A Sunday Drive

A Sunday drive for us started with a trip to PetSmart to pick up animal food so we took our two pups along.  We had to pass the lake where we have seen ring necked ducks and common merganzers so of course we took the binoculars along.  It was windy so we took only the point and shoot camera.

 

A stop at Arbys for lunch left Rose and Coco alone in the car for a very short time.  Rose watched the door all the while, certain that we would step out at any minute.

There were few birds visable in the strong winds and chilly weather but we found a couple backwater routes that may prove productive in future spring outtings.  The bay was still very drab and wintery looking.  One lonely tug boat was very picturesque against the dreary landscape. 



Barnegat Lighthouse and Jetty

How perfect can weather be in February?  Today was as good as it gets in New Jersey.  It was a balmy 61 degrees and partly cloudy when we arrived at Ole Barney.  There was a light warm breeze blowing and the skies were clearing.  Being the beginning of the President's Day weekend there was a gathering crowd as people were glad to shake off their cabin fever and take to the outdoors.  Most people were there just looking for a bit of sun but we had objectives.  We were looking for a peek at the harlequin ducks and hopefully a look at some common eiders.  We have even been so lucky to see ruddy turnstones, scooter, dunlin and oyster catchers in previous years. 

Entering the jetty walkway, we saw our first duck of the day .  She was a red breasted merganzer and she posed for the camera and I think you can even see her smile.

We did not pause for long before heading on down the jetty. Gulls were plentiful.  

Still on a quest for the elusive harlequins we saw lots of brant.

Finally as the tide reached low tide and began to change the harlequins came close enough for me to capture them.  Please forgive us if we over indulged with the camera but they are so amazing and so cute that there were plenty of good opportunities to get a good picture.

It was such a beautiful day that we sat in the sun and just let the world go by for quite a while.  On the horizon we saw some large white birds flying over the water.  It is a gull?  No they were eiders.  Please forgive the out of focus shot but we did see eiders today as the photo shows!

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Taste of Spring

Today was a great day to be out and about in New Jersey.  We hopped into the car this morning and headed up the shore.  We were not in search of anything in particular but as usual we had our binoculars and cameras in tow.  We headed up through Wall Township on Rt 35 and came across the bridge entering Belmar.  It was such a glorious sight to see wintering swans on the water.  I am sure there are more than a hundred although we did not take the time to count.  We saw lots of gulls none very remarkable and of course brant and Canada geese.  In among the geese and brant were scattered mallards, black ducks, bufflehead and red breasted merganzers.  They were all really just a bit too far out to photograph so we continued northeast through Belmar and found a couple of good viewing spots near the Shark River inlet.  There were not many birds there today but we did see one peep - probably a purple sandpiper on the rocks.

 

We doubled back to what I think was Silver Lake. Driving along the lake's edge we saw a flock of robins foraging for holly berries and one even pulled out a worm.  They were in beautiful plumage their red breasts afire against the dull drab grass of winter. 

On that same lake we found one section that was not frozen and in the open water there were a number of ducks and geese feeding.  Because the only water open was very near the shore we got excellent looks at three northern shovelers, a couple of coots,  gadwall and widgeon.  I have never seen a northern shoveler up so close.  He was displaying his blue wing feathers and I was able to get a picture.  They did not seem bothered by our presence. 

We traveled on around the lake and found a flock of gadwall feeding .  Mostly I was able to photograph only the duck butts as they dabbled for food.  But it made an interesting picture.