Rain does not always ruin a birding day. I recently came back from a photographic trip in Florida where the weather started out very iffy. We arrived early on Saturday and went right into bird-mode. One of our stops for the day was Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, which recently opened up last summer. We decided to go there when the skies started to darken. It was the perfect stop for a rainy afternoon since we could stay protected in the car.
Pied-billed Grebe surrounded by rain drops
Most of the birds just continued with their normal routines, feeding in the marsh.
American Coots
This Purple Gallinule came out for a quick view
Common Gallinule with its tail up
Others waited outside of the water for the rain to stop.
Little Blue Heron on the bank
Great Egret waiting on concrete
Soaked Anhinga drying on the rocks
Anhinga waiting for the rain to stop
Drying its wings before jumping down
The rain started to calm down not long after we began the drive, but was still falling enough to get our gear wet if we left the car, so many shots were taken from a higher angle.
Glossy Ibis as the rains calm down
Tri-colored Heron hunting nearby the Ibis
White Ibis drying off
It did eventually stop, however, the skies remained overcast for the rest of the drive. That certainly did not stop us from getting low to photograph birds for the remainder of the drive.
Blue-winged Teal in overcast light
Anhinga with a nice catch
Snowy Egret resting in the water
I was able to get some great photo ops with some birds that I could not get close enough to last year. I took tons of photos of this Osprey and Red-shouldered Hawk, which may end up getting blog posts of their own in the future.
An Osprey with a huge Catfish
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk who gave us quite a show
The Cattle Egrets were tough to photograph unless you stayed in the car
Not all of them were fully cooperative though.
I would rather this photo of the Belted Kingfisher include the tip of his beak
I even saw a life bird on the drive – the Fulvous Whistling Duck. Our first looks at them were all in flight until a single duck flew in, landed nearby, and interrupted our photo session with the Red-shouldered Hawk.
This Fulvous-Whistling Duck came in close for a decent photo op
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks also made a few appearances
I even photographed a new sub-species life bird, the Eastern Towhee with white eyes. The ones I am used to seeing have red eyes. The white-eyed ones are found in the Southeast and Florida.
White eyed Eastern Towhee
Some young birds made an appearance, too.
Young Pied-billed Grebes
We also photographed two American Bitterns out in the open – one was found toward the beginning of the drive and the other at the end.
American Bittern just after the rain calmed down
American Bittern photographed toward the end of the day
And, of course, there were Alligators. I photographed this one below the Osprey.
This Alligator stole my attention for only a moment
I highly recommend this wildlife drive for anyone who finds themselves birding around Lake Apopka. The different habitats bring all kinds of great birds!
Earlier this month, I took a trip to the coast and visited my favorite jetty at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. It presented me with some pretty great photo ops of Harlequins up on the rocks.
The birds were very comfortable – even when more and more photographers and admirers approached, they stayed in place.
A hen and a drake share a rock
Two drakes on a rock
Things got pretty crowded once the tide started coming in and the birds were a bit rowdy.
Most of them flew up to higher ground and started to settle down.
It was the perfect opportunity to just keep taking photos! Here are more – it’s hard to pick out my favorites so I will just share a lot of them. Enjoy!
Migration is starting to pick up and the Biggest Week in American Birding will be here before you know it. One reminder I always like to make before the festival is to follow @BiggestWeek on Twitter where you will be updated with information about the festival and event reminders – but most of all you will receive LIVE sightings from the Biggest Week guides in the field. And even better, you can have the tweets sent right to your phone so that you can get notified instantly. I wrote a blog two years ago on how to set this up and have been keeping it up-to-date any time Twitter changes. Click here to find out how to have the tweets sent right to your phone.
Many of the tweets will come right from the boardwalk. You may find yourself going from one end to the other when a good bird is spotted. I know we did!
Kentucky Warbler on ground just inside west entrance! – LeicaJeff
Pipe Creek was a little out of our way, so we opted to stop at Metzgar Marsh on arrival. We were rewarded with three White-faced Ibises – a lifer for my friends and I.
White-faced Ibises at Metzgar Marsh
We ended up seeing those Whistling Ducks the next day anyway…
8 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at Pearson Metropark North unit by the gazebo overlook. – Steve Ritt / Wildside
For the past two years, I had the honor of being on the blogging team for The Biggest Week in American Birding. I am attending the festival again this year and will continue my position as a volunteer. I will also be more active on social media in general for the event, so look out for bird-filled photos and posts from me!
