Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get decent photos of the shorebirds, as it's usually quite difficult to get quality images at the super long distances they are typically viewed from. Instead, I'll share a few highlights from the last couple of months.

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Fortunately, I got so many photos that I had just had to share them in a second post.

Enjoy part two!

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Meanwhile the adult male loon cruises around the lake looking for small fish to feed his young. This handsome bird does not seem to care about me at all, and lets me tag along at a short distance. I watch him plunge out of sight and reappear with a wriggling smelt, which he hands off to one of his hungry chicks. After one of his dives, I watch the air bubbles on the surface of the water and try to predict where he will surface. I'm completely fooled when he surfaces hundreds of feet away!

At one point he approached me and circled the kayak within about 20 feet, all the while preening and showing off his magnificent plumage. The dark red eye is surrounded by pitch black feathers that hold dazzling droplets of water, and the striking blue-green coloring on his neck is incredible to behold at such a short distance.

I can't believe that I am in the presence of such wild and beautiful creatures, and that for this short period of time I can be a part of their world.

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We drove the 8-mile Wildlife Drive, considered to be one of the best birding areas in the region. This is an excellent location for shorebirds, gulls, terns, sparrows, swallows, egrets, birds of prey, and much more. If you are ever in the Cape May area, this is the first place you should go!

Some of the highlights are below.

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A few of these have been posted as notes recently, so I apologize to those who have already seen them.

These are in no particular order, but are some that I really liked.

Enjoy!

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The Point has areas of dense seaside undergrowth, low grassy dunes, and wet, tidal marshlands. It’s sandy dunes are summer nesting grounds for Piping Plover, Common Tern, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, and American Oystercatcher.

In particular, we had hoped to find the piping plovers, but unfortunately did not have any luck. As we walked down the beach, I noticed a rocky breakwater and joked that I would eat my hat if we didn’t find any Purple Sandpipers there. Luckily my hat was spared, as two of them were down near the pounding waves. These birds always amaze me, as they literally live on “the edge”.

I also really enjoyed photographing the sanderlings. They run back and forth as the waves come and go, narrowly being swept out to sea, or so it seems. I tried to capture the size of the waves as they dwarf the tiny bird in the foreground.

A very short distance from Stone Harbor Point is Nummy Island, and we stopped to watch a nice collection of birds as they foraged on the mud flats. Below are a few photos that I took there, just as the sun was going down. Always a great way to end a day!

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Adult male mergansers play absolutely no role in nesting or rearing the chicks. As soon as the female begins incubating the eggs in the spring, the males abandon the nest site to form their own separate, leisurely male flocks for the summer.

Common Mergansers will often group up and take care of their young together in a fascinating cooperative behavior known as “crèching.” Seeing a single female leading dozens of ducklings is actually a regular occurrence for this species. As different merganser families move down rivers into larger lakes, multiple broods frequently meet and mix together. Adult females often team up to defend this large combined flock. Ducklings that get separated from their biological mothers in fast-moving rivers will instinctively imprint on and follow any passing adult female Common Merganser.

Common Merganser chicks are precocial, meaning they are born ready to move. Within 24 to 48 hours of hatching, the flightless chicks will leap out of their tree cavities to the ground. Once they reach the water, they feed themselves completely. The mother does not catch food for them; her role is strictly to guide them to rich foraging grounds and defend them from predators like hawks, eagles, and large fish. The babies start by diving along the surface for aquatic insects. By the time they are roughly 12 days old, they transition into expert divers and begin hunting small fish using their specialized serrated bills.

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If you look at the last picture, you can see that the porcupine is missing quite a few quills on its back, and a small patch just under its right ear. It also has what appears to be some damage to the top of its nose. At first, I wondered if it had been hit by a car, or had some other unfortunate incident, but that didn’t really look like the cause.

After some research, it all made sense. Apparently, fishers are porcupine hunting specialists, with the unusual ability to overcome their impressive defense system. A fisher will repeatedly dart in to bite the porcupine’s unquilled face, and quickly leap back to dodge the lashing tail. This systematic attack can last over half an hour, until the porcupine is severely weakened from facial wounds and blood loss. The fisher will then flip over its prey, and kill it from the underside where it lacks protection.

