It’s January, and it’s 50+ degrees-just doesn’t seem right to me! I overheard someone saying yesterday, “I’ll take this weather for January any day.” Nope, not me. On my seasonal calendar, January is winter, and winter should include snow and cold temps. That being said, I also took advantage of this mild weather and ran for the NJ coast to do some “winter” birding. I focused on two popular state parks-Barnegat Lighthouse SP and Island Beach SP. Both of these sites are an easy destination for millions of people from the metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia, but not usually in January! They’re much more popular as summer beach trips than winter visits. However, what they lack in human visitors in January (yea!), they more than make up for in feathered visitors!

Barnegat Lighthouse SP sits at the northern tip of Long Beach Island, an 18-mile strip of land dotted with several small towns.The main attraction at the park is the lighthouse, which you can climb to the lightkeepers catwalk. Once you reach the top (217 steps-172′), you’re rewarded with wonderful views of Long Beach Island, the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, Barnegat Inlet and Island Beach State Park.  You can also watch commercial and recreational fishing boats coming in and out all day long.

The main reason for my visit was to search for winter birds, including many seabirds, gulls and a few shorebirds we normally don’t see in PA. For the most part, I was not disappointed, although I did not realize that hunting season was still in, and there were several duck boats in the inlet shooting up a storm at the passing sea ducks. But, my waterfowl list was still pretty good: Harlequin Ducks, Common Eider, Black Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Long-tailed Ducks, Common and Red-throated Loons, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye.

                                   One of my favorites-Long-tailed Ducks-very cool-looking ducks

                                                Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead (both males)

A Common Loon prepares its lunch, a fresh caught crab, and Ruddy Turnstones share their barnacles with a Purple Sandpiper

Unless you have a boat, to reach Island Beach SP, you must drive about an hour north, cross the bay, then wind your way back south again through the beach towns of Seaside Heights and Seaside Park. IBSP is a preserved barrier island between Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s made up of nearly 10 miles of sandy beach, vast sand dunes, thick coastal (low-growing) forests and tidal marshes. Over 400 species of plants have been recorded here, along with plenty of wildlife, including Osprey and Red Fox. Most visitors come to the park to swim, fish, stroll the beaches and even surf. It’s a very popular summer destination.

                                       A brave surfer tests his skills in the chilly Atlantic Ocean at IBSP

Although these islands, their many small towns and the two state parks are quiet with human visitors in the winter, they’re a very popular destination for many species of wintering birds. I highly recommend a “cold-weather” trip to see some of these cool critters, and if you really want an extra challenge, climb to the top of the Barnegat Lighthouse. Enjoy!