Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge

Common terns

Glossy ibis

 Osprey

        Always liked the name of a particular bird-- the
 Hudsonian Godwit. It just sounds a little strange, maybe cerebral, almost regal.  Maybe I've seen one already and just didn't realize it. It's a chubby shorebird with a long bill like we've all seen by the thousands, and to me, they all look alike. Kind of like warblers. There are a million of  'em. So I'm still looking.

Instead of spending the day losing money in Atlantic City, take a left a few miles north of  AC, and discover some of the 47,000 acres of Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge., a division of Forsythe Wildlife Refuge.  Eighty percent of the refuge is tidal salt marsh and meadows, giving feathered creatures room to wander.


A large section of Brigantine is enclosed by dikes, and many water birds, especially in spring and fall, find the refuge a perfect stop-off during migration.

Dikes control water levels, but also provide an eight-mile

car or bike trail.

For us two-legged visitors, an eight-mile bike or car trail on the dikes winds through the refuge, giving us great opportunities to see the wildlife.

Now, I like to photograph birds because of their color, free spirit, and the challenge. But I'm not a wildlife photographer. Because I have all the patience of a cocker spaniel puppy,  I'm gone within minutes if the picture doesn't present itself. These photos were all taken on a quick drive-through of the area. Imagine what you can capture taking your time.

And, I know the names of a few birds, but am not a birder. I know the difference between an osprey and a bald eagle (we saw both). Through pictures and books, I know we saw herons, egrets, warblers, terns, seagulls (?), and hundreds of miscellaneous water birds (plovers, ducks, etc.), all unnamed. Maybe a Hudsonian Godwit. I just don't know.