This was the trip that would help participants learn how to identify the exquisite harlequin ducks and other birds that winter along the Jersey coast by Barnegat Light State Park. Our leader for this trip was to be Mike Bisignano, NJ OWL's premier birding expert, and instructor who has led more NJ OWL trips than any other person since his first NJ OWL stint to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in 1998.

Because of Mike having shared his expertise and time with NJ OWL members over the years, they've had the opportunity to view bald eagles foraging for fish, watch American woodcock performing their courtship flight in the spring, been graced by the presence of a barred owl, and mesmerized by the conversant chatter of a monk parakeet colony, among other avian delights. Now, because his schedule had become unusually hectic, he was going to have to take a hiatus from NJ OWL and this harlequin-Barnegat Light trip would be if not his last hooray, at least semi-last hooray.

But as I readied my gear on the morning of the February 19th, my phone rang and I had a funny feeling. It was Mike.

My heart sank. I explained how sorry I was to hear that he was sick, and that the important thing was for him to rest up and get well, and I thanked him for all the wonderful learning opportunities he had given the organization already. "You'll be alright out there, won't you?" he asked. "Well, obviously I think they'd learn a lot more if you were leading this, but we'll manage," I said. "Now we'll be able to test all those identification skills you taught us over the years." In the Barnegat Light parking lot, NJ OWL members trickled in and got ready by suiting up with binoculars and layers of clothes to combat the fierce wind that typically rolls across the jetty. When I announced the bad news that Mike wasn't going to be able to make it, many faces registered their disappointment. It was as if they had been anticipating a meal of filet mignon or lobster, but instead were handed a Big Mac, or worse, some gum that had already been chewed.

Glassing the inlet revealed a wide array of wintering waterfowl, loons and other bird life. Click to enlarge

But if I've noticed anything over the years about most NJ OWL members, they make the best of the hand that is dealt to them, and this event was no different.

"I'll help you out," offered Joan.

"We'll have a great day no matter what," declared Barbara Ann.

"We'll make Mike proud with all the birds we'll see," said Gloria.

The first birds we were able to identify were a small flock of cedar waxwings that landed in some trees that rimmed the parking lot. They were stationary enough that we could set up my scope for a closer look. If I had to describe my overall impression of cedar waxwings I would say that they come across as very tailored and sleek. They're about 7-inches long, are mostly light brown with a light wash of yellow on their belly, a band of yellow at the end of their tail, and have a sleek-looking crest. They are one of my favorite birds, and it was a pleasant way to start off the trip.

A drake long-tailed duck floating in the inlet at Barnegat Light. Click to enlarge

Then we headed for the inlet. As we rounded the bend that would bring us past the lighthouse we could recognize how much shelter those trees that rimmed the parking lot offered from the wind. The brisk air hit our faces like a small smack. But we were dressed for the occasion and relished the opportunity to explore the avian treasures that awaited us in Barnegat Inlet. One of the first birds we observed was an adult male long-tailed duck. I explained that in the United States this duck used to be officially known by the common name of "oldsquaw," but that a few years ago the US caught up with the rest of the world and adopted the official common name, long-tailed duck.

Long-tailed ducks were scattered across the inlet along with sizeable rafts of surf scoters and black scoters. Compared to other NJ OWL excursions to Barnegat Light, these scoters seemed unusually close to the concrete walk that we were standing on. It was a wonderful opportunity to admire the colorfully marked bills of the drakes of both species, and other field marks, which enabled us to compare what we were seeing against what was in our field guides. All of these ducks, the long-tailed, surf and black scoters, are collectively known as diving ducks, I said. And then as if to prove the point a bunch submerged themselves underwater to search for food, which for them is mostly mollusks.

Virtually all the species we sighted were seen from the walkway near the lighthouse including our target species, the harlequin duck. We saw a few harlequins, both hens and drakes, floating on the water in the distance, but we were treated to an independent-minded drake that confidently cruised past our flock of NJ OWLs as if to beckon us down the jetty. I've said it before and will say it again, but those birds are for me THE head-turners of the waterfowl world.