The porcupine that I saw almost certainly survived a recent fisher attack, judging by the missing quills on an otherwise healthy animal. After leaving its attacker with a painful face full of barbed quills, a porcupine will begin growing back replacements within a couple of weeks.

Another thing I was interested to know about was why it was out in the open near a road. Apparently, porcupines have a well know addiction to salt, with their salt drive peaking fiercely in May and June. Seeing a porcupine near a road is a classic sign of salt-seeking behavior. In areas that experience freezing temperatures, winter road salting leaves behind dense chemical deposits. Even after snow melts, the sodium chloride bakes into the dirt, gravel, and asphalt of the road shoulder, and porcupines will loiter on the edge of the pavement just to lick the mineral-rich dirt or gravel.

Enjoy the photos below!

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The Midnight Ride of Theodore Roosevelt

I had several boreal species in mind: Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and others. However the bird I most hoped to see was the Black-backed Woodpecker. When I arrived at the northern end of the trail, the fog was thick and the woods were dripping. I’d assumed that the trail would be well traveled, but that was not the case. The vegetation was thick and high, and before I’d gone a tenth of a mile, I was completely soaked from the waist down. Although the surrounding forest was exceedingly beautiful, I had no wish to continue.

Retracing my steps to the car, I drove around to the southern end of the trail, and began hiking. The trail was much better and less overgrown, and although I remained completely wet, my spirits improved dramatically. As I ascended the gradual trail, I reveled in the calls of Hermit and Swainson’s thrushes, Winter Wrens, Magnolia, Nashville and various other warblers.

After hiking almost a mile, a female Roughed Grouse appeared on the trail ahead of me, calling loudly. Most grouse sightings begin with the bird exploding from the undergrowth near you, and end a few seconds later as it vanishes into the woods. This encounter was entirely different. She was calling to her young, either to follow her, or to remain in hiding, and never left the immediate area. I stopped for a few minutes to get some photos, and then moved on. Unfortunately, I never saw the young birds, and the family of grouse had left by the time I returned down the trail.

As I hiked back down the trail to the car, I’d pretty much given up finding a Black-backed Woodpecker. The weather just wasn’t that great, and there wasn’t much time before I had to return. And then it happened! I heard a woodpecker call behind me that did not sound familiar. Retracing my steps, I spotted the bird on a tall dead tree. I was ecstatic, and watched for a few moments as it foraged, flying back and forth overhead and landing on nearby trees. The conditions weren't great, but I did manage to get a shot before it disappeared.

I don’t know when I’ll get back to the Adirondacks again, but I certainly enjoyed birding the Roosevelt Truck Trail!

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Hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, including Red Knots, Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones converge on the shores of the bay on the annual migration to their summer breeding grounds in the Arctic.

One of my all time favorite shorebirds, the Red Knot, has a truly incredible migration journey.

Some Red Knot populations spend the winter at the southern tip of South America, in Tierra del Fuego, and fly more than 9,000 miles north every spring, on their way to the Arctic where they breed. This epic migration is repeated in reverse every autumn.

The Delaware Bay is the final and most critical rest stop for these migratory birds.

The birds arrive along the bay after a non-stop, 2,500-mile flight from South America, at the same time the female horseshoe crabs come ashore to spawn. On this long flight, Red Knots can lose almost half their departure weight, and rely heavily on the masses of tiny, protein-rich, green horseshoe crab eggs on the beach. Nearly the entire Red Knot population gathers on Delaware Bay beaches in May to gorge themselves in preparation for the final leg of their journey to their Arctic breeding grounds.

Cook’s Beach is very easy to reach, and once there, you can stand in the designated viewing area and watch the show. It’s not unusual to have up to 2,000 Red Knots and many thousands more of the other shorebirds as well. Below are a few pictures taken on our trip there in early May.

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Una is the most recent female Peregrine Falcon to dominate the mighty Palisades. Standing at over 500 feet tall, these majestic cliffs tower above the Hudson River.