Are you interested in contributing to the greatest spring event around? There are currently many positions to be filled including Registration Packet Assembly, manning tables and being desk hosts, field trip leaders, trip bus drivers and more. Every effort helps make this festival a huge success. You even get some perks out of it like FREE registration, a festival t-shirt and a bag full of festival goodies. The best part is knowing that you helped an event that thousands of people from all around the world come to. More information can be found at the Biggest Week website.
Registration will open very soon – you will want to register quick because field trips fill up fast. You can go on guided bird walks and van trips, boat and canoe trips and you can also have the chance to go on trips with some of the biggest names in birding. If you need a break in the afternoon, there are various bonus presentations being offered as well as workshops and evening keynote speakers. Free with your registration are daily guided walks around Magee Marsh, evening socials, a birder’s marketplace, bird banding programs and more!
What makes birding here so different than anywhere else? Not only is the energy above the clouds, but you will see tons of birds. Magee Marsh is full of bright and colorful migrants.
The Cape May Warbler is one of many birds you will see
If a rare bird is seen in the area, you can get notified with the details on Twitter by following @BiggestWeek.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks nearby? Relax! You will know about it.
It’s not just Magee Marsh – you can explore other parks and preserves that the area has to offer.
This Sora was foraging at Pearson Metropark, right next to our car
Cliff Swallows at the bridge to Maume Bay Lodge
If there is an owl in the area, you will know about it. Who DOESN’T like owls?
An Eastern Screech-Owl is always hanging out above the boardwalk
And, of course, you will meet some pretty great people, including some of birding’s top birders and book authors. Oh.. and did I mention the BIRDS??
Earlier this month, three of my friends and I took a trip to the New Jersey coast to look for wintering waterfowl and sandpipers. Knowing that the temperatures were going to be well below-freezing, we bundled up and prepared for a windy day. Our first stop was Barnegat Light and the jetty that I have a love/hate relationship with. I hate it because you have to be careful going from rock-to-rock and it can be slippery when wet. But at the same time I love it since it always brings us good birds. The rocks were icy, but the birding turned out to be pretty good!
My friends returning from the tip of the icy jetty
On our way down the jetty, we spotted a single Dunlin on the beach-side. It didn’t seem to want to move, though it didn’t look injured. For a moment, it seemed like it was just frozen in place.
A lone Dunlin
We found one brave songbird on the jetty. It also did not seem like it wanted to move far.
Savannah Sparrow on the rocks
Last winter, we had plenty of waterfowl close in the inlet, but both time I went to Barnegat this season it was different – there were hunters in boats close to the jetty, which kept the waterfowl distant. There was a large grouping of Eiders in the bay, but harsh light and distance made for poor photo ops. They were mostly Common Eiders, but we did spot one King. Many Common Loons and some Red-throated were also present. Scoters were even more distant with a few Black Scoters coming near the jetty. A single pair of Harlequins came in close.
The only pair of Harlequin Ducks who came in close
Harlequin Duck drake flying by
We did run into the usual flock of Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstones on the jetty. They were huddled and did not care to move as we passed by. The Purple Sandpipers were on the very tip and I did not go close enough to photograph them.
The flock of Dunlin stay warm
Ruddy Turnstones with the Dunlin
Dunlin on ice
Ruddy Turnstones using a rock to break the wind
On the way out, we walked on the sand so that we could keep our eyes on the dunes for buntings, larks and longspurs – and also to keep warm since all of us seemed to lose feeling in our fingers. We ended up seeing a ton of Yellow-rumped Warblers.
Yellow-rumped Warbler on the path
Other highlights from Barnegat included a couple of close fly-bys by a juvenile Northern Gannet, a male Northern Harrier hunting the dunes and an unexpected Bonaparte’s Gull. On our way off of the island, we checked out a few marinas for more waterfowl. We got distant looks at Bufflehead, Horned Grebes, Loons, Pintails, Black Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks, Gadwall, Goldeneyes, Red-breasted Mergansers and Ruddy Ducks.
After that, we chased reports of a Cackling and Ross’s Goose on the way to our next destination. The birds were not present, but there were some other friendly waterfowl. Sometimes, you just have to take a photo op, no matter how common the bird is.
