Noel Westerlind Sr - Wildlife at the Jersey Shore

Wildlife at the Jersey Shore Noel Westerlind Sr Copyright 2017 Noel Westerlind Sr All rights reserved First Edition PAGE PUBLISHING, INC. New York, NY First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2017 ISBN 978-1-64027-765-6 (Paperback) ISBN 978-1-64027-766-3 (Digital) Printed in the United States of America Great Egret Hunting for fish and crabs in the channels of the wetlands and also in the rivers and bays. The marshes and wet lands are great places to catch lots of small fish, these are the places that the bottom of the food chain starts. Green Heron Green herons hunt for food at the edges of fresh water lakes, ponds and river edges, they also feed in salt water wet lands and coastal waterways, they have magnificent colors to make them blend in with the scenery behind them, these rather small birds are about twice the size of a Robin. Harbor Seal that is away from the main herd, it is a possibility that this particular seal may have been sick. Harbor Seal that is away from the main herd, it is a possibility that this particular seal may have been sick.

DO NOT get too close to these creatures they will lunge at you and BITE, it is recommended that you stay 100 feet from these seals, thats what the warning signs say in this area. An Osprey finishing his fresh fish meal Pair of Gold Finches, the Gold finch is the New Jersey State Bird Cormorant Cormorants are voracious feeders in Fresh and Salt water, they will eat any type of fish that they think they can swallow. Female Grackle Chipmunks are everywhere in all the parks and forests and in peoples yards, it is always nice to see them scamper around, they are fast little rascals. Ospreys Ospreys arrive in the northern states around the end of March, these birds migrate from our southern states and even from South America to breed and start a new family. These three young Ospreys are called fledgelings because they are about to test their wings and fly. Harbor Seal You may be able to spot one or more than a 100 on your walk on the beach of the Ocean or on sandbars in the river and Bays. Harbor Seal You may be able to spot one or more than a 100 on your walk on the beach of the Ocean or on sandbars in the river and Bays.

Warning: Dont get too close because they may bite you or your pet. House Finch, the male is very colorful but the females just have brown and white feathers. Piping Plover, these tiny birds are on the endangered list, some beaches they close off huge areas of beach and dune areas so that these little birds will thrive. Baby Harbor Seal that must not have kept up with the herd or may have been born in that section of the beach. We do have some seal births while the seals spend their winters here from December to April in the NJ/NY area. Snowy Egret Oyster Catcher These odd looking birds are usually in small groups of two, three, or four individuals. Snowy Egret Oyster Catcher These odd looking birds are usually in small groups of two, three, or four individuals.

Their main diet is small crabs, clams, mussels and an Oyster if they can catch it! A gorgeous Great Egret These Egrets wade in shallow fresh and salt waters and eat fish of ALL sizes and they just LOVE Soft shelled crabs that they find in the salt or brackish waters. A Racoon at low tide searching for little crabs, snails etc. that they find in the Marshes. Ground Hog These critters are EVERYWHERE, they live in burrows in and around building and deep in the woods and parks. I think the Ground Hogs took a big hit when Super Storm Sandy had a surge of 12 to 16 feet of water, instead of running for the high ground I think many of them drowned inside their burrows. Herring Gull A beautiful bird that stay aloft for long periods of time when they are off shore following the fishing draggers.

However when they are based on land they tred clams in the shallow water, they pick up the clams with their beak and fly 25-40 feet in the air and drop the clams on a hard beach, roadway or parking lot to break them open, sometimes a nearby gull will steal the broken clam!