Windy Winter Visit to Forsythe NWR

The weekend of January 30th was a productive and exciting birding weekend. Traveling up to Forsyth, using the new and improved exit 41 from the Garden State Parkway, with windy, cold, but sunny weather, we saw many birds, including:

Black Duck - 100+

Snow Goose - 400+

Northern Pintail - 50+

Black Scoter - 30+

Bufflehead - 2 pairs

Hooded Meganser -  4 pairs

American Wigeon - 10 Pairs

To top off the slow exit from the park, perched on an osprey nest, was a proud juvenile Bald Eagle.

The photos are poor overall, due to the windy conditions, but I wanted to document some firsts for me including the Buffleheads, Hooded Megansers, the Immature Bald Eagle and the American Wigeons.

The following day, with temperatures in the mid 50s and sunny, driving past Lake Lilly in Cape May Point, we saw flying overhead a stunning mature Bald Eagle. Over at the state park, there were numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers,

Gadwals, Black ducks, Mallards, and a Mockingbird.

Off the dune trail, a pair of Northern shovelers were oblivious to our presence as they did a mating dance/ swim.

The pair circled and circled, barely coming up for air, creating large round ripples, as seen above.

Winter Sunset

 This sunset, from a week ago, started out very subdued, 

 we waited for more . . .

then it grew in intensity, casting light onto the surrounding clouds,

 then reached it's peak 

 and slowly dissipated 

and the light disappeared into night.

Truly awe-inspiring!