Memories of Cape May, New Jersey Day 5

Another morning at Higbee Beach, so much quieter than yesterday but I did add Indigo Bunting, a flock of Pine Siskins and a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. Ian also spotted two Ruddy Ducks which bizarrely were on the sea off the beach..
We then headed up to the Avalon Sea Watch again. A brief sea watch added a Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) and a large pod of Bottle-Nosed Dolphins.

Avalon Sea Watch

Bottle-Nosed Dolphin

We then went for 'brunch' at Brian's Waffle House before a long drive north to the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, or as its also called Brigantine, or just Brig for short.

This a 47,000 acre reserve of coastal habitat managed for migrating birds and is a site of special importance for American Black Ducks and Atlantic Brant. Most of the reserve is tidal salt marsh.

American Black Duck

The drive around the reserve is 9 miles long with various stopping points and takes around three hours to complete.  Our first stop was at the tower on the south dike where we stayed for a while. The tower affords great views over the whole reserve and also of nearby Atlantic City.

Atlantic City

From the vantage point of the tower we saw Boat-Tailed and Common Grackles, Greater Scaup, Brown-Headed Cowbird, Red-Winged Blackbird, Black-Crowned Night Heron and the first of our several species of salt-marsh sparrows with Song and Swamp Sparrows and also Savannah Sparrow.

Boat-Tailed Grackle

Brown-Headed Cowbird

We carried on with the drive and stopped next the turn onto the East Dike. Here we added Saltmarsh Sparrow and Semi-Palmated Plovers.

Semi-Palmated Plover

There was also a juvenile Northern Harrier hunting.

Juvenile Northern Harrier

At the turn back onto the North Dike was a large collection of herons and egrets with our first views of Tri-Coloured Heron and also Great Blue Heron, more Black-Crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets.
When we got near to the end of the drive we stopped by the bridge at Doughty Creek and 'scoped over lily covered water. Here we saw our first and only of the trip, Wood Ducks, with several males and females present and a Belted Kingfisher. 

Doughty Creek

Belted Kingfisher

We then had a couple of hours drive back to Cape May, where we again stopped at the liquor store and I stocked up with some beers to go with my evening meal. This time a couple of ex-pat ales with Samuel Smiths of Tadcaster, Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown Ale. Then it was off to get ready and out for our meal and up-dating of the log before turning in for the night.