Beth's Patch ~ Spring Migration

Red-breasted Mergansers flying down the Bay

And the Laughing Gulls have returned for the season

Dunlin are around all winter in good numbers.  Here they are moving along the Bay.

Nummy Island

The Black-bellied Plovers have arrived though they are not in breeding plumage yet.  There are Ospreys all over the county including here.  The Red-breasted Mergansers, Brant, Common Loons and Red-throated Loons are still here.  The American Oystercatchers are flying overhead and calling.  The Red-winged Blackbirds are too numerous to count, have established a territory and are also calling.  Spring is in the air though the weather isn't cooperating.

Birding - Avalon

Yesterday afternoon I left work after just 3 hrs so I could spend the afternoon out doing some birding and taking some pictures.  Just need to recharge my batteries after working so much since the beginning of the year.  I'd been to Nummy Island in the morning.  I'd debated about where to go but decided to go again to  Avalon.  I started by going to the approach to the Townsend's Inlet Bridge that connects Avalon to Sea Isle City.  The roadway is actually closed to cars due to the damage done by Hurricane Sandy.  It has ripped up the roadway in several areas and in others moved massive boulders from where they were and deposited them elsewhere.  It makes you realize how powerful water can be.  Who knows when it will be fixed as there has been no work done on it yet.  Because of the damage though you can walk along the roadway and look at the birds and ducks in the inlet.  The afternoon brought great looks at about 2 dozen Long-tailed Ducks that were calling back and forth, some Common Loons and about 1/2 dozen Red-breasted Mergansers.  The Red-breasted Mergansers were in close which was super as they tend to swim away every time I see them in the back bays.

I just love the "hair-do's on these ducks.

Then it was down to walk out the 8th Street Jetty where I saw more Long-tailed Ducks including one male who was no farther than about 15 ft from me.  He swam and dove frequently in the waves at the end of the jetty.  There were shorebirds flying and roosting out the wind which had started to pick up, Ruddy Turnstones (with one still in breeding plummage) and lots of Purple Sandpipers.

On to the Meadows & Higbee Beach

After walking the jetties of CMP I went off to the Meadows where a Great Blue Heron flew over for a great photo opportunity. There were some Piping Plovers feeding along the waters edge where the waves were crashing and chasing the birds up onto the beach.

After leaving the Meadows I decided to walk down to the beach area at Higbee's Beach as I had read on one of the field reports that there were some Red-breasted Mergansers. There were 2 of them with one swimming around and one having a nice nap. I find the Mergansers as a species very fascinating and beautiful.