Day 221: August 8th – Quiet times

Sunny, warm, and calm

       Quite a nice day to be out and about.  We would really like to get to see the mink that have been reported at the Barnegat Lighthouse, so we take another journey up to the north end of the island.  We bring our grandchildren along with us to see the lighthouse, perhaps do a little crabbing or fishing and see what birds are around.

       The breakfast was great, the kids rescued a lost crab trap and enjoyed catching the little Asian Land Crabs they could see in the shallows, but the birds were few and far between.  That’s the way it is in August.  Birds are just beginning to migrate, some are still on the nest and the hot days keep them holed up in the relative coolness of the shade of the trees.

       As I walked the trail through the dunes at the Lighthouse Park, I did manage to find one Mourning dove, quietly cooing as it foraged along the dune.

       But this was one of the only birds singing.  A pair of Cardinals and a Catbird were being a bit more vocal, but not much else.  I then noticed what appeared to be a Northern Mockingbird.  I am so use to hearing these birds long before I see them that I was surprised.  The bird also looked pretty bad…..haggard would be an appropriate description I suppose.

       After some time, the bird, still not vocalizing approached closer to my location and I took several shots.  Upon checking up on the molting period of the mockingbird, I found that indeed they do molt in late summer (now) and when they do they are uncharacteristically quiet.  Many birds are more subdued during their molts as they do not possess the same ability of agile flight while “swapping out” their old feathers for a new set.  They simply don’t want to draw attention to themselves.   A second mocker nearby did not appear to be undergoing a molt, but for whatever reason, he also was not all that vocal.

       The only other bird of note today was another which was not singing its usual trill.  I spotted movement in the branches of the trees bordering the bayfront at Harvey Cedars Park, south of the lighthouse.  When I finally saw the bird, he also looked a bit beaten down, but his crown of rich reddish brown indicated that he probably was not undergoing a molt,  He was simply still drying out from last night’s storm. 

       We’ve only got a couple more days on the island and there are only one or two more places we want to visit before we depart.  Let’s see if we can end on a high note.