Made two sea watching stops today. First up was a quiet Manasquan Inlet. A flock of about 50 Purple Sandpipers was nice, both Loons were seen, Gannet, Oldsquaw, RB Mergs, and Surf Scoter were seen. Boat-Tailed Grackles were found in Manasquan.
Barnegat Light in January with nearly 70 degree temps was unthinkable, until today. Incredible!
I timed it go get here towards low tide to see the birds come into feed on the exposed rocks etc.
Seen here were more Purple Sandpipers with some Dunlin. The now annual flock of more than 2-dozen Harlequin Ducks is always a treat, especially when there is no ice upon the jetty!
White-Winged Scoters are another specialty here, and several were seen. Scanning the dozens of Common Eider revealed a 1st-year male King Eider. Although easier to spot in flight, the orangey-bill was also evident while the bird was bobbing in the surf.
