If you’re looking for a nice relaxing two hours of birding, consider giving the Barnegat Bay Early Bird Ornithology Boat Tours a try. These tours are offered every two weeks or so by the Ocean County Parks Department, originating from the boat dock on the Ocean County Park Services Administration property on Bandon Rd. in Toms River. The tours last two hours, leaving at 7AM and 9:30 AM; check the parks department summer brochure at http://epapers.webcographics.com/oceancountyparks/spring14/index.html for specific dates. The pontoon boat used in this program holds only six passengers, keeping it cozy and allowing us to get into shallow waters. We traverse the shoreline of Cattus Island County Park, scanning the mash and coast for wading birds, gulls, terns, Marsh Wrens, Belted Kingfishers, swallows, and passerines visible from the water. Several Osprey nests are found in this area, and the Ospreys can be seen hunting and carrying their fish prey to the nests. Afterward we cross Barnegat Bay and search for birds on the sedge islands just offshore from Lavalette. This area is typically the highlight of the day, as some of these islands contain bushes and low trees that provide cover and roosting sites that allow us to commonly view up to eight species of wading birds, including Tri-colored Herons, Little Blue Herons, Glossy Ibis, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons, and Black-crowned Night-herons. The islands are nesting sites for Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Foster’s Terns, and American Oystercatchers, and its fun to observe nesting activity and the progression of the young birds through the year as they rapidly grow to the size of their parents. Surprises are always fun, and we’ve seen nice birds such as an unexpected late June Red-necked Grebe, Bald Eagle, and migrating shorebirds heading southward along the bay.
Beginners and novice birders are welcomed on these tours. Bring your own binoculars if you have them because we can’t get off the boat and the birds are not always right on the shoreline; if you don’t have your own binocs, some loaners are available on the boat to borrow. Pre-registration is highly recommended, as the boats are often full. More birds are usually seen on the 7AM trip, but the 9:30 trips have still been productive. Identification hints and commentary are provided by yours truly. Come and join us; even if we don’t see a single bird, a relaxing 2 hour early morning boat tour of the bay for only $7 is tough to beat.
Banded Ospreys 2014. Note the red band on the right leg. 62 Ospreys were banded in the bay this year, and are expected to return in 2016.
Immature Black-crowned Night-herons. We saw 19 of them on the 7AM tour of 8/19/2014.