It wasn't that many years ago that the historic Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary had become a joke. Despite its illustrous history as a mecca for bird watchers dating back to 1947, in recent years, the birds had abandoned the place and, adding insult to injury, taken up residence in Avalon's Armacost Park some three dozen blocks to the north. At that time, there wasn't a bird to be found at the Bird Sanctuary, but lots of cats and other predators. In any case, I was a little skeptical today when I drove down to Stone Harbor to see for myself the effects of a new rehabilitation project, complete with new pathways and a nifty sign in book to record your sightings. I'll be writing more on this for the paper, but suffice to say, consider me convinced. The birds are back in town. That place was hopping. And chirping. I walked down the new Meadow Path off of Third Avenue, north of 114th Street, and at the end of the path, there they were. Two magnificent Black-crowned Night Herons (at least I think they were black-crowned night herons, though i first wrote blue-crowned night heron, a species that an alert colleague pointed out does not exist, see below) and what I think was a snowy egret behind them in another tree. Acting like they owned the joint, which, I guess, they do, once again. It was a great sight, and consider me blown away. There were also a bunch of willets flying around, and I think the yellow-rumped warbler that is drawn to the waxed bayberries. Plus some Monarchs thrown in for full effect. All in all, it's been a great summer for birds. The ospreys who nest on either side of the Margate Bridge and along the Inside Thoroughfare of Absecon Island have been plentiful and hanging in plain sight all summer, so don't forget to look as you drive by. Plus, the turtles that used to get smashed all summer long are now blocked from the causeway by a long stretch of fencing installed this season by volunteers and turtle lovers as young as 10. And in late June, my daughter and I saw an American Bald Eagle in a tree during a whale watching boat tour (no whales, lots of dolphins).
UPDATE: For some beautiful drawings of birds, including a young Black-crowned Night Heron from Cape May Point State Park, here is a link to a website of art by Ken Januski, my above-referenced alert and shore-bird-savvy colleague who saved me from further wrong-headed night heron identification embarassment.
Previously...on Downashore:
Main man Tony breaks it down
Venice, and San Francisco, in Ventnor
All the moms are surfing...
Condolences..
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