The often-ignored Mallard Duck
Mute Swans are a beautiful bird, often overlooked by birders
Oddly enough, this is my first close photo of a Black Duck
Our final stop was Island Beach State Park. We wanted to show one of my friends the foxes and also see if we could get a glimpse of a Snowy Owl. The foxes did not disappoint.
Red Fox off the road at Island Beach
We brought our scopes out onto the beach to scan the water. We estimated around 15,000 Scoters – mostly Blacks with many Surf and White-winged mixed in. As we were leaving, we decided to check out a spot that a few cars were parked at. Sure enough, they were looking at a Snowy Owl. The bird was a bit distant, but she had a nice perch. It was a great way to end the day!
One thing I really like about the Biggest Week in American Birding are the surprises and unique opportunities: The birds that you don’t expect, the friends who you make, people you run into and, this year for me, spending a day birding through a set of binoculars that is on a big year. Many people heard of big years for people, but what exactly does it mean for a pair of binoculars? In 2013, Leica came up with a great idea to send a pair of their Trinovids on a big year to travel all over the US to see as many birds as possible, with different birders. These binoculars even had a name – Travis – and he saw 613 species of birds. I first heard about the Traveling Trinovids during last year’s festival. I really wanted to spend a trip with Travis, but it never worked out. Now that Travis’s big year is over, Leica and BirdWatching Magazine are conducting an essay contest for young birders and their mentors – Travis is the prize for the winning young birder. How cool is that?
This year, Leica is doing it again and now Travis’s little sister, Athena the Wandering 7×42 Ultravid HDs, is on her big year. Jeff, my friend from Leica, sent me a message before this year’s Biggest Week saying that he hopes I can spend a day with Athena – of course I took him up on the offer! My friends and I had plans to go to Oak Openings the day after we arrived in Ohio – I figured that this would be a good trip for her since there are different birds to see. You can visit Oak Openings through some of the guided fields trips offered by the Biggest Week – I highly recommend it for the variety of birds that you may not see at Magee including the Summer Tanager, Lark Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak and more. Jeff went out of his way to get Athena to me during dinner on the day that we arrived (and I apologize, again, that we did not stay longer – we needed sleep).
That morning, we woke up bright [dark] and early so that we could get to Oak Openings shortly after sunrise. It was so early, that the coffee stand at the lodge was not even opened yet! I was desperate and brewed some hotel coffee instead.
The day started a bit slow and I was beginning to get discouraged that I would not be able to put my guest-binoculars to the test. We did not run into any large Warbler waves and morning light was poor.
Foggy morning at Oak Openings
Things started to pick up at around 8AM – when my friend, Chris, spotted a singing Dickcissel on the tree tops. A Dickcissel? LIFE BIRD!! Even against the overcast sky, I could see every color on this beautiful male bird – something that I never really got with my other pair of binoculars.
My lifer Dickcissel
We continued our long walk and found some of the birds that Oak Openings is famous for – Summer Tanagers, Lark and Grasshopper Sparrows, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Orchard Orioles, fifteen species of Warblers and a surprise White-eyed Vireo.
My closest looks at a Lark Sparrow
After miles of walking, we checked out one more spot and were greeted by two Yellow-breasted Chats. The male who showed off for us was so bright and beautiful with a throat that was glowing orange.
A very bright Yellow-breasted Chat
After the slow start, we ended the trip with 86 species of mostly forest and field birds. Along with my own lifer, I’m pretty sure I got Athena some as well! We ate lunch in the parking lot and said goodbye to our friend who had to leave us. The rest of us ended up chasing a tweet from a location that was on our way back to our lodge.
8 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at Pearson Metropark North unit by the gazebo overlook. – Steve Ritt / Wildside
We missed these birds the previous day and could not pass them up again. They were in a great spot along the marsh and everyone got excellent views. I decided to give digi-binning a try and took a photo of the ducks using my iPhone through Athena’s eyes.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks digi-binned through Athena
After enjoying these extremely rare birds, we headed back to Maumee Bay to finalize our registrations for the event. A friend informed us that there were cliff swallows who have nests at one of the bridges on our way out, so we went out to look for them with success.
