Early this morning we discussed our President's Day plans. I dangled a savory morsel in front of our daughter and she readily took my bait. After breakfast, we piled into the van and headed to Salem County.
A rare, but always welcomed, family birding trip was underway.
We found our first treat of the day while still cruising south on 295. A group of 12 Wild Turkeys were strutting through a field just south of exit 4.
The kids were amused by their glimpse of the flock!
We pull up to our destination with eager anticipation of our pending sighting. Our daughter has not seen one in a few years.
Her little brother has NEVER seen one. My wife's sigh of satisfaction signaled that her binoculars have fallen upon the beautiful bird. Time to get out of the car.
After setting up the scope, the little ones clamored for the viewing rights. The cold seemed to be virtually no barrier to their excitement. Our daughter's 5 year old bravado takes charge of the tripod.
She's an old pro at looking through Daddy's scope! Instantly she bellows, "there it is!" quickly followed by a more subdued "but all I see are her ears.
"
How are we going to get him on the bird? Several adjustments are made to the height and angle of the scope. We finally get our son's 2 year old eyes properly aligned with the lenses and the nest.
He proudly proclaims, "OW!"
He has just seen his first Great Horned Owl. The bird is hunkered down in its nest incubating its eggs.
It is sitting so low that, at times, all you could see were the two tufts of feathers for which the species is named.
The trip was a complete success. Besides the owl, we had many other exciting sights including:
4 species of hawks
1 falcon
6 species of sparrows
hundreds of Snow Geese
and 6 Bald Eagles!
Some of us even buy state of the art garments scientifically engineered to effectively keep us toasty.
Yet, ducks and geese seem to manage Jack Frost's harrassment with ease even while floating in nearly frozen water! How do they do this?
!
Ducks and geese have a layers of protection from the icy waters and winds.
1) Starting from the inside out, they have fat under their skin to help retain heat.
2) The next protective coat is their downy feathers that insulate their bodies. Many people can relate to the effectiveness of down since we use it in our comforters and jackets!
3) Their outer contour feathers are covered in a special oil that helps waterproof them.
This windbreaker is valuable in the cold weather. Imagine a duck wearing a Member's Only jacket (sans the gold chains).
But what about their feet which are not covered in feathers and have seemingly little fat?
!
The ducks circulatory system is arranged in such a way that warm blood flowing through the arteries helpds warm the cooler returning blood in the veins. This would help to keep their feet warm while standing on the ice or paddling underwater!
The African Serengeti. The Amazon Rain Forest. South Jersey.
Yes, you read that correctly. No, I didn't just finish a bottle of merlot!
With careful searching and patience, we can be rewarded with some amazing sightings like flying squirrels, carnivorous plants, or even a humpback whale.
Yet, New Jersey's claim to wildlife fame is our diversity of birds.
South Jersey is one of the best bird watching areas in the world. While Cape May garners much of the attention, there are beautiful and intriguing birds to be seen all over the state.
More than 300 species of birds pass through the Garden State every year. Our official state list of birds has recently reached a whopping 460 species!
For bird watchers like me, there is always something interesting to be found.
American Goldfinches on our window feeders are a regular joy. That stunning Scarlet Tanager singing behind my school last spring was a real treat. The Snowy Owls that pop up along our coast every so often in the dead of winter are nice surpises.
As both a parent and a teacher, I enjoy sharing my passion for birds and wildlife with people of all ages. Through the "Winged Wonders" blog, I will lead you on a virtual safari of South Jersey for everything from diving ducks near Deptford to Red-eyed Vireos in Voorhees to Bald Eagles over Bellmawr.
Please feel free to visit often and read about the recent visitors to our area.
Once introduced to some new species, don't be surprised if they start showing up in your own backyard!
posted by Dave M.
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