Prior to my trip to Barnegat after Christmas, I’ve seen Northern Gannets three times – two of those times were through a scope from very far away. The other was through binoculars, looking at a land-locked bird who was flying in the opposite direction. I figured that I would have to go on a boat to get a good look at these beautiful birds.
Our trip to Barnegat changed that – While looking at Harlequin Ducks, we noticed some Gannets across the bay diving into the ocean.
Northern Gannets diving in the distance
I was happy enough to see this from a distance because it was still a better view than I had ever seen and I was finally able to get some documentation photos of them. To watch them dive was a huge bonus!
When we reached the end of the jetty, we went up on a platform to get a better view of the water (and to stay dry since the waves were rough). That is when some of the Gannets started flying in close.
Northern Gannet flying by
What a great Christmas present! We stayed up on the platform and looked for other birds while photographing any Gannet that flew within photo-distance. We were almost at eye-level with them.
Another Northern Gannet flying by
The group kept getting closer and closer. A boat ended up scattering them to our advantage and the birds started fishing not far off of the jetty.
There were hundreds of Northern Gannets!
Three Northern Gannets flying by
They even started floating toward us in the water!
Northern Gannet in the water
Another birding goal accomplished without even expecting it! Out of an entire day of great birding and photographing, the Gannets won me over!
Northern Gannet taking off from the water