Cliff Swallows grabbing mud for their nests
We decided to go to Metzger Marsh afterwards with two goals in mind: Get Athena some life birds (she needed a Mute Swan and Common Tern) and locate the Least Bitterns that have been reported there, which would be a life bird for my two friends.
We parked near one of the openings and scoped the marsh. I tried very hard to turn Forster’s Terns into Common with no luck. Eventually, a mute swan flew by and rested in the open water – life bird for Athena! I decided to give digi-binning another try.
Mute Swan digi-binned through Athena
Not bad for a more distant bird, hand held. We enjoyed some Common Gallinules who foraged nearby and kept our eyes out for the bitterns. I could see some flying on the other side of the marsh, but they were too distant to get anyone else on them. Finally, birders saw one fly in nearby and waited for it to come out. The bird flew into the reeds where some of us got great looks at it, then it took off. This was my best look at a Least Bittern! I did not get photos of this guy, but his beauty was hard to forget.
Common Gallinule digi-binned through Athena
In total, we had 108 species on a day that was plagued with random poor weather and rain. It was time to give Athena back, but not before posing with her in front of one of Magee Marsh’s new entrances.
Me and Athena under one of the new boardwalk entrances
We ended the evening at a group dinner with our friends at Wildside Nature Tours – another life-long friendship made through the Biggest Week.
The next day, as I looked through my own binoculars, I realized that I was really missing out. My friends and I stopped by Optics Alley outside of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory so that we could say hello to our friends. Optics Alley is the place that you should go if you are looking into getting new optics. All of the top brands of scopes and binoculars are there just waiting to be tested.
The scope line-up at Optics Alley, photo from last year
I decided to take a look through some of the other Leica binoculars. While I liked the 7×42, deep down inside, I always wanted a 10x pair. I looked at birds behind BSBO with the array of Ultravids and ultimately decided that yes, I want the 10×42. Thanks to a full day of testing out high quality optics and being able to also test them side-by-side, I am now the proud owner of a pair of 10×42 Ultravid HD binoculars!
My brand new 10×42 Ultravid HDs
The Biggest Week is not just about the birds. It is also about the people, optics, socials, raffles and more! Each year seems to bring something different… something more. The surprises never cease to amaze me!
Last Sunday, two of my friends and I drove west to Ohio for the Biggest Week in American Birding. This was my third year going to the festival and it just keeps getting better! We tortured ourselves during the drive by following the tweets coming in from guides about the great birds they were seeing. In the prior years, we went to Magee Marsh on arrival, but a certain tweet changed our minds.
Least Bittern and White-faced Ibis currently being seen at Metzger Marsh. – Rob Ripma
We ended up heading to Metzger Marsh instead and were instantly greeted by three White-faced Ibises foraging out in the open. This was a life bird for all three of us and the scope views were amazing. What a way to begin our tip!
White-faced Ibis life birds to start our festivities!
After exploring Metzger for a bit, we headed to Magee so that we could stretch our legs some more on the boardwalk. I don’t think we got past the loop at 7a because the birds were too good to pass up. My friend, Jon, was racking up life birds like crazy – not only that, but they were great views. I had a Prothonotary Warbler within an arm’s reach; he was so close that I had trouble focusing on him at times. He even landed on the bench that I was sitting on with no mind to me or the other birders going crazy around him.
This Prothonotary Warbler was too busy eating to care about his paparazzi
It was hard to leave, but we had to pick up a few groceries, check into our hotel and eventually eat dinner (at 10PM…). I also really wanted to get my hands on Athena, Leica’s Wandering Ultravids, so that I could be one of many people honored to see birds through a pair of binoculars who is on a big year.
I will get more into what Athena is, my experience with “her” and that day’s trip in a future post. One highlight from that day that I will mention now is the extremely rare bird that we chased after lunch.
Five of eight Black-bellied Whistling Ducks who were way out of range.
These eight Black-bellied Whistling Ducks (plus two more) showed up the same day we did, but we chose to see the Ibises on our way in instead. Thankfully, they hung around and were re-found the next day in an excellent spot. You did not need a scope to appreciate the beauty of these birds! I saw one of these in Costa Rica a few years ago, but this was a much better look and my US-lifer.
The next day, we started at the Magee Marsh boardwalk and the good birds just kept on coming with more excellent views of them. Every time we tried to go somewhere else, something good kept us from leaving. We walked the boardwalk from the west end to the east end and back again.
