Birds and Other Nature Sightings

     Yesterday I took another long walk of the southern end of Island Beach State Park.  Again I was hoping that the lack of bird species would finally change, and, yet again, nothing changed until I reached the inlet at the terminus of the beach.  For nearly the entire mile-and-a-half or so walk the beach was barren, and just a spattering of the usual waterfowl- long-tailed ducks and surf , black and white-winged scoters out on the ocean.  But as I got close to the jetty I did notice something that looked different, something I have not seen in a while. Glaucous gull, center, with American herring gulls.   © S. Weiss Standing on the rocks was what I considered a very clean gull.  With my binoculars I saw a herring-like gull with a pale gray mantle and wings, and a clean white head and tail.  I was looking at my second white-winged gull in a week here.  Last Wednesday a first winter Iceland gull sitting on the water in the inlet im...

     Earlier in this still somewhat new year, I was seeing alcids, mostly razorbills , from the beach and inlets.  I even had a few dovekie sightings, including nice views of one at Manasquan inlet.  But pretty much since the beginning of February I have not seen any alcids.  The only thing more disappointing than a winter beach day without seeing an alcid is a day seeing a dead one.   Yesterday was such that case.  On a short afternoon walk at Island Beach State Park, I noticed an obviously deceased sea bird near the dune line.  As I approached, it became apparent that it was an alcid.  When I came upon it and saw its head, I knew it was a murre.  The noticeable creamy colored gape line on its bill and the lack of dark streaks on its flanks had me saying to myself that it was a thick-billed murre (TBMU).  Of course I took some photographs which I sent to some friends.  Within minutes they all responded back, unanim...

     The miserable winter weather here in New Jersey has not given me much opportunity to get out and about to explore.  The sub-freezing temperatures and gusty winds have seemed to be the norm for a while now.  The foot or so of snow that blanketed the area back in January had quickly frozen over and only recently began to slowly fade.  Any trails that I might walk have been inaccessible; either plowed in or too treacherous to walk on without specialized footwear.  There has been very little, if any, open water around either for the birds to drink or the waterfowl to gather.  The Barnegat Bay has frozen over from the barrier island to the mainland.  Even our ocean beaches are partially eroded and with ice chunks strewn about the sand.  The erosion bad enough to force Island Beach State Park authorities to close its beach to sport fishing vehicles. The past couple days, finally, saw the feels like temperatures climb above freezing. ...