Just Ducky

This winter seems to be the windiest that I can remember.

This morning we were standing at the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Belt Parkway at 17th Ave in Brooklyn looking for the elusive Mew Gull that has been reported there. As I was standing in 28 degree weather, with wind gusts of 30 or so miles per hour that brought the "real feel" temps closer to single digits, I thought, while scanning the bay for the one gull without a black or red dot on it's bill, I am out of my mind. Now this would have been worth the numbed fingers and cold feet if I had seen the gull, but alas, I had not. I was bummed. It would have been really cool to start the year with a life bird.

Yesterday we saw great birds at Lookout Point around Jones Beach-Harlequin ducks, Long-tailed ducks, Common Eiders, Surf Scoters and Horned Grebes. The major treat of the day was seeing 2 male Eiders in full breeding plumage. Today we saw a Red Breasted Merganser, Black Ducks and Common Goldeneyes. Usually I have to walk the on the dreaded jetty at the end of Long Beach Island to see the Harlequins. The jetty at Barnegat Light is 1 mile long, with huge gaps between the rocks. I become paralyzed after about the 3 or 4th rock. I am terrified of slipping between them. Call me silly.