Bay-breasted Warblers were everywhere in all plumages!
Chestnut-sided Warbler posing beautifully
I always get good views of the Cape May Warblers at Magee
I got some of my best looks at some birds that I’ve only seen briefly, very high in trees or hidden behind brush and vines.
A very cooperative Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
This Mourning Warbler was constantly foraging near the west entrance
My best looks at a Yellow-billed Cuckoo
On our way to chase another bird, we passed by a group of people who were looking at what turned out to be a life bird for me – an Olive-sided Flycatcher. What a treat!
Other birders were looking at this Olive-sided Flycatcher that we happened to walk by
Just as we were about to leave the boardwalk to chase a Black-necked Stilt, a tweet came in that turned us right around.
Henslow's Sparrow is back out and walking around on the south side of the boardwalk # 19B – Raymond/BRANTTours
A Henslow’s Sparrow in the middle of the woods? Another life bird for the three of us? We’ll take it!
A Henslow’s Sparrow way out of place in the woods
We finally left the boardwalk after 2PM and looked for the Black-necked Stilt that was reported on the Magee causeway. Other birders said that it flew off, so that is one bird that we did not have luck with. You can’t get them all, but you can certainly try to.
After visiting friends on our way out and being convinced to get some ice cream, we ended up driving through the Ottawa NWR Auto Tour – birds and ice cream? Score!! The water was high, so there was not much to see aside from some waterfowl and this very cooperative Dunlin who was right off the road.
This Dunlin in breeding plumage made the tour worth it!
The following morning, we were invited to join our friends from Leica on the east beach to see if the night’s storms blew in a Kirtland’s Warbler. We did not get the bird, however, the experience was something to be remembered. We birded with the authors of The Warbler Guide and were also joined by actress, and birder, Lili Taylor (click her name for a great article by her in the New York Times). It’s a different experience getting ID tips from guys who really know the field marks on these birds. Thanks to them, I have mastered the Blackpoll Warbler’s song – one that I get mixed up with other high pitched Warbler calls.
We went back to the boardwalk where we photographed birds from the famous boardwalk tower and wandered around in search of other cooperative subjects. Rain started to threaten the skies so we decided to hop into the car and chase another tweet to get my friends a new life bird.
Red-necked Phalarope spinning at Pearson Park Wetland complex. Look from picnic table between cabins-Lpeyton
We arrived at Pearson Metropark and parked the car to eat our lunch. We strategically parked next to the marsh where we saw a Sora two days prior. The bird was seen within seconds, but it scooted back into the reeds. We kept an eye out as we ate our sandwiches and the bird came back out for a great showing. The three of us were able to take amazing photos of this elusive bird!
A Sora out in the open
The rain let up and we got out to look for the reported Phalarope. The bird was almost at the feet of the people who were already looking at it. I got down low on the wet rocks and waited for the bird to come near me.
Red-necked Phalarope foraging very close to the path
This. Bird. Was. Close.
See the Red-necked Phalarope in the frame with me?
That evening, like every other night, we joined up with the event’s socials to meet new people and see everyone who we’ve stayed in touch with over the years. This year, I really wanted to take a photo with Kim and Kenn Kaufman because I always forget to get photos with people. As busy as they were, they stepped aside and posed with me.
Honored to take a photo with Kim and Kenn Kaufman
I also took a photo with another birding celebrity (though, he is so modest about it) – Greg Miller, you know, the guy who Jack Black plays on The Big Year (in the movie, his name is Brad). I have to say, Jack’s fun personality fits Greg perfectly.
Me with Gregg Miller
On our last day, we woke up to heavy rain and decided to go to the boardwalk anyway. We were not surprised to see a decent amount of people wearing raincoats, umbrellas and waterproof optics enjoying the birds.
A little (ok.. a lot of) rain does not stop the birders!
All-in-all, it was another great trip. We got together with friends who we only see once a year, made some new ones along the way and saw some awesome birds. I’m already looking forward to next year!
The breeders and migrants have been slowly trickling in to the Northeast. Migration seems to be somewhat late this year and, this week, is being pushed back some more with all of this bad weather. My county, Monroe, seems to be a bit under-birded and I am trying to correct that.
