Skimmer Salt Marsh Safari trip

Today's adventure included lunch at Lucky Bones with a high school friend and her significant other.  We get together every year when they are vacationing in my area.  Some years we go out on the Skimmer to look at the birds in the back bays and other years we go kayaking.  This year it was the Skimmer's turn.  It was a fun afternoon filled with great looks at shorebirds. Snowy Egrets and Ospreys numbered in the teens.  Here are a selection of pictures.

Osprey

Snowy Egret

Great Egret

Clapper Rail

Whimbrel

Mom just brought me a snack - Common Tern

Dad and Junior Osprey

Kayaking - Grassy Sound

Yellow Legs

Ruddy Turnstone

Common Tern preening

Birding CMP State Park

A walk at the CMP State Park took me from the beach to the woods. On the beach we had Royal Terns (picture#1), Sandwich Terns and Forester Terns hanging out together. There were Common Terns (picture#2) and Least Terns flying in from the rips where they were successfully fishing for lunch for the chicks. American Oystercatcher chicks (Picture#3) were resting under the watchful eyes of both parents.

Over to the red trail where there were about 100 Tree Swallows (picture#4) lined up on the rope fences. Ten into the wooded areas where the birds were fewer but those that were there were playing in shadows were having a great time.

Back Bays Cape May County

Common Tern on nest

Common Loon in breeding plummage- a rare sight in CMC!

Some of my best afternoons are spent in the Back Bay Salt Marshes of Cape May County observing the birds.  Here are some of the birds from the last trip.

Double-crested Cormorant (juvenile)

Boat-tailed Grackle