A Foggy New Year’s Eve Hike Along The Ocean At Barnegat Lighthouse State Park In New Jersey

For the first time in my life I decided to spend  New Year’s Eve away from my  home and family.  A relationship I was in for a couple of years ended this year  and I was single again.  Long story, but all that glitters isn’t gold I guess.   Wanting to reflect on the situation, me getting older and being single,   and , rather than attend my  family’s  New Year’s Eve  celebration myself, I decided to be alone.  So what better place to be alone and reflect than  the ocean.  And I heard there are a lot of migratory birds at the ocean in the winter. I spent many days walking the beach in warm weather but I had never visited the ocean in the winter.  It was something I always wanted to do. So I took the 160 mile three hour drive from my home in Hazle Township Pennsylvania and arrived at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park  on Long Beach Island in  New Jersey around 1;30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. 

There was  almost no   traffic on the roads on Long Beach Island. They are always congested in the summer.   However it  wasn’t wintery when I arrived at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.  In fact it was a mild 50 degrees, or so I thought it was mild. I would think otherwise later . There was also a thick fog, not the best conditions for photographing the shore birds and water fowl that I heard migrate here in the winter. This was another reason for my choosing this location.

I was  impressed when I  saw the  172 foot light house built in 1857 shrouded in the fog. There is a lot of history on this island and that will be left to, hopefully, future visits and blogs. 

I was surprised by the number of visitors to the park. Although the temperature was 50 degrees it felt much  colder with a raw, strong wind blowing in from the ocean. I walked past the lighthouse and on a walkway along the ocean which was crowded with visitors and a few fishermen. 

Here I  saw my first shore birds, a few  herring gulls.

I am surprised  how well the photos of this beautiful gull came out in the foggy and cloudy conditions. 

I walked to the end of the walkway  and returned to the lighthouse

and walked the Maritime Forest Trail. This short trail meanders through the dunes and hills one of the last remaining maritime forest in New Jersey.   I always wanted to see what a forest along the Atlantic Ocean would look like before we developed all of the beaches. It was beautiful hike.

Pine, red maple, cedar and many other trees and shrubs grew in the sandy dunes. 

The sounds of birds  filled the foggy air. Unfortunately the fog kept me from  photographing them. The only photos I was  able to get were this American robin, one of many I saw fluttering through the trees

and this  common, invasive but pretty house sparrow. 

There was plenty of food for the birds. I saw holly berries ,

red cedar berries

and invasive California privet berries growing along the trail.

I left the Maritime Forest Trail and walked out to the rocky jetty that protects the beach form the currents of the Atlantic Ocean. 

It is here where  one can see the many shore birds that live here in the winter months and, I did. The first birds I saw were a small flock of ruddy turnstones scurrying on the rocks.. I also saw these pretty birds on my recent visit to Mississippi. 

The large rocks that make of the jetty could be slippery in spots but I proceeded with caution and was soon rewarded with seeing a common  loon

and a red breasted  merganser swimming in the rough waters just off the jetty. 

One of the reasons I decided to visit Barnegat Lighthouse State Park was I heard that  the beautifully colored Harlequin ducks winter here along the shores. As I walked along the jetty  I was told by a few of the local folks they hadn’t seen any that afternoon. A photographer, heading back to the lighthouse told me he saw a pair but at the far end of the jetty. He also warned me the rocks were slick out here. Of course I had to walk out and try and find them. The tide was coming in, and was splashing the rocks making them very slick. I almost took a fall a few times but, it was worth it. I saw a pair of the Harlequin ducks swimming  in the rough water just off of the rocks of the jetty. 

Their brilliant colors were dulled in the foggy conditions but I was still glad to have seen them and to share these photos, even though they are not the best. I hope to return again soon, on a sunny day, and capture the beauty of their plumage. 

After seeing the ducks I left the jetty and walked along the beach. 

I always love walking along the beach looking for seashells

and whatever other flotsam and jetsam I can find. 

The tide was coming in and a raw wind blew in from the ocean. It was chilly. 

And this is why I was the only person walking along the beach as the waves rushed in and broke on the shore. It was desolate but made for some nice reflective thoughts. It reminded me of scenes from the 1969 David Copperfield movie which so influenced my young life. 

After a short walk along the shore I decided to return and walked past the dunes, 

and along the jetty, where the  high tide was now creating pools of water along the rocks. 

When I neared the lighthouse I walked back to the sidewalk along the jetty where I watched a herring gull search for fish,

it would dive into the rough waters but didn’t appear to get any after a number of attempts.  

One did stop for a drink of water and watched me as I approached to take a photo.

Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my four mile walk.  They really look much better in these galleries and that is why I share them so take a look. A lot of other photos from my hikes and travels too. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park  birds December 31 2021. 

It was now near 4;30 p.m. and near sunset,  which I wouldn’t see because of the foggy conditions, so I left this wonderful state park with hopes to return soon. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photographs from my New Year’s Eve hike. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park December 31 2021. 

I checked into the LBI Hotel where had a nice dinner and observed the folks preparing for the festivities associated with New Year’s Eve and the anticipation of the New Year. It was a good  place to reflect on the passing years. At this stage of my life I don’t need festivities, I just  like to spend next New Year’s Eve with family and a good kind, honest woman. My search for a heart of gold continues. But my search won’t keep me from  hiking, traveling and sharing the beauty of nature I find on my adventures. This is  where I find my most joy. Sorry for getting a little personal, but it’s been a rough year for a lot of reasons. Here is to a better New Year for all of us. Happy New Year!!! 

“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”
― Alfred Lord Tennyson

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