I found a nice spot that is not far from my house that I can monitor for migrants off of Brodhead Creek in Stroudsburg – there are a few parks with trails surrounding it. Something tells me that it is not visited much by birders, however, I was pleased to find swallow and bluebird houses spread throughout.
Tree Swallow peaking out of a house
The habitat is very nice and I can see it being a popular stop for birds, especially in the fall with all of the brush under the trees. The creek is fairly large and stocked with trout so it attracts some nice birds of prey.
Adult and juvenile Bald Eagles off of Brodhead Creek
Osprey taking off
It already has some birds in territory – Tree Swallows, Eastern Bluebirds, House Wrens, Flickers, Gnatcatchers, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Towhees, Phoebes, Chipping Sparrows, Robins and our resident birds.
One of the local House Wrens singing away
The Tree Swallows have claimed their nesting sites
I came across nice waves of Warblers that consisted mostly of Yellow-rumps – others mixed in included Palms, Pine, Black-and-white and Yellow Warblers along with Kinglets and Blue-headed Vireos.
One of many, MANY Yellow-rumped Warblers
Palm Warbler sitting pretty
Pine Warblers move slowly, but stay at the tree tops
Song and White-throated Sparrows are scattered throughout.
White-throated Sparrow posing nicely
And, unlucky for other breeders, Cowbirds are also in high numbers.
A male Brown-headed Cowbird
I visited two ponds to see what they could bring. One is Zachary’s Pond, which did not have much and was too open for birds aside from Mallards and Geese to enjoy. The other, across the woods and road, is Gregory’s Pond – this one has a much nicer habitat for water birds with plenty of cattails to hide in. This pond attracted the usual crowd – Red-winged Blackbirds, Swallows, Phoebes, Herons and possibly more. I think this one has a better chance for having bitterns, rails and marsh birds show up.
An Eastern Bluebird at Zachary’s Pond.
An Eastern Phoebe at Gregory’s Pond
Another treasure of a spot that I visited a couple of times is a more well known spot near the Delaware Water Gap NRA Headquarters – McDade Trail and Freeman Tract Road. The birds are a little more difficult to see here since the trees are so tall, but it is a great spot to bird-by-ear and, with patience, see some of them. So far, I’ve counted over 20 singing Northern Parulas. Pretty soon, other birds will join them in high numbers.
The only chance I had at getting a Northern Parula and I screwed it up!
Gnatcatchers seem to be the bird of the year for me. I don’t know if this is normal for the area or if this is an unusually high year. I see and hear them everywhere.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers don’t stop moving!
I’ve also visited the public trails for the Tannersville Cranberry Bog. I think these will be alive with birds once migration really kicks in. I already heard two good birds there – a Barred Owl and the beautiful song of the Hermit Thrush (who I’ve only seen in other locations). I am signed up for public birding walks starting next week, so I’ll really be able to see what this gem brings.
Before the snow melted in the early spring, I also visited Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge. I’m not entirely sure of the best places to go here yet, but I hope to learn them soon. There are trails that are near a highway, which worries me that I will not be able to hear anything.
Wood Ducks with Hooded Mergansers in the background at Witmer’s Lake
I’m not sure what else to expect, but I see tons of good birds in my future within the next couple of weeks as I continue to explore my county. Keep em coming!
I think I have an addiction. It is called Barnegat Light. This gem of a place has brought me five excellent trips since my first time going there in November. We had two goals this trip: find Piping Plovers and give my friend, Teri, the Barnegat experience. This trip was suppose to happen last weekend, but the weather did not cooperate and the east coast had heavy rains. This weekend, however, it was warm and the sun was shining.
Barnegat Lighthouse from the jetty
We were greeted by one of the most beautiful waterfowl – the Long-tailed Duck. They were beginning to enter into breeding plumage, something that I have not seen yet.
Female Long-tailed Duck in transitional plumage
Another first for me were Laughing Gulls in breeding plumage. I’ve only ever seen them in the fall. They stayed away from the jetty.
Distant Laughing Gull in breeding plumage
Bird-wise, it started out very quiet. The jetty looked empty and we could not see birds in the water. This could have been due to the very high winds which caused massive waves in the inlet.
High waves across the Barnegat inlet
We left the jetty and went onto the beach to look for Piping Plovers along the fenced off breeding grounds. Still nothing. We finally spotted two birds.