Few species of duck are able to command the attention of humans in the way that a drake harlequin duck can, especially when they are less than fifteen yards away. The ornate arrangement of their cinnamon, white, black and blue colored plumage stops one in their tracks…or invites one to seek out these birds more. With caution that is. One of the rules for ethical birding is that you not let your desire to observe the beauty of these creatures, of any species, lead you to pursue them to the point of harassment. Harlequin ducks are very approachable, but you need to be slow and respectful of the bird's personal space, as well as those of other people who are either photographing or watching wildlife. There's nothing like sitting in one location for several hours to allow birds to approach so you can photograph them, only to have someone carelessly walk up to you to ask what you are doing and scare the birds away. It would be important to avoid approaching both people and wildlife haphazardly so as not to disturb them. After we observed those and other species of birds from the walkway, we decided to venture out to the jetty. This was a tricky enterprise especially when trying to squeeze through the rails while wearing multiple layers of clothes and trying to keep camera equipment and binoculars from getting beat up on the concrete, rails and jetty boulders.

NJ OWL members squeeze through the railing to get onto the jetty. Click to enlarge

We tip-toed our way down the jetty while simultaneously watching birds and watching where we placed our feet so as to not take a header. Everyone was warned beforehand about the importance of wearing proper footwear and paying close attention to where they placed their feet, since if you were careless you could easily plunge your leg down between boulders and find yourself in the hospital.

Along the way we spotted other birds that winter along the Jersey coast such as loons. Luckily we had two species in our midst which allowed us to compare the subtle differences in their field marks to hone our ability to properly identify each species. The first loon we saw was the red-throated loon which, despite its name, is not identified by a red throat, at least not in winter. The classic field mark for this species at any time of year is its comparatively thin and upturned bill, "Like it's stuck-up or snooty bird," I said. This distinguished it from the other species of loon that we observed, the common loon, which haunts the lakes of New England and Canada with its yodeling call during the summer. Aside from the fact that common loons are much larger than red-throated loons (which isn't readily apparent unless the birds are side by side), the bills of common loons are much heavier and the upper bill, or culmen, is slightly curved.

A flock of hen and drake harlequin ducks coalesced on a rock near the jetty. Click to enlarge

We all worked together to compare field marks of various species to do our best to identify birds correctly. Sue pointed a number of birds that I had missed entirely which meant everyone could enjoy them. As did Pat, Bonnie and others. Further down the jetty we saw what most of us were hoping for: a flock of harlequin ducks, both hens and drakes, of different ages and at fairly close range. They looked spectacular. Once again the drakes are captivating, but their beauty is complemented by the understated refined quality of the hens whose plumage is a rich chocolate punctuated by white spots on their head and a pale belly. A couple of the birds appeared to be younger drakes whose adult plumage looked to be just coming in, like a teenage boy growing his first whiskers. The drakes would chase each other across the water, while the hens seemed to be above it all. This is the time of year when birds start to pair up for the upcoming breeding season and we were getting a front row show of romancing waterfowl. Sometimes all of the harlequins would bunch up together on a rock and just sit there as if they were taking in the view. It was an enchanting moment for their human admirers.

And on we went, most of us making it all the way down to the end of the mile-long jetty where the inlet opened itself to the Atlantic Ocean. It was an exhilarating feeling. The wind, the glorious sun, the camaraderie of fellow NJ OWL members all centered around the main event, the great variety of birds.

I have no doubt that if Mike had been able to lead us we would have identified more species, but all in all I thought we did a great job. We'll still need a real birding leader, but it was gratifying to know that all the identification skills we had developed with Mike's help over the years yielded positive results and helped to make our day at Barnegat Light a stimulating and confidence-building delight.

-- Cathy Blumig