Upon entering Hawk Rise, I was not greeted with a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers like the previous times this Fall, instead, it was actually quiet with few birds. I decided to switch to my wide-angle lens and get some cool shots of the sanctuary from the observation deck. The wind was whistling and the ocean of marsh reeds was swaying with it.

I thought this would stay a fairly quiet morning until I saw some Red-Tailed Hawks flying overhead. Soon after, I saw a bird hovering over the Rahway River's banks and decided to take a burst of photos. To my surprise, the hovering bird was a Belted Kingfisher! This was my second time ever photographing one.

Thinking that would be the highlight of the birding trip, I started to head back to the car when I saw a bird perched on a fence high atop Hawk Rise's hill. The bird was larger than the sparrows and finches of Hawk Rise but smaller than a hawk. After zooming with my camera, I noticed it was a new bird I hadn't photographed before. I immediately ran up the hill when it sat atop the fence to get better shots. Later, I discovered it was an American Kestrel! The shots I got could have been better because I was far away and the lighting was harsh. This makes me excited to go back and try to get better photos! But for now, I am equally excited to add a new entry to our compendium.

Locations/Sightings

-> #location/HawkRiseSanctuary-Linden-NJ

• American Kestrel
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• American Goldfinch
• Swamp Sparrow
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Blue Jay
• Herring Gull
• Great Egret