American Oystercatchers near a high tide pool
American Oystercatchers! It seemed like they didn’t want to move, so we made our way closer to them and dropped as low as we could go for some photos. After reviewing the photos on the computer, I noticed something special – the blowing sand was visible in our photos. The three of us had no idea we captured this!
American Oystercatcher surrounded by blowing sand
After this treat, the birds came moving in. A large flock of shorebirds zipped past and landed on the jetty.
Mixed flock of Dunlin, Sanderlings and Purple Sandpipers
We made our way back up on the rocks and snapped away at Dunlin, Purple Sandpipers and Sanderlings. These birds gave us some great photo ops!
Dunlin with a Sanderling in the background
Sanderlings
Purple Sandpiper closeup
That is when we started to see an over-whelming numbers of birds. Adult male Surf Scoters, Loons, Cormorants, Long-tailed Ducks in breeding plumage – it was difficult to concentrate on one bird.
Surf Scoter off the jetty
Long-tailed Ducks, including adult males in both breeding and winter plumage
Great Cormorant after defending a fish from Gulls
Red-throated (non-breeding) and Common (breeding) Loons
And then we spotted Barnegat’s staple wintering bird, the Harlequin Duck.
Harlequin Ducks were still present
The males were getting very feisty now that it is closer to breeding season.
Harlequin Duck chase
They were trying to attract this beautiful girl.
Female Harlequin Duck
We made our way back up the jetty, chasing more Harlequins and looking for new birds. A young Cormorant followed us, but every time we would point our cameras at him, he would dive.
Cormorant making a dive
I did manage to get a nice photo of him though.
Immature Double-crested Cormorant
We ran into our shorebird flock multiple times. They would stay perched until the waves hit the rocks hard.
Shorebird flock getting hit with waves
The waves were just getting worse as we made our way to the end. I stopped a bit early, anticipating wet rocks (and wet camera?) and my friends started their way further up.
High waves along the beach
They changed their minds too and headed back toward me. We could see many birds in the distance – Northern Gannets, many Scoters, tons of Long-tailed Ducks, possible Eiders… too bad we could not get close enough!
A very distant Gannet
We headed back up the jetty, once again, chasing the Harlequins for photos of them on the rocks. I never did get that op this time by, but still got nice photos of them.
Drake Harlequin Duck
We saw other good birds on the way back toward the lighthouse.
Black-bellied Plover in winter plumage
Common Loon in breeding plumage
We then went back onto the beach to look for the Piping Plovers. Unfortunately, it was probably a bit too windy for them and we did not see any. Now that I see the moving sand in some of my photos, I know why a small bird would want to stay away.
Searching for Piping Plovers
On our way back up the beach, we ran into four very cooperative Brant and I got my best photos of them. It was nice getting down at eye level rather than shooting them from above on the jetty!
Some Brant swimming in one of the tidal pools
Even though we dipped on the Plover, it was still a great day of birding. We were able to achieve the most important goal of the trip – introduce a new person to Barnegat and, in the process, get her hooked to it!
My friend, Jon, and I think a great name for a drink would be “Harley on the Rocks” – especially after seeing multiple Harlequin Ducks posing on the jetty for us during our last couple of trips. Who wouldn’t want to name a drink after this gorgeous bird?
My first Harlequins on the jetty!
I feel like I’ve been working my way up to the perfect Harlequin photo (though, I believe that my friend is the one who got it – see the very last photos in this set). I had great looks at them the first time that they were up on the jetty, but it was a bit overcast and lighting was only decent. Their bills seem to get a bit lost in the dull-water color.
Drake Harlequin on an overcast day
Male and female posing together on an overcast day
This past weekend, however, the sun was out and it made a huge difference in both the colors on the ducks and the blue water behind them.
Drake Harlequin on a sunny day
Male and female posing together on a sunny day
I’d like to get a bit of a lower angle next time, but for now, this will do!
Harlequin trio – one of my favorite photos
It can be difficult trying to get close while the ducks stay in place. We try to move while they are preening and not paying attention, however, sometimes they are spooked by other people who are walking by. This time, I was ready…
A Diving Duck diving into the water
Sometimes, they do stay in place and pose very nicely!
Drake Harlequin posing for me
Next time I go to Barnegat, I’ll be sure to order another Harley on the Rocks.
