Barnegat Light SP 1/9

Red-breasted Merganser, hen

I didn't know what conditions to expect at Barnegat Light today, whether the concrete walkway would be clear or if there would be a foot of snow on the beach. I did suspect, correctly, that the jetty would be coated in ice. At Shari's suggestion, I wore my ice cleats, which was a good idea because no sooner did I open the car door in the parking lot than my foot slid on the asphalt.

The inlet itself was pretty much open except for the shallow areas near the shore. Red-breasted Mergansers were the most prevalent bird in the water, but mixed in with them were a few other ducks, the most surprising of which was a drake Redhead associating with a few Greater Scaup. I've never seen a Redhead in the inlet, but as my friend Linda said yesterday, so much of the water around here is frozen that birds are being forced into areas they don't usually frequent.

Unlike last time I was at the park, just before Christmas, there were no construction vehicles digging up the sand, so I could walk on the beach along, not on, the jetty. And the walking was comparatively easy--the ground was gelid so it was more like walking on soft dirt than trudging ankle deep in loose sand.

Ruddy Turnstones

There was nothing down the mile walk except gulls, but at the end of the jetty I clambered up to a big flat rock where I got, looking west, my Ocean County Harlequin Ducks for the year and looking east, my FOY Purple Sandpipers. If I don't get those two birds there at this time of year, then the birding world is seriously out of kilter.

On the jetty and the beach were three other shorebirds--Dunlins, Sanderlings, and FOY Ruddy Turnstones. By then, some of the ice had melted into treacherous puddles or convenient birdbaths, depending on what species you happen to be.

Looking north, toward the Island Beach jetty, there was a large flock of Common Eiders, but they were much too distant to try to pry out a King Eider. Down at the end of the jetty and north to the old 8th Street jetty and beyond, were large flocks of Long-tailed Ducks and scaup. Surprisingly, I only found two Black Scoters. More surprisingly, near the jetty, I found 3 Common Goldeneyes, yet another new species for this park. This is the second time this year I've encountered goldeneyes in a new place--last week I found one off the Winter Anchorage at Island Beach SP. The part of the Barnegat Bay, where I normally see them, was a sheet of ice, so, as Linda said, they have to go somewhere.

Going back up the beach I walked the edge of the dunes; alas, no Snow Buntings. Will they be my nemesis bird for Ocean County again this year?

I had 26 species for my beach walk and it felt good to get moving after a week of only being able to make quick forays out of the house, if I could get out at all. At the Bayview Marina I added Fish Crow to the year list. On Rt 72, just off the bridge, a Merlin flew in front of the car.

26 species
Brant 10
Mallard 1 near jetty by lighthouse
Redhead 1
Greater Scaup 200
Common Eider 50
Harlequin Duck 8
Black Scoter 2
Long-tailed Duck 200
Bufflehead 50
Common Goldeneye 3
Red-breasted Merganser 200
Common Loon 15
Great Cormorant 6
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Ruddy Turnstone 25
Sanderling 30
Dunlin 20
Purple Sandpiper 10
Ring-billed Gull 10
Herring Gull 200
Great Black-backed Gull 25
American Crow 2
Carolina Wren 1 Heard
Yellow-rumped Warbler 10
Savannah Sparrow 1 On the jetty.
House Finch 8