ovenbird43
Well-known member
I had originally booked a spot on See Life Paulagic's 14-hour trip from Brooklyn in late January, but with a major winter storm with high winds on the way, that trip was cancelled. Determined to see alcids out in the ocean, I transferred my booking to a February trip leaving from Cape May - an fortunately, as time approached, it was clear that the weather would be good for the trip as well as for the 5.5-hour drive from Syracuse.
I made a weekend trip out of it, driving down early enough the day before to do some birding, and leaving around noon the day after. I stayed in Somers Point, because hotels in the Atlantic City area cost a fraction of those in or near Cape May (apparently even in the dead of winter!). Budget Inn was $39 a night online and serviceable - there were some closer to Atlantic City as low as $21, but they were on White Horse Pike road, which is such a clusterf*** the way it's set up, concrete barrier in the middle with no left turns allowed, I decided it was worth a few extra bucks not to deal with it. It was a half hour drive from Somers Point to Cape May.
Feb 5
A pleasant and uneventful drive down, though I was surprised to see it snowing and accumulating when I reached the Atlantic City Expressway - but no matter, it was soon to pass and I drove out of it as I headed south toward Avalon. Here my primary target was Purple Sandpiper - not a lifer, but I'd only seen them once before (actually, just last year at Cape May), so I was keen to see them again, maybe closer and this time in their purplish (some imagination required) non-breeding plumage.
The streets of Avalon were quiet as I drove toward the seawall, most businesses closed for the winter, a shadow of the bustle that fills the Jersey Shore in the summer. Pleasant, really. My first stop was along the seawall at the inlet on the north end of the island. I climbed up the seawall and down to a short rocky pier, greeted by a very close Common Loon diving just off the pier. Several other Common Loons could be seen out in the inlet, plus a distant Red-throated Loon. There was a flock of ducks not too far off, mostly Surf Scoter with three Common Eider mixed in, and stunning Long-tailed Ducks dotted here and there, some flying by, males with their long tail steamers flapping in the wind.
A flock of sandpipers flew by, appeared to be Dunlin, heading seaward - looking that way I saw a long rocky pier, and figured that would be the spot to find the Purple Sandpipers. I got back in my car and drove around until I found a small parking lot with an entrance to the beach and pier. I walked on the beach beside the pier to stay out of the wind and spray. As I approached the surf I could see hundreds of sandpipers roosting on the end of the pier - eventually I could make out that they were mostly Dunlin, with a smattering of Sanderlings. A few larger, darker sandpipers were milling around on the rocks closer to the surf - Purple Sandpipers! There were some working the rocks right next to the beach, quite complacent as I sat down to photograph and watch them. So here were the nice close views I had hoped for, as they picked little invertebrates out of the algae and scrambled up when an errant wave threatened to engulf them.
I made a weekend trip out of it, driving down early enough the day before to do some birding, and leaving around noon the day after. I stayed in Somers Point, because hotels in the Atlantic City area cost a fraction of those in or near Cape May (apparently even in the dead of winter!). Budget Inn was $39 a night online and serviceable - there were some closer to Atlantic City as low as $21, but they were on White Horse Pike road, which is such a clusterf*** the way it's set up, concrete barrier in the middle with no left turns allowed, I decided it was worth a few extra bucks not to deal with it. It was a half hour drive from Somers Point to Cape May.
Feb 5
A pleasant and uneventful drive down, though I was surprised to see it snowing and accumulating when I reached the Atlantic City Expressway - but no matter, it was soon to pass and I drove out of it as I headed south toward Avalon. Here my primary target was Purple Sandpiper - not a lifer, but I'd only seen them once before (actually, just last year at Cape May), so I was keen to see them again, maybe closer and this time in their purplish (some imagination required) non-breeding plumage.
The streets of Avalon were quiet as I drove toward the seawall, most businesses closed for the winter, a shadow of the bustle that fills the Jersey Shore in the summer. Pleasant, really. My first stop was along the seawall at the inlet on the north end of the island. I climbed up the seawall and down to a short rocky pier, greeted by a very close Common Loon diving just off the pier. Several other Common Loons could be seen out in the inlet, plus a distant Red-throated Loon. There was a flock of ducks not too far off, mostly Surf Scoter with three Common Eider mixed in, and stunning Long-tailed Ducks dotted here and there, some flying by, males with their long tail steamers flapping in the wind.
A flock of sandpipers flew by, appeared to be Dunlin, heading seaward - looking that way I saw a long rocky pier, and figured that would be the spot to find the Purple Sandpipers. I got back in my car and drove around until I found a small parking lot with an entrance to the beach and pier. I walked on the beach beside the pier to stay out of the wind and spray. As I approached the surf I could see hundreds of sandpipers roosting on the end of the pier - eventually I could make out that they were mostly Dunlin, with a smattering of Sanderlings. A few larger, darker sandpipers were milling around on the rocks closer to the surf - Purple Sandpipers! There were some working the rocks right next to the beach, quite complacent as I sat down to photograph and watch them. So here were the nice close views I had hoped for, as they picked little invertebrates out of the algae and scrambled up when an errant wave threatened to engulf them.