Tail Trails

Today we headed back to Bradshaw's Beach to check on the progress of our little stranded seal.  The sky was blue and even though it was a cool 39 degrees, the sun was warm.  The ocean was blue and calm with gentle waves breaking over the beach.

Where the baby seal had been there was only a trail leading down to the high water line where he apparently took to the ocean once again.  We were glad to see him gone and equally glad to see his flipper marks in the sand return to the sea. 

Bradshaw's Beach returns to await the summer visitors with their books, beach towels and sandals.  No one will know while they are running in the surf that their beach was a home for a few days to a stranded baby seal.

Winter's Last Gasp?

 

Winter is holding on to the shore like a tiger this week.  We have been out almost every day looking for the sun and signs of spring.  Today it is snowing.  Not the kind of snow that comes in big flakes and turns the ground into a fairy land, but the kind of snow that is a bitter reminder that winter has a hold on our days.  It is tiny snow flakes that blow in your face and melt when they hit the ground, leaving people in the wake chilled to the bone.   

Yesterday we saw gannet flying along the shore.  The beautiful white birds with black wing tips were flying in formation, but to us they appeared to be dancing in the sky.  They would dip and rise and turn in unison almost like a choreographed ballet.  We saw more than 20 birds but were unable to get a picture of  their antics.

We did catch a loon in changing plumage at the Manasquan Inlet.  The light was poor and the distance was great but he is still a beautiful sight.  It is regrettable that just at the time they are becoming most colorful they leave our shore for places further north.  In only a few days they will all be gone.  

Today we were looking for the gannet again when we went to Bradshaw's Beach.  There we found a most unusual animal.  Stranded on the beach far away from the reach of the angry waves was a baby harbor seal.  He was not moving when we saw him and looked like he was injured on his head.  Upon closer inspection he raised his head to look as us.


We reported his whereabouts to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center who have been watching him for a few days.  They say he is doing fine and that the red on his head is not blood but the mark of a grease marker to identify him as one they are keeping an eye on.  They further reported that he was probably beached or came ashore to rest and will hopefully return to the ocean when he is ready.

Thousands of Ducks

 

We took a drive up the what is fondly called the North Shore on March 8.  It is a pleasant drive up from Point Pleasant to Sandy Hook with lots of birding haunts along the way.  It is especially good during the winter months because of the many ducks and shore birds you can catch in a short amount of time.  

We must admit that on some levels our trip was a failure.  We have been looking for the elusive snow bunting at Sandy Hook and the equally evasive cross bills at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch. Neither co-operated on this day.

 As we were driving on Rt 8A heading toward Sandy Hook we crossed the Navasink River.  There we saw more ducks than you could ever imagine on the river.  The river was literally covered in what appeared to be mostly scaup.  There were a few mallard, mergansers, and bufflehead scattered amid the flocks.  As we watched from the bridge, groups or flocks of the large gathering took flight until the sky was black with ducks like a swarm of gnats.  Most left within three to four minutes gathering in a circling flight until they took off to the skies.  We drove over to the entrance of Hartshome Woods (Claypit Creek entrance) just across a small bridge off of Locust Ave. We walked down to the rivers edge where we were able to get a picture of very small segment of the ducks that had not flown.  Some of the huge flock had returned as we were leaving. 

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We continued on the Sandy Hook and heard lots of red wing blackbirds and song sparrows and of course gulls and starlings were in abundance.  The only other sign of spring we saw was a female cowbird. She posed for quite a while so that we could catch  a picture of her.

Shore Drive

It's a shore thing!  We like to take leisurely drives around home.  Today we headed north and ended up in Long Branch.  Traveling around the ponds of Long Branch we found a Ring Neck Duck.  He was so beautiful and it is rare for us to get close enough for a photo.