Island Beach State Park 6/27/2022
Today I drove down to the end of Island Beach State Park in the morning just to see if anything interesting had turned up ahead of the predicted thunderstorms. It turned out to be rather uneventful. There were the usual and expected sea birds around, but little else bird-wise. Most of the shorebirds have not yet returned from their northern breeding grounds. But a walk towards the back of the inlet provided me with some sightings to share. Besides the seaside pea and poison ivy that line the beaten path heading towards the end of the jetty, some colorful plants were noticeable. Rugosa roses and virgin creepers were sporting red colors. Hoary mugwort, now past its flowering stage, was lush in its minty blue hue. Rugosa rose, or beach rose, is an introduced species from Asia. © S. Weiss Left, a virgin creeper (genus name), most likely Virginia creeper. Right, hoary mugwort, a naturalized coastal plant. ...