Harlequin Ducks, Sea Gulls And A Raging Winter Ocean On Another New Years Day On Long Beach Island.

 

It was a last minute decision, literally. I decided to return to Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore early New Years morning. ( I slept through the arrival of the New Year. I am old. lol )  Three inches of snow fell  in Luzerne County in Northeastern Pennsylvania when an arctic front arrived early New Year’s Day. I didn’t want to walk in snow and I wasn’t going into the office Friday so I decided  to drive to the ocean and search for the  birds, especially the beautiful harlequin ducks.   After a 2 mile morning walk in the snow, and a New Year fire on my land,  I was off on the 160 mile, 3 hour drive to the Long Beach Island.

It was slow going at first, on the snow covered roads in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but the roads were snow free once I rescued the Pennsylvania turnpike.

As usual I stopped on the way for breakfast at a local dinner, this time at the Vincentown  Diner .There was a long waiting line for a table so  I sat at the counter and had a delicious farmers omelet while chatting with a pleasant waitress and the local couple who sat next to me at the counter.

As I drove through the pine barrens I ran into snow again.  About an inch or two of snow had fallen from that same arctic front that passed through Pennsylvania. . I arrived at the LBI  Hotel in Ship Bottom, situated  at the entrance to Long Beach Island.. I was  early , around 1:30 pm . It was still decorated beautifully for Christmas. I was pleased to find a room available. Instead of changing into my hiking cloths in the my Jeep I was able to check in  and change in  my room.

I wasn’t in my room long, I  was soon driving the long  9 mile drive to the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park  located on the northern point of Long Beach Island.  Folks who visit in the Summer would love the drive I took.  All of the lights were flashing yellow and there was almost no traffic on Long Beach Blvd. It was cold and windy when I exited my Jeep and walked into the park and approached the always impressive Barnegate Lighthouse.

Famous Civil War General Robert Meade designed the lighthouse that was vital for navigation in New York harbor. It was commissioned on January 1 1859. There is more information on  history of the lighthouse in the highlighted link I provided and in my earlier blog posts. ( which can be found using the research tool here in my blog)

I walked  past the lighthouse and onto the sidewalk above the jetty that protected it from wind erosion. The strong northwesterly wind churned the water of the Atlantic  Ocean and waves crashed onto the rocks of the jetty. This is were many of the migratory shore birds are found in the Winter. I thought the rough waves would make it difficult finding any shore birds, and it did.

I have seen many species of shore birds here on my previous visits. There were no birds swimming in the rough surf but I saw a few American herring gulls flying overhead,

and some red breasted mergansers flying just above the waves, this is a male,

and this a female.

A red throated loon also flew along the jetty. It was my first sighting of this bird.

It wasn’t pleasant walking in the strong and cold wind but I was determined to find the beautiful harlequin ducks I  have seen here in the past. I walked to the endow the sidewalk and crawled out onto the large boulders that make up the jetty protecting the beach and lighthouse. Thankfully they were not wet like  the were  on my visit last year.  It was treacherous, and stupid, for  an old man  like me to walk on them. Even though they were dry, there was snow in some areas and also frozen puddles.  Just jumping from boulder to boulder required caution. something I am not noted for.

I wasn’t seeing many birds as I jumped from boulder to boulder in the strong northwesterly wind. Temperatures were in the mid 20’s but felt colder in the damp ocean air.

The only birds I saw were American herring gulls  on the rocks,

some taking shelter from the strong winds.

After I had walked around  3/4 of a mile, about 1/2 way out on the jetty I saw a large flock of brandts swimming in rough sea along the boulders.

These small geese breed  in the arctic marshlands and tundras.

I was freezing in the  wind and cold, questioning why I drove 160 miles. when, to my surprise and delight I saw a flock of harlequin ducks swimming in the rough waters along the jetty.

They were beautiful birds, especially the males, shown here,

this is a female.

They didn’t seem to mind me taking photos as they struggled to swim in the waves.

I heard their mouse squeaks for the first time.  I followed the flock taking so many beautiful photos. I was now happy I decided to travel to the Jersey Shore. These birds breed near  rivers in Greenland and northern Canada. The are endangered on the east coast and it is always a wonderful opportunity to see them here.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the beautiful harlequin ducks . Long Beach Island. Barnegat harlequin ducks. January 1 2026.

I watched the harlequin ducks for about 15 minutes when I decided saw it was getting late in the afternoon and I was getting real cold. I left the boulders of the jetty  and walked in sand.  The wind blew the sand into my face and eyes.  It was not a pleasant walk along the beach.

I walked to the  shore line  where the waves of  Atlantic Ocean were crashing onto the beach.

Here there were large flocks of American herring gulls,

and a few brave long tailed ducks swimming in the raging ocean.

I started my hike back to my Jeep and I was now walking into the wind.  It wasn’t fun. I was going to walk to the trail in the dunes but the sand blowing in the wind made me walk back on the jetty.

I was glad I did, I got to see the harlequin ducks again, still swimming in the rough waters,

and also a flock of purple sandpipers perched  in the boulders.

There were a few long tailed ducks, 

a black scoter,

and a common loon  swimming along the jetty.

A ruddy turnstone,

and dozens of American herring gulls flew overhead.

I left the jetty and came back to the lighthouse where I decided to walk into the trail through the dunes.

The trail took me into a woodland of  American holly trees. I love seeing these evergreen trees when I visit the shore in the Summer or Winter.

In the nearby woodlands I saw a flock of yellow rumped warblers. This short distance migrants are common along the Jersey shore in the Winter and are just as common in the woodlands of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the Spring and Summer.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the beautiful harlequin ducks . Long Beach Island. Barnegat  birds . January 1 2026.

It was late in the afternoon now, and I was cold and hungry,  I walked back to the Barnegat Lighthouse  and took one last look at this iconic and historic structure as the sun was setting in the southeastern  sky. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hike.. Long Beach Island. Barnegat hike. January 1 2026.

I drove back to the LBI hotel, with almost no traffic on the streets.  I was planning to eat at the hotel that evening.  However, upon returning to the hotel,

I learned the restaurants were closed because it was New Year’s Day. As, I soon learned were most of the other restaurants. The young lady and the desk recommended three restaurants, I called on and there were no tables available. The  other one was closed too.

Only nearby Wally’s Diner was open. I love diner food but, it was New Year’s Day, and I was going to treat myself to a lobster or some other  fancy dinner. I wasn’t expecting great a gourmet meal at a diner. They usually good wholesome food at a reasonable price. Well I was wrong. I had a delicious meal, starting with a wild rice and mushroom soup.

My entre was amazing. A seared salmon tenderloin served over fregola pasta with fire blistered tomatoes, red peppers, and pickled sliced red onions. It was a delicious combination, I couldn’t have asked for a better meal.

It was filling too, but, after such a great meal I had to try the highly recommended  homemade crumb cake. It was delicious too. It was a great meal. I was stuffed and tired. I returned to my hotel and worked on my  editing my photos. I fell asleep looking forward to another day of  exploring the Jersey Shore

For all at last return to the sea—to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning of the end. -Rachel Carson 

“To stand at the edge of the sea, to sense the ebb and flow of the tides, to feel the breath of a mist moving over a great salt marsh, to watch the flight of shore birds that have swept up and down the surf lines of the continents for untold thousands of years, to see the running of the old eels and the young shad to the sea, is to have knowledge of things that are as nearly eternal as any earthly life can be.” ~ Rachel Carson