Some Bird Watching Activities
We toured the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Brigantine/Oceanville in southern New
Jersey coastal area in early October, 2007. We saw a large group of seagulls dipping their heads and beaks
in the water to catch many small fish in this tidal wetland area. The whole group sweeps through such shallow
water area for a while to sweep up most of the small fish in such area as shown in these three pictures.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Edwin B. Forsythe NWR in New Jersey
After sweeping up most small fish in one area, the whole group of seagulls took off and flew to another nearby
shallow water area to repeat the similar process to sweep up many small fish in the new area.
We also saw a swan in flight, then landed on the water
In early October, 2007, I also checked out several birding areas in the large tidal marsh areas near Delaware
Bay in Cumberland County in southern New Jersey that I have not visited previously. I saw many egrets at
Matts Landing in Heislerville Wildlife Management Area, where Maurice River flows into Delaware Bay. A
portion of these large tidal marsh areas is known as The Glades Wildlife Refuge.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Matts Landing in New Jersey
One of several herons that I saw in Matt's Landing when we were driving our car on the 8-mile auto-tour-trail
loop for wildlife viewers.
When our car got too close, the heron took off and flew to a tree some distance away.
We visited the coastal areas of northern California and southern Oregon in the first week of August 2004. We
saw many brown pelicans and other fishing birds swimming in these coastal areas near Cape Arago in
Oregon. Pelicans are relatively big birds as compared to many other kinds of fishing birds such as cormorants
and seagulls.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Cape Arago in Oregon
Many pelicans were flying and cruising above the water in search of fish to catch at the bay near Crescent City
Harbor in northern California coast.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Crescent City Harbor in California
When the pelican in flight finds a fish underneath, it dives from mid-air straight down into the water to catch
the fish
Since pelican is a big bird, it makes a big splash when it dives from mid-air down into the water to catch the
fish. It is quite interesting to watch many pelicans diving successively into the water.

We enjoyed watching many pelicans in action at Cape Arago in Oregon, at Crescent City Bay and Drakes
Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California.

Gannets, ospreys and terns also dive from mid-air down into water to catch fish, similar to pelicans.

We also saw many brown pelicans and white pelicans at Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in southeast
California.
We also saw large herds of sea lions on the rocks near Simpson Reef, in Stone Acres State Park and Cape
Arago State Park area of Oregon. These large groups of sea lions are very playful and many of them are
barking like dogs. Their barking noise can be heard miles away.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Simpson Reef in Oregon
We saw a group of skimmers and many water fowl when we visited Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
in August 2006 as shown in these two pictures.
Many red-winged black birds in flight in Forsythe NWR in August 2006
A nesting area of many egrets when we visited Forsythe NWR in August 2006
A closer view of 3 of the egrets in Forsythe NWR
An egret at a swamp when we were hiking on a railtrail at Station Point in Amherst, Massachusetts on
September 22, 2007.

Map: Click here to see a map of RailTrail near Station Road in Amherst in Massachusetts
Two more views of the egret at Amherst in Massachusetts
A red-naped sapsucker (woodpecker) at Big Morongo Canyon in southeast California when we were on our
way to tour Joshua Tree National Park  in October 2006. This kind of woodpecker creates sap wells in the
bark of woody plants and feeds on sap that appears there.

Map: Click here to see an interactive Google Map showing location of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in
California
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