This newbie birder has seen seventy species so far this year. It's very rewarding that I identified many of these without help. Though I do admit that I still often rely on those more expert. Photographing the birds I see has played a huge role in my ability to identify them. Since I'm learning about both birds and photography at the same time, I'm on a large learning curve. But it's a lot of fun.
Yesterday at Cape May, this Merlin became number seventy on my list.
He must have been waiting for someone. We walked under him before a friend spotted him. Then he stayed on his perch long enough for me to snap numerous shots, and was still there when we left.
This morning I braved the extremely cold wind on the jetty at the Barnegat Inlet. The only sightings I made there at that time were Long-tailed Ducks. Since I already have many pictures of them, and the wind would have made focusing difficult, I left to see if I could find anything interesting on Barnegat Bay.
What luck! Two Oystercatchers searching for food along a small island opposite a parking lot near Viking Village. It always amazes me how much less wind there is on the bay than at the inlet.These pictures are of two different Oystercatchers, one of them appears to be banded.
He looks intent on finding his lunch.
He was walking with a purpose. Did he see something?
If you look carefully at his legs, one appears to have a band on it.
Notice his catch. I can't see what it is, though.
What is he watching?
