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| White Ibis |
I call it "Going to the zoo." Every year, Shari & I drive down to the Ocean City Visitors Center on the causeway into OC. The parking lot is elevated and below is a heron rookery which can be viewed from the sidewalk that runs along edge of the lot. It is famous as a place to see
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons in the dozens on their nests, and, as of the last couple of years, the first place in New Jersey where
White Ibises breed. Today was a little earlier than we normally go, so the only birds that appeared to be actually nesting were
Great Egrets, which I counted, conservatively, at 75. But the yellow-crowns were present, along with an eBird filter-busting 40 or so White Ibises. Throw in
Black-crowned Night-Herons,
Glossy Ibises, and a
Little Blue Heron and you have quite a show.
It amuses me that a few years ago, when the first White Ibis showed up at Ocean City, it was an event that brought birders from all over, including us, braving 4th of July traffic to see the immature brown and white bird that was half hidden in the trees. Now, the species is even listed as "rare" in Cape May County, and I've seen one list, from a distinguished Jersey birder, that listed 81 birds. That is an amazing change in 4 or 5 years.
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| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron |
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| Black-crowned Night-Heron |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| White Ibis, adult and immature |
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