Recently, I went to the State Line Lookout to observe these amazing birds. I was not disappointed!

Una is the successor to “The Beast”, the name given to a female peregrine that managed to attack and kill a Bald Eagle for entering its territory. Una’s current mate is “Mad Max” who definitely lives up to his name. The only thing I could think of to compare him to, was a military fighter jet. Max covered the entire Hudson River in that area, dive bombing Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures that ventured too near to their nesting site on the cliffs. It was a sight to behold, and one that left me completely speechless.

I really had trouble getting decent photos of the peregrines in flight, since they move so ridiculously fast, but just as I was about to leave, I heard a peregrine calling from nearby. I approached slowly, and to my amazement, Una had settled on a rocky outcropping not more than 80 feet away. She preened as she sat there, giving me more than enough time to get the shots I had been hoping for. When she was ready to leave her perch on the rock, she didn’t flap her wings as I would have expected. Instead, she just leaned forward and fell off the ledge into space, winging down over the river and out of sight.

If you ever get a chance to visit the State Line Lookout in northern New Jersey, I can highly recommend it. I hope to go back again soon to see if I can get some pictures of Una and Mad Max’s young ones. They should be fledging soon.

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Note: Do NOT miss the video near the end of the post, and make sure the audio is on!

Male turkeys use elaborate physical and vocal displays to attract females during the spring breeding season. While dominant males lead these displays, subordinate males often assist them in a unique evolutionary partnership.

The Strutting Process

The courtship display, called “strutting,” involves a precise sequence of physical changes and behaviors:

• Feather Fanning: The tom raises its body feathers and spreads its tail into a large, semi-circular fan.

• Wing Dropping: The turkey drops its wings low, dragging the primary feathers against the ground to create a scraping sound.

• Color Transformation: Increased blood flow changes the bare skin on the head and neck to bright shades of red, white, and blue.

• Caruncle Swelling: The fleshy growths on the neck (caruncles) and the forehead appendages (snoods) engorge and elongate.

• Vocalizations: The tom emits loud, sharp gobbles to attract hens from a distance, followed by low-frequency “spits and drums” at close range.

Dominant Tom and Supporting Jake Dynamics

Male turkey hierarchies consist of dominant mature males (toms) and subordinate younger males (jakes) or lower-ranking toms. Their relationship relies on a system known as cooperative courtship.

• Team Displaying: Closely related males (often brothers or half-brothers) form coalitions to strut and gobble together in front of hens.

• The Alpha Advantage: Only the dominant tom in the coalition actually mates with the females attracted by the group effort.

• Subordinate Roles: The supporting jakes or lower-ranking toms act as wingmen, making the display look larger and more intimidating to rival groups.

• Genetic Payoff: Supporting males help the dominant tom because they share similar genetics, ensuring their family bloodline passes on.

• Future Dominance: Serving in a coalition allows younger jakes to gain display experience and protection before attempting to claim dominance in future seasons.

How Hens Choose a Specific Tom

Female turkeys (hens) are highly selective and evaluate males based on specific physical traits and display performance that signal good health and genetic quality.

• Color Intensity: Hens prefer toms with the brightest, most vivid red, white, and blue colors on their heads and necks, which indicates a robust immune system and freedom from parasites.

• Snood Length: The fleshy appendage above the beak (snood) is a major selling point; hens strongly favor males with longer, more engorged snoods, which correlate with high testosterone and parasite resistance.

• Symmetry and Size: A perfectly symmetrical tail fan and a large, full body structure signal physical dominance and optimal development.

• Vocal Frequency: Hens listen closely to the frequency and stamina of a tom’s gobbling, as persistent vocalizing proves the male has high energy reserves.

• The Power of the Crowd: Hens are drawn to larger coalitions of displaying males, though they will ultimately ignore the wingmen and select only the alpha male of that group.

Establishing Territories and Strutting Grounds

Wild turkeys do not defend strict, exclusive territories like some songbirds, but they do establish specific home ranges and communal display areas called strutting grounds or leks.

• Topography Selection: Toms choose open areas with high visibility—such as pasture edges, forest clearings, or agricultural fields—so hens can see their displays from far away.

• Pre-Season Battling: In late winter, flocks of males engage in intense physical battles, using fighting purrs, wing-striking, and leg spurs to establish a strict regional hierarchy before the hens arrive.

• Roost Proximity: Strutting grounds are almost always located close to secure nighttime roosting trees, allowing toms to fly down and immediately begin displaying at dawn.

• Traditional Use: If a specific clearing yields high mating success, dominant toms will return to the exact same strutting ground year after year.

• Female Movement Mapping: Toms dynamically adjust their daily strutting locations based on where acorn crops, insects, and vegetation are drawing the female nesting flocks.

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I thought to start a series, where I share the highlights as I manage to get to them, so here is the first installment.

We drove the Wildlife Drive at the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR on the first morning. If you ever get to New Jersey, this is a must visit location. In early May, it is easy to get over 70 species at this location in a few hours. I really enjoyed watching the Forster’s Terns fishing along the wildlife drive. At one point I got out of the car and spent about 15 minutes capturing the action. Here are some of my favorites.

This tern did not swallow the fish immediately, as it would have if it was planning to consume it. During breeding season, a male will catch and carry a fish to offer to a female. This "food exchange" acts as a courtship ritual, proving to the female that he is a reliable provider capable of feeding a family. At this time of year, this is almost surely what I was observing…

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Our goal was to enjoy the beauty of the mountains and experience the incredible birds and wildlife there. We booked a campsite at the Buck Pond campground, and pitched our tent. A highlight for me there were the common loons. Their haunting calls would ring out across the lake through the rising mist of early morning.

We visited the Bloomingdale bog a few times, which has a long trail running through it. The Canada Jays were incredibly friendly and inquisitive, and would come down as soon as they saw us approaching. It appeared they were somewhat conditioned to people hiking the trail, and were looking for a handout. At one point my son held some food on his hand and the Jays came down and sat on his fingers to eat the food. It was a wild experience. We also had fun watching some red squirrels as they climbed in the trees and ate off of a bird feeder near the trail. There were loads of warblers, but the most common ones were Nashville and Palm. At one point an adult palm warbler showed up with two of its recently fledged young, and we watched as it fed them nearby.

One very special encounter was while we were driving down a back road at dusk. A roughed grouse appeared out of the woods and crossed the road. I stopped the car and we heard it calling to it's young. Although we waited for about 15 minutes, the juvenile bird never crossed the road. I thought for sure I had stumbled upon the perfect photo opportunity, but it wasn't to be.

On the second day we visited Whiteface Mountain. The Veterans’ Memorial Highway is accessible by car, and gets you to within 250 vertical feet of the summit of this 4,867 foot mountain. The views are breathtaking, stretching across the Adirondack landscape and into Vermont and Canada. Of course we spent a couple hours driving to the top, stopping all along the way to bird this spectacular mountain. Some highlights were a couple of singing Bicknell’s thrush, and Boreal Chickadees.

These are just a few impressions from an amazing trip, and I highly recommend a visit to the Adirondacks if you get the chance.

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I’ve written about this before, but the leucistic Tree Swallow that was present last year below my house has returned, and appears to be paired up with another swallow. They seem to favor one particular nesting box, but so far I haven’t seen any progress on a nest.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been watching a second American Woodcock incubating its eggs. When I checked the nest a few days ago, the bird was gone. The timing seems good, along with the fact that American woodcock chicks are able to leave the nest within a few hours after hatching. I am confident everything is going as well as could be hoped for.

I was driving down a back road, when I saw a male Wild Turkey trying to impress one of two female birds. The feathers are exquisite when they catch the light, and I was thrilled to capture this moment.

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As I started to record, a shadow appeared from above the frame, and a male flicker dropped into view. His mate popped out of the hole and flew off, while the male surveyed the area as he protected the entrance to their nest.

I did not hear any sounds of young birds from within the hole, nor did the parents bring food, so I assume that the eggs have not hatched yet.

I hope you enjoy this short video as much as I did. (Note that the female lacks the black malar stripe, and the red crescent on the